But that doesn’t change the fact that the clause was not introduced with normal pandemic childcare issues in mind – and Cummings, as one of the key people involved in creating the rules, should know that.

In reality, the wording was explicitly targeted at situations where people needed to escape abusive situations at home under lockdown. It was included in the regulations after extensive conversations between government ministers and domestic abuse charities, when it became clear that many people experiencing abuse were worried they would not be able to flee their homes during lockdown. It was intended to make crystal clear to survivors – as well as police – that risk of domestic abuse was a valid reason for breaking lockdown. And given that more than two-thirds of survivors currently experiencing abuse say the problem has got worse since Covid-19 reached the UK, according to a survey by Women’s Aid, it was a vital addition.

Dominic Cummings is using a loophole designed to protect domestic abuse victims