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Rail firms could be allowed to run fewer trains because of coronavirus, Shapps suggests - Politics live
No 10 says '8m hospitalised' is planning assumption, not what government expects - UK politics live
(32 minutes later)
Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen
Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen
These are from my colleague Heather Stewart.
Q: Is the government going to offer state support for airlines?
I’m at 9 Downing Street for the regular morning lobby briefing. The prime minister’s spokesman should be arriving shortly.
The spokesman says the government recognises how difficult the situation is for airlines. It is working with the industry on measures to help airlines with temporary difficulties.
I can start posting as soon as the embargo gets lifted, which tends to be about 10 minutes after it has started.
And he says last week the UK government influenced the EU into relaxing its rules around flight slots.
Gavin Williamson, the education secretary, has a meeting with teachers’ groups today to discuss calls for the Easter holidays to be extended. Ahead of the meeting Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said:
Q: Has the government discussed the need for some legal form of rationing?
Echoing a point made by Grant Shapps in his Today interview this morning (see 9.20am), Prof Jason Leitch, the Scottish government’s national clinical director, told BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland today that the government advice to the over-70s, which is due soon, would not include telling them to cut off all contact with others. They should have more family contact, not less, he said.
The spokesman says that is not part of the legislation coming forward.
And, even though this has been characterised as people being asked to stay at home, he said that people would not have to stay at home all the time: He explained:
Q: Is the government organising repatriation flights?
There has been a lot of confusion about the ‘stay at home’ advice because in interviews about the proposal yesterday, Matt Hancock, the health secretary, and people interviewing him referred to staying at home as self-isolating. Some people use the phrase in this way, but the term has also been used to apply to a much stricter, no-contact regime meant to be followed by people with coronavirus.
The spokesman says flights to the UK are available from most countries.
The Labour MP Kate Osborne, who represents Jarrow, says she has been diagnosed with coronavirus.
Q: Are you doing anything to stop panic buying?
Politicians like to maintain some semblance of control but in recent days it has become clear that the coronavirus outbreak is threatening to overwhelm public health systems, the economy and even everyday life to a staggering extent. Only 11 days ago Boris Johnson was saying that as far as possible it should be it “business as usual for the overwhelming majority of people in this country”. Only five days ago Rishi Sunak delivered a budget that featured a total coronavirus rescue package worth £30bn. Less than a week later, with sections of the economy grinding to a halt, that is starting to look well short of what’s needed. Mel Stride, the chair of the Commons Treasury committee, said as much on the Westminster Hour last night. He told the programme:
The spokesman says the government wants people to shop reasonably. Retailers are doing what they can to ensure consumers have the supplies they need.
It must be serious because No 10 let Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, give an interview to the Today programme this morning. Here are the main points he made.
Q: Does the PM think people are being selfish?
Shapps suggested rail companies could soon be allowed to run reduced services. Rail companies have been asking for their franchise obligations to be reduced because passenger numbers have been plummeting. Asked about this, Shapps said:
The spokesman says the PM has said there is no need for people to buy more than they need.
Asked if that meant companies being freed from some of their current obligations, he went on:
Q: What do you say to people who say the UK is not doing enough testing?
By “ghost planes” Shapps was referring to rules that require airlines to fly planes, even if they are empty, just to preserve their landing slots. He claimed that he had been successful in obtaining a dispensation from these rules from the EU.
The spokesman says the UK has carried out more tests than most countries in the world, and it plans to increase its testing capacity.
He said the government would be considering measures to help the airline industry. He said that he had been speaking to the aviation industry over recent days, and that he would be taking their proposals to an economic business and response committee being chaired by the chancellor to discuss what the government could do to help. Asked what the government would do, he said the industry had “a variety of different asks”. He did not say how the government would respond, but he said the industry was “clearly right at the forefront of this”.
Q: Yesterday Hancock said the elderly would be asked to self-isolate, implying they should not leave their homes. But Scottish officials are talking about social distancing. Which is it?
He said that, when the government wanted the over-70s to stay at home, it would be asking them to do that, not telling them that they had to.
The spokesman says people should wait until the guidance comes out, so they can see what it says.
He stressed that the advice to the over-70s would not rule out their going out in any circumstances. Asked if people would be free to go out, for example, to walk the dog, he said:
He says it would be better for us to wait until the press conference later.
Here is the agenda for the day.
Q: What does the PM feel about so many people working from home when the government is not advising that?
9.15am: Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, holds an off-camera briefing on coronavirus.
The spokesman says the government will be setting out details of its response later. But firms are making their own contingency plan. That is understandable.
11am: Downing Street lobby briefing.
Q: What has changed between Friday, when the chief scientific adviser said the government wanted to build up herd immunity, and Sunday, when Matt Hancock said that was not policy?
12.30pm: The Welsh government holds a briefing on coronavirus.
The spokesman says he does not accept the premise of the question. He says going for herd immunity has not been government policy. He says he made that clear at a briefing on Friday.
Early afternoon: Boris Johnson chairs a meeting of Cobra, the government’s emergency committee, to discuss coronavirus.
Q: The document reported in the Guardian says the government does expect as many as 80% of the population to get coronavirus. But the chief medical officer and the chief scientific adviser say that is not what they expect. Who is right?
Late afternoon: Johnson holds a press conference after the Cobra meeting.
The spokesman says the 80% figure is a reasonable worst case scenario.
As usual, I will be covering breaking political news as it happens, as well as bringing you the best reaction, comment and analysis from the web, although I expect to be focusing mostly on the political aspects of the coronavirus crisis. But this is a global story that goes well beyond Westminster politics, and even politics generally. For the full picture, do read our general coronavirus live blog, which is here.
Q: Is the PM concerned that people are giving different messages about what the over-70s will be advised in Scotland from in England?
You can read all the latest Guardian politics articles here. Here is the Politico Europe roundup of this morning’s political news. And here is the PoliticsHome list of today’s top 10 must-reads.
The spokesman says the UK government will be clarifying what the advice is soon.
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