now on bbc news, this is bbc news while technical difficulties with the latest headlines for viewers in the uk and around the world. i'm lewis vaughan jones. are sorted out, it is absolutely unacceptable that the proceedings a scientific landmark — two uk volunteers are injected of this house are not broadcast as the first vaccine trials the week in parliament. and not open to members of the public at the time when those for coronavirus in europe get underway. proceedings take place. american lawmakers pass another relief bill worth hello there, and welcome $480 billion to the week in parliament. for small businesses as mps and peers return andoverwhelmed hospitals. from their easter break and move lord ashton replied that into the virtual world. at the moment, it was right to focus and overwhelmed hospitals. limited resources on the elected violence in venezuela, house of commons. you won't be able to see as people break a strict the virtual proceedings quarantine to protest we have a twofold duty of leadership against food of members of this house. in the lords for a while yet, and petrol shortages. but on wednesday, the commons took one is to show that we are and smart or stupid? following the rules that one more step forward online, why sweden is bucking apply to everybody else, agreeing mps would be able to vote and the other is to lead by example from home during the coronavirus pandemic. the trend for lockdowns. in showing that we are getting a new digital system has been developed, but there are concerns that it's not yet robust enough on with our essential work. with worries about its stability. the ability to verify who's voting sir keir starmer debuts at a very and about the alerts mps note different pmqs and accuses when it's time to vote. the government of dragging its feet on tackling coronavirus. and there's a pattern emerging here. we were slow into lockdown, the commons leaderjacob rees—mogg slow on testing, slow said the arrangement would be temporary. he also agreed not to hold any votes until after the preceding committee on protective equipment, has reported on the system. and now slow to take up these offers on british firms. i don't accept his premise that we've been slow. we have been guided i think it's fair to say that i'm by the scientific advice — surprised to be introducing a motion the chief scientific advice — the chief medical officer at every to introduce remote voting step along this way. in the house of commons. and scotland's first minister says in general, i'm not an advocate of change. she is not complacent about supplies to the house and to be of protective equipment for health perfectly honest many other things, change, and care staff. change, change rings in my mind. i'm very grateful to if anybody ever hears me standing up here during this the housing authority and staff pandemic and saying, in the digital service for the work "we've resolved the issue of ppe," on developing it so quickly. you should have a go at me then. i know they are keen to facilitate further testing next week, including with members, which will be personal to build it was time for some pretty confidence in the new systems. extraordinary changes to parliament. with the uk still in lockdown and trying to stop the spread of coronavirus, towns and cities remained empty, roads and railways nearly silent. as the government continued to ask the public to make massive changes to their lives, mps too were facing an upheaval to their working ways. whilst they'd been away for east, we have to make sure any remote black—and—yellow tape had been stuck to the floor to mark voting is secure and that everyone out safe distances. is satisfied that any remote little signs on the seats were put working is secure. the optics of seeing up on seats to tell mps votes going wrong is not where they could sit. where we want to be. if mps needed a reminder of potential perils of going digital, they need look no further than the welsh assembly. the leader found himself in hot big screens had been put up water when he was caught swearing in readiness for members to take about a labour colleague part via video link from home. in a virtual session when he left his microphone on by mistake. he made the comment but first, the move to a virtual chamber had been that had to be approved by a handful of mps that were physically in the parliament. aboutjenny rathbone. while the new digital parliament may not be perfect, members may launch forth only to find themselves muted or snatched away altogether by an internment internet connection — we must not let the perfect be the enemy of the good. i think you need to turn in 1349 when the black death your microphone off. affected this country, parliament couldn't sit bleep. — and didn't. the session was cancelled. he has since apologised. thanks to modern technology, even i have moved on from 1349, this brings us to the end and i'm glad to say — of the week in parliament but do join me on monday night at 11pm and i'm glad to say that we can sit to see how mps get on with their to carry out these fundamental new digital debates. constitutional functions. for now, from me, it would be rank hypocrisy if we were to expect our constituents to go to work, and we ourselves decided alicia mccarthy, goodbye. to protect ourselves. we have a duty to be here, we have a responsibility, to hold government to account and we must do that. the shadow leader wondered about the dress code hello there. many places across the uk had gin for mps working from home. clear skies from dawn till dusk on thursday. clearly the dress code in actualfact, parts will only apply to the top of the south—east saw highs of 2a half, unless it's. .. degrees, 75 fahrenheit, laughter. and it's probably going to be the warmest day this week. a slightly different story, however, ..unless of course, it's coming in across eastern england, the leader of the house, with a breeze from the north sea in which case i know he sometimes likes to be horizontal, so in fact, and a little more cloud here, temperatures struggled the dress code will apply to the top at around ten or 11 degrees. now, we start our day on friday half and the bottom half. with some cloud across parts of eastern england, stretching in as far as the east valerie vaz, referring to the pictures ofjacob rees—mogg midlands, maybe. but as we go through the day in the chamber a few months ago they should melt away, lying almost horizontal dry, settled, and sunny for many. on the front bench. just an outside chance later on in the afternoon for an isolated so after all that, mps agreed shower, perhaps that from wednesday, across the south—west. but we should see temperatures the commons would become a hybrid peaking at 22 degrees, you might see 20 degrees chamber with some members into western scotland as well. attending in person, now as we go through the evening and others contributing via video we keep clear skies for most. link — setting the stage for a very unusual pmqs. the risk of an isolated shower the prime minister borisjohnson across higher ground of south wales stayed away, still recovering from his bout of coronavirus. and south—west england continues, but as we go into the weekend it looks likely to stay so sir keir starmer, largely fine and dry. it will be just that little bit the newly—elected labour leader, cooler and we increase the risk of some showers as we go made his pmqs debut through the second half of the weekend. against dominic raab, but we start off on saturday with very, very open isobars, who was filling in for the pm. light winds across the country. this little fellow here mightjust at the start of the day, introduce some more cloud the speaker, sir lindsay hoyle, and eventually the risk of further showers. welcomed leaders to their brave so as we go through the day new world. on saturday we could have, yesterday, the house agreed again, a little more cloud to start with along that east coast. to a motion to allow members that melts away. lots of sunshine coming through. to participate virtually cloud thickens into the far north—west but saturday should stay in proceedings of the house dry and pleasantly warm out there with highs of 9—21 degrees. now as we move out of saturday for the first time in 700 years into sunday, that weather front will just creep towards of history in the house of commons. the north—west of scotland and enhance the risk of some showers so i'd like to welcome everyone — both membersjoining us remotely as we go through the day. from their constituencies up so a slow and subtle change of the story for the second half and down the uk, and members of the weekend. so the potential for some showers here in the chamber — to the first hybrid sitting and cooler fields may develop as the winds swing of the house of commons. round to a northerly. when pmqs got under way a short time though showers may creep later, sir keir starmer said he'd into north—west england and north wales by the end provide constructive opposition, of the day on sunday. supporting the government but ahead of it stays pleasantly when it was right to do so. warm with 22 degrees, but he had questions too, behind it somewhat cooler beginning with coronavirus testing. conditions, 10—14 in the far the government has an ambition north of scotland. but the dry story is set to continue for 100,000 tests a day, and now says it has the capacity for the remainder of april, to carry out 40,000. as you can see, dry, settled, but sir keir starmer said only and sunny, butjust that little bit cooler right across the country. 00:05:49,324 --> 4294966103:13:29,430 take care. 18,000 were being carried out. it is not now a question of driving up demand. demand is there. last week, the health secretary said that every care worker who needed a test would get one. but the reality on the ground is very different, and there were very few tests indeed. we've got mobile labs to go to some of those areas that are hard to reach. we will be using the army who have made, along with the other key workers, incredible contributions to support that effort. but ijust come back to the key point, i think it is important to have a target and to drive towards a target. sir keir said the government had also failed to take up offers from the british firms to help out with the provision of personal protective equipment — known as ppe. something's going wrong, and there's a pattern emerging here. we were slow into lockdown, slow on testing, slow on protective equipment, and now, slow to take up these offers from british firms. i don't accept his premise that we've been slow. we have been guided by the scientific advice — the chief scientific advice — the chief medical officer at every step along this way. if he thinks he knows better than they do with the benefit of hindsight, then that's his decision. but that is not the way we've proceeded, and it is not the way we will in the future. the snp‘s westminster leader renewed calls for a basic income for all. polling shows that 84% of the public now support this. a universal basic income is a solution that will provide support for anybody — and crucially, it will leave no one behind. we want to make sure we provide support to those who need it most. a universal approach, uniform without reference to need or income, or the most vulnerable in our society is not the way i respectfully suggest to achieve it. will the government itself now and for a future independent, judge—led inquiry into how this crisis has been handled? i won't take up his offer of committing to a public inquiry. i think that there are definitely lessons to be learned when we get through this crisis, and it will be important that we take stock and come together to understand with an unprecedented challenge on an international scale, what can be done to avoid it happening again. we go across to liz saville roberts. liz saville roberts? if the lockdown is lifted in one nation or region because it has passed a peak, we will see confusion and we will start to see people running around, which runs the risk of further infection. will the first secretary of state confirm that if the four nations approach is to be meaningful, the four governments must have an equal say, and that lifting the lockdown can only happen by the unanimous agreements of the four governments together? i think it's fair to say, we've had excellent operations between all four nations, and indeed, with the current mayor of london. that is critically important. if she looks at the social—distancing measures, there's been remarkable consistency in all four nations in terms of compliance. so i hope that we can continue to work together on a collaborative basis as we look towards the second phase. dominic raab, filling in for borisjohnson at pmqs. a few minutes later, mps were able to take up their concerns with the health secretary when he updated the commons on the government's battle plan, starting with testing. the tests are conducted in nhs hospitals, through drive—through centres, mobile units and home deliveries. these tests are then sent to laboratories. we've completed the construction of three lighthouse labs in milton keynes, glasgow and cheshire. each site tookjust three weeks to complete and begin testing. and as we have reached the peak and as we bring the number of new cases down, so we will introduce contact tracing at large scale. he said the vaccine trial with humans would start on thursday, and social distancing was making a difference. but labour'sjonathan ashworth had serious concerns. it looks like we are heading to one of the worst death rates in europe. the government have been careful to always say, "we're following scientific advice." could the secretary of state tell us what the explanation is from the government's scientists as to why our death rate seems so poor compared to, for example, germany? he asked the question about the relative international comparisons on the number of deaths. of course, this needs to be done scientifically, taking into account the size of the populations of different countries. and there's an important analysis that we're constantly doing of why the death rates of proportion to the population in germany is lower — it is something i speak to my german counterpart about — in the same way that we look at all the european countries where the death rate is higher, and we try to learn also lessons to make sure that we are doing the best that we possibly can here. now ministers say three million people face being temporarily laid off during the coronavirus outbreak. when the business secretary appeared in front of a committee of mps, he gave an update about firms wanting to take part in a government scheme which pays four—fifths of the wages of workers who have been, in the jargon, furloughed. i can tell you that, as of last night at apm, there were 387,000 applications to the scheme, and that is covering 2.8 million employees. in terms of the grants, these are the £10—25,000 grants, which we've given money to local authorities and are distributing it. as of 19 april, almost half a million businesses have received that money, representing just over £6 billion. and in terms of the civil scheme — i'm sure you will want to discuss that in more detail in how that is working — but the latest figures being published today show that so far, they are around 38,000 applications to date, and 16,600 businesses have secured a loan representing a total value of £2.8 billion. in switzerland, 98,000 firms have received loans — that's about six times the figure you've given us this morning. and the loans are 100% guaranteed by the state. the form is a one—page online form, and the funds are paid the following day. germany's given out about three times the figure that you've said today, and they've moved to 100% loan guarantees for small firms too. same in hong kong — 100% loans. isn't the case that a number of other countries have been able to do much more quickly with much less bureaucracy than we have? yes, i go back to the point i made earlier, which is that i think you need to look at the totality of what we are offering. i'll be happy to come back to talk about the german scheme, but if you look at what the swiss are offering in terms of physical stimulus, and i'm very happy to stand corrected on this, but as i understand it, the majority of that has gone through these loan schemes that you've talked about. we are offering a range of support — as i've said this morning, the chair, so far, 387,000 applications into the furlough scheme into helping an million businesses with support for the grants. i've talked about the other numbers in terms of the loans. so we have to look at the range of this. the minister also announced plans to help the high street. i'm certainly aware that certain landlords are putting undue financial pressure with aggressive debt recovery tactics. so what i'm very happy to say to you is we will — i will look to introduce temporary measures on this particular issue which will ease commercial rent demand and protect the uk high street. i don't want to set out the details right now here, but that is something that i will be doing very, very shortly. the head of the foreign office, sir simon mcdonald, told mps the government took a "political decision" not to take part in an eu scheme to get medical equipment to fight the coronavirus. previously, ministers have insisted the uk didn't originallyjoin because of a communications mix—up. why oh why oh why were we not involved in the eu procurement? we left the european union on 31 january... no, we had every right to take part, we were invited to take part, and apparently we missed the e—mails or forgot the e—mails, or didn't ask for e—mails. at five of the meetings we didn't attend, lots of other meetings we did attend. it's not about leaving the european union. erm, all i can say is, as a matter of fact, we have not taken part. maybe i could ask, sir simon, what was your policy advice on it? or was it a political decision? erm, it was a political decision. brussels briefed ministers about what was available, what was on offer, and the decision is known. i don't think i could ask another question after that. well later, sir simon issued a correction, saying it had not been a political decision. earlier in the week, the equalities minister faced questions over why, so far, only one female cabinet minister has taken part in the government's daily coronavirus news conference. aren't we going to see you make an appearance at one of the daily press conferences? it's been really noticeable so far that they have been conducted by men. when‘s your turn? i don't like the idea that somebody should just appear at a press conference, or in a media interview, because they're a woman. so they shouldn't be there just because they're a woman. but ou have a remit for elderly people, for the disabled, for those from a bame background, for the lgbtq community — a massive group of people who are being impacted by covid—19. and you think it would be tokenism for you to appear at one of these press conferences? i think we should be focusing on the right people to present at the press conference... is that not you? are you not the right person? the major issue at the moment is health. so i think it's right at the health secretary is doing a lot of the press conferences and explaining the specific health issues. liz truss. you're watching the week in parliament with me, alicia mccarthy. scotland's first minister nichola sturgeon faced questions about her government's handling of the crisis. the leader of the conservative group quoted an intensive care doctor. there were no advisers and staff would be using single issue visors, potentially contaminated. the main assurance i asked people to take is this is something that principally, national services scotland is on literally every minute of the day to make sure that we are able to give confidence about the supplies of these items, notjust now but into the future as well. what is the first minister's advice to those care workers who find themselves on shift in scotland's care home tonight without the ppe that they need? if he ever hears me, if anyone ever hears me standing up in this chamber during this pandemic and saying we've resolved the issue of ppe, you should really have a go at me then because that would demonstrate a level of complacency that i would never want. can the first minister explain why around half of scotland's testing capacity as being unused at the moment, why we're still testing a much lower percentage of our population than most european countries and when she believes a test traced isolate strategy will be in place? as we start to lift some of the most stringent restrictions in place right now, and i don't know exactly when that will be, but as we start to do that, we showed that we are still facing a period where we would have to suppress the virus and continue social distancing. test traced isolate will be a significant part of that as well. since 2010, members of the uk military have been tightened to a daily operation of £29 and they're deployed to specific operations. will the first minister consider to give an extra £29 a day for their service during this pandemic? be under no illusion i will certainly consider any suggestions like that. we will absolutely certainly want to make sure that we are recognising the contribution that health care staff have made, but recognising and rewarding that. in the welsh assembly, there were questions for the first minister about his government strategy. the opposition leader paul davis wanted to know about levels of testing. to be blunt, why are so few tests actually taking place? why is the welsh government failing to meet its targets? because it's important our key front line workers are tested as quickly as possible in order to keep them safe. over 20,000 tests have been carried out in wales during the coronavirus crisis. 40% of those tests have been made available to front line health care staff. there is more that needs to be done to simplify the process, from which social care staff in particular can be identified and then offered testing at the different centres that we have. it's almost been six weeks since scientists at cardiff university wrote to welsh government offering their expertise in conducting tests in wales. almost six weeks later, those hundreds of scientists, and by the way, i spoke to one of them yesterday morning, and their laboratories haven't had the go ahead, haven't had the accreditation to conduct a single test on a key worker here in wales. we will have more tests this week and we are increasing the take—up of them, particularly from social care as well. we have police officers and firefighters being tested here in wales. one health board i'm in good contact with at the end of last week, didn't want to wider testing to partners and other organisations because concerns they didn't have cover around data protection and they were waiting for public health wales to publish a protocol on what should be done. mark drakeford said the data commissioner would look sympathetically being shared, but the law on data sharing hadn't changed. back at westminster. there was a new look to the house of lords and a little less pageantry. ordinarily when a new peer takes his or her seat, there's a business ceremony and dressing up. the new recruits arrived wearing their ceremonial robes and the few of them processed in before the new peer takes the oath. but the introductions on tuesday were dressed down and socially distanced. if you look closely, you will see no robes, no sponsors, and a socially distanced party. white tape marks where peers should sit. like the commons, the lords is also trying out remote working, but using a different technology for mps. 00:22:16,124 --> 2147483051:47:52,777 the government's lord ashton 2147483051:47:52,777 --> 4294966103:13:29,430 set out the challenge.