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 work. A small number of individuals (three or four) remained in the Pillared Room for a while longer and then went to the Private Office area, where they continued to drink alcohol until approximately 01.00.

The No 10 link door entry/exit logs show that between 00.43 and 00.49 six members of staff from the Cabinet Office (some of whom had left the separate leaving event set out below of officials from the Covid Taskforce) went into No 10 and joined those remaining No 10 staff who were still gathered. The two groups met in the Private Office briefly before parting ways. No 10 and Cabinet Office door logs show them all leaving No 10 and Cabinet Office between 01.10 and 01.28.

 A gathering in Cabinet Office, 70 Whitehall on the departure of a Senior Cabinet Office Official and a No 10 Official 

Summary

On 17 December 2020 a leaving event took place for Kate Josephs, a Director General in the Covid Task force, and an official from No 10. The event took place in the Cabinet Office in 70 Whitehall and was attended by 20 to 30 officials, including senior officials, from No 10 and the Cabinet Office.

Preparations

Kate Josephs and a No 10 official were leaving the Civil Service and wished to mark their departure with a formal leaving event. In the week before the event there was a discussion with the Second Permanent Secretary, James Bowler, about the planned event. He said that it could take place on the basis that it was time limited, that no one was to travel into the office specially and that it should be socially distanced. The Cabinet Office Covid Taskforce operated largely on a work from home basis with the exception of some key staff, mostly senior civil servants who attended the office in 70 Whitehall. On a typical day, there were approximately twelve members of staff present.

On 16 December 2020, an updated invitation was sent at 10.54 by a Cabinet Office official on behalf of Kate Josephs, from her email account, to 40 members of staff from across the Cabinet Office and No 10. It invited them to an event in ’70 Whitehall Conference Room C’ from 18.30-20.30 on 17 December 2020. The invitation read:

"Kate J and [No 10 official] farewell drinks @ Thu 17 Dec 2020 6:30pm - 8:30pm Where: 70 Whitehall Conference Room C

Given higher COVID restrictions please do not travel into London for this if you wouldn't otherwise have been in the office 27