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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) | |
| The day’s politics as they happen, including Rishi Sunak at the daily coronavirus press conference and MPs questioning the chief scientific adviser | |
| Here are the latest coronavirus figures for the UK from the government. | |
| Asked if the measures announced yesterday would have to be in place for 18 months, Vallance said he did not know how long they would have to last. But he said it would certainly not be just a couple of weeks, he said. He went on: | |
| Sir Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser, is being questioned by the Commons health committee. The hearing started earlier than planned, and here are some of the key points so far. | |
| Vallance sidestepped a question about whether the government had changed its strategy from mitigation to suppression. | |
| He said 55,000 people having coronavirus in the UK was a reasonable estimate. | |
| He said keeping the number of deaths from coronavirus below 20,000 would be a good outcome. | |
| He said the measures announced yesterday should reduce the spread of coronavirus by about 50%. | |
| He said there was a need for a big increase in coronavirus testing. And he said NHS staff would be the next group to be prioritised. | |
| Back in the Commons Labour’s Stephen Kinnock also asked Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, if the government would extend the Brexit transition in the light of the coronavirus crisis. | Back in the Commons Labour’s Stephen Kinnock also asked Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, if the government would extend the Brexit transition in the light of the coronavirus crisis. |
| In response, Raab went further than he did when Ben Bradshaw asked this. (See 1.19pm.) He replied: | In response, Raab went further than he did when Ben Bradshaw asked this. (See 1.19pm.) He replied: |
| Back to schools for a moment, and Gavin Williamson, the education secretary for England, says he does not want to close schools, despite the National Education Union call for schools to be shut. (See 11.50am). But he says he is suspending routine Ofsted inspections. | Back to schools for a moment, and Gavin Williamson, the education secretary for England, says he does not want to close schools, despite the National Education Union call for schools to be shut. (See 11.50am). But he says he is suspending routine Ofsted inspections. |
| From my colleague Jennifer Rankin | From my colleague Jennifer Rankin |
| Layla Moran, the Lib Dem MP, asks if the government will subsidise airline companies. | Layla Moran, the Lib Dem MP, asks if the government will subsidise airline companies. |
| Raab says the government will work with the industry to see what support it can provide. | Raab says the government will work with the industry to see what support it can provide. |
| Mark Pritchard, a Conservative, asks if the Royal Navy or the Royal Air Force could be used to repatriate the most vulnerable. | Mark Pritchard, a Conservative, asks if the Royal Navy or the Royal Air Force could be used to repatriate the most vulnerable. |
| Raab says that would be a last resort, but he says he is not ruling anything out. | Raab says that would be a last resort, but he says he is not ruling anything out. |
| Airlines UK, an industry body, has said that the Foreign Office’s decision to advise against all non-essential travel abroad will bring “more devastation” to airline companies. Commenting on the announcement, Tim Alderslade, its chief executive, said: | Airlines UK, an industry body, has said that the Foreign Office’s decision to advise against all non-essential travel abroad will bring “more devastation” to airline companies. Commenting on the announcement, Tim Alderslade, its chief executive, said: |
| Labour’s Ben Bradshaw asks if the government will now agree to extend the Brexit transition in the light of the coronavirus crisis. Raab avoids the question, but he says the engagement that the Foreign Office has had with Cuba, over the Braemar cruise ship, shows that the government is working with other countries post-Brexit. | Labour’s Ben Bradshaw asks if the government will now agree to extend the Brexit transition in the light of the coronavirus crisis. Raab avoids the question, but he says the engagement that the Foreign Office has had with Cuba, over the Braemar cruise ship, shows that the government is working with other countries post-Brexit. |
| Raab says freight lorry drivers who are involved in supplying shops count as people engaged in essential travel. | Raab says freight lorry drivers who are involved in supplying shops count as people engaged in essential travel. |
| Back in the Commons Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, says there are not just tens of thousands of Britons abroad, but hundreds of thousands. That is why people must be “realistic” about what the government can do to help them all, he says. | Back in the Commons Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, says there are not just tens of thousands of Britons abroad, but hundreds of thousands. That is why people must be “realistic” about what the government can do to help them all, he says. |
| There have been 12 new coronavirus cases in Wales, according to Public Health Wales. | There have been 12 new coronavirus cases in Wales, according to Public Health Wales. |
| 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. | 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. | 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: | 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. | She also said the government could not “pass the buck” on repatriation. |