A vicar who grilled Matt Hancock over coronavirus lockdown penalties has called for parents to be refunded if they were fined when travelling for childcare purposes.
Speaking at today's daily No10 press conference, Martin Poole, from Brighton, asked Matt Hancock whether parents penalised for childcare travel would be repaid after Dominic Cummings' Durham trip.
The Health Secretary said he would speak to the Treasury about reviewing the fines, in a move that has already been dubbed 'Dom's law'.
Reverend Poole later told Sky News he thought parents should be refunded.
He added: “I think particularly for any families that have travelled probably worried that they were doing the wrong thing and then were stopped and charged a penalty notice - that should definitely be, as far as I’m concerned, refunded if that was allowed.
“I don’t think any of us realised there was an element of discretion in these rules, it seemed to me very clear that it was about staying at home.
“Many millions of us have done that. For me it’s about fairness.”
Mr Cummings insisted he did not break lockdown rules when he made a 260-mile journey to his father's estate in County Durham but scientists have warned his actions have undermined the public health message.
Martin originally asked Mr Hancock: "Will the Government review all penalty fines imposed on families travelling for childcare purposes during lockdown?"
The Health Secretary responded: "It's a very good question and we do understand the impact and the need for making sure that children get adequate childcare, that is one of the significant concerns that we have had all the way through this."
Mr Hancock promised to speak with the Treasury to see if the fines could be repaid.
The Health Secretary, who also came down with the virus alongside his wife and has three children, defended Dominic Cummings, saying that unlike himself the aide did not have childcare available.
