School closures could have been avoided with earlier lockdown - Hancock - BBC News
The ex-health secretary says failing to lock down early in autumn 2020 meant a "tougher lockdown".
His appearance was much anticipated and Matt Hancock’s evidence in a marathon session lasting a day and a half has thrown up many talking points, some unexpected.

His response to allegations by some other witnesses, including Dominic Cummings, that he had at times been hugely overconfident and less than truthful was robust.

He pointed the finger at a “malign” actor in Downing Street and condemned what he called a “toxic” culture. So far so predictable. The inquiry and the court of public opinion will weigh up those claims and rebuttals.

The big surprise was his contention that lockdown should have happened three weeks earlier in March 2020 and this could have saved thousands of lives. He was also adamant that firmer action could have been taken earlier in the autumn and this could have reduced the need to take such draconian action in early January 2021 which, controversially, included school closures.

This sets the scene for the evidence to be given by Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak over the next two weeks. Their responses on the lockdown timing questions will be watched closely.

On the care home issue Hancock was candid, he admitted that the protective ring he had talked of was less robust than first suggested. But he said the choices were very difficult, leaving the elderly in hospital rather than discharging them to care homes might have exposed them to a greater risk of getting the virus.

For bereaved families this is a critical issue. They will have to wait for a later stage of the inquiry for it to be examined more closely.