MPS tell Harding to end secrecy surrounding restrictions body
SENIOR MPS have written to Baroness Harding to demand an end to the secrecy surrounding a government body driving coronavirus lockdown restrictions across the country.
The science and technology committee has asked the head of NHS Test and Trace for key details on the Joint Biosecurity Centre, which has l ed the response to the pandemic since July. It comes after leading scientists and MPS criticised ministers for failing to publish the names of scientists advising the JBC or any minutes of its meetings.
In April, the Prime Minister committed the Government to “maximum transparency” amid a row over advice it was given by the Sage committee.
Led by a senior spy, the JBC reports to Lady Harding, the chief of NHS Test and Trace, and holds responsibility for setting the national alert level, as well as recommending action to contain outbreaks, including the closure of workplaces, pubs and restaurants.
In a letter to Lady Harding, Greg Clark, the chair of the science and technology committee, has demanded details of “the structure of scientific advice” within the JBC, “publication of the names of scientific advisers, and whether the advice and relevant meeting minutes from the JBC will be published in a timely manner”.
A note considered by Sage on May 20 recommended that the JBC “should pursue a reputation as an organisation that the public can trust”. It added: “This will require them to be an exemplar in terms of honesty, openness, competence and independence. These principles should be embedded into every level of the organisation and demonstrated to the public.”
A Department of Health spokesman said: “The JBC supports decision making, it does not make decisions on specific measures or restrictions. We have always sought to be as transparent as possible, publishing a wide range of data and evidence about the virus.”