THE Government expects there to be a “significant easing” of coronavirus measures in December, Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick has said.

Mr Jenrick was asked if the Government might be forced to ban indoor meetings over Christmas if Covid-19 cases are still high.

Appearing on Times Radio, he said: “We don’t know that yet.

"The hard yards that we’ve done in November were designed to enable most people in England to have a much more normal December so that we can go to the shops, we can use hospitality and, as far as possible, we can be together as families at Christmas.

“We can see from the data that the tiered approach in October and early November was having an impact, particularly in some parts of the country.

'Significant easing of measures as we move into December'

“It’s too early to say the true impact of the new national measures because there’s a lag time of two or three weeks, but hopefully by the end of November we’ll be in a position to take that judgment.”

He added: “The PM and the Government’s hope and very firm expectation is that we will see a significant easing of measures as we move into December.”

It comes as Mr Jenrick defended the Prime Minister's decision to meet Conservative MPs in Downing Street after the PM was forced to self-isolate when one MP at the meeting tested positive.

Mr Jenrick said that it was important ministers could be held to account and he insisted that No 10 was “Covid-secure”.

“The vast majority of the meetings I have with the Prime Minister now are over Zoom,” he told ITV’s Good Morning Britain.

“Politics has adapted as the whole of the country has, but it is important that MPs take their responsibilities to their constituents and the country seriously.

“That does mean that if they are healthy and willing to do so, that they do come down to Parliament, participate in debates, because at the end of the day that is how people hold ministers to account.”