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Treasury denies Rishi Sunak's restaurant meeting broke Covid rules

<span>Photograph: Reuters</span>
Photograph: Reuters

Rishi Sunak did not flout lockdown rules by holding a meeting in a branch of a pizza chain in Waterloo to discuss his latest business support package, because it was “not a functioning restaurant at the time”, the Treasury has said.

The Treasury issued a press release featuring 12 photos of the chancellor and the communities secretary, Robert Jenrick, sitting around a table at a branch of Franco Manca in south London with representatives of hospitality businesses.

Mixing between members of different households in indoor hospitality settings is currently prohibited in the capital, and office staff are urged to work from home where possible.

Tier one – medium

  • The “rule of six” applies, meaning socialising in groups larger than six people is prohibited whether indoors or outdoors.

  • Tradespeople can continue to go into a household for work and are not counted as being part of the six-person limit.

  • Businesses and venues can continue to operate but pubs and restaurants must ensure customers only consume food and drink while seated, and close between 10pm and 5am.

  • Takeaway food can continue to be sold after 10pm if ordered by phone or online.

  • Schools and universities remain open.

  • Places of worship remain open but people must not mingle in a group of more than six.

  • Weddings and funerals can go ahead with restrictions on the number of people who can attend (15 and 30 respectively).

  • Exercise classes and organised sport can continue to take place outdoors, and – if the rule of six is followed – indoors.

Tier two – high

  • People are prohibited from socialising with anybody outside their household or support bubble in any indoor setting.

  • Tradespeople can continue to go into a household for work.

  • The rule of six continues to apply for socialising outdoors, for instance in a garden or public space like a park or beach.

  • Businesses and venues can continue to operate but pubs and restaurants must ensure customers only consume food and drink while seated, and close between 10pm and 5am.

  • Takeaway food can continue to be sold after 10pm if ordered online or by phone.

  • Schools and universities remain open.

  • Places of worship remain open but people must not mingle in a group of more than six.

  • Weddings and funerals can go ahead with restrictions on the number of people who can attend (15 and 30 respectively).

  • Exercise classes and organised sport can continue to take place outdoors but will only be permitted indoors if it is possible for people to avoid mixing with those they do not live with (or share a support bubble with), or for youth or disability sport.

  • Travel is permitted to amenities that are open, for work or to access education, but people are advised to reduce the number of journeys where possible.

Tier three – very high

  • People are prohibited from socialising with anybody they do not live with, or have not formed a support bubble with, in any indoor setting, private garden or at most outdoor hospitality venues and ticketed events.

  • Tradespeople can continue to go into a household for work.

  • The rule of six continues to apply to outdoor public spaces, such as parks, beaches, public gardens or sports venues.

  • Pubs and bars are only permitted to remain open to operate as restaurants, in which case alcohol can only be served as part of a substantial meal.

  • Schools and universities remain open.

  • Places of worship remain open but household mixing is not permitted.

  • Weddings and funerals can go ahead with restrictions on the number of people attending (15 and 30 respectively) but wedding receptions are not allowed.

  • The rules for exercise classes and organised sport are the same as in tier 2. They can continue to take place outdoors but will only be permitted indoors if it is possible for people to avoid mixing with people they do not live with (or share a support bubble with), or for youth or disability sport. However, in Merseyside, gyms were ordered to close when it entered tier 3.

  • Travelling outside a very high alert level area or entering a very high alert level area should be avoided other than for things such as work, education or youth services, to meet caring responsibilities or if travelling through as part of a longer journey.

  • Residents of a tier 3 area should avoid staying overnight in another part of the UK, while people who live in a tier 1 or tier 2 area should avoid staying overnight in a very high alert level area.

Boris Johnson’s official spokesman was asked on Thursday about whether business meetings could be held in restaurants or cafes in areas under tier 2 restrictions.

He said: “There is an exemption for work meetings to take place in hospitality settings. Our intention when providing that exemption had been to provide the opportunity for freelancers or for the self-employed who didn’t have an office space to work in, to use hospitality if necessary.”

He added: “What we would ask people to do wherever possible is to hold meetings remotely, via phone or via video conference or whatever it might be.”

Challenged about whether Sunak had broken the rules, a Treasury spokesperson said: “The restaurant was not a functioning restaurant at the time. There were no customers in the restaurant at the time and it was all Covid-secure including face masks worn and social distanced.”

Attendees were pictured seated apart from one another around long tables, with pastries and water.

Related: Rishi Sunak expands furlough replacement scheme

Aides said Sunak believed it was important to show his support and solidarity with the hard-hit hospitality sector, which has been pressing for more financial backing for months.

Sunak had previously been criticised for launching his “eat out to help out” scheme in the summer by serving food at a branch of the noodle chain Wagamama without wearing a face mask – though they were not mandatory for hospitality staff until September.

Treasury announcements are meticulously branded and often feature Sunak’s signature prominently, sometimes to the irritation of Tory colleagues. Adviser Cass Horowitz is often credited with burnishing his personal brand.