the united states now has over 65,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus, the third—highest number behind china and italy. about half are in new york, where the state governor has said health officials fear there could be more than twice as many virus patients as available hospital beds. spain has now recorded more coronavirus deaths than china, the cradle of the pandemic. 738 people with the virus died in the past day, taking the total to more than 3,600. the country's deputy prime minister has tested positive for the virus. the australian man accused of the mass shootings of muslim worshippers in christchurch in new zealand just over a year ago has changed his plea to guilty. during an unscheduled hearing via video link,

brenton tarra nt admitted murdering 51 people. he also pleaded guilty to a0 charges of attempted murder and to terrorism. now on bbc news, wednesday in parliament. hello and welcome to wednesday in parliament. as mps leave westminster, boris johnson defends his government's response to coronavirus. we are putting our arms, as a country, around every single worker, every single employee in this country. people can go to work if they can't do theirjob at home. and, yet, government is closing down parliament and stopping our ability to scrutinise in the normal way. normally, in times of crisis, parliament is recalled, it isn't closed down. and the crisis triggers a stampede for benefits. so the universal credit system is open, ready to take that. in fact, in the last nine days,

we've processed nearly half a million claims. but first: parliament has risen for its easter recess a week earlier than expected due to the coronavirus pandemic. before then, as usual at noon on a wednesday, borisjohnson faced mps‘ for prime minister's questions an extended question time dominated, inevitably, by the coronavirus pandemic and the government's response to it. mps sought answers to questions about help for the self employed and the availability of testing and protective equipment. borisjohnson said help for the self employed would be announced by the chancellor in the next couple of days it's expected on thursday. the prime minister said testing was being increased as quickly as possible and personal protective equipment would be in care homes by the end of this week. he also faced questions about the plight of britons stranded and unable to get home. these british citizens have a right to turn to their own government for help, and how long delays are on phone calls are not acceptable. they feel abandoned. can the prime minister, as the foreign secretary

was asked to do yesterday, update the house on what his government is doing to bring people home, and provide the emergency cost for the medical needs that many british residents abroad actually have at the present time. mr speaker, he can take it that we are certainly doing everything we can to bring back british nationals, british citizens from abroad. a huge operation is going on now to repatriate, as he will have heard both from the health secretary and, indeed, the foreign secretary, where we are protecting renters, in spite of what he says, we are doing everything we can to protect our fantastic nhs. we are putting, as a society, now, and as a country, we are doing quite an extraordinary

thing, which is, for the first time in our history, to get through this crisis. we are putting our arms, as a country, around every single worker, every single employee in this country. and it is quite an unprecedented step, and he will be hearing more. i know there are concerns about the self—employed, but he will be hearing more in the next couple of days from my right honourable friend, the chancellor. last friday, the self—employed were promised by the prime minister, and by his chancellor, that help was coming. only yesterday, the chief secretary to the treasury told them, "we have not forgotten you,

help is coming." these are the same promises that have now been made for weeks, and, yet, they and we are still waiting. can the prime minister now explain why a package for the support for the self—employed wasn't put in place before we announced the lockdown? well, mr speaker, as he will understand, we have done a huge amount already to strengthen the safety net for everybody in this country, not just those currently in employment, as i say, with a package so that they get 80% of theirearnings up to $2,500 per month. this country has never done anything on that scale before. borisjohnson said help for the self employed was a complex issue, as they were not all in the same position. he was also challenged over the impact of coronavirus on care homes. a 94—year—old resident developed the symptoms of coronavirus and requested a test. ten days later, ten days later, when the test finally happened, 1a of the 20 residents were exhibiting symptoms. seven of the staff were off sick so they could self—isolate. they were agency staff who had also been working in other care homes. none of the protective equipment requested had arrived. can the prime minister tell the house, in the 80,000 care

homes around britain, what date will they expect tests to be carried out on the day the symptoms emerge? and every single person working in those care homes will get the protective equipment they need? hear, hear! well, on the tests, as i said earlier on, the answer is we want to roll that out as soon as we possibly can. and on the personal protective equipment, the answer is by the end of this week. mps from all parties queued up to thank nhs staff. would he also thank the many volunteers coming forward to help their neighbours in wolverhampton, but also say to the few people who are trying to flout the advice to stay at home, that their actions will cost lives? this was a question time of two halves, running to an hour, so more mps could both take part and follow social distancing rules. it meant thatjeremy corbyn could ask another six questions. the labour leader focused

on the impact of the new rules that have changed our daily lives. if you are living in a small flat and you're told to isolate, and you have a large family and a large number of children, the levels of stress are going to be huge. the levels of stress throughout our society are huge. it's up to all of us to do what we can to reduce those levels of stress and obviously bring this whole situation to a conclusion as quickly as we can. so we need clarity, not confusion. we need delivery, not dither. this crisis shows us, mr speaker, how deeply we depend on each other. we will only come through this as a society through a huge collective effort. at a time of crisis, no one is an island. no one is self—made. the well—being of the wealthiest corporate chief executive officer depends on the outsourced worker cleaning their office. at times like this, mr speaker, we have to recognise the value of each other, and the strength of a society that cares for each other and cares for all.

well, mr speaker, i really want to do nothing else except to associate myself fully with the closing words of the leader of the opposition. i think that what this country is doing now is utterly extraordinary. we are coming together as a nation in a way that i have not seen in my lifetime, to help to defeat a disease and to help save the lives of many, many thousands of our fellow citizens. and we all understand that that will involve a sacrifice. but we are gladly making that sacrifice. and the most important point i can perhaps make to the house today is that that sacrifice is inevitable, and it is necessary. but the more we follow the advice of the government, the more strictly we obey

the measures that we have put in place, then the swifter and more surely this country will come back from the current crisis, the better we will recover. and so ijust repeat my message, in case the right honourable gentleman would like to hear one more time. the best thing we can do, stay at home, protect our nhs, and save many, many thousands of lives. borisjohnson with what's become an increasingly familiar message. after prime minister's questions, the leader of the commons announced that the house would not be sitting from the end of wednesday a decision that angered several labour mps. the commons was due to finish for the easter holiday next tuesday, but jacob rees—mogg said the date

was being brought forward. once the coronavirus bill and the contingencies fund bill receive royal assent and subject to the house's agreement, parliament will rise for the easter recess later today. it is obviously important that parliament is able to sit after the recess. further discussions will therefore continue within government, with the parliamentary authorities, and with the members to ensure parliament operates safely for all those who work here. the legislature must be able to continue its vital democratic functions of conducting scrutiny, authorising spending and making laws, including the finance bill. whilst my business statement is made with the aim of bringing the house back as normal on the 21st of april, we will continue to keep the situation under review, in line with medical advice. and i will make further announcements about the plans for business when we return as necessary. i'm extremely concerned at the implications of closing parliament early. the irony will be lost on no one that builders across the river in battersea are going about their business as normal, with the sanction

of government, and yet, government is closing down parliament and stopping our ability to scrutinise in the normal way. normally, in times of crisis, parliament is recalled, it isn't closed down. so, considering that he is doing something so extraordinary, shouldn't he also be announcing extraordinary new measures? so that we remotely can hold government to account in this time. hear, hear! mr speaker, parliament is not being closed down. the date for returning has been set. which is the same date as was always planned. the business that we had in front of us was of not pressing business. on monday of next week, we were going to be discussing the relief of rates on public toilets. it was therefore reasonable to suspend these days, because they were not essential business. however, we will come back on the 21st of april, we will deal with essential business. and members may continue to hold the government to account by correspondence and select committees will be able to carry out inquiries.

jacob rees—mogg. you're watching wednesday in parliament with me, david cornock. still to come, how soon will we see a covid—i9 vaccine? the coronavirus outbreak has been a sharp increase in the number of people trying to access the benefits system. almost half a million applications for universal credit have been made in the last nine days. that's almost double the peak monthly figure of applications recorded last year. the work and pensions secretary was asked by mps if she envisaged that self employed people would use the new system, known as uc. i do see it is absolutely an option, and i'm very conscious that people just see the uc allowance, which we raised as part of the chancellor's package to be

£20 higher than it is today on a weekly basis, that that might be, they think that might be the only source of help from universal credit they could get. we know that universal credit replaces a number of benefits for new claimants in the system. in that, there may be prospects that people may not realise they can get help on, like housing cost support if they are renting, extra money if they have children, and a variety of elements that can actually see a considerably higher sum per month going to people, regardless of effectively their employment status. so the universal credit system is open, ready to take that. in fact, in the last nine days, we have processed nearly half a million claims. we don't know if they're self—employed or at different stages, and i want to assure people that help, even if it's not currently at the level of help they would like, is there to help them through the safety net of the welfare state.

this is an unprecedented moment in terms of, obviously, our country, but also in terms of people contacting us and seeking access to benefits. as the secretary of state says, in the last nine days, so the period since monday of last week, we have registered and taken into the system just under500,000 claims, it's more like 477,000 claims. so the system is working. is it really acceptable in this crisis to tell those half a million people who have just applied that they are going to have to wait five weeks for their first regular benefit payment? well, the underlying principles of universal credit have not gone away. by that i mean the design is supposed to be based on your general income, we need a month to assess what your monthly income is going to be. but, as i keep rephrasing, advances can be made to people pretty quickly. there is an estimate of what your annual income will be, so that in effect, you could say you are getting your 12 months but spread over 13 payments. so, we will still be sticking with that advance.

i have to say, any other changes, and i appreciate this as not a big policy change, but even technically, it would be difficult to make the operational changes which some people are asking for. the event system does work, and it works quickly. therese coffey. the coronavirus bill completed its passage through the house of lords — unamended — despite the reservations of several peers about the new emergency powers it gives the government. the 329—page bill will enable ministers to ban gatherings and forcibly quarantine suspected coronavirus patients. in the lords, several peers had misgivings. is the minister aware that that organisations caring for the vulnerable and disabled are being hit by the triple whammy of increased operational cost, loss of income from increased

vacancies, staff shortages exacerbated by the crisis and lack of personal protection equipment? in addition, for those in the third sector, fundraising has collapsed. will the minister ensure that all care organisations involved are contacted urgently and directly to offer practical government help? in care homes in lockdown across the country, staff are worried stiff, and we certainly don't want to see scenes like those like the one in spain, where a care home was discovered abandoned with all the residents dead. ijust want to reinforce that, at times of trauma, as we're in at the moment, it is civil society that is always critical to survival. it's true in war zones and it will be true in the weeks ahead. i'd like to ask maybe about vulnerable children, children with disabilities as well, many of whom may possibly be falling through the cracks, not having the support networks

if local authorities are rolling back some of their duties in this bill. i very rarely speak about this, but i'm going tojust put on record what it must be like for someone without sight who is in a high—rise flat who can't even look out the window, see the sun, see the birds, have any contact. that is prison. so, being able to reach out, even with the lack of capacity that local government has, through the voluntary sector and volunteers, to be able to make contact and to undertake that support — and to ensure that where there is a crisis for someone, their rights are upheld — will be absolutely vital. we are not in any way removing all safeguards. can i reassure noble lords that the care quality commission, for instance, will continue to provide independent expert regulation of health

and care providers? and they've already announced arrangements for a proportionate approach to assuring standards of care over the coming period. can i reassure the house that we have published an ethical framework to provide support to ongoing response planning and decision—making? and this sets out a clear set of principles and behaviours and when challenging decisions on how to redirect resources where they are most needed and how to prioritise individual care. and this is a situation of a woman in lincolnshire who has an autoimmune disease who, under the directions of the government — the recommendations for her health and well—being, to protect our nhs resources — she should be remaining at home, isolated, for 12 weeks. she, however, needs an abortion. she also has at home a two—year—old with a heart condition, another reason why she shouldn't be leaving the house. but to have an abortion, my lords, under our current law, she has to leave the house and go to a clinic or approved place

to take the first of the pills for an early medical abortion. this, i'm sure every member of your lordship's house will agree, is a terrible situation. and it is an utterly medically unnecessary situation. assessment can take place via telemedicine, webcam or on the phone. guidance from my department is absolutely crystal—clear about that. the doctor can also rely on information gathered from other members of their multidisciplinary team in reaching a good—faith opinion. but we do not agree that women should be able to take both treatments for medical abortion at home. we believe it is an essential safeguard that a woman attends the clinic to ensure that she has an opportunity to be seen alone and to ensure that there are no issues.

lord bethell. and shortly after the bill cleared the lords, there was an announcement in the commons. i have to notify the house, in accordance with the royal assent act 1967, that her majesty has signified her royal assent to the following acts — the contingencies fund act 2020 and the coronavirus act 2020. order. so, the coronavirus bill — with its sweeping emergency powers for the government and the devolved administrations — is now a law. labour have stepped up their campaign for more financial help for the self—employed and those on zero—hour contracts or without recourse to public funds. jeremy corbyn led a debate in which he called for urgent help for those affected by the pandemic. this coronavirus outbreak will have a lasting impact on our economy and our society.

life is never going to be the same again. the immediate task of the opposition is to help arrest the spread of the coronavirus and support the public health efforts that are being made, whilst being constructively critical where it's necessary to do so. this crisis, madam deputy speaker, is presently exposing the vulnerabilities in our economy and our society. underfunded public services, insecure work, a threadbare social security system — they all carry a very heavy burden. would he not agree with me that against all this background of the biggest crisis that we'll ever know, we do need a collective approach? and policies like nationalising the railways, providing an economic stimulus to kick—start our economy, free broadband actually don't look so outlandish after all?

well, it wasn't so long ago i was making lengthy speeches about those subjects, and i'm quite prepared to hand a copy of our manifesto over to the government because they are already being forced to implement a great deal of it — because of the crisis and because of the deficiency in public services that we exposed during that election campaign. how is the government dealing with this crisis? well, the jury's out. we don't know how well they are dealing with the crisis at the moment. as far as my e—mails are concerned, the overwhelming majority of them are actually quite satisfied with the leadership that our country's getting at the moment and are full of praise. now, that may change, but that seems to be the case at the moment. for myself, i believe in a big society rather than a big state, but let us be clear. in a time of national crisis, both will be needed. and one final thing.

i think i can speak for my colleagues on the conservative benches in saying we will be sad to see him go. the coming weeks may be difficult. the action we must take has far—reaching consequences for our economy and our society. and yet it has the power to save thousands of lives. throughout this time, the government will continue to listen to the concerns of honourable members, right honourable members and of the public. the government has already delivered one of the most generous and comprehensive interventions of any government in the world and we stand ready to do more. we will make every effort to safeguard people's jobs and livelihoods, to support our public services and local communities, and to preserve and protect businesses large and small across the country. our message is this. we've got your back, and together we will defeat this virus. and the britain that emerges from this pandemic will not only be stronger and more resilient, but more united too.

jesse norman. mps on the science and technology committee have been told that it's possible a vaccine against the coronavirus could be ready sooner than expected. am i right in taking from the evidence of both of you that 12 months is the earliest possible time that a vaccine, with everything going right, could be available for mass deployment against the coronavirus? i believe that six months as possible, but it needs a lot of things to fall in place in order for that to happen, including the upscaling to go well, for the trials to be conducted in a way that allows us to demonstrate that there's efficacy, which may be difficult with many countries in lockdown over that period to actually see enough cases to know the vaccine's preventing them as we move forward. so, there's lots of reasons why it may be more difficult to get there in that time period. professor andrew pollard there. now, as we've seen, it was a prime minister's questions

with a difference — an hour long with the main opposition leaders being allowed to ask twice as many questions as usual. and for one of them, it was also his last pmqs after four and a half years in thejob. mr speaker, perhaps i could begin by pointing out that is the right honourable gentleman's last prime minister's questions, and it would be appropriate, i think, for me to pay tribute to him for his service to party and indeed to the country over the last four years in a very difficultjob. we may not agree about everything, but no—one can doubt his sincerity and his determination to build a better society. i thank the prime minister for his very kind remarks. i believe in a decent, socially just society. and he was talking as though this was a sort of obituary. just to let him know, my voice will not be stilled. i'll be around, i'll be campaigning, i'll be arguing, and i'll be demanding justice for the people of this country and indeed the rest of the world.

jeremy corbyn. the next time the prime minister takes questions — whenever that is — labour will have a new leader. before we go, though, a reminder that although westminster may be packing up for a while, the welsh assembly is still continuing to meet. and next wednesday, i april, the scottish parliament will be sitting to consider emergency scottish government legislation and first minister's questions. you'll be able to watch that live on bbc parliament. bbc parliament is also your channel of choice on friday evening at 11pm for the week in parliament — and what a week it's been. but that's it for wednesday in parliament. thank you for watching. take care and bye for now. hello there.

for the next few days, it looks like england and wales certainly are going to stay dry with plenty of sunshine after chilly mornings, but this weather front lying across scotland and northern ireland is going continue to bring quite a bit of cloud around, like what we saw on wednesday, and it really won't be moving far and also thursday and friday look pretty similar, rather grey skies for scotland and northern ireland through today. some spots of rain on it. to the north of it, to the far north—west, it is brighter with some sunshine, perhaps one or two showers, and to the south of it for most of england and wales, again after a cold start it is another sunny day, those temperatures reaching 13, 14 degrees. a little bit cooler along southern and eastern coasts, maybe not quite as warm as what we have had over the last few days. as we head through thursday night, it stays cloudy across much of scotland and northern ireland, with a few spots of rain at times. elsewhere, clear skies. it's going to be another cold night with some frost around, less cold under those cloudy skies further north. friday is a repeat performance again, rather cloudy skies, scotland and northern ireland, perhaps brighter for

the north—west, for the northern isles and the western isles, one or two showers around, and for much of england and wales it's another dry and sunny day after that cold start. temperatures perhaps coming down a touch, highs of ii or 12 degrees. into the weekend, that band of cloud across scotland and northern ireland sinks southwards with the cold front here and we open the floodgates to a much colder northerly for saturday and sunday and it is really going to feel noticeably cold, particularly when you factor in the wind, and yes there will be even a few wintry showers. so, this is the picture for saturday — variable cloud, some sunshine too, wind blowing in wintry showers, northern and eastern scotland, perhaps eastern england and it will feel quite raw in exposure to that wind. temperatures ranging from 6—11 degrees across the south. sunday, similar story. it will feel even colder on sunday. again, variable cloud, some sunshine and chance of a few wintry showers across northern and eastern coasts and those temperatures struggling to even get into double figures. these are the values that will be showing

on the thermometer. add on the strength of the wind and there's going to be significant chill factor. a few places feeling like they're not getting much above freezing. so there will be a noticeable chill to the air this weekend. as we head into next week, it looks like we hold on to the cold air. could see something a little bit less cold for a time before more cold air move down from the north, and you can see that slight recovery of temperatures into double figures for many. the chance of it turning colder again towards the end of the week, particularly into the north.

welcome to bbc news — i'm simon pusey. our top stories: president trump says america is gaining ground against coronavirus — but new york fears the worst. spain's death toll overtakes china — and a madrid ice rink is turned into an emergency mortuary. in britain — the rush to get protective equipment to an overstretched health service — amid warnings that some london hospitals are running out of capacity. and in other news, the australian man accused of killing 51 people in the new zealand mosque attacks last year enters a surprise plea of guilty.