Government yet to decide on policy for local lockdowns, peers are told
FORMER SHEFFIELD City Council leader and Liberal Democrat Peer Lord Scriven has accused the Government of not being clear in the laws surrounding coronavirus local lockdowns.
Speaking in the House of Lords, Lord Scriven asked who had the responsibility and legal powers to implement the lockdowns if local flare-ups of the virus occurred.
But the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care, Lord Bethell, said the policy was still “in development” and could not answer who would have legal responsibility for the plans.
Lord Bethell added: “The arrangements for local lockdowns aren’t fully in place. In fact the policy around that is in development. We haven’t had a full decision made on whether we are going, on what arrangements we will make, for lockdowns.”
Speaking after the exchange, Lord Scriven said: “The Chief Medical Officer has said we will be likely to get local flare-ups.
“The Government cannot seriously expect local areas to take action to keep local people safe and to dampen the virus in their area if the Government hasn’t got policies, systems and legal arrangements in place to ensure local bodies can take swift and decisive action to deal with a spike of coronavirus.
“It is utterly incomprehensible that the Government has decided to start lifting the lockdown – recognising the risks this poses – without legal clarity on the issue of who is responsible for managing local infection surges and implementing lockdowns.
“If we are to have any hope of containing Covid-19 and preventing a second wave of infections, these systems are absolutely pivotal.
“We must see clarity on these powers as a matter of urgency. Without this, it’s hard to escape the conclusion that Ministers are again playing catch up with what the scientists are telling them, taking serious risks with public health.”