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| UK coronavirus live: Labour MP says retraction from FCO chief about UK boycotting EU scheme not credible | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Latest on UK coronavirus crisis as part of a PPE consignment arrives and Keir Starmer quizzes Dominic Raab at PMQs | Latest on UK coronavirus crisis as part of a PPE consignment arrives and Keir Starmer quizzes Dominic Raab at PMQs |
| Chris Bryant, the Labour MP whose question about the EU’s ventilator procurement scheme led to Sir Simon McDonald, the head of the Foreign Office, telling the foreign affairs committee that the UK’s decision not to get involved was a “political decision”, is now saying the committee should investigate exactly what happened. As reported earlier (see 8.31am), Bryant has already said that he does not find the retraction issued by McDonald a few hours after the hearing at all credible. | |
| Here is the key passage in McDonald’s retraction letter. | |
| Earlier Helen Whately, the care minister, said that the confirmed number of NHS staff who have died from coronavirus was 61. (See 8.22am.) | |
| But according to the Nursing Notes website, which is compiling an online memorial, 111 health and social care workers have died from coronavirus. | |
| Good morning. I’m Andrew Sparrow, taking over from Matthew Weaver. | Good morning. I’m Andrew Sparrow, taking over from Matthew Weaver. |
| Here is a timetable for the main events coming up today. | Here is a timetable for the main events coming up today. |
| 9.30am: Liz Truss, the international trade secretary and minister for women and equalities, gives evidence to the Commons women and equalities committee on the impact of coronavirus on women and minorities. | 9.30am: Liz Truss, the international trade secretary and minister for women and equalities, gives evidence to the Commons women and equalities committee on the impact of coronavirus on women and minorities. |
| 12pm: Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary and first secretary of state, faces Sir Keir Starmer at PMQs. This is not just Starmer’s first PMQs as Labour leader, but the first PMQs taking place under the “hybrid” procedural arrangements that will see most MPs submitting their questions via video conference. The order paper, which says whether a question from an MP will be “virtual” or “physical”, is here (pdf). | 12pm: Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary and first secretary of state, faces Sir Keir Starmer at PMQs. This is not just Starmer’s first PMQs as Labour leader, but the first PMQs taking place under the “hybrid” procedural arrangements that will see most MPs submitting their questions via video conference. The order paper, which says whether a question from an MP will be “virtual” or “physical”, is here (pdf). |
| After 12.45pm: Matt Hancock, the health secretary, makes a Commons statement about coronavirus. He will also take questions mostly from MPs via Zoom. | After 12.45pm: Matt Hancock, the health secretary, makes a Commons statement about coronavirus. He will also take questions mostly from MPs via Zoom. |
| After 1.30pm: MPs debate various procedural motions, including one that would allow a move towards electronic voting in the Commons. | After 1.30pm: MPs debate various procedural motions, including one that would allow a move towards electronic voting in the Commons. |
| Afternoon: The daily UK coronavirus hospital death figures are published. | Afternoon: The daily UK coronavirus hospital death figures are published. |
| 2.30pm: Ben Wallace, the defence secretary, gives evidence to the defence committee. | 2.30pm: Ben Wallace, the defence secretary, gives evidence to the defence committee. |
| 2.30pm: Oliver Dowden, the culture secretary, gives evidence to the Commons culture committee. | 2.30pm: Oliver Dowden, the culture secretary, gives evidence to the Commons culture committee. |
| 5pm: The government is expected to hold its daily press conference. | 5pm: The government is expected to hold its daily press conference. |
| Labour’s Chris Bryant was one of the MPs who quizzed Sir Simon McDonald on why the UK opted out of the EU’s procurement scheme. Bryant says he does not believe McDonald’s retraction of his claim that the decision was political. | Labour’s Chris Bryant was one of the MPs who quizzed Sir Simon McDonald on why the UK opted out of the EU’s procurement scheme. Bryant says he does not believe McDonald’s retraction of his claim that the decision was political. |
| Whately told BBC Breakfast that 61 NHS staff were known to have died after becoming infected with the coronavirus. | Whately told BBC Breakfast that 61 NHS staff were known to have died after becoming infected with the coronavirus. |
| She said: | She said: |
| Earlier she told Sky that she was working to provide more up to date data on deaths in care homes by next week. | Earlier she told Sky that she was working to provide more up to date data on deaths in care homes by next week. |
| The latest back dated figures from the ONS showed that Covid-19 fatalities in care homes in England and Wales have more than quadrupled in a week, rising to 1,043. | The latest back dated figures from the ONS showed that Covid-19 fatalities in care homes in England and Wales have more than quadrupled in a week, rising to 1,043. |
| The Guardian’s Brussels correspondent, Jennifer Rankin, points out that EU officials have not confirmed Matt Hancock’s claim that the UK has joined the latest EU medical equipment procurement round. | The Guardian’s Brussels correspondent, Jennifer Rankin, points out that EU officials have not confirmed Matt Hancock’s claim that the UK has joined the latest EU medical equipment procurement round. |
| The FT estimates that the true number of those who have died from coronavirus in the UK is 41,000 - more than double the current official total. | The FT estimates that the true number of those who have died from coronavirus in the UK is 41,000 - more than double the current official total. |
| Chris Giles, the FT’s economics editor, has explained the calculation. | |
| The care minister, Helen Whately, has confirmed that some PPE supplies from Turkey have arrived at RAF Brize Norton. She also insisted the initial decision to opt out of an EU procurement scheme was not political. | The care minister, Helen Whately, has confirmed that some PPE supplies from Turkey have arrived at RAF Brize Norton. She also insisted the initial decision to opt out of an EU procurement scheme was not political. |
| Speaking to Sky News she said: | Speaking to Sky News she said: |
| On the EU scheme she said | On the EU scheme she said |
| Stephen Hawking’s ventilator has been donated to the Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge to help treat patients with coronavirus. | Stephen Hawking’s ventilator has been donated to the Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge to help treat patients with coronavirus. |
| The physicist, who had motor neurone disease, died in 2018, aged 76. | The physicist, who had motor neurone disease, died in 2018, aged 76. |
| His daughter, Lucy Hawking, said: | His daughter, Lucy Hawking, said: |
| Welcome to our UK coronavirus live blog. | Welcome to our UK coronavirus live blog. |
| Ministers’ claims about efforts to procure vital medical equipment appear to be unravelling amid fresh evidence of failures to secure supplies. | Ministers’ claims about efforts to procure vital medical equipment appear to be unravelling amid fresh evidence of failures to secure supplies. |
| The government missed opportunities to secure at least 16m face masks for NHS staff in the past four weeks, the Guardian has revealed. | The government missed opportunities to secure at least 16m face masks for NHS staff in the past four weeks, the Guardian has revealed. |
| And Brussels sources have told the BBC that the UK was given ample opportunity to part in an EU scheme to source medical equipment. | And Brussels sources have told the BBC that the UK was given ample opportunity to part in an EU scheme to source medical equipment. |
| Sir Simon McDonald, the permanent secretary at the Foreign Office, told MPs that the decision to opt out was political. But he was then forced to retract the claim within hours after he was contradicted by the health secretary, Matt Hancock. | Sir Simon McDonald, the permanent secretary at the Foreign Office, told MPs that the decision to opt out was political. But he was then forced to retract the claim within hours after he was contradicted by the health secretary, Matt Hancock. |
| But commentators have picked over the strange wording of McDonald’s retraction. | But commentators have picked over the strange wording of McDonald’s retraction. |
| Meanwhile, an RAF plane, believed to be carrying a delayed consignment of personal protective equipment for NHS staff, has landed in the UK. | Meanwhile, an RAF plane, believed to be carrying a delayed consignment of personal protective equipment for NHS staff, has landed in the UK. |
| The plane had been dispatched from the Oxfordshire base, where two other planes are on stand-by to pick up further kit from Turkey. It is not known if the consignment, which was ordered on Thursday and originally due to arrive on Sunday, includes 400,000 badly-needed surgical gowns. | The plane had been dispatched from the Oxfordshire base, where two other planes are on stand-by to pick up further kit from Turkey. It is not known if the consignment, which was ordered on Thursday and originally due to arrive on Sunday, includes 400,000 badly-needed surgical gowns. |
| Later on Wednesday, Labour’s new leader, Keir Starmer will quiz the foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, over the government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis during the first virtual Prime Minister’s Questions. | Later on Wednesday, Labour’s new leader, Keir Starmer will quiz the foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, over the government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis during the first virtual Prime Minister’s Questions. |
| Starmer is expected to spend his first PMQs as Labour leader questioning Boris Johnson’s stand-in over testing, safety equipment for frontline workers and an exit strategy from the lockdown. | Starmer is expected to spend his first PMQs as Labour leader questioning Boris Johnson’s stand-in over testing, safety equipment for frontline workers and an exit strategy from the lockdown. |