Boris Johnson responds to Sir Keir, welcoming the Labour leader's support for the roadmap and the vaccine rollout and says he agrees it's a "priority to get schools back safely".

"We will continue to support those who are asked to self-isolate and indeed increase our package of support for them, as for support for business, for the self-employed," the PM says.

"We will continue to put our arms around businesses and livelihoods around the country."

He says Sir Keir has given "cautious support", but adds: "Who knows what he will be saying next week?"

Theresa May says the review by the travel taskforce on 12 April does not allow people time to plan their summer holidays or for the aviation industry to prepare.

She urges Boris Johnson to rethink this date saying "the industry needs three months' preparation from the point of certainty".

Johnson says "it will give people time to make their plans for the summer and if we can meet these 'not before' dates there is every chance of an aviation recovery later this year".

Sir Keir also calls for more help for those self-employed people who have so far found themselves ineligible for the various schemes offered by the government.

He calls on the prime minister to "face down" those in the Conservative Party who want him to ease restrictions more quickly than he has set out.

He says he should be listening to the government's chief medical and scientific advisers instead of the lockdown-sceptic Covid Research Group of Tory MPs.

If he does this, he will have Labour's support, he adds.

So what did we learn from the PM's statement about which restrictions will be lifted and when in England? Boris Johnson says the lockdown will be eased in four steps with a minimum of five weeks between each step.

Step one is in two parts:

On 8 March

• all students return to schools and colleges, and school clubs can resume
• Secondary school students will be required to wear masks in class as well as communal areas
• People can meet one other person outside for recreation, not just exercise
• Care home residents allowed one regular named visitor
• Stay at home order remains in place.

29 March

• Outdoor gatherings of up to six people or two households allowed, including meeting in private gardens

• Outdoor sports facilities such as tennis and basketball courts and outdoor swimming pools allowed to reopen; organised outdoor sports can resume
• Stay at home order ends but people encouraged to stay local wherever they can
• Work from home wherever possible
• No overseas travel.

Turning to schools, Sir Keir repeats his call to the prime minister to "see what more can be done" to give early vaccination to teachers - a policy his party backed earlier this year.

He also says the payments for those self-isolating should be available to "all those who need it".

He says he supports the health rationale for the restrictions on businesses but says there is "nothing stopping" the PM from announcing the extension of business support schemes today.

He adds that firms are "crying out for certainty".

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has been giving his response - he says this must be the last lockdown, and he is "glad" the prime minister spoke about caution in his statement.

He adds it is a "welcome change" from past lockdowns, when he says restrictions were lifted "without sufficient caution".

"I know there will be many people who will be worried that we are being too ambitious and that it is arrogant to impose any kind of plan on a virus," the PM says. "I agree that we must always be humble in the face of nature."

Others will "believe that we could go faster".

He says he sympathises with them, adding: "Today the end really is in sight."

"A wretched year will give way to a spring and a summer that will be very different and incomparably better than the picture we see around us today," he says.

That's Boris Johnson's statement done. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is up next.

Step four in the easing of restrictions will happen no earlier than 21 June, when all legal limits on social contact including weddings will be removed.

"We will reopen everything up to and including nightclubs", says Johnson.

He says he hopes to lift restrictions on large events and performances "potentially using testing to reduce the risk of infection".

Image source, parliamentlive.tv

Boris Johnson says free testing kits for workers will be extended until the end of June.

He says the government will not "pull the rug out" from businesses in terms of the support they will receive from government - with more details to be announced at the upcoming Budget.

He says the government will do whatever it takes to support jobs "for the duration of the pandemic".

We are a little out of sequence in bringing you this news - that from 12 April, under step two, non-essential retail, hairdressers and nail salons will reopen, Boris Johnson says.

Gyms will reopen, along with holiday lets but only for individuals or household groups.

Pubs and restaurants will be allowed to serve people outdoors.

Step three will begin no earlier than 17 May, he says.

"Most restrictions outdoors will be lifted, subject to a limit of 30 people. This is the point where you will be able to see your friends and family indoors subject to the meeting of two households."

"We will also reopen pubs and restaurants indoors," he says, along with cinemas, theatres, sports stadiums and some other venues.

From 29 March, outdoor sports facilities such as tennis or basketball courts and open air swimming pools can reopen and formally organised sports can restart.

People will no longer be legally required to stay at home but should work from home if they can and try not to travel.

Every care home resident will be able to nominate one visitor from 8 March, the prime minister says.

And local elections will be allowed to go ahead on 6 May.

There will be limited changes to who can meet up from 29 March to coincide with the school Easter Holidays, he says.

This includes the the rule-of-six returning outdoors, and in private gardens.

Two households will also be permitted to get together, whether that is six people or more, so families in different circumstances can meet.

There will be no curfew under step two of the relaxing of England's lockdown restrictions and there will be no requirement for alcohol to be accompanied by a "substantial meal", the PM says.

Image source, parliamentlive.tv

Families and childcare bubbles will be "encouraged to get tested regularly" when schools go back, the PM says.

Breakfast and after-school clubs will also reopen and other children's activities like sport can restart "where necessary to help parents to work", he adds.

Nick Eardley
Political correspondent

The government is also launching a series of reviews to explore further ways of easing limits.

The first review will look at whether having a vaccine or a negative test result can reduce restrictions on social contact.

A second review will pilot the impact of testing and reduced social distancing on events.

A third will look at travel. International travel will not resume before 17 May, but a report on 12 April will look at how to facilitate more inbound and outbound travel.

A fourth will review social distancing measures, such as the one-metre-plus rule, rules on face coverings and working from home. This will conclude ahead of 21 June.

The PM says there will be "at least" five weeks between each of the four steps.

Step one will happen from 8 March, he confirms.

"Two weeks from today pupils and students in all schools and further education settings can safely return to face-to-face teaching," he says.

Nick Triggle
Health Correspondent

The vaccines are working well and infection levels have fallen five-fold since the start of the year.

So why, many may ask, is there such caution?

It is still a very delicate situation. Nearly half of hospital admissions for Covid have been seen in the under 70s so there are still many vulnerable people who are not protected.

Schools are not seen as a significant driver of infection, but modelling still suggests opening them to all pupils could push infection levels up.

And high rates of infection when vaccines are being rolled out is the perfect breeding ground for mutations. While these are, to some extent, inevitable in the long-run, experts believe it would be foolish to do anything that encourages them at the moment.

But instead of things getting worse, it is quite possible they could get better. The seasons may reduce the spread of the virus and coupled with the vaccine effect, the UK could find itself with very low rates quite quickly.

Calls to move more quickly would soon grow.

Nick Eardley
Political correspondent

The prime minister is setting out a plan which could mean all restrictions are lifted on 21 June.

The PM has made it clear he believes the road is one way. Tiers are gone – everything will be lifted across England at the same time.

But we have a much better plan of what the next few months could look like – assuming the data allows.

Johnson says "we will ease restrictions in all areas at the same time".

Outdoor activity will be "prioritised" he says.

He stresses that each stage of his four-part plan will be driven by "data" rather than "dates".

The introduction of each step, he says, will depend on four "tests".

They are:

1. the success of the vaccine rollout
2. the number of hospital admissions and deaths falling
3. the amount of pressure on the NHS
4. the impact of any variants.