The Coronavirus Bill

I have received the following briefing on the government's Emergency Coronavirus Bill.

The Government has published the details of measures in the Emergency Coronavirus Bill – which will protect life and the nation’s public health and ensure NHS and social care staff are supported to deal with significant extra pressure.

The measures in the Bill are temporary, proportionate to the threat, will only be used when strictly necessary and will be in place for as long as required to respond to the situation. The Bill will be introduced to Parliament tomorrow and scrutinised by MPs.    Measures include allowing recently retired NHS staff and social workers to return to work without any negative repercussions to their pensions. Paperwork and administrative requirements will be reduced to help doctors discharge patients more quickly when appropriate, to free up hospital space.   Volunteers will have extra employment safeguards – benefiting more than 3 million people who already volunteer in health and care settings and bolstering the NHS’s capacity to respond to the virus.   Changes to councils’ duties under the Care Act will enable them to prioritise people with the greatest care needs and make the best use of the adult social care workforce.   By planning for the worst and working for the best we will get through this, but this is a national effort and we must all work together ‒ from businesses prioritising the welfare of their employees, to people thoroughly washing their hands.

Further action we are taking:

Yesterday, the Chancellor announced an unprecedented package of government-backed loans and guarantees to support business.   We will stand behind businesses small and large – providing a £330 billion package of loans and guarantees – equivalent to 15 per cent of our GDP.   We will help all businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors – meaning that none of these companies will have to pay business rates whatsoever for 12 months – a tax cut worth nearly £20 billion. We will also increase grants for the smallest businesses from £3,000 to £10,000.   For those in difficulty due to coronavirus, we are introducing a three month mortgage holiday – so that people will not have to pay a penny towards their mortgage while they get back on their feet.   The biggest fixed cost that many families face is their rent payment and it is right that we have regard to that. The Housing Secretary will in the coming days will be making a statement with further measures to protect renters through these difficult times.   Yesterday, the Communities Secretary announced a temporary relaxation of planning rules – so that pubs and restaurants can operate as hot food takeaways to serve people having to stay at home.

Moving forward with our plan:

Now is the time for everyone to stop non-essential contact with others and to stop all unnecessary travel.   We need people to start working from home where they possibly can, and you should avoid pubs, clubs, theatres and other social venues.   This advice is particularly important for people over 70, for pregnant women and for those with some health conditions.   If you, or anyone in your household, has either a high temperature or a new and continuous cough, then you should stay at home for fourteen days.   That means that if possible you should not go out even to buy food or essentials, other than for exercise, and in that case at a safe distance from others. If necessary, you should ask for help from others for your daily necessities. And if that is not possible, then you should do what you can to limit your social contact when you leave the house to get supplies.   The Government will no longer be supporting mass gatherings with emergency workers as it normally would