The Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (No. 4) (Wales) Regulations 2020

PART 2 Restrictions on gatherings and events

Restriction on gatherings in private dwellings

4.—(1) No person may, without a reasonable excuse, participate in a gathering in a private dwelling with any other person apart from members of their household or extended household.

(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1), a person has a reasonable excuse if—

(a) the person is participating in the gathering for a purpose that is reasonably necessary and there is no reasonably practicable alternative, or

(b) one of the circumstances in paragraph (4) applies.

(3) Examples of purposes for which it may be reasonably necessary for a person to participate in a gathering include—

(a) obtaining or providing medical assistance, or accessing veterinary services;

(b) working or providing voluntary or charitable services;

(c) meeting a legal obligation;

(d) providing, receiving or accessing care or assistance, including childcare or relevant personal care within the meaning of paragraph 7(3B) of Schedule 4 to the Safeguarding of Vulnerable Groups Act 2006(1), where the person receiving the care is a vulnerable person;

(e) in relation to children who do not live in the same household as their parents, or one of their parents, continuing existing arrangements for access to, and contact between, parents and children, and for the purposes of this sub-paragraph, “parent” includes a person who is not a parent of the child, but who has parental responsibility for, or who has care of, the child;

(f) moving home;

(g) undertaking activities in connection with the purchase, sale, letting, or rental of residential property;

(h) accessing or receiving educational services.

(4) The circumstances referred to in paragraph (2)(b) are that the person is—

(a) providing or receiving emergency assistance;

(b) avoiding illness, injury or other risk of harm;

(c) participating in a gathering of no more than 4 people where all the persons in the gathering—

(i) live in the same premises, and

(ii) share toilet, washing, dining or cooking facilities with each other.

(5) This regulation does not apply to a person who is homeless.

Extended households

5.—(1) 2 households may agree to be treated as an extended household for the purposes of regulation 4 or 6(2)(b).

(2) To agree to be treated as an extended household, all of the adults of the 2 households must agree.

(3) A household may only agree to be treated as being in 1 extended household.

(4) A household ceases to be treated as being in an extended household if any adults in the household ceases to agree to be treated as being in the extended household.

(5) If a household ceases to be treated as being in an extended household, the household may not agree to be treated as being in an extended household with any other household.

Restriction on gatherings in public places

6.—(1) No person may, without a reasonable excuse, participate in a gathering which—

(a) takes place anywhere other than—

(i) in a private dwelling, or

(ii) in holiday or travel accommodation, and

(b) consists of more than 4 people, not including—

(i) any children under the age of 11, or

(ii) the carer of a person who is participating in the gathering.

(2) But a person may participate in such a gathering which—

(a) takes place indoors or in any part of regulated premises that is outdoors, if all the persons participating in the gathering are members of the same household, or

(b) takes place outdoors other than in regulated premises, if all the persons participating in the gathering are—

(i) members of the same household, or

(ii) members of the same extended household.

(3) No person may, without a reasonable excuse, participate in a gathering which takes place in holiday or travel accommodation unless all the persons participating in the gathering are members of the same household.

(4) For the purposes of paragraphs (1) and (3), a person has a reasonable excuse if—

(a) the person is participating in the gathering for a purpose that is reasonably necessary and there is no reasonably practicable alternative, or

(b) one of the circumstances in paragraph (6) applies.

(5) Examples of purposes for which it may be reasonably necessary for a person to participate in a gathering include—

(a) obtaining or providing medical assistance, or accessing veterinary services;

(b) working or providing voluntary or charitable services;

(c) meeting a legal obligation, including attending court or satisfying bail conditions, or to participate in legal proceedings;

(d) providing, receiving or accessing care or assistance, including childcare or relevant personal care within the meaning of paragraph 7(3B) of Schedule 4 to the Safeguarding of Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, where the person receiving the care is a vulnerable person;

(e) in relation to children who do not live in the same household as their parents, or one of their parents, continuing existing arrangements for access to, and contact between, parents and children, and for the purposes of this sub-paragraph, “parent” includes a person who is not a parent of the child, but who has parental responsibility for, or who has care of, the child;

(f) moving home;

(g) undertaking activities in connection with the purchase, sale, letting, or rental of residential property;

(h) accessing or receiving public services;

(i) accessing or receiving educational services.

(6) The circumstances referred to in paragraph (4)(b) are that the person is—

(a) providing or receiving emergency assistance;

(b) avoiding illness, injury or other risk of harm;

(c) attending a solemnisation of a marriage or formation of a civil partnership—

(i) as a party to the marriage or civil partnership,

(ii) if invited to attend, or

(iii) as the carer of a person attending;

(d) attending a funeral—

(i) as a person responsible for arranging the funeral,

(ii) if invited by a person responsible for arranging the funeral, or

(iii) as the carer of a person attending;

(e) participating in a gathering of no more than 15 people, not including persons under the age of 11, at regulated premises to—

(i) celebrate a solemnisation of a marriage or formation of a civil partnership that takes place on or after 22 August 2020;

(ii) celebrate the life of a deceased person whose funeral is held on or after 22 August 2020;

(f) attending a place of worship;

(g) an elite athlete and is training or competing;

(h) providing coaching or other support to an elite athlete, or providing support at a sporting event at which only elite athletes are competing;

(i) participating in or facilitating an indoor organised activity at which—

(i) no more than 15 people are in attendance, not including persons under the age of 11 or persons working, or providing voluntary services, at the event, and

(ii) no alcohol is consumed;

(j) participating in or facilitating an outdoor organised activity at which—

(i) no more than 30 people are in attendance, not including persons under the age of 11 or persons working, or providing voluntary services, at the event, and

(ii) no alcohol is consumed;

(k) participating in or facilitating an organised activity for the development or well-being of children (including sports, music and other recreational activities such as those provided for children outside of school hours and during school holidays).

(7) This regulation does not apply to a person who is homeless.

Prohibition on organising events

7.—(1) No person may, without a reasonable excuse, be involved in organising—

(a) an event held wholly or mainly indoors at which more than 15 people are in attendance, or

(b) an event held wholly or mainly outdoors at which more than 30 people are in attendance,

not including persons under the age of 11 or persons working, or providing voluntary services, at the event.

(2) For the purposes of paragraph (1)—

(a) a person is not involved in organising an event if the person’s only involvement is attending it;

(b) a reasonable excuse includes where the person has taken all reasonable measures to ensure that no more than 15 or 30 people are in attendance, as the case may be;

(c) the following are not to be treated as events—

(i) the showing of a film;

(ii) a market;

(iii) a religious service;

(iv) a sporting event at which only elite athletes are competing.

Prohibition on organising certain unlicensed music events

8.—(1) No person may be involved in organising a relevant unlicensed music event.

(2) For the purposes of this regulation “relevant unlicensed music event” means an event—

(a) at which more than 30 people are in attendance,

(b) at which music is played or performed for the purpose, or for purposes which include the purpose, of entertainment, and

(c) where the playing or performance of the music is—

(i) a licensable activity (within the meaning of the Licensing Act 2003(2)), and

(ii) not carried on under and in accordance with an authorisation (within the meaning given by section 136(5) of that Act).

(3) For the purposes of this regulation, a person is not involved in organising a relevant unlicensed music event if the person’s only involvement is attending it.

(1)

2006 c. 47. Paragraph 7(3B) was inserted by section 66(2) of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (c. 9).

(2)

2003 c. 17.