Aylesbury MP Rob Butler 'Tier three heralds the bleakest of midwinters for local hospitality businesses'

Rob Butler, the Conservative MP for Aylesbury, said: "The news that Buckinghamshire is going into Tier 3 heralds the bleakest of midwinters, especially for local hospitality businesses.

"It is imperative that they get extra help, and that this lasts as short a time as possible."

Mr Butler says it is "alarming" that Buckinghamshire Healthcare Trust has been given no date when it will get a supply of vaccines, especially when Oxfordshire, which is in a lower tier, has been given a date.

Mr Hancock says he will write to Mr Butler "immediately" for primary care-based vaccination facilities.

"I regret having to put Buckinghamshire into the Tier 3 measures. But it was unfortunately absolutely necessary. I hope we can get cases down, and get people vaccinated, as soon as possible."

However it's not just Buckinghamshire and Aylesbury Vale that will be placed into Tier three.

Matt Hancock, announcing the new measures today said: “It is therefore necessary to apply Tier 3 measures across a much wider area of the east and south east of England, including Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Peterborough, the whole of Hertfordshire, Surrey with the exception of Waverley, Hastings and Rother on the Kent border of East Sussex, and Portsmouth, Gosport and Havant in Hampshire.”

The changes will take effect from 0001 on Saturday.

When announcing the changes Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: "Controlling infection rates is about limiting patient harm and this is a moment when we act with caution."

Matt Hancock said the UK has “come so far” and “mustn’t blow it now”.

Making a statement in the Commons, Mr Hancock told MPs: “As we enter the coldest months we must be vigilant and keep this virus under control.

“Yesterday 25,161 cases were reported and there are 18,038 people in hospital with coronavirus in the UK. We must keep suppressing this virus.

“And this isn’t just a matter for Government or for this House, it is a matter for every single person and these are always the most difficult months for people’s health and for the NHS.

“And especially with the vaccine already here, we must be cautious as we accelerate the vaccine deployment as per The Winter Plan.

“We’ve come so far, we mustn’t blow it now.”