Scarborough and Whitby MP comfortable with Tier 2 visitors to the Yorkshire coast

Scarborough and Whitby's MP says it was a judgement call by ministers to only allow pubs to open in places with Tier 2 coronavirus restrictions.

We've been asking Robert Goodwill about some of the new rules since the introduction of the Tier system.

One question was why can people from a Tier 2 area travel to places like the Yorkshire coast which is in a less dangerous Tier 1?

Robert Goodwill has been speaking to Greatest Hits Radio's Jon Burke:

Robert said:

"We must observe the tier 2 restrictions, so if they come as a couple, they can go to a restaurant or a cafe, but they can't mix with others from outside their households.

"When I've been to restaurants and cafes in our constituency, they've been very good at taking your details but also maintaining social distancing.

"I'm not too worried that people are going to spread the infection by coming into the area from those controlled environments; it's the uncontrolled environments, people having unofficial parties, people mixing in ways which is obviously very dangerous that's the issue.

"It's a judgement call based on the evidence and the evidence is that people sat at tables, receiving table service, don't provoke the same risk as people milling about in pubs.

"I've seen in London before the more recent controls were put in place, I walked past pubs where people were obviously not social distancing.

"Some pubs probaby could operate very effectively, some of the larger pubs, pubs with beer gardens, although it's coming winter.

"It's a judgement call that ministers have to make and we have to rely on their judgement and continue to review that on the basis of evidence."