Boris Johnson has rejected calls to sack Health Secretary Matt Hancock after he admitted breaching the Government's social distancing rules.
It comes as Downing Street refused to comment eight times about whether the Tory Minister broke covid laws.
Hancock apologised after images emerged earlier today of him kissing his aide Gina Coladangelo who he appointed in his office at the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).
The CCTV images are believed to have been taken on May 6 when UK Government guidance urged people to stay two metres apart and avoid "face to face contact".
Laws in England also banned indoor social gatherings of people from different households.
Prior to May 17, gatherings indoor between people from different household were against the law unless they fell under an exemption such as “reasonably necessary” for work.
A Downing Street spokesman said that the Prime Minister had accepted Hancock's apology and "considers the matter closed".
"You've seen the Health Secretary's statement, so I would point you to that," a spokesman for the Prime Minister said after being asked by reporters why Hancock remained in post.
"I don't really have anything further to add.
"The Health Secretary set out that he accepted he had breached the social distancing guidelines and he has apologised for that.
"The Prime Minister has accepted the Health Secretary's apology and considers the matter closed."
Asked whether Boris Johnson had "full confidence" in Hancock, the spokesman replied: "Yes."
Hancock said he was "very sorry" for letting people down after The Sun published an image of him kissing Coladangelo near his office in the DHSC building.
The paper reported that the Health Secretary was having an extramarital affair with Coladangelo, who he knew from their days together at Oxford University and who he appointed to the DHSC last year.
She was initially taken on as an unpaid adviser on a six-month contract in March last year, before being appointed as a non-executive director at the department.
Hancock said in a statement: "I accept that I breached the social distancing guidance in these circumstances, I have let people down and am very sorry," he said.
"I remain focused on working to get the country out of this pandemic, and would be grateful for privacy for my family on this personal matter."
Labour said Boris Johnson was "spineless" for failing to sack the Health Secretary and accused the Government of an attempted cover-up.
Following No 10 telling reporters that the Prime Minister considered the Matt Hancock affair "closed", a Labour Party spokeswoman said: "This matter is definitely not closed, despite the Government's attempts to cover it up.
"Matt Hancock appears to have been caught breaking the laws he created while having a secret relationship with an aide he appointed to a taxpayer-funded job.
"The Prime Minister recently described him as 'useless' - the fact that even now he still can't sack him shows how spineless he is."
To sign up to the Daily Record Politics newsletter, click here.
