MPs will get to have a say on coronavirus laws
MPs will now be consulted on coronavirus laws affecting England and the whole of the UK, the Health Secretary has confirmed.
Speaking today, Matt Hancock stated that ‘scrutinised decisions are better decisions’ as he described the Commons as the ‘cockpit of the nation’. He said the government would now allow MPs a vote on regulations concerning the whole of the UK ‘wherever possible’.
This means MPs are likely to get a say on restrictions such as the ‘rule of six’ or the 10pm curfew on bars, pubs and restaurants in England – but won’t be able to scrutinise local lockdowns or ‘circuit-breaker’ restrictions in specific regions.
Hancock said: ‘Of course responding to the virus means that the Government must act with speed when required and we cannot hold up urgent regulations which are needed to control the virus and save lives.’
Hancock said he hoped MPs would be happy with the new arrangements, adding that he was sure ‘no member of the this House would want to limit the Government’s ability to take emergency action in the national interest’.
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He went on: ‘We will continue to involve the House in scrutinising our decisions in the way the Prime Minister set out last week, with regular statements and debates and the ability for members to question the Government’s scientific advisers more regularly, gain access to data about their constituencies, and join daily calls with the Paymaster General.
‘And I hope these new arrangements will be welcomed on all sides of the House and I will continue to listen to colleagues’ concerns, as I’ve tried my best to do so throughout.’
Hancock told the Commons that the Coronavirus Act was still needed by the government to protect ‘the economy, education and the NHS’ until a vaccine makes the UK ‘safe’.
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He also noted that some emergency powers brought in as a result of the pandemic would be dropped as the Act is renewed. This means two doctors’ recommendations will be once again required to detain someone under the mental health act, after it was temporarily changed to just one.
The Health Secretary’s speech came after more than 50 Tory demanded the Government consult Parliament on any new measures they undertake ahead of the renewal of the Coronavirus Act.
Earlier today, Speaker Lindsay Hoyle told Boris Johnson that the way the laws had been introduced was ‘totally unsatisfactory’ and showed a ‘total disregard’ for the Commons. He said that ‘all too often’ important legal restrictions had been published ‘a matter of hours before they come into force’.
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