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Britons advised to avoid any non-essential travel abroad for next 30 days – politics live Britons advised to avoid any non-essential travel abroad for next 30 days – politics live
(32 minutes later)
Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen, including Rishi Sunak at the government’s daily coronavirus press conference and MPs questioning the government’s chief scientific adviserRolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen, including Rishi Sunak at the government’s daily coronavirus press conference and MPs questioning the government’s chief scientific adviser
Richard Drax, a Conservative, says schools that have have to cancel trips will not get their money back unless the Foreign Office specifically advises against travel to a particular country.
Raab says the Foreign Office is advising against all but essential travel globally. He suggests that should be clear enough for the insurance companies.
In her response to Dominic Raab a few minutes ago Emily Thornberry, the shadow foreign secretary, cited the experience of a constituent called Tom, one of 65 Britons stuck in Peru, as evidence that consular staff were not doing enough to help people. She said:
She also said the government could not “pass the buck” on repatriation.
In the Commons Labour’s Hilary Benn asks in what circumstances the government would be willing to bring people home.
Raab says people should read the Foreign Office travel advice.
But he says the Foreign Office is also aware of the vulnerability of some people, like those on the Braemar cruise ship.
From the BBC’s political editor, Laura Kuenssberg
In the Commons Labour’s Chris Bryant asks why Dominic Raab is warning that people may not be able to return to the UK in the future, but also not advising people who are abroad to come back home now.
Raab says these decisions are individual judgment calls that people will have to make for themselves.
As the Times’ Steven Swinford points out, Dominic Raab’s announcement makes the prospect of a bail-out for the aviation industry even more likely.
Here is more from the Foreign Office press notice about this announcement.
In the Commons Dominic Raab is now responding to questions posed by Emily Thornberry, his Labour shadow.
She asked what non-essential travel means. Raab says the Foreign Office leaves it up to individuals to decide. But he says the Foreign Office’s wish is for people not to travel.
He says the Foreign Office has a hotline for MPs who need more detailed information.
Raab says it would not be possible for the UK to be able to repatriate all Britons abroad, because there are so many of them.
He says the UK advice has been to follow the best expert advice.
Here is the Foreign Office press notice about this announcement.
Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, is making a statement to MPs about new travel advice.Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, is making a statement to MPs about new travel advice.
He says for the next 30 days the government is advising against any non-essential travel globally.He says for the next 30 days the government is advising against any non-essential travel globally.
He says this is partly because of the risk of people not being able to return, because so many countries are closing borders.He says this is partly because of the risk of people not being able to return, because so many countries are closing borders.
I have amended the post at 11.50am above to reflect the fact that the list of underlying health conditions that should lead to people effectively self-isolating, according to government advice, includes asthma and diabetes.I have amended the post at 11.50am above to reflect the fact that the list of underlying health conditions that should lead to people effectively self-isolating, according to government advice, includes asthma and diabetes.
The government says its advice (pdf) to people to avoid large gatherings and to work from home where possible applies in particular to the over-70s. Jeremy Corbyn is 70. But he is due at PMQs tomorrow, and he is not planning to stay away from work. This is what he said about this when asked in an interview yesterday.
Oliver Dowden, the culture secretary, will be away from the office for the next two weeks. He has revealed on Twitter that he is self-isolating because a member of his family is ill.
Here are the full details of the government’s advice for households where someone has fallen in.
The National Education Union, the largest teaching union, is calling for schools to be closed. In an open letter to the prime minister, Mary Bousted and Kevin Courtney, the NEU’s joint general secretary, say they are calling for school closures, on at least a temporary basis, in the light of the announcement yesterday saying the over-70s, pregnant women and people with serious health conditions should self-isolate.
They say they will be advising teachers who fall into any of these categories to stay away from work from Monday. (There are probably quite a lot of pregnant teachers in schools. The list of conditions that count as serious health conditions for these purposes is here [pdf], and although it covers a lot of people who would be too ill to teach anyway, it does include asthma and diabetes. There are unlikely to be many teachers in schools over 70.)
In their letter Bousted and Courtney go on:
In its own statement this morning the NASUWT, a rival teaching union, also complained that the status quo was unacceptable. It said:
UPDATE: I have amended the post above to reflect the fact that the list of underlying health conditions that should lead to people effectively self-isolating, according to government advice, includes asthma and diabetes.
Some of the owners of pubs and other businesses affected by the government’s advice yesterday that everyone should avoid all “non-essential contact” with other people have been complaining that the government has been advising the public to avoid these places, not closing them by order. If premises were forced to close, they would at least be able to claim insurance, it has been said.
But the Association of British Insurers has issued a statement today saying that, for most businesses, even if the government were to order their closure, they would not be protected by insurance. The ABI says:
The Conservative party’s spring conference, which was due to start on Friday 3 April in Harrogate, has been cancelled, ConservativeHome’s Paul Goodman reports.
Robert Peston, ITV’s political editor, has written an interesting blog on the challenge facing Rishi Sunak as he draws up his coronavirus financial rescue packaged. Peston says the scale of the challenge is likely to take the Conservatives into unlikely ideological territory. He says:
Airports may shut down “within weeks without government intervention”, according to the Airport Operators Association. Karen Dee, the association’s chief executive, said:
The association is urging the government to implement a series of measures to support the aviation industry, including possible emergency financing, requiring banks to temporarily not enforce financial performance-based banking covenants and the suspension of business rates and other taxes.
The government’s coronavirus press conference, featuring Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak, is now scheduled for around 4pm, we’re told.
There are two statements in the Commons today.
The Dominic Raab statement is due at 12.30pm, after Foreign Office questions. But Rishi Sunak is not due to make his statement until 7pm, presumably after the government’s coronavirus press conference (although the timing of that has not been confirmed yet).
A teaching union has claimed there is a “rising sense of panic” in schools because the government’s coronavirus advice is not clear enough. In a statement Chris Keates, the NASUWT acting general secretary, claimed teachers were not getting definitive instructions. She said: