Petition · past parliament
Show clear evidence to support the mandatory wearing of face masks.
Rejected
21 signatures
What the petition asks
The mandatory wearing of face masks is a clear restriction on personal freedom, before any such order can be given this should be fully debated in Parliament and supporting evidence presented.
Because the wearing of face masks goes against the bulk of scientific evidence of having any significant effect on reducing the spread of disease. As this is a restriction on the freedom of the individual this should be discussed in Parliament and full evidence made freely available to the public.
Why it was rejected
The UK Government or Parliament was already taking the action it asked for.
The Government has already published information which informed the decision to make face coverings mandatory in certain circumstances.
The Governments announcement of advice to cover faces in encloses spaces included a statement from the Chief Medical Officer: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/public-advised-to-cover-faces-in-enclosed-spaces
The Government has also published a paper by the Data Evaluation and Learning for Viral Epidemics (DELVE) group on face masks for the general public: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/delve-report-on-face-masks-for-the-general-public-21-april-2020
The above paper was considered by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) on 21 April, the minutes for which are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sage-minutes-coronavirus-covid-19-response-21-april-2020
If you want the Government to reverse decisions about mandating the use of face covering in certain situations, you may wish to sign some of these petitions:
Don't make the wearing of face masks compulsory in public places in England: Don't make the wearing of face masks compulsory in public places in England
Repeal the decision to implement compulsory face coverings in English shops: Repeal the decision to implement compulsory face coverings in English shops.
Make the use of masks on public transport voluntary and not mandatory: Make the use of masks on public transport voluntary and not mandatory
You can find out more about coronavirus and how you can protect yourself and others here:
www.gov.uk/coronavirus
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
The Government has also created an online service to help you find out what you can do if you’re struggling because of coronavirus: https://www.gov.uk/find-coronavirus-support
You can read NHS tips to help if you are worried about coronavirus here: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/coronavirus-covid-19-anxiety-tips
You can read impartial analysis of the Government response to coronavirus and policy developments here: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/coronavirus/
You may also be interested to know that because of the large number of petitions that have been started in relation to coronavirus, the Petitions Committee has been questioning the Government about its response to the coronavirus outbreak.
Find out more: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/192/the-governments-response-to-coronavirus/
The Governments announcement of advice to cover faces in encloses spaces included a statement from the Chief Medical Officer: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/public-advised-to-cover-faces-in-enclosed-spaces
The Government has also published a paper by the Data Evaluation and Learning for Viral Epidemics (DELVE) group on face masks for the general public: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/delve-report-on-face-masks-for-the-general-public-21-april-2020
The above paper was considered by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) on 21 April, the minutes for which are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sage-minutes-coronavirus-covid-19-response-21-april-2020
If you want the Government to reverse decisions about mandating the use of face covering in certain situations, you may wish to sign some of these petitions:
Don't make the wearing of face masks compulsory in public places in England: Don't make the wearing of face masks compulsory in public places in England
Repeal the decision to implement compulsory face coverings in English shops: Repeal the decision to implement compulsory face coverings in English shops.
Make the use of masks on public transport voluntary and not mandatory: Make the use of masks on public transport voluntary and not mandatory
You can find out more about coronavirus and how you can protect yourself and others here:
www.gov.uk/coronavirus
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
The Government has also created an online service to help you find out what you can do if you’re struggling because of coronavirus: https://www.gov.uk/find-coronavirus-support
You can read NHS tips to help if you are worried about coronavirus here: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/coronavirus-covid-19-anxiety-tips
You can read impartial analysis of the Government response to coronavirus and policy developments here: https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/coronavirus/
You may also be interested to know that because of the large number of petitions that have been started in relation to coronavirus, the Petitions Committee has been questioning the Government about its response to the coronavirus outbreak.
Find out more: https://committees.parliament.uk/work/192/the-governments-response-to-coronavirus/
Timeline
| 13 Jul 2020 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 21 Jul 2020 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
21
Status
Rejected
Rejected
21 Jul 2020
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.