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UK coronavirus live: minister says 2-metre rule review will be concluded 'as quickly as possible' UK coronavirus live: minister says 2-metre rule review will be concluded 'as quickly as possible'
(32 minutes later)
Edward Argar answers urgent question on distancing; non-essential shops open in latest lockdown easing in England; No10 rejects claims previous racism inquiry recommendations being ignoredEdward Argar answers urgent question on distancing; non-essential shops open in latest lockdown easing in England; No10 rejects claims previous racism inquiry recommendations being ignored
In the Commons John Redwood, a Conservative, says the government should announced the reduction of the two-metre rule to a one-metre rule today. That would help business, he says. Sir John Bell, regius professor of medicine at the University of Oxford, told the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee he would be surprised if the UK avoided a second coronavirus wave. The PA news agency has his comments:
This is from David Henig, the British trade specialist and former civil servant who heads the UK trade policy project at the European Centre for International Political Economy, on Boris Johnson suggesting July could be a deadline in the talks process. (See 4.32pm.)
And here is the quote from the clip Boris Johnson recorded for broadcasters after his talks with the EU where he said he would like to set the end of July as a deadline for getting a breakthrough in the post-Brexit trade talks. (See 3.53pm.) He said:
Earlier this year Downing Street effectively set June as its deadline for a breakthrough, saying that if the broad outline of a deal was not clear by then, it could walk away and prepare to trade with the EU on WTO terms (ie, opt for a “no-deal” Brexit) from the end of the transition in December. The coronavirus crisis made that deadline unrealistic. Johnson now seems to be reviving it for the end of July, although from his words it is not clear how firm an ultimatum this actually is.
Care homes have been ordered to destroy a batch of faulty Covid-19 test kits after the Department of Health and Social Care discovered the swabs could break off while being used to gather samples from residents’ tonsils and noses.
Care home managers were told on Sunday not to use the tests because they had “brittle stems at risk of snapping”. The kits were manufactured by Citotest, a company based in China, and were distributed by the government’s Covid-19 care home testing programme. It is tasked with providing tests for all staff and residents in care settings, not just people displaying symptoms.
The affected batch should be destroyed or kept in a safe area clearly marked that they should not be used, officials said, adding the problem emerged on Saturday and they were working as quickly as possible to resolve it.
You can read the full story from the Guardian’s social affairs correspondent Robert Booth here –
In the Commons Labour’s Richard Burgon says the push from Tory MPs to replace the 2-metre rule with a 1-metre one is an example of the party putting profits ahead of public safety.
Edward Argar, the health minister, says the government is holding a review so it can decide what policy is best.
Boris Johnson has said that “a bit of oomph” is needed to conclude the UK-EU talks on a post-Brexit trade talks. Speaking from Downing Street, he said:
And in the Commons Tobias Ellwood, a Conservative, says 1 metre is the right distance, and now is the right time to announce it.
Argar says Ellwood is making a powerful case. But he says Ellwood must await the outcome of the review.
More than 1,000 prisoners were released into homelessness at the height of the coronavirus pandemic in England and Wales, figures show, prompting the government to increase funding for accommodation for prison leavers.
Figures released to the Labour MP Lyn Brown – the shadow minister for prisons and probation – show 840 men, 89 women and 85 young adults aged 18 to 24 were released into rough sleeping or other forms of homelessness between 23 March, when the lockdown was imposed, and 30 April.
A further 1,209 men, women and young adults were released with unknown circumstances for accommodation in the same period.
You can read the full story from the Guardian’s home affairs correspondent Jamie Grierson here –
In the Commons John Redwood, a Conservative, says the government should announce the reduction of the 2-metre rule to a 1-metre rule today. That would help business, he says.
Argar says he hears what Redwood is saying, but that it is important to carry out a proper review.Argar says he hears what Redwood is saying, but that it is important to carry out a proper review.
In the Commons the Conservative MP Bob Stewart asks, if the reproduction number is falling, why any social distancing is needed at all.In the Commons the Conservative MP Bob Stewart asks, if the reproduction number is falling, why any social distancing is needed at all.
Argar says R is still close to 1. He says as it falls, the government will be able to relax lockdown measures.Argar says R is still close to 1. He says as it falls, the government will be able to relax lockdown measures.
From ITV’s Paul BrandFrom ITV’s Paul Brand
In the Commons Iain Duncan Smith, the former Conservative leader, says it could be six weeks (from the liaison committee) before we get the results of this review on the 2-metre rule, even though the facts have not changed. He says the advisers are divided. Government must take a decision, he says. He says livelihoods depend on this.In the Commons Iain Duncan Smith, the former Conservative leader, says it could be six weeks (from the liaison committee) before we get the results of this review on the 2-metre rule, even though the facts have not changed. He says the advisers are divided. Government must take a decision, he says. He says livelihoods depend on this.
(Duncan Smith favours a relaxation of the rule.)(Duncan Smith favours a relaxation of the rule.)
This is intriguing. Boris Johnson is planning to make a Commons statement on “global Britain” tomorrow.This is intriguing. Boris Johnson is planning to make a Commons statement on “global Britain” tomorrow.
Greg Clark, the Conservative MP who chairs the science committee, says Boris Johnson told the liaison committee three weeks ago that the government would review the 2-metre rule before today’s opening of non-essential shops. And he puts a string of questions to Argar.
Argar says the review will consider the wider impact of the rule. Economists will contribute, he says.
He says work has been under way on this for some time.
Businesses need guidance as early as possible, he admits.
Argar says it is important that this is done “as quickly as possible”.
As for why different countries have different rules, Argar says there is no fixed rule.
In the UK Sage says a 1-metre rule could lead to a tenfold increase in risk.
He says scientists advise. But ultimately ministers will decide, he says.
In the Commons Edward Argar, the health minister, is responding to the urgent question on the 2-metre rule.
He says the government is reviewing the rule. He summarises how that review will work, using almost the same language as that used by Downing Street at its lobby briefing. (See 1.28pm.)
He says he understands why there is so much interest in this. But unless and until the review concludes otherwise, the 2-metre rule stays, he says.
And this is from Charles Michel, the president of the European council, on the UK-EU talks about the post-Brexit trade negotiations.
He says the EU will not be willing to “buy a pig in a poke”. He means Brussels won’t sign up to a deal at all costs.
(Or “no deal is better than a bad deal”, as someone else once said.)
The EU has just issued the joint UK-EU statement about its meeting with Boris Johnson, my colleague Jennifer Rankin reports.
Both sides agreed that “new momentum” was needed in the post-Brexit trade talks, the statement says. However, the statement does not say much about what might provide this “new momentum”. Both sides have already agreed a timetable for talks over the summer. (See 1.37pm.) The statement says both sides want “an early understanding” on the principles behind any potential agreement, but it does not mention a deadline. It has been reported that the UK would like the end of August as a deadline, while the EU is holding out for the end of October.
The EU statement also shows Brussels is confirming that the transition period will end on 31 December.
Nicola Sturgeon has denied suggestions that school children in Scotland could still be learning at home in a year’s time, and insisted the Scottish government wanted schools to resume full-time teaching as soon as possible.
The first minister told her daily coronavirus briefing she expected Scotland’s 32 councils to use “innovation and creativity” to ensure pupils had as much face-to-face learning as possible once schools reopened from 11 August onwards. She said:
Educationalists have warned that the wholesale closure of schools has damaged the education and prospects for a generation of children; some councils warn they do not have the money or space to provide socially distanced learning
John Swinney, the Scottish education secretary, told BBC Scotland on Sunday it was “unlikely” schools would return to normal during the next school year. “We’ll have to maintain the social distancing approaches for some considerable time to come,” he said.
He suggested on Monday the target would be to get 50% of teaching in school from 11 August. Edinburgh council has said it planned for only a third of children to be in class once its term starts on 12 August. Swinney said that was not good enough.
Sturgeon said the Scottish government would update parents every three weeks on progress in ensuring schools would provide full timetables next term. Government officials would try to help councils struggling to find the right resources, she said.
But there have been no further coronavirus deaths in Northern Ireland, the Department of Health in Northern Ireland has said.
Public Health Wales has recorded a further a further four coronavirus deaths, taking the total to 1,448.
A zoo in Devon, Living Coasts, has announced that it will not re-open because of the forced closure due to coronavirus.
In a statement the attraction’s operator, Wild Planet Trust, expressed regret and said its next stage was to find new homes for animals, which include seals and penguins. It said:
It added that 44 staff were at risk of redundancy.
Priti Patel, the home secretary, will make a Commons statement on disorder this afternoon. It should start after 4pm, after the urgent question on the 2-metre rule.