Hancock wants ‘Uk-wide approach’ as Scotland sets plan
Matt Hancock has said a “Ukwide approach is the best way to go” when it comes to easing the UK’S lockdown restrictions, after the Scottish Government moved first to publish details of its exit strategy.
The UK Health Secretary said the paper unveiled by Nicola Sturgeon in Edinburgh yesterday was “very similar” to the five tests he set out for ensuring any lifting of the lockdown does not result in the NHS being overwhelmed.
Ms Sturgeon said the document was part of an “adult conversation” that was needed with the public about the restrictions that would be needed going forward - likely until the end of the year. And she said it was “incumbent on all governments” to involve the public in that discussion.
By contrast, Mr Hancock and UK ministers have refused to set out further detail of how or when the lockdown might be lifted across the country, with the Health Secretary repeating that there needed to be “clarity on that message” to stay home.
Asked if the UK government was involving the public in debate around the lockdown, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “Yes, that’s exactly what’s happening.”
Ms Sturgeon has also signalled that if the scientific advice supports lifting the lockdown sooner in Scotland, she is willing to do so.
Yesterday Northern Ireland’s First Minister Arlene Foster also suggested she could begin easing restrictions there before the rest of the UK.
The Downing Street spokesman added: “As far as I am aware, the Scottish Government have stressed that they want to continue to operate within a four nations, UK framework and align any decisions that are taken as far as possible.”
Asked why the UK government was not setting out more detail on its own exit strategy, Mr Hancock said: “We’ve set out the five tests that are needed for us to make changes to the lockdown measures and the Scottish Government’s proposals are based on those tests.
“I think having the four nations of the UK work together on this has been important thus far, not just on social distancing but also on testing.
“I think that the country has essentially moved together, and you can see that in the flattening of the curve which has essentially happened in all regions and nations of the UK together. The Uk-wide approach is the best way to go.”
Ms Foster said decisions on the lockdown in Northern Ireland “will be led by the criteria that will be set down and agreed by ourselves”.
She said: “Because of that you could well see different parts of the United Kingdom move in different time to other parts, because it will be criteria-led.
“We will have to look at the amount of admissions to hospital, the admissions to intensive care units, the number of deaths we have, what it means for us in terms of the science.
“We have a scientific advisory group in London that advises and then we also have our own advisory group here in Northern Ireland and our own chief medical officer.
“So they will be looking at all of that information, all of the data we collect in Northern Ireland, we will bring that together and then we’ll look at it that way.”