Recommendation 47

The Government’s estimate of compliance with its enforcement regime for border quarantine is unconvincing. That the estimate is so high should be grounds for healthy cynicism and interrogation. A better method for estimating the true compliance rate is required, based on routine publication of the following figures: • the number of people required to quarantine under the regulations; • the number of spot checks carried out on arrivals at the border; • the number of spot checks carried out by Public Health England on those quarantining; • the number of referrals from Public Health England to the Police; • the number of visits undertaken by police to quarantining individuals; and • the number of enforcement actions ultimately taken. This will allow oversight of the entire process. These data should be published fortnightly, to mirror the work undertaken by the National Police Chiefs’ Council to publish fortnightly totals of the number of Fixed-Penalty Notices issued under lockdown Regulations.