As we mentioned earlier, Boris Johnson was also asked about that photo in the Mirror during Prime Minister's Questions.

Labour MP Fabian Hamilton asked the PM if it was like “like one of the Christmas parties he told us never happened".

Johnson said Hamilton had spoken “completely in error”.

Watch how the moment unfolded below.

Image source, EPA

Dominic Cummings has also been reacting to the picture of the Downing Street Christmas quiz published by the Mirror newspaper, external during Prime Minister's Questions.

Writing on Twitter, Boris Johnson's former chief aide, who left No 10 in November 2020 after internal battles over his role, said: "There's waaaaay better pics than that floating around," including from the PM's flat.

This is not the first time Cummings, who has been highly critical of Johnson since leaving government, has made this claim about pictures.

On his blog earlier this month, he said "there are photos" of the PM attending events under investigation.

The prime minister referred to "encouraging trends" when he announced that the government planned to lift England's remaining Covid restrictions a month early.

But what are the latest figures?

A further 66,183 cases were reported on Tuesday, bringing the total number of cases to 17,932,803.

There were 314 new deaths within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test, bringing the total death toll by that method to 158,677.

And there were 173 new people hospitalised (on 7 February), bringing the total to 13,793 people in hospital.

The seven-day average for cases, compared with the week before, is down 20.2%, while it's 10.1% lower for patients admitted into hospital.

However, it's up 11.4% for deaths.

Reality Check

Earlier at Prime Minister's Questions, Boris Johnson said the government had delivered "the fastest vaccine rollout" - a claim he has made many times before.

There are different ways of assessing whether the rollout has been "the fastest".

The UK was the first country to approve a Covid vaccine and its rollout (in December 2020) was weeks ahead of the EU’s.

In terms of the subsequent pace of the rollout, the UK vaccine programme - which now includes booster doses - was the fastest in Europe until May 2021.

However, it has slowed since then, with Malta (237 doses per 100 people), Denmark (225), and Italy (217) all now having a higher vaccination rate than the UK (203).

Image source, Reuters

At the start of PMQs Boris Johnson announced that he intends to remove England's remaining Covid restrictions at the end of this month.

Rules are also being relaxed across Scotland and Wales, and Northern Ireland's health minister says he wants to remove most remaining curbs this week.

But what are the current restrictions, due to expire in England on 24 March?

Mr Johnson told MPs that the remaining domestic rules would end a month early "provided the current encouraging trends in the data continue".

This would remove the requirement for people to self-isolate if they have Covid symptoms or test positive.

He said that the government would outline its new strategy when parliament returns from recess on 21 February, and would expect to lift the rules later that week.

Until then, here's a guide to the Covid rules in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

In case you missed it, here's a recap of the highlights from another stormy Prime Minister's Questions:

Isolation: Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he plans to end all remaining Covid restrictions in England - including the legal rule to self-isolate - a month early.

Fraud: Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer opened with a series of questions about the government’s record on fraud prevention. He suggested the government was "turning a blind eye to scammers" by failing to get a grip on fraud.

But the PM said his government “hated” fraud and was cracking down on neighbourhood crime with tougher sentences and more police on the street.

Cost of living: Starmer criticised the government's plan to help people cope with higher prices outlined last week.

He said the rebate scheme - where households will receive £200 off energy bills that they will later repay over time - was a "con" and a "buy now, pay later" scheme, "not a proper plan".

But Johnson defended the programme, calling it "faster" and "more generous" than any plan set out by the Labour Party.

Energy prices: On the issue of energy prices, Starmer said oil and gas companies were making record profits at the expense of consumers.

“Why on Earth is this government forcing loans on families when they should be asking those with a windfall to keep household bills down?” Starmer said.

But Johnson said Labour would clobber the oil and gas companies with a tax that would deter investment in gas, just when the country needs it to help transition to greener fuels.

Partygate: The most dramatic moment came at the end of PMQs, after the Daily Mirror tweeted a photograph that it says shows Johnson at a No 10 "virtual" Christmas quiz.

Labour MP Fabian Hamilton asked the PM: "Will the prime minister be referring this party to the police as it is not one of the ones currently being investigated?"

As we've reported, the PM says he wants the last domestic Covid restrictions in England to end a month early – including the requirement for people to self-isolate if they test positive.

We'll hear more about this later in February, after the Commons recess, when the government updates its strategy for living with coronavirus.

Image source, UK Parliament

PMQs ended on more reaction to the photograph released by the Mirror which appears to show the prime minister at a virtual Christmas quiz.

In the picture, external a colleague is wearing tinsel, another has a santa's hat on and there is an open bottle of champagne and a half eaten bag of crisps on the desk.

Labour's Gerald Jones said: "The photograph referred to is all over social media, everybody can see the photo, the prime minister is in the photo, so can I ask him again will he refer the matter to the police because this is not one of the parties already being investigated by the Metropolitan Police?"

Johnson replies: "That's precisely the point. That event already has been submitted for investigation."

Image source, UK Parliament

During PMQs, amid some groans from some of his own colleagues, Tory MP Mark Harper asked if Boris Johnson would commit "at the despatch box" to immediately publishing the Sue Gray report in full when police wrap up their investigation.

Boris Johnson did not make this guarantee during a debate on her initial findings last month - before his spokesman then made the assurance a few hours later.

Johnson responded that he believed he had answered the question before but said that he would immediately publish in full whatever is given to him by Gray.

Prime Minister's Questions has ended in the House of Commons.

We'll provide a recap of the key points soon.

Image source, UK Parliament

Boris Johnson has said it was "completely in error" to describe an image of him at a Christmas quiz as being a party.

The photo was published by the Daily Mirror newspaper, just as Prime Minister's Questions got under way.

Labour's Fabian Hamilton said: "In the last few minutes a photo has emerged of the prime minister in Downing Street on 15 December, 2020, surrounded by alcohol, food and people wearing tinsel.

"It looks a lot like one of the Christmas parties he told us never happened."

He asked the PM if he would be "referring this party to the police as it is not one of the ones currently being investigated?"

Johnson said: "In what he has just said, I'm afraid he is completely in error."

Image source, UK Parliament

The leader of the Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey, used his question to draw attention to people who have fallen victim to fraud.

He asks the prime minister if he understood the “hurt” he was causing victims of fraud by writing them out of the crime figures.

Davey was referring to comments the PM made in the Commons last week, when Johnson said crime had come down by 14%.

The UK Statistics Authority said the prime minister "did not make clear" the figure excluded fraud.

Davey asks: “Will prime minister correct the record on fraud figures and apologise?

In reply, Johnson says the government “hates fraud” and is doing all it can to tackle it.

Soon after PMQs started the Daily Mirror tweeted a photograph that it says shows Boris Johnson at a No 10 "virtual" Christmas quiz with an open bottle of champagne.

The newspaper says there are now fresh calls for a police investigation of this event, external, which it says took place on 15 December 2020.

At the time London was under Tier 2 regulations banning any social mixing between two or more people from different households.

The Metropolitan Police is investigating whether there were breaches of Covid rules on 12 occasions at Downing Street and Whitehall.

A report by senior civil servant Sue Gray found a "failure of leadership" and some events that "should not have been allowed to take place".

Image source, UK Parliament

Conservative MP Virginia Crosbie earlier had some kinder words for the government's energy rebate plan than the opposition, describing it as "most welcome".

She asked the prime minister whether it was "full steam ahead" for nuclear power - after Hitachi pulled out of a project in her Anglesey constituency.

Boris Johnson promised there would be "at least one big nuclear project this Parliament", and said a government bill would make sure the financing was in place.

More focused on policy than politicspublished at 12:28 Greenwich Mean Time 9 February 2022

12:28 GMT 9 February 2022

Alex Forsyth
Political correspondent

Image source, PA Media

Given the recent turmoil in Boris Johnson’s own party, Sir Keir Starmer had plenty to choose from at this last Prime Minister's Questions before a short recess.

He opted for issues he thought mattered to people - fraud, energy bills and the cost of living, trying to show Labour is focused on the things that affect people’s lives amid the political turbulence.

He did, of course, nod to the Downing Street lockdown parties and the prime minister’s relationship with his chancellor, but overall he was more focused on policy than politics - and Johnson had a policy announcement all ready to go.

At the start of the session, he announced all Covid restrictions would come to an end a month early.

Of course, that will please some restless Tory backbenchers who still hold the prime minister’s fate in their hands.

Image source, UK Parliament

The SNP's Ian Blackford says the PM is rearranging the deckchairs as people face a "Tory cost of living crisis".

He says figures from the Open Democracy website show that the National Insurance increase will mean nurses get a £275-a-year "pay cut" from April, and this will happen as energy prices go up.

He calls on Johnson to scrap the "regressive hike" in National Insurance.

The PM counters, saying the government needs to clear the Covid backlog in the NHS. He says staff are being recruited, and the starting salary for nurses has gone up.

"We value our nurses, love our NHS and we're paying for it," the PM says.

Image source, Getty Images

More now on Boris Johnson's plans to present the government's living with Covid strategy when the Commons returns from its recess on 21 February.

The PM says he expects to end the remaining coronavirus restrictions in England a "full month early".

The regulations had been due to expire on 24 March.

Here’s a reminder of the current rules:

• You must self-isolate if you develop Covid symptoms or test positive
• You can now leave self-isolation after five full days if you have two negative lateral flow test results, 24 hours apart
• The day symptoms begin - or you test positive - is day zero. The next day is day one of self-isolation
• The rules apply whether or not you are vaccinated

In Starmer's parting blow he says the "loan shark chancellor and his unwitting side kick" have cooked up a buy now pay later scheme".

He says it leaves taxpayers in debt when oil and gas companies "say they have more money than they know what to do with".

Starmer asks the PM if he is worried that everyone can now see he and the chancellor are offering "one big scam and people across the country are paying the price".

The PM says what they can see is a government that is absolutely committed to taking the tough decisions when Labour is calling for them to take the easy way out and spend more taxpayer's money.

He says the government has a great plan for the country while Labour plays politics.

Image source, UK Parliament

Keir Starmer's fourth question is on the government's response to rising energy prices.

He says the PM hasn't got the first clue what the chancellor has signed him up to.

He says the government is giving billions of pounds to energy companies, then forcing families to pay it off for years to come.

"Isn't it just forcing people to take out a loan?" he asks.

Boris Johnson says people in the A to D council tax bands - that's 26 million homes- are being given a £150 rebate on their energy bills.

He says Labour's offer is £89 - the government's is faster and more generous, he argues.

Labour would clobber the oil and gas companies with a tax that would deter investment in gas just when the country needs it as a transition to greener fuels, adds the PM.

Keir Starmer says Boris Johnson has been "completely distracted for weeks".

Moving to the topic of surging energy bills, the Labour leader criticises the government's plan to help people cope with higher prices outlined last week.

He says the rebate scheme - where households will receive £200 off energy bills that they will later repay over time - is a "con" and a "buy now, pay later" scheme, "not a proper plan".

But Johnson defends the programme, calling it "faster" and "more generous" than any plan set out by the Labour Party.