Mr Hancock said he only found out about the scheme in an Cabinet meeting on the day of its launch, and says he lobbied “very strongly” against it being extended into the autumn.
He added that the scheme – which Mr Sunak is expected to face questions on later this month – was ultimately “unhelpful” as the government was subsidising people to go out at the same time as advising them to be cautious.
In his evidence, Mr Hancock also conceded for the first time that care homes across the UK had not been fully protected at the outset of the pandemic.
