Forced johnson to questions from members of the house of commons on his governments reopening efforts and response to the coronavirus pandemic. Later, the Prime Minister commented on the terrorist that claimed the life of one American National telling members quote, we will not let this kind of senseless murder distract us or in any way allow us to be intimidated or to change our way of life and quote. This is 35 minutes. We are now going ahead to the questions to the Prime Minister. We are going to start with sara. Question one, mister speaker. Mister speaker, this morning i had meetings with colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this house ill have such meetings later today. Mister speaker my constituents by the chief medical of wales, north ireland and england to reduce the uk level from four to three. Indeed through my works ive seen a reduction in the number of covid positive cases leap needing to be treated. Does the Prime Minister agree with me, is uks wise approach does it work . We need to do this to beat the pandemic. Mister speaker, can i personally pay tribute to her for the shift she has put into the pandemic. To thank all of the colleague colleagues at the hospital which i know and to say that that is indeed the way in which we will beat the pandemic by working together across all nations of our country. We now come to the leader of the opposition. Thank you mister speaker. Yesterday the government announced the stage and the lockdown restrictions. If that plans to work, and we want to work, we need and effective track trace in our system. The promised to promised, a world beating system would be in place by the 1st of june. Latest figures from yesterdays press conference showed that 33,000 people are estimated to have covid19 in england. The latest track trace and isolate figures show that just over 10,000 people with covid19 were reached and asked to provide contact details. I do recognize the hard work that has gone into this. But if two thirds of those with covid19 are not being reached and asked to provide contact details, there is a big problem, isnt there . On the contrary, mister speaker. I think the gentleman has been stunned by the success of the test and tray suppression. And contrary to the prognostications of gloom, it has got up and running much faster than the doctors expected. They are getting it done with a team where theyve recruited 25,000 people and so far, they have identified and quote, 87,000 people who have voluntarily agreed to self isolate to stop the disease from spreading. I dont think he would have predicted that a few weeks ago. I think we should pay tribute to their team for their doing. Mister speaker, i wasnt asking about those that have gone into the system. The 10, 000, for those who have been contacted. I was asking about the two thirds of those with covid19 of the 33,000 that were not reached. This is a big gap. The Prime Minister rushing aside challenge, dashing forward, not estimating properly the risks. If two thirds of those with covid19 are not being contacted that is a big problem, because if we do not get track trace and isolation running prop properly, we cannot open economy, we cannot prevent the spreading of infection. Let me ask the question in a different way. Was the Government Strategy for closing the gap between the number of people with covid19 and these going into the system, not what happens to those not going into the system . Hes is miss leading on the key point. The number of people with covid is an estimate in this country. I obviously, nobody miss leads. He used inadvertently. Giving a false impression of with test and trace is doing. The 33,000 cases in the country is of course an estimate. We test and traces doing is contacting the vast majority of those who test positive and and, and their own contacts and getting them to selfisolate. It is a formidable achievement, mister speaker. Yesterday, the honorable gentlemen was kind enough to say he supported the program. I remember him saying that loud and clear. Today, i understand the constraints of the profession in which he used to work. Yesterday, he seemed to be going back into a position of opposition. Is he supporting it or is he against it . Mister speaker, the figures i gave the Prime Minister is inadvertently misleading. On the sleight of the governments press conference there the two figures. Mister speaker, i do support, i do support the next stage of the operation. But the Prime Minister is wrong to reject challenge. 65,000 people have lost their lives because of covid19. The promise to welcome a challenge that could save lives rather than complaining about it. Another risk to this plan, if local councils do not have the powers and resources to implement local lockdowns, there is a report that eight out of ten Councils Face bankruptcy or cutting services. Many of those were at the northeast of midlands, worst affected areas for covid19. The real concern amongst Council Leaders is that they do not have the powers or guidance to implement lockdowns quickly if needed. Conservative leader said i would be interested for Central Government to confirm what is meant by local lockdown, including clear guidance. What is expected of us . Can the Prime Minister tell us, when local authorities will get the guidance that they need . Mister speaker, everybody understands, across the country, when there are local outbreaks, for instance, in gdp surgeries and north london, there have been local lockdowns, local crackdowns. We have a very effective busting operation designed to ensure that we keep those outbreaks under control. Local councils understand how to do it with back top by the joint by a Security Center. That is how it works and that is how it is going to work. It is a very effective way of keeping this disease under control. Im not going to pretend to him or to the house that this thing is beaten, or that the virus has gone away, because that is not the case. We have to remain extremely vigilant and local councils will be supported and doing their vital work in implementing local lockdowns. Thank you mister speaker. Can i now turn to the act . This really matters because unless someone with covid19 can name and identify everybody they have been in contact with, the app is the only way to trace the honorable member made precisely that point yesterday. He gave the example of how on earth do you trace everybody in close contact at a sea front or a park without the app . Up until last week, the government maintain that the app was critical. He downplayed the app saying it was only for additional support. Which is it . Critical, or not . Mister speaker, can he name a single country in the world that has a functional Contact Tracing up . There is not one. What we have, i am afraid left the opposition slightly floundering, is a successful on testing and tracing operation which yesterday, they supported, yesterday they said it was good enough for this country to go forward with step three of our plan. Today, they are going back again and saying that it is not good enough. They need to make up their minds and need to get behind an age as test and tracing and supported and take the country forward together. Germany 12 million downloads, 12 million downloads. Mister speaker, i checked it. The Health Sectors said we would have it up by mid may. The Prime Minister said we would have it by the 1st of june. Now the government assessing it wont be ready until the winter. We have spent 12 million on this. Other countries are ahead of us. When are we going to have a working app . Mister speaker, im a free is completely wrong. No country in the world has a working Contact Tracing app and i have always been clear. The app would be the icing on the cake. If we could get it to work, if we could get it to work but there isnt one anyone in the world so far. What we do have is a fantastic test and trace nhs up and running for a trace and test operation. It will be indispensable to our future success. I think he should support it. I think, by the way, he should be making it much clear that he supports our Program Going forward. When he mentions Labor Councils and support for Labor Councils, perhaps he might clear up the position of yesterday insisting that once and for all the Labor Councils should be encouraging children in their areas, to go back to school. We heard warm words from him yesterday. He confirms that he wants all children who can go back to school to go back to school this month. Yes. The uturn here was the Education Center on the night of two. The plan is to have children back in school before the summer break. Mr. s last week i asked the Prime Minister about two claims about Child Poverty. He said absolutely Child Poverty and relative Child Poverty has both declined under this government. On monday, the office of the child School Commissioner said it was mostly false. The Prime Minister also said that there are 4000 fewer families living in poverty now for the war in 2010. Monday, the commission ruled that it was simply false. He has been found out. He dodges the question or gives dodgy answers. Mister speaker, no more witnesses. I rest my case, will the Prime Minister do the decent thing and correct the record in relation to Child Poverty . Mister speaker, im happy to point out to my learned friend that actually, there are hundred thousand fewer children 500,000 children falling below thresholds of low income and material deprivation. This government is massively increasing a universal credit. Seven billion more to families in our country we are getting on with it. We are taking top decisions he is talking about Child Poverty. The single most determinant successive its children going to school. Hes coming to this house one day and says he supports and now he cant confirm that he wants kids to go to school now. Thank you mister speaker. Global key workers have given us goods from food to medicine during covid, that this is now all under threat. 400,000 are stuck on board their ships due to failure of countries agreed crew changes. The United Kingdom as the world leading maritime nation and we are home to the i am all, which gives us the unique responsibility the Prime Minister agreed to marshal the global community, to help get us seafarers home and ensure the free trade continues to flow . Yes indeed. My honorable friend knows a great deal about the subject that she now speaks of. We will remain fully committed to the welfare of all seafarers regardless of their nationalities. We require all states to do the same. I look forward to talk about that in person. To scotland with the leader of the smp. Think you mister speaker. Im sure the house will join me and giving condolences to the family of the three children that have sadly lost their lives. Fiona, alexander and philip gibson. Such a terrible tragedy. Mister speaker, this morning we heard growing concerns from medical experts about the real risks of the second wave of covid19. At the same time, experts at the institute outline the scale of the economic challenge ahead with the raft of redundancies of business closures that financial supporters withdraw. They warned that measures would delay recovery and scotland until 2024. This health and economic emergency requires an unprecedented response. On monday, the scottish governments Economic Advisory group led by independent Business Leaders published the Prime Minister welcomed these efforts out of this economic crisis. Yes indeed, mister speaker. I would be happy to study the documents to which the gentleman refers. I am grateful to the Prime Minister for that. Im glad that he agrees that we need to take every action to study the economic recovery. I am sure that he is aware that the scottish Advisory Group has called for an accelerated review of the divulged fiscal framework. Crucially, it has supported a significant increase and access to capital to stimulate an investment led recovery and scotland. Scotland can make different choices and invest in a strong recovery, but we can only do it with the necessary financial our finance secretary has already made a request for more the Prime Minister, will he implement the recommendations of these Business Leaders and give the Scottish Parliament the economic power in needs to fuel recovery or will the Prime Minister put the economic recovery of scotland at risk . I respectfully remind the gentleman that scotland has so far received, as part of our uk campaign against the coronavirus, 3. 8 billion pounds a fact that is seldom off his lips in discussion regarding the smp. We continue to invest massively in scotland, because scotland, like the whole of the uk benefits from being part of the oldest successful i congratulate the smp on their uturn on education and getting your kids into school. Thank, you mister speaker. The people and i are sick of drug gangs openly selling drugs across the streets. Also grooming young innocent children to do that dirty work. Can the Prime Minister update me as to what progress is being made to deliver our manifesto commitment to ensure the resources and personal they need to tackle these drug dealers who are infecting key flings soul. My honorable friend is absolutely right to point out the evil that is done by drug gangs around the whole country. It has spread across our country and we must roll them up. That is why we are attacking them directly with every talking a logical resource at our disposal. We are making sure that we are investing another 20,000 more Police Officers going to key fling across the country as well. Covid19 broken out in three food factories. 70 a plant and germany is also seeing 1500 workers test positive. The difference there of course is that german employees get sick paid worth 100 of their salary. Here, workers get sick pay which would be worth on average perhaps 20 of their salary. They will lose 80 of their salary. These are low paid workers. Any future Lockdown People need to be supported. Will he now commit to local for self isolating workers . I tell you, i think the Job Retention what weve done for self employed people which is also being considerable. The expansion of universal credit. These are massive commitments made by our government to the workforce of this country and will continue to make those commitments. I stress as i said yesterday, that if we have to move back and obviously we do not want to, but if we have to move back to local or national lockdowns, then nobody should be penalized for doing the right thing. Thank you, mister speaker. The dependence on tourism and its position as a coastal position it has been particularly hard hit. We put this on the map and brings us millions of pounds. Can i ask my honorable friend, the Prime Minister, if you would look at a reduction in va tea so that the hospitality sector could get back on its feet and can be part of the recovery and get our country moving . Mrs. Speaker, i will simply look at all proposals that she makes on taxation for the next budget. What weve already done is to give pushing back our Business Rates till the next of till the end of next year. A huge coronavirus bounce back loans at 25,004 every business. What we also do is support tourism across the whole of the uk. I hope that you will raise the welcome sign above east born this summer so that people could enjoy its attractions. Jessica. Thank you mister speaker. In order to access benefits quickly, people with unpredictable terminal conditions happen to prove they have six months or less to live, they will lose their benefits altogether if they live longer than three years. The year has now passed since the government announced its review to access to benefits for terminally ill people, but still no progress. Where is the government going to act . Mister speaker, we have massively increased our spending on universal credit, but she raises an important point for access to benefits for terminally ill people. If i may, mister speaker, to return to her as soon as possible by writing. Thank you mister speaker. I represent the market town. Im pleased to inform the Prime Minister that our markets are now back. The town is also very proud of its hospitality sector. Recognizing the quality of its early evening and nighttime economy. Parks, restaurants, cafes. He knows they will need further support in the months ahead. What does the government intend to do to support the hospitality sector . Mister speaker, i refer my honorable friend to what i said from east born just now. We will continue to support the hospitality sector and all the ways possible. What could also happen is that people in newcastle could be encouraged to enjoy themselves sensibly in a covid secure way, and keep the purple flag flying above the uk. Heading to scotland with doctor philip. Thank you very much, mister speaker. The ongoing impact of covid on International Travel threatens over 100,000 jobs in the aerospace industry, including hundreds in my own constituency. Will the Prime Minister commit to protecting vital Aerospace Jobs and invest in a green aviation recovery to reduce future Carbon Emissions . I think to the honorable lady, she hasnt extremely important point. It is one that we are working on very intensively and government so that we use the opportunity of this crisis, mister speaker to bounce forward with new low Carbon Technology that will continue to drive the uks formidable aerospace industry. Thank, you mister speaker. Ive been contacted by councils along with the excellent hdc about a proposed new waste processing facility. All i asked the Prime Minister is if you would help me organize a meeting with the relevant minister so that i could put forward the views of my constituents on this issue . Well, mister speaker. We have invested a huge amount to the local growth fund, expected to deliver 270,000 jobs which this government obviously thank you very much mister speaker. Public Health England and the joint bio Security Center are undergoing a deep dive to understand why the infection rate in my constituency so high. Testing cases have not been included in the original for england. How does the Prime Minister know that people are safe to embrace his new when he doesnt know how many people are infected with coronavirus . Mister speaker, the leader of the opposition himself confirmed just now, we do have a pretty good estimate of what is happening in the country overall. We think the numbers have moved down from say, one in 404 weeks ago to maybe one and 1700 today. Mister speaker, incidents continues to decline. Across the country. Whether in particular outbreak ors particular hotspots such as in bedford or elsewhere, we now have the resources of our test and trace operation, joined by Security Center which is Getting Better and better to implement those local crackdowns and cluster busting operations. Mister speaker, many market trainers and independent Business Owners have taught me how much they appreciate the tremendous help they receive from the government during the corona virus crisis. We do know sadly, many people will still lose their jobs in the months ahead. Can my friend ensured that Government Departments could Work Together to provide both the resourcing expertise that is necessary for people to learn new skills so that they are fully equipped to take on new and different types of work in the future . Yes indeed, mister speaker. It is very. Vital that what will unquestionably be an economically difficult times. We invest in peoples skills. We are not just investing in trading for some billion National Skills funds, but we want to encourage in work placements and get people the live experience that they need. Prime minister, the rehabilitation of offenders is supported across the political spectrum. Yet, the current operation of the disclosure is a major obstacle to people turning their lives around. It is an efficient, unfair and frankly discriminatory. The report dealt with this in some depth nearly two years ago. Do we need action to and the endless of home office obstruction and delay. Prime minister, would you do it . Mister speaker, any mp knows that will have very hard cases. It is important for the protection of children and young people. We are considering the supreme courts judgment and will be settling out our opinion in due course. Thank, you mister speaker. May i welcome my friends announcement yesterday that we could start to reopen the economy . Would he join me and praising the fantastic charities of volunteers like the west bridge furred community helpers, the super kitchen whove worked so hard to support Vulnerable People throughout the lockdown . Mister speaker, i have no hesitation in commending and congratulating all the groups that she mentions. The super kitchen and the community helpers. I congratulate them all. Thank, you mister speaker. The Prime Minister at the end of this year, Northern Ireland will still remain a full part of the United Kingdom. Yet, i have in my hand a letter received by the management of the pork of lauren this week, stating that they have to prepare to overcome a Border Control post and 14 acres of land has been looked at four car parking and four construction. Under the sense of urgency, these proposals have to go to the au by the end of the month. Can the Prime Minister explain how Northern Ireland can remain a pool for part of the United Kingdom if people coming from the rest of the uk into Northern Ireland have to pass through a Border Control post, and would this deter . I can tell him absolutely categorically in the customs infrastructure for the very simple reason that under the protocol it is absolutely clear and black and white, that Northern Ireland is part of the customs territory of the whole of the United Kingdom. We will be joining the whole of the United Kingdom in our new and independents free trade deal around the world. Thank you, mister speaker. Right now, across the country, there are a lot of employers speaking to their staff about redundancies ahead of the scheme, and winding and sadly for many families it will be a hard landing moving from for low can i really encourage my honorable friend. I know hes done a lot already. Can i encourage him as he thinks about going to growth strategy, also to consider ways to strengthen the safety net at this time . Thank you my honorable friend. He is quite right. There will be tough times ahead for people and for families. That is why we massively increased a universal credit and we stand by as we have throughout this crisis to help the british people through. It thank you mister speaker. Ive been contacted by hundreds of constituents on racial inequality in the uk. We have the review on the justice system. We have the race disparity in the workplace. We have now the independent review of the wind rough scandal. What is the timeframe for implementing these recommendations . Mrs. Speaker, we are getting on with implementing a huge amount of recommendations. 16 recommendations have been implemented. Further, 17 are in progress. Two of them are not progressing. The home secretary will be setting out further what we are going to do later before recess about the wind rush. Mister speaker, and we will go on with our cross Governmental Commission to ensure that we stand against racism and discrimination across the country and throughout the government. We take it exceptionally seriously. Im glad she is raising it. Thank you mister speaker. As to the covid crisis, we would need essential minerals to supply the uk steel, cement and brick works to help build hospitals and infrastructure in the future. Mining in a Sustainable Way reduces a reliance on foreign imports. With my honorable friend please assure that the people of blithe valley that he and his government will encourage investment and support jobs in this area . Absolutely. I can certainly say to him and to people at blithe valley, we will do absolutely everything we can in the course of our infrastructure revolution to ensure that uk steel manufacturers are at the front of the queue of the Great Projects that we are going to construct and we have already identified about 3. 8 billion pounds worth of opportunities for the moment. Elizabeth contracted coronavirus and was refused admission to a hospital. This governments policy of discharging patients with coronavirus in the homes has led to over 16,000 deaths. Elizabeth has since sadly passed away. Last week, the Health Secretary said he accepted responsibility for these deaths. Does the Prime Minister . Prime minister . Of course, this government accepts the responsibility and i accept responsibility for everything that has happened throughout this crisis, but i will say that when you look at what happened with the discharge of patients, it was all done according to clinical decisions as the nhs has confronted. Actually, there was a pretty 40 reduction between january and march in the number of people going to the nhs and into care homes. What we are seeing now, thankfully, is a massive reduction thanks to the efforts of care workers and our care home action program, to get the numbers of deaths down in care homes to the levels you would expect to find this year. Last week, fatal conflict resumed between india and china. What are the implications for british interest of a dispute between a commonwealth member and the Worlds Largest democracy on one side and the state that challenge is a democracy on the other . I thank my honorable friend. She is absolutely right to draw the attention to a very serious and worrying situation which we are monitoring closely. The best thing i can say to her is that we are encouraging both parties to engage in dialog on the issues on the border and sorted out between them. Thank you. Last few days have been very difficult for our town. I want to offer my deepest condolences to the families of those who died in the dreadful attack on saturday evening. It is impossible to imagine what they were going through. My thoughts are also with the families and all those that have been affected by this attack. I would like to thank the police and other Emergency Services for their swift and Effective Response and for the increase incredible bravery shown by the officers. Will the Prime Minister ensure that the investigation now receives all the resources it needs and that our town is properly supported . We have a strong and diverse community. We can and we will get through this together. Yes, indeed. I thank the honorable member for his question and for the way he expressed it. I think the whole house shares his feelings of support for the police and their bravery in running towards danger. Also, the members of the public who themselves intervened. It was a really extraordinary moment. It was also of course an appalling crime and an appalling tragedy. We will make sure that obviously, there is a case that will be properly proceeded with. I want to make two comments. First of all, if there are any lessons that we need to learn about the way we handled things in the future then we will of course learn those lessons and act in this parliament and by this government. Secondly, as i said yesterday to the house, and i think it is a common view, we will not let this kind of attack, we will not let this kind of senseless murder distract us or in any way allow us to be intimidated or change our way of life. Order, with the effect from today, the doors will be locked 18 minutes after at the present, this time could be extended if there is a cue at the time. Three minutes suspension. Sunday night on cohen dates historian of medicine, author of vaccination, on the lessons the polio vaccine in the fifties can teach us about a covid19 vaccines. We will face problems of equity, even if we have enough vaccine for everyone there will be people who have the privilege to say i cant take it, and there will be others who say i have to go back to work and make sure that i can fight for my family so i need to get it. I guarantee that we will see stories of equity, were not supposed to tell the future as its historians but this is something that concerns me about the future. Every saturday night we take you to cities around the country and colleges to talk about history. Its the deepest cause were we will find the true meaning of the revolution was in a transport its a transformation that took place in the minds of an american people. Well talk about the tools and techniques of powers practice by enslaved people. Lets watch purdue history professors lead topics ranging from 9 11s to many others. Its lectures and history is available as a podcast, find it where you listen to podcasts. Caroline Scott Harrison was born in 1832s in oxford, ohio, where she met benjamin harrison. Its married when she was 20, one she grew into an accomplished artists, interested in womens issues. Although the harrison president s has been rated as unsuccessful by some historians, those w