//...In fact if ever there was a case for dobbing people in this is it. Warn them in advance, if they still insist tell the authorities when they are arriving.//
That’s not really a good idea, Tora. First of all, as diddly points out, the size of the “bubble” is immaterial. The only stipulations are that household #1 must be either a person on their own or a single adult with children. The other (household #2) can be of any size. Provided all the adults in H2 agree the single person (and children if they have any) can visit them and all the people in H1 can visit all the people in H2. But more than that, if (in bold capitals underlined three times) the police happened to pay a visit they would quiz susan’s neighbour about her bubble arrangements. If they established she was “bubbling” with both her nephew’s clan and susan they may decide that she was breaking the law. I imagine this would be an instance where “advice” might be given (unless she lives in Derbyshire) but this is obviously aggravation she could do without. That said, there is an exception to the prevention of “gatherings” which says:
“to provide care or assistance to a vulnerable person or a person who has a disability, including relevant personal care within the meaning of paragraph 7(3B) of Schedule 4 to the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006;”
Whether that exception would apply to a gathering of a couple and four kids – and quite how much “care and assistance” that group might give to a vulnerable person is, I suppose, arguable. But it could certainly apply to susan meaning she can visit as well as the nephew and his brood. I must say I haven’t looked into this in much depth.
But we’re back to the same debate: the legislation allows for such activities. The “bubble” idea was introduced soon after lockdown 1 began. It was realised that people who lived alone – especially those who had been told to “shield” – would not see a living soul from one week’s end to the next. When it was obvious that the initial “three week” lockdown would be extended for considerably longer than that, welfare groups (and others who were blessed with half a brain) realised that this was not a very desirable state of affairs so the bubble concept was born. So you’re allowed to do it. But it is immediately confused by advice or guidance which seems to place restrictions on it. That’s all well and good but in some instances the “advice” is being taken as law when it is not. There seems to be a blurring of law and guidance with just about every aspect of this malarky and it’s leaving people confused and, in some cases, being unlawfully threatened with sanctions.