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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2021/jul/07/uk-covid-live-minister-isolation-rules-fully-vaccinated-august-boris-johnson-coronavirus-latest
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| UK Covid live: Boris Johnson signals he favours longer school day to help pupils catch up | UK Covid live: Boris Johnson signals he favours longer school day to help pupils catch up |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Latest updates: prime minister faces questions from liaison committee; Labour leader condemns Johnson’s ‘reckless’ unlocking in England | Latest updates: prime minister faces questions from liaison committee; Labour leader condemns Johnson’s ‘reckless’ unlocking in England |
| Sir Bill Cash (Con), chair of the European scrutiny committee, asked the final set of questions. | |
| Q: Do we need more sensible decisions from the EU? | |
| Yes, said Johnson. He said the three-month extension of the grace period for chilled meats was just a “stay of execution”. | |
| He said the UK agreed the protocol as an act of neighbourliness with the EU. But unfortunately the UK also agreed to give the EU a say in how it operates, he said. | |
| As an example of problems with the Northern Ireland protocal, Johnson says Asda goods have to be checked going from Britain to Northern Ireland, even though there are no Asda stores in Ireland (and hence no risk of those goods crossing the border into Ireland). | |
| He also says only yesterday he heard Jews complaining about the difficulty of obtaining kosher food now in Northern Ireland because of the protocol. Some Jews are thinking of leaving as a result, he says. | |
| I have updated some of the earlier posts with full quotes from Boris Johnson’s evidence to the committee. You may need to refresh the page to get the updates to appear. | |
| Simon Hoare (Con), chair of the Northern Ireland affairs committee, goes next. | Simon Hoare (Con), chair of the Northern Ireland affairs committee, goes next. |
| Q: There are people in Northern Ireland who want to hear you affirm your support for the union. Will you? | Q: There are people in Northern Ireland who want to hear you affirm your support for the union. Will you? |
| Yes, says Johnson. He points out that Pete Wishart called him an unthinking unionist. Johnson says he would prefer to see himself as a passionate unionist. | Yes, says Johnson. He points out that Pete Wishart called him an unthinking unionist. Johnson says he would prefer to see himself as a passionate unionist. |
| He says the Northern Ireland protocol is not a threat to the union. But there is a problem in the way it is being applied, he says. | He says the Northern Ireland protocol is not a threat to the union. But there is a problem in the way it is being applied, he says. |
| Sir Bernard Jenkin asks the PM to send the committee a note saying how much higher hospital admissions would be if isolation for fully vaccinated people ended on 19 July, not 16 August. Johnson says he will respond. | Sir Bernard Jenkin asks the PM to send the committee a note saying how much higher hospital admissions would be if isolation for fully vaccinated people ended on 19 July, not 16 August. Johnson says he will respond. |
| Q: Did you raise with Germany the case for a visa-waiver for musicians wanting go tour in the EU? | Q: Did you raise with Germany the case for a visa-waiver for musicians wanting go tour in the EU? |
| Johnson says Germany is one of the better countries. | Johnson says Germany is one of the better countries. |
| He says they are making progress on this. | He says they are making progress on this. |
| But he says a visa-waiver would be problematic, because it would be hard to know where to draw the line. He says Bernard Jenkin campaigned for Brexit. | But he says a visa-waiver would be problematic, because it would be hard to know where to draw the line. He says Bernard Jenkin campaigned for Brexit. |
| Johnson claims it is in the EU’s interests to sort this out, because they gain from these exchanges too. | Johnson claims it is in the EU’s interests to sort this out, because they gain from these exchanges too. |
| Jenkin says the UK is losing talent as a result. | Jenkin says the UK is losing talent as a result. |
| Neil Parish (Con), chair of the environment committee, asks about trade deals. He calls for more trade officials in embassies abroad. | Neil Parish (Con), chair of the environment committee, asks about trade deals. He calls for more trade officials in embassies abroad. |
| Johnson says he loves Parish’s attitudes. And Scottish beef can benefit too, he tells Pete Wishart. | Johnson says he loves Parish’s attitudes. And Scottish beef can benefit too, he tells Pete Wishart. |
| Parish says there should be more food counsellors in embassies to advise the industry on opportunities. | Parish says there should be more food counsellors in embassies to advise the industry on opportunities. |
| Johnson says he agrees. | Johnson says he agrees. |
| Q: Will you put resources in to make sure embassies have these people? | Q: Will you put resources in to make sure embassies have these people? |
| Johnson says in more than 100 embassies there are people doing these jobs. | Johnson says in more than 100 embassies there are people doing these jobs. |
| Pete Wishart (SNP), chair of the Scottish affairs committee, goes next. | Pete Wishart (SNP), chair of the Scottish affairs committee, goes next. |
| He asks about Dominic Cummings’ claim that Johnson does not support devolution. | He asks about Dominic Cummings’ claim that Johnson does not support devolution. |
| Johnson says that is not true. He was a beneficiary of devolution, he says. He became mayor of London. And in that job he did not spend his time attacking central government. | Johnson says that is not true. He was a beneficiary of devolution, he says. He became mayor of London. And in that job he did not spend his time attacking central government. |
| Q: But you did say devolution was a “disaster”. | Q: But you did say devolution was a “disaster”. |
| Johnson says he thinks aspects of how the SNP has government have been disastrous. | Johnson says he thinks aspects of how the SNP has government have been disastrous. |
| He wants Scotland to be brilliantly governed, he says. But it is not happening. | He wants Scotland to be brilliantly governed, he says. But it is not happening. |
| Q: What are your top three achievements as minister for the union? | Q: What are your top three achievements as minister for the union? |
| Johnson says it would be invidious to list them. | Johnson says it would be invidious to list them. |
| Then he cites the role of the army in the vaccine rollout, and he says the vaccine roll was a success. | Then he cites the role of the army in the vaccine rollout, and he says the vaccine roll was a success. |
| Testing has been a success too, he says. He visited a centre in Glasgow where they were testing samples from Kent. | Testing has been a success too, he says. He visited a centre in Glasgow where they were testing samples from Kent. |
| Q: Will you come back to Scotland for a holiday this summer? | Q: Will you come back to Scotland for a holiday this summer? |
| Wild horses would not keep me away, Johnson says. | Wild horses would not keep me away, Johnson says. |
| Meg Hillier asks about housing in London. | Meg Hillier asks about housing in London. |
| Johnson start to attack Sadiq Khan’s record. | Johnson start to attack Sadiq Khan’s record. |
| Hillier cuts him off. As mayor, Johnson defined affordable homes as those with rents at 80% of the private level. Does he know what that level is? | Hillier cuts him off. As mayor, Johnson defined affordable homes as those with rents at 80% of the private level. Does he know what that level is? |
| Johnson says as mayor he built more homes than were built under Labour. | Johnson says as mayor he built more homes than were built under Labour. |
| He says he support social housing. But he thinks people want to own their own homes. | He says he support social housing. But he thinks people want to own their own homes. |
| Hillier says she is not against home ownership. She just thinks people cannot afford to buy. | Hillier says she is not against home ownership. She just thinks people cannot afford to buy. |
| Johnson says there has been a 50% increase in women on FTSE 100 boards in the last five years. That is encouraging, he says. | Johnson says there has been a 50% increase in women on FTSE 100 boards in the last five years. That is encouraging, he says. |
| But Nokes says he cannot point to a single policy that will help the government build back in a more feminine or gender-neutral way. | But Nokes says he cannot point to a single policy that will help the government build back in a more feminine or gender-neutral way. |
| Johnson says the pay gap is at an all-time low. | Johnson says the pay gap is at an all-time low. |
| And he says all the top ambassador jobs in the Foreign Office are now held by women. | And he says all the top ambassador jobs in the Foreign Office are now held by women. |
| He complains Nokes would find fault whatever he was doing. | He complains Nokes would find fault whatever he was doing. |
| Jenkin says the committee’s job is to find fault so he can do things better. | Jenkin says the committee’s job is to find fault so he can do things better. |
| Caroline Nokes (Con) goes again. | Caroline Nokes (Con) goes again. |
| Q: What are you doing to build back better after the recovery in a more feminine and gender-neutral way? | Q: What are you doing to build back better after the recovery in a more feminine and gender-neutral way? |
| Johnson says he wants to help everyone. | Johnson says he wants to help everyone. |
| He says more women have benefited from furlough than men, “which is positive”. | He says more women have benefited from furlough than men, “which is positive”. |
| Nokes says that is evidence that more women work in sectors where their jobs are vulnerable. | Nokes says that is evidence that more women work in sectors where their jobs are vulnerable. |
| She also says the government has not published economic impact assessments for furlough. | She also says the government has not published economic impact assessments for furlough. |
| Q: When will redundancy protection for new mothers happen, as promised by the government? | Q: When will redundancy protection for new mothers happen, as promised by the government? |
| Johnson says he cannot say. | Johnson says he cannot say. |
| Jenkin asks Johnson to write to the committee with an answer to the question. | Jenkin asks Johnson to write to the committee with an answer to the question. |
| Back at the liaison committee Catherine McKinnell (Lab), chair of the petitions committee, asks which parents nurseries should prioritise if they have to turn children away because too many staff are off because of Covid. | Back at the liaison committee Catherine McKinnell (Lab), chair of the petitions committee, asks which parents nurseries should prioritise if they have to turn children away because too many staff are off because of Covid. |
| Johnson says he hopes this phase of the crisis will not last long. | Johnson says he hopes this phase of the crisis will not last long. |
| The UK has recorded 32,548 new coronavirus cases, and 33 further deaths, according to the latest update to the government’s dashboard. That is the highest daily total for new cases since January. | The UK has recorded 32,548 new coronavirus cases, and 33 further deaths, according to the latest update to the government’s dashboard. That is the highest daily total for new cases since January. |
| Q: Shouldn’t there be a long-term plan for education, covering sport and wellbeing? Isn’t a longer school day worth supporting? | Q: Shouldn’t there be a long-term plan for education, covering sport and wellbeing? Isn’t a longer school day worth supporting? |
| Johnson says they are looking at the evidence. | Johnson says they are looking at the evidence. |
| Some of the evidence initially supported was not powerful enough, he says. | Some of the evidence initially supported was not powerful enough, he says. |
| He seems to be referring to the submission from Sir Kevan Collins, the former education recovery commissioner, for a longer school day. | He seems to be referring to the submission from Sir Kevan Collins, the former education recovery commissioner, for a longer school day. |
| But that does not mean this is not worth doing. | But that does not mean this is not worth doing. |
| UPDATE: Johnson said: | |
| Robert Halfon (Con), the education committee chair, is asking the questions now. | Robert Halfon (Con), the education committee chair, is asking the questions now. |
| Johnson says the move from bubbling to testing will enable them to keep more children in school. | Johnson says the move from bubbling to testing will enable them to keep more children in school. |
| Stephen Timms (Lab), chair of the DWP committee, goes next. | Stephen Timms (Lab), chair of the DWP committee, goes next. |
| Q: How do you respond to calls for the £20 per week universal credit uplift to be permanent? | Q: How do you respond to calls for the £20 per week universal credit uplift to be permanent? |
| Johnson says other measures are in place to help the low paid. | Johnson says other measures are in place to help the low paid. |
| But he says he wants to see a “strong, jobs-led recovery”. | But he says he wants to see a “strong, jobs-led recovery”. |
| Q: If this cut goes ahead, unemployment support will be at its lowest level for 30 years. Half a million peope will be pushed into poverty. Can that be justified? | Q: If this cut goes ahead, unemployment support will be at its lowest level for 30 years. Half a million peope will be pushed into poverty. Can that be justified? |
| Johnson says the answer is to get people into work. The UK has lower unemployment than most G7 countries. | Johnson says the answer is to get people into work. The UK has lower unemployment than most G7 countries. |
| There are 2 million people still on furlough. But the problem is a shortage of labour, rather than a shortage of jobs. | There are 2 million people still on furlough. But the problem is a shortage of labour, rather than a shortage of jobs. |
| Q: Will you review this? | Q: Will you review this? |
| Johnson says they keep everything under review. But he says he has given the committee a “pretty clear steer” as to what his instincts are. | Johnson says they keep everything under review. But he says he has given the committee a “pretty clear steer” as to what his instincts are. |
| Q: Prof Sir John Bell says if people can get out of isolating by testing, they will have an incentive to test. | Q: Prof Sir John Bell says if people can get out of isolating by testing, they will have an incentive to test. |
| Johnson says they are moving towards using testing rather than isolation. | Johnson says they are moving towards using testing rather than isolation. |
| Q: Before 16 August? | Q: Before 16 August? |
| Johnson says that is the date they have, but they keep this under review. | Johnson says that is the date they have, but they keep this under review. |
| Q: Will people have to isolate until 16 August even if they have had a negative test if they have been in contact with someone testing positive? | Q: Will people have to isolate until 16 August even if they have had a negative test if they have been in contact with someone testing positive? |
| Johnson says they are asking people to follow the advice. | Johnson says they are asking people to follow the advice. |
| Q: But why? | Q: But why? |
| Johnson says this is a highly contagious disease. | Johnson says this is a highly contagious disease. |
| Clark says they could end up with 5 million people isolating. | Clark says they could end up with 5 million people isolating. |