Test MPs every day to ensure full chamber, says Speaker

SIR LINDSAY HOYLE, the Speaker, has said he wants MPs to be tested every day to allow packed scenes in the Commons to return.

There are strict rules in force in Parliament to prevent the spread of Covid-19, with the number of people allowed in both chambers limited to allow for social distancing of two metres, leading some senior politicians to claim the Commons is missing its spark.

Sir Lindsay said he and Jacob ReesMogg, the Commons Leader, had ruled out the use of masks, which would allow gaps between MPs to be lowered to one metre, but that he had lobbied for daily testing in a bid to pave the way for more participation in debates.

He made the comments after Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, reportedly told Tory backbenchers this week he wanted to see Parliament “back to normal” by Christmas.

In an interview due to be aired on Times Radio today, Sir Lindsay said: “To be quite honest with you, I’d like to do it daily, not weekly. The problem is weekly testing doesn’t tell you anything. I’ll be quite honest with you, I’ve made approaches to the NHS and government to say, look, why can’t we have a testing system? What we would need is a quick turnaround of tests in order that we can get MPs in.

“We’re looking at it. I personally would have had the heat screening equipment in to test temperatures.”

However, he said Mr Rees-Mogg had concurred that asking MPs to wear a mask “really wouldn’t work” as it would make recognition more difficult and be an obstacle to making speeches.