Approximately 50 staff were invited to Christmas drinks at the Department for Education in December 2020, while Covid restrictions prohibited indoor gatherings.
Today’s report on government gatherings during Covid restrictions, penned by civil servant Sue Gray, reveals that then-education secretary Gavin Williamson’s team invited officials and special advisers to “socially distanced” festive drinks in an email just before 4pm on 7 December that year.
The drinks took place three days later, on 10 December, with approximately “20-30 staff” gathered in the canteen.
The event lasted around an hour, and included a suggestion in the invitation that those joining “should bring their own bottle”.
Wine, along with mince pies, was provided by the education secretary and his private office team.
Mr Williamson was at the event to thank staff, but then left shortly afterwards to return to his constituency, the report says.
The gathering took place while London was under “Tier 2” restrictions, which banned indoor gatherings of people not from the same household.
The full email reads: “We’re planning on having some socially distanced festive drinks in the canteen on Thursday. It would be great if you could join us. This is open to Private Office staff and ministers if they are around. For those working at home, there are plans for a Christmas Divisional where people will be able to dial in and have a virtual festive gathering.”
The report said that planning for the event began “in early December 2020”, and that initially, the intention was to hold the event in the private office of the education secretary’s top team, but officials subsequently decided to move the event to the canteen on the basis that it was a “well-ventilated space that would permit easier social distancing”.
On the same day that the invite was sent out, Tes reported that a secondary school had closed its doors early for Christmas after Covid shut down year groups and left it with more than 30 teachers self-isolating.
It was first revealed that the DfE would be investigated over the event in December last year.
At a select committee hearing, DfE permanent secretary Susan Acland-Hood was asked about reports that a party took place.
Ms Acland-Hood said the party had been a “gathering of colleagues” and that “they were already present at the office and had worked together throughout the pandemic”.
