Transcripts For BBCNEWS The Week In Parliament 20200328

This is bbc news. The headlines the british Prime Minister, borisjohnson, has said he will continue to lead the governments handling of the Coronavirus Crisis despite contracting the disease himself. Mrjohnson said he was suffering mild symptoms and was isolating himself. Britains Health Secretary also has the virus and the chief medical officer is showing symptoms. President trump has signed into law a 2 trillion emergency spending package to relieve the impact of the coronavirus on the us economy. Its the largest such programme in modern american history. The us has now reported more than 100,000 cases of the virus. More than 900 people have died in italy as a result of coronavirus in a single day, pushing the number of dead to more than 9000. Pope francis has spoken of the thick darkness that has enveloped italy as it is stricken by the pandemic. Now on bbc news, the week in parliament. Hello again and welcome to the week in parliament. A wetware Boris Johnson told us to stay home to save lives as the Prime Minister defended his approach to coronavirus. We are putting our arms around every single worker, every single employee in the country. Governments throughout the uk introduced new rules on our daily lives. Effectively scotland is now in lockdown. These are rules for everyone. No one is an exception. There will be decisions taken by someone there will be decisions taken by someone else about our usefulness in the coming months that we will have no control over. Im starting to worry that disabled people might be seen worry that disabled people might be seen as worry that disabled people might be seen as expendable. And his return to their constituencies when they must follow the rules that the rest of us well. On monday in a rare televised address of the nation, borisjohnson set televised address of the nation, Boris Johnson set up televised address of the nation, borisjohnson set up what he said was no longer government advice but an instruction. Public gatherings of more than two people were banned. Britain should go to work only if absolutely necessary. By tuesday morning, there were signs that more people were doing as they were told with nonessential shops close and empty streets. Despite some confusion over who was expected to go to work. This Health Secretary told mps that home was now the frontline in the war against the virus. The new rules were to protect the nhs and save lives. Our instruction was simple. Stay at home. People should only be leaving home. People should only be leaving home for one of four reasons first, shopping for basic necessities, for example food, which must be as infrequent as possible. Second exercising once a day, like a run, walk, or cycle. Alone or with members of the same household. Third for any medical need or to provide ca re for any medical need or to provide care or help a vulnerable person. Fourth, travelling to or from work, but only when it cannot be done from home. And employers should be taking every possible step to make sure that Remote Working can happen. These four reasons are exceptions to the rule. Further guidance is available on the government website. I want to be clear that where people absolutely cannot work from home, they can still go to work. Is important that they do to keep the country running. But confusion over who could or should still go to work remain. It is shadow call for anna because advice. We call for key workers to go to work. We have seen sparks direct insist on people turning up. We have heard of warehouses construction sites not put in place social distancing measures. This is putting workers at risk and it is putting the lives of all of us at risk. We need clear enforcements. Throughout the week ministers faced questions about the relatively low rate of testing for covid i9 in the uk and the slow delivery of personal protective equipment. Matt hancocks replies failed to satisfy mps. Can i press the secretary of state on personal protective equipment . I hear when he says that it is good that the military are being involved in the distribution but can he tell the house is there enough ppe available for all healthcare workers and social care workers . If not, what is happening with the manufacturing and procurement from around the world, because we are being told there is some available around the world. Yes, we have a huge quantity that we hold ready for an eventuality like this. There was, in fact, enhanced, in our no deal preparations. But where using that up to make sure that those stocks are replenished. An Exhibition Centre in the docklands has been announced as to be converted into a 4000 bed mateship hospital. Makeshift. Energy is workers are on the frontline of this battle at huge personal risk. Many have returned especially to fight coronavirus. Does my right honourable friend agreed that when this is over we need to find an appropriate way to recognise and honour their bravery . Yes, my honorable friend makes incredibly important point which is we as incredibly important point which is weasa incredibly important point which is we as a nation owe a debt of gratitude to those who work in the nhs and we need to constantly search for ways to show it so that they all know how much we value the work that they do. Matt hancock did have some good news. The return of that injury, the Health Minister who had caught coronavirus. The minister for Mental Health and prevention and Patient Safety is sitting next to me and close to me and that is because she has recovered and all the evidence is that you cannot catch this twice, at least in quick succession. Nadine dorries. So thatis succession. Nadine dorries. So that is ok. I welcome her back to her place. Matt hancock. But there are questions about how prepared the uk has been and they refused to go away. Jeremy corbyn raise them during a specially extended Prime Ministers questions on wednesday. The healthcare ministers questions on wednesday. The healthca re supply ministers questions on wednesday. The Healthcare Supply Association has been forced to use twitter to ask diy shops to donate equipment to nhs staff. This is an appalling situation. When will nhs staff, social care staff, and Community Nurses and all other staff relating to healthcare at the ppe equipment that they absolutely, desperately need. Need . His right to raise this issue. We had a long meeting on this this morning. The army is now disputing supplies to all the nhs hospitals that needed and in the last 24 hours they have distributed seven and a half million pieces of equipment. Borisjohnson tried to reassure mps and the public amid concerns about delays in health for the self employed. Delays in health for the selfemployed. As a society and as a country we are doing an extraordinary thing, which is the first time in our history to get through this crisis. We are putting our arms as a country around every single worker, every single employee in the country. And it is a quite it isa in the country. And it is a quite it is a quite unprecedented step and you will be hearing more. I know there are concerns about the self employed, but you will be hearing more at the next couple of days from my right honourable friend the chancellor. These are the same promises that have now been made four weeks and yet they and we are still waiting. The Prime Minister now explain why a package that the support of the self employed was not put in place before we announce the lockdown . Well, mr speaker, as you will understand, we have done a huge amount already to look after eve ryo ne amount already to look after everyone in this country, notjust those currently in employment, with a package, as i say, and they get 80 of their earnings after two and a half thousand pounds a month. This country has never done anything on that scale before. He says that helpful those who work for themselves as complex. And those questions about testing and protective equipment in hospital in ca re protective equipment in hospital in care homes and i got away. And 84 year old developed symptoms for coronavirus and requested a test. Ten days later, ten days later when it has finally happened, i4 ten days later, ten days later when it has finally happened, 14 of the 20 residents were exhibiting symptoms. Seven of the staff were off sick, so they can self isolate. They were agency staff who had also been working on other care homes. None of the protective equipment requested had arrived. Can the para meters requested had arrived. Can the parameters to tell the house in the 80,000 care homes around britain what date they expect tests to be carried out on the day that symptoms emerge and every Single Person working in those care homes will get the protective equipment they need . And the Prime Minister tell. The protective equipment they need . And the Prime Minister tell. On the tests, as i said earlier on, we wa nt the tests, as i said earlier on, we want to roll that out as soon as we possibly can. On the personal protective equipment the answers by the of this week. The end. Protective equipment the answers by the of this week. The end. Willy also thank the many volunteers coming forward to help their neighbours in wolverhampton, but also to the few people trying to flood the advised to stay at home that their actions will cost lives. This is a question time of two halves, running to an hour. So more mps could both take part and follow social distancing rules. It meant thejeremy social distancing rules. It meant the Jeremy Corbyn social distancing rules. It meant theJeremy Corbyn in his last premises questions before standing down as labour leader, could ask another six questions. Both he and borisjohnson were in a reflective mood. Labour. Any time of crisis, no one is an island, no is self made. The well being of the wealthiest corporate, chief executive officer, depends on the outsource worker clinic their office. At times like this, mr speaker, we have to recognise the value of each other. And the strength of a society that cares for each other and cares for all. The more we followed the advice of the government, the more strictly we obey the measures that we have put in place, then the swifter and more surely this country will come back from the current crisis, the better we will recover, and so ijust repeat my message in case the right honourable gentleman would like to hear it one more time, the best thing we can do is stay at home, protect our nhs, and save many, many thousands of lies. The Prime Minister. Emergency legislation to give the uk and devolved goverment s sweeping powers was rushed through both houses of parliament in three days. Can you all go home please . The Prime Minister gave the police vested power to detain people thought to be infected with the virus in order to stop the spread. It also relaxes regulations in many areas to ease the burden on Public Services such as the nhs, the care sector, schools, police, funerals, and local authorities. The powers are designed to last for two years although the government has agreed to give parliament the ability to renew them every six months. Matt hancock, again, over the debate. Coronavirus is the most Serious Public Health emergency that has faced the world in a century. We are all targets but the disease was as its full cruelty for the weakest and the most vulnerable. Andy defeated we are proposing extraordinary measures of the kind never seen before in peacetime. Our goal is to protect life and to protect every pa rt protect life and to protect every part of the nhs. And the smell, joe ledley with all four uk governments, gives us the power to fight the virus with everything weve got. And this bill, jointly agreed by all four. This gives us powers that i wouldnt have dreamt of only a few weeks ago. I know no member came into this place to put powers like this onto the statute book, powers that curtail 70 basic freedoms that our forebears fought so hard for and so our forebears fought so hard for and so many today take for granted. That makes so many basics. But i also know that every member here will wa nt know that every member here will want to do all they can to support by all means necessary the setting of lies and protection of our communities. The power of the state to enforce isolation on people who have committed a crime for the first time in our history. Will this house be fully involved in renewing their sponsors this crisis is over . The legislation is time limited for two yea rs legislation is time limited for two years and if the measures can each be switched on and off individually as necessary by the Relevant Authority whether that is the uk government or the devolved government. As an additional safeguard, we have brought forward an amendment to give this house the opportunity to confirm that require every six months and we have tabled that today. While we understand these are exceptional consequences, these are exceptional consequences, the redgrave concerns about the lowering of social care standards and talking about some of the most vulnerable in our society, elderly and disabled and having the human rights as a backup could see care standards love to a dangerously low level putting this people at risk. But was a government doing enough to make people stay at home . But was a government doing enough to make people stayathome . We are co nsta ntly make people stayathome . We are constantly behind the curve, waiting for people not to do what we have asked them to do and then introduce legislation. Can we underpin a much bigger, more comprehensive Public Education campaign because right now it clearly is not getting through. Approved by mps that are built, it headed to the lords where it emerged unchanged despite the reservations of some peers. Fundamentally, this bill is about buying time. You may not think it, looking at those alarming graphs charting the growth of the disease but time can help us. With each time that passes the site is Getting Better and the models are more refined and improved as more data becomes available. Each day brings us closer to faster and more accurate testing capabilities and ultimately the vaccine. Her majesty s loyal opposition support this bill. In normal times it would be utterly unacceptable. These are not normal times. As long as the emergency lasts and these powers are necessary, they should be available to the government. Many disabled people are still very worried by this bill. There will be decisions taken this bill. There will be decisions ta ken by this bill. There will be decisions taken by someone else about our usefulness in the next few months and we will have no control over it. We might see disabled people as expendable during this pandemic. This could graduate towards a move to decide future provisions. There isa to decide future provisions. There is a need for part of this emergency bill however the draconian measures outlined make a personal necessity for me to be here today. This is a health and social obliteration will buy a different name. The coronavirus built received royal assent on wednesday and is now law. The emergency legislation was supported by the uk for governments, each led by different parties. Members of the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for wales and Northern Ireland assembly all gave their consent. As dormont are stuck reminder of the potential human cost of the outbreak. Dormont. Reminder of the potential human cost of the outbreak. Dormont. What should i say to the family of the 32 year old mother who contacted my office. She is a cancer patient, very serious cancer. She has a two year old child and she has just been told that her chemotherapy is going to. Because choices have to be made as to who will be treated. What can you say . What can you say to that person . These are the challenges we are going to have to do. Ministers reluctant to use the l word. Effectively, scotland is now in lockdown. People have really been told they must stay at home. We must set more stringent limits but the overall message is very clear, people must stay at home. I know how ha rd people must stay at home. I know how hard this is for everybody but people should not be meeting friends, meeting family members who live outside the home and, as i have said previously, for all of us right now, life should not be fairly normal. If it is, you are not sticking to the rules were asking people abide by. Im confident vast majority of people will comply with these rules and i want to thank eve ryo ne these rules and i want to thank everyone in advance for doing that. The emergency legislation the parliament will discuss shortly will give us powers of enforcement and i wa nt to give us powers of enforcement and i want to be very clear, we will use these powers if necessary. The Scottish Parliament will meet on wednesday to consider more emergency legislation stop in wales, there was an unprecedented section of the senate with only 15 in attendance due to social distancing. The first minister told them it was a wiring time forfamilies minister told them it was a wiring time for families and communities across wales. As we all follow these numerals, they will reduce our day to day contact with other people at the speed and transmission of the virus. These are rules for everybody. Not one of us is an exception. All of our lives have changed and that includes the way in which this will work. After crowds like to rural parts of wales, they welcome a closure of Holiday Parks and visitor attractions. Translation this is not a national holiday, it is a National Crisis and each and every one of us has a responsibility to comply with these measures for the benefits of ourselves and for those around us. And it is scheduled to meet again on tuesday to activate the crisis. The coronavirus outbreak has seen a sharp increase in the number of people trying to access the benefits system. Almost half a million applications for universal credit we re applications for universal credit were made injust nine days. At one stage, more than 100,000 people were ina stage, more than 100,000 people were in a telephone queue to register. The universal Credit System is open, ready to take that. In fact, in the last days we have processed half million claims. We do not know if they are self employed or different stages and i want to ensure people that help, even if it is not currently at the level they would like, is there to help them through the safety net of the welfare state. Crossbody criticism over the governments respond on the plight of people stranded abroad and trying to get home. It rings with no answer, e mails acknowledged but not replied to. Embassy closed and stuff flown home days ago. Doors shuts. Commercialflights flown home days ago. Doors shuts. Commercial flights not available. Trying to transit by countries where there are no layover is permitted. All priced at tens of thousands of prices. Last week it was stated we would look to liaise with Airline Operators to make sure whether gaps we can provide as much support as possible to vulnerable or stranded constituents. Mr speaker, there are gaps. I hope she would understand, given her own experience, it is an incredibly fluid situation. Some of these restrictions are being imposed with no notice or limited notice and thatis with no notice or limited notice and that is very difficult, of course, for our constituents we are it would provide as much advice and support in real time as we can. Provide as much advice and support in realtime as we can. Empty supermarket shelves have become a familiar image during the pandemic and prompted questions about how to handle the behaviour of some shoppers. We know a number of measures of been taken to deal with the situation but we know that, even when supermarkets try to set aside hours at the beginning of the day for the frail, elderly and nhs workers, others just for the frail, elderly and nhs workers, othersjust barge for the frail, elderly and nhs workers, others just barge them aside. No one wants to see Police Officers into supermarkets but, if the situation remains unmanageable, will the minister consider talking to the shops and the supermarket owners about Security Officers in order to see whether possibly patrols by Community Support officers in the vicinity is of some officers in the vicinity is of some of these larger supermarkets might play a role. We hope and believe in the next few days things will settle down. Our Food Supply Chains is extremely strong and we are reassured by companies they can fulfil demand as it comes. Mps had expected to begin their easter recess next tuesday but the leader of the commons told them things that change. Once the corona virus bill received royal assent, parliament will rise for the easter recess later today. It is obviously important that parliament is able to seat after the recess. Further discussions will therefore continue with government with parliamentary authorities and with members to ensure parliament operate safely all those who work here. The Legislature Must be able to continue its vital democratic functions of conducting scrutiny, authorises spending and making laws, including the finance bill. While my business statement is made with the aim of bringing the house back as normal on the 21st of april, we will continue to keep the situation under review and line with medical advice and i will make further announcements about the plans for business when we return as necessary. I am extremely concerned at the implication of Closing Parliament early. The are ready will be lost on no one that builders across the river are going as normal and yet parliament is closing down parliament and stopping their ability to scrutinise in the normal way. Normally, in times of crisis parliament is recalled, not close down so considering hes doing so extraordinary, should he not also be announcing extraordinary new measures so announcing extraordinary new measures so that we remotely can hold government to account in this time . Mr speaker, parliament is not being closed down. The date for returning has been set, which is the same date as was i was planned. Security was, we are not licensed andi security was, we are not licensed and i would appeal to the leader of the house that downing street does have a licence and that if we could show that that would enable us to acknowledge it and move very quickly to give members the reach that they need to become part of the Virtual Parliament and virtual select committees save that could be taken on board, i would be very grateful. Looking forward to a Virtual Parliament. Real or virtual, we will be that but that was the week in parliament, a week where politicians approved Emergency Powers to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. Thank you for watching. From me, the coronavirus pandemic. Thank you forwatching. From me, take the coronavirus pandemic. Thank you for watching. From me, take care, goodbye for now. Hello. The cloudy skies in Northern Ireland and much of scotland this week look set to move a little bit further south across the British Isles this weekend. The skies, though, will be clear enough for there to be a touch of frost through the heart of wales and may the midlands to start the new day on saturday. So some brightness around, but i think the cloud fills in across england and wales, more so than you have seen of late, and could produce one or two showers. They will be there across northern and North Eastern parts of scotland. The last of the double figure temperatures, western wales and the southern counties of england, elsewhere, a cold feeling to proceedings and as soon as the sun is down, my word, theres going to be quite a chill about things. Overnight, as we change the clocks into british summertime, its a cold start to british summertime and it stays that way on sunday across the piece. Again, more cloud, not so much on the way of shower activity, perhaps, but a really raw feeling to the day. I showed you six or seven but it could feel like one or two. This is bbc news. Im James Reynolds with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. President trump signs the largest ever us financial stimulus package, worth 2 trillion as the country grapples with the coronavirus pandemic. In italy, more than 900 people have died in the past day the biggest daily rise so far in a country thats been locked down for almost two weeks. Britains Prime Minister and the Health Secretary, the men in charge of britains fight against coronavirus, both test positive for the disease as the uks death toll climbs again. I developed mild symptoms of the coronavirus. That is to say a temperature and a persistent cough and on the advice of the chief medical officer i have taken a test. That has come