YORK Outer MP, Julian Sturdy, has said that he is "very dissapointed" that the city has been placed into Tier 2 from December 2. 

And that if his concerns are not addressed - which include the publicatin of further data on how York can move up into Tier 1 - he will struggle to continue supporting the government. 

Speaking in the House of Commons, he said: "As the government continues to impose further unprecedented restrictions it is important to give people hope.

"As York has the lowest case rates in yorkshire, can he outline how we get York to Tier 1.

“Will he publish the assessment and data so we can best judge how to get to tier 1. A weekly review would also be much more desirable in making decisions.”

The Secretary of State for Health, Matt Hancock, responded that the government will publish an explanation for each region. 

He said there are five different indicators the government uses to determine a tier - one being that a large proportion of York's coronavirus case rates remain in people aged 60 and over. 

And that the restrictions will be reviewed fortnightly to begin with - with the hope of a weekly review in the coming months. 

Mr Sturdy said: “I am very disappointed by this morning’s decision that York will go into tier 2 from 2nd December. I immediately pressed the Health Secretary in the House of Commons to outline how we can get to tier 1 as fast as possible, for weekly reviews of York’s position, and publication of the assessment and data under which this decision was made.

"Besides the alarming economic impact on our large local hospitality, leisure and retail sector, I have serious concerns that without a rapid move towards tier 1, we risk undermining local morale, as the self-discipline that has got us to the lowest virus rate in Yorkshire at 132 per 100,000 seems not to yield a relaxation in restrictions.

"I was a little reassured by Matt Hancock’s answer to me that reviews to positions will be weekly, or even more regularly than that, and the assessment on which York’s placing was decided is being made publicly available. I am following up on this immediately.

"If my concerns are not addressed, I will struggle to support the government in votes on the new tiered system.”