The 10pm curfew on pubs and restaurants in England is set to be reviewed , Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced.

Eastern Daily Press: Chancellor Rishi Sunak. Pic: Matt Dunham/PA WireChancellor Rishi Sunak. Pic: Matt Dunham/PA Wire (Image: PA Archive/PA Images)

As England prepares to move out of lockdown and into a strengthened three-tier system of local coronavirus restrictions, Boris Johnson is expected to announce a later curfew for the hospitality industry.

As part of Boris Johnson’s “winter Covid plan” announcement on Monday, Downing Street said more areas are expected to enter higher tiers next month and those tiers will be strengthened to safeguard the gains made during the four-week lockdown.Mr Sunak said the localised tiered system is a “far better way” to tackle Covid-19 as he confirmed the Prime Minister’s plans, which were expected to be approved by the Cabinet on Sunday.

He said: “I think frustrating as it is for all of us, Christmas is not going to be normal this year.

“But that said, the Prime Minister and everyone else, we’re looking at ways to see how families can spend some time with each other over (the) Christmas period.

Eastern Daily Press: Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Credit: PAPrime Minister Boris Johnson. Credit: PA (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

“Obviously that’s something that we would like to do and it’s been a difficult year for all of us, but as I said it’s not going to be a normal Christmas this year.”

He confirmed to The Andrew Marr Show on the BBC that plans to change the curfew period for pubs and restaurants is “definitely something we’re looking at”.

The Prime Minister is understood to be preparing to unveil a plan so that while last orders must be called at 10pm, people will get an extra hour to finish their food and drinks, with opening hours to be extended until 11pm.

Mr Johnson will announce the full plans for winter in the House of Commons on Monday.

Eastern Daily Press: Chancellor Rishi Sunak. Picture: contributedChancellor Rishi Sunak. Picture: contributed (Image: Archant)

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has said that it is not going to be a normal Christmas this year.

He told Sky News: “The Prime Minister will be setting out more details tomorrow about the next steps in our fight against coronavirus.

“I think the good news is we will be exiting national restrictions on December 2 as the Prime Minister said at the beginning of the month-long restrictions, we’ll be going back into a tiered system, which is a far better way to tackle this on a localised approach.

“With regard to Christmas, I think frustrating as it is for all of us, Christmas is not going to be normal this year, but, that said, the Prime Minister and everyone else, we’re looking at ways to see how families can spend some time with each other over (the) Christmas period.

“Obviously that’s something that we would like to do and it’s been a difficult year for all of us, but as I said it’s not going to be a normal Christmas this year.”

Calum Semple, professor of child health and outbreak medicine at Liverpool University, said that trying to ban Christmas would lead to people breaching restrictions.

The member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) told Sky News: “In reality we can’t ban Christmas and to do so would simply lead to breaches and what are you going to do about that?

“So what we are looking at is getting the R down, but also get the absolute number of cases and there’s real good news there.

“Nationally we are seeing cases in the community fall and in those areas that went into Tier 3 before lockdown we are already seeing the tide turning with the number of hospital admissions and we will shortly see the deaths reduce as well.”