Thank you for contacting me regarding parties and gatherings in Downing Street and at other Whitehall departments during Covid restrictions last year.

The media reports, photographs and videos which have been publicised over the past weeks have caused upset to many people who, like yourself, adhered to all the guidance and obeyed the rules which were put in place to keep us safe and protect our NHS from being overwhelmed. There must now be a thorough and impartial investigation into all the circumstances around these events. It is disappointing that the Cabinet Secretary, Simon Case, who had been tasked with carrying out this inquiry has now recused himself following reports that an event had also been held in his own office in December last year.

At the time of writing Sue Gray, who is a permanent secretary at the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, has been engaged to investigate the facts and produce a report. It is now important that the investigation is conducted swiftly and transparently in order that its findings can be scrutinised, and any appropriate action taken. As we face yet another Christmas of uncertainty as Omicron surges across the country, the pain of heartbreak and loss suffered by so many people during the pandemic still hurts and I fully understand the anger and upset caused by these events which deserve thorough investigation.