Boris Johnson to make statement to parliament on Tuesday unveiling next stage of relaxing lockdown

Pubs, restaurants, hotels and B&Bs could be given the green light to reopen on 4 July

Boris Johnson is expected to make a statement to parliament on Tuesday on proposals to cut the two-metre social distancing rule and relax lockdown restrictions for the hospitality industry in England, after senior ministers meet scientific advisers this afternoon.

Mr Johnson and senior ministers will meet chief medical officer Chris Whitty and chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance to hear the recommendations of the review on the social distancing rule, amid clamour among businesses and Tory backbenchers for it to be cut to one or one-and-a-half metres in line with many other countries.

Pubs and restaurants believe that this would make it economically viable for them to reopen on 4 July, as set out in the prime minister's Covid-19 recovery plan last month.

If ministers agree to go ahead with the changes at Monday evening's meeting, they are expected to be approved by cabinet on Tuesday before a statement to the Commons by Mr Johnson giving the green light to the 4 July date, which could cover not only pubs, bars and restaurants but also overnight stays in hotels, B&Bs and campsites.

Last month's recovery plan stated that "no earlier than 4 July", the government planned to reopen at least some of the venues whose doors are still shut by open at least some of the remaining businesses and premises that have been required to close, including hairdressers, beauty salons, restaurants, pubs, hotels and cinemas, provided that they are able to operate in a Covid-secure way.

Businesses have been pressing for confirmation of the date in order to give them time to take staff off furlough and make preparations. And representatives of the hospitality sector have been pressing for a cut in the two-metre rule, warning that its retention could cut business to an unsustainable 30 per cent of normal levels, while reducing it to one metre could allow them to break even with around 70 per cent of normal revenues.

Any cut is likely to be conditional on observation of new measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus, such as mandatory face masks, physical barriers between tables or "guest-lists" at pubs and restaurants recording all visitors in order to be able to contact them and tell them to self-isolate if an outbreak is linked to the venue.

But experts on the Independent Sage panel have warned it is "too soon" to reopen pubs and restaurants, as the risk of transmission is still too high to reduce social distancing rules indoors

The panel's chair, former chief scientific adviser Sir David King, said: "It is extremely concerning that the government appears to have decided to ignore the scientific advice of its own Sage (Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies) committee. That quite clearly says it is soon to reduce the distance from 2 metres to 1 metre. Independent Sage has done its own review of the available evidence and we agree with Sage’s conclusion.

"The rate of infection is still far too high to consider this even with mitigating measures. There are more 1,000 new cases a day and still no functioning tracing system. It is vital that the government releases the evidence it has used to make this decision."

Downing Street declined to discuss the conclusions of the review conducted into the two-metre rule, which has now been completed. The review took into account economic factors as well as epidemiological evidence. The PM's spokesman confirmed that ministers will take advice from scientific experts including Whitty and Vallance, but that the final decision would be for politicians to make.

Joining the PM in the meeting with scientists - expected to be conducted virtually - will be chancellor Rishi Sunak, Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove, health secretary Matt Hancock, business secretary Alok Sharma, home secretary Priti Patel and culture secretary Oliver Dowden, said Downing Street.