Secondary school children in England were required to wear face coverings to avoid a row with Scotland over Covid, the Daily Telegraph has claimed.
Leaked WhatsApp messages suggest that England's chief medical officer had been ambivalent about the scientific evidence behind the measure.
Ministers in England came under pressure after Scotland introduced it.
A government spokesperson said: "We have always said there are lessons to be learnt from the pandemic."
They added: "We are committed to learning from the Covid inquiry's findings, which will play a key role in informing the government's planning and preparations for the future."
