‘ofthe «vt nu,“ é «gay-art gem ‘ of the epidemic and to ' '- w "m lam-engea reality of the epidemic and to human geography of the epidemic, and we shall. what i can say, from tomorrow, mr speaker, is that across the whole country, as i say, not just gyms and leisure centres and some impulse, but churches, synagogues, some impulse, but churches, synagogues, mosques and some impulse, but churches, synagogues, mosques and temples will be open for communal worship, organised outdoor sport will resume and in every tier you will be able to meet other people in parks and public gardens, subject to the rule of six. every one of those things has been by necessity restricted until today. everyone of them to be allowed again of course i accept that this is not a return to normality. i wish it was so. but it isa normality. i wish it was so. but it is a bit closer to normality than the present restrictions. what we can do is lift all of the

restrictions at once, or move too quickly in such a way that the virus would begin to spread rapidly again. that would be the surest way of endangering our nhs and forcing us into a new year lockdown with all the costs that i would impose. i give way. i think the prime minister and after the inconsistencies and controversies of the previous steering system, what was required this time round was more fairness, transparency and clarity. we were promised a regional approach. however, the powers that be have placed slough in tier 3 despite the fa ct placed slough in tier 3 despite the fact that we have been segregated from the wider region and there are areas in neighbouring london and essex with higher covid transmission rates. why does the prime minister hate slough? what have we done that has not —— that has annoyed him so much? i love slough and i understand

what he is saying. i appreciate people's feelings of injustice and people's feelings of injustice and people do feel it. there is no question they feel they have been u nfa i rly question they feel they have been unfairly attracted by proximity into a higher tier than they deserve. people also feel that the tiering is not working for them. i want to repeat the answer i gave my right honourable friend from workington. that is that as we go forward, and i mean this very sincerely, the government will look at how we can reflect as closely as possible the reality of what is happening on the ground for local people, looking at the instance of the disease, looking at the human geography and spread of the pandemic, and indeed the progress that areas are making in getting the virus down. we will try to be as sensitive as possible to local effort and to local achievement in bringing the pandemic

under control. i will just achievement in bringing the pandemic under control. i willjust make a little bit of progress, mr speaker, because i want to say something now about our hospitality sector, which i know the house will want to hear. we all accept that the burden on the hospitality sector has been great, and we feel this deeply because our pubs, our hotels, restaurants, they are in many ways the heart of our communities. they are part of the fabric of our identity as a country. and everybody can see that the hospitality industry has worn a proportionate share of the burden in this crisis. no question about it. that is obviously because we want to keep schools open, mr speaker, and we have to take such measures as we can. i would just remind the house, however, that we are not alone in this. in france, bars, restaurants and gyms will not reopen until

january the 20th at the earliest. in germany, the hospitality sector will remain closed in its entirety over christmas. but we will do everything in our power to support our hospitality sector throughout this crisis. we have already extended the fellow scheme for all businesses until the end of march and have provided monthly rent of up to £3000 for premises forced to close and £2100 for the remainder who have suffered because of reduced demand. we have allocated £i.i suffered because of reduced demand. we have allocated £1.1 billion to local authorities to support businesses at particular risk and today we are going further, with a one—off payment of £1000 in december two pubs, pubs that do not serve food as the house knows, recognising how hard they have been hit by this virus in what is typically the busiest month. we will also work with the hospitality sector in supporting their bounce back next year. mr speaker, iwant

supporting their bounce back next year. mr speaker, i want to stress that the situation is profoundly different now, because there is an end in sight. i am different now, because there is an end in sight. iam not, this afternoon, seeking open—ended measures. 0n the contrary, these regulations come with a close at the end of february, and at that point... at the end of the 2nd of february, i should say, and at that point we will have sufficient data to assess our position after christmas. though i believe these types of restrictions will be needed until the spring, they can only be extended young the 2nd of february if this house vote for them. —— beyond the 2nd of february. i give way. there were six cases to go into tier 3. east hanwood in london, 40 cases in that region to go into tier 2. what i want from my right honourable friend is a personal

commitment that he and his right honourable friend will look at this personally in the case of lincolnshire and will do their level best to get us out of tier 3 by christmas. indeed, mr speaker. i can certainly give my right honourable friend that assurance that we will look in as much granular detail as we can at the incidence throughout the country. but i... these are points that have been made with great power, as i say, by honourable members on all sides of the house. we will review the allocation of tea rs every 14 we will review the allocation of tears every 14 days. —— tiers every 14 days starting on the 16th of december. i want to make an important point to all members who are rightly concerned about the position of their constituencies, our constituencies, in these tiers. honourable members have it within

their power, in our power, to help move our areas down the tears. by throwing their full weight, mr speaker, throwing our full weight throwing their full weight, mr speaker, throwing ourfull weight as leaders in our communities, hind community testing. —— behind community testing. —— behind community testing. —— behind community testing. and seizing the opportunity to encourage as many people as possible to take part. i give way with pleasure to my right honourable friend. i'm grateful to the prime minister for giving way. kent is the biggest county by population in britain. there are vast differences in the rate of covid within it. in tunbridge wells we have one of the lowest incidences within the country. will the prime minister commit at the first possible review on the 16th of december, if a possible review on the 16th of december, ifa particular possible review on the 16th of december, if a particular borough meets the five criteria as he has set, he will move its down to a lower tier for that particular borough? mr speaker, i'm gratefulto

my right honourable friend, and he is quite right to raise the position of tunbridge wells and the feelings of tunbridge wells and the feelings of the people of tunbridge wells, i know they are shared by many people across the country who feel this sense of, as i say, being unjustly attracted into the wrong level of tiers. i repeat the assurance i have given to my right honourable friend from workington and that is that we we re from workington and that is that we were looking granular detail, mr speaker, at local incidences, the human geography of the pandemic and ta ke human geography of the pandemic and take account of exactly what is happening every two weeks, as i say. it is within the power of honourable maunders to repeat my point, —— honourable members, to repeat my point, to help their area move down the tears. i will give way one last time to the honourable gentleman. i'm grateful. we ensure that anyone —— will he insure that anyone who wants to take a test who doesn't

wa nt wants to take a test who doesn't want to take a test before seeing family members, can have a test on the nhs? well, we are rolling out lateral flow testing across the country. and anybody, and it is open to people to get a lateral flow test, and in general, the testing system is available at the moment for people who have symptoms. i would urge people who are worried that they may need to be in company of those who are elderly or vulnerable, to seek to get a rapid turnaround test. may i suggest, the one thing he could do for his constituents if he wants to help them move out of the tier they are m, them move out of the tier they are in, that is encourage them all to ta ke in, that is encourage them all to take part in mass community testing. mask unity testing of a kind that the government is wrong out. —— mass community testing. it depends on the cooperation of local leaders and local authorities of the kind we

have seen in liverpool, mr speaker. since the 6th of november, over 284,000 since the 6th of november, over 284, 000 tests since the 6th of november, over 284,000 tests have been conducted there, and together with the effect of national restrictions, the number of national restrictions, the number of cases fell by more than two thirds. this is the model i would recommend. we are now proposing that from tomorrow, livable city region and warrington should be in tier 2, whereas previously, obviously, they we re whereas previously, obviously, they were in tier 3. —— liverpool city region. we want other regions and towns, cities, communities, to follow this path. that is why, with the help of our fantastic armed forces, will be offering community testing to tier 3 areas as quickly as possible. mr speaker, let mejust say, i will give way to my right honourable friend. i'm grateful to the prime minister. what assessment has he done of compliance with

previous lockdowns? does he share my concern that people have just had enough and the risk of noncompliance is very great and those who are compliant will then have the added frustration of watching those who will not comply doing whatever they wa nt will not comply doing whatever they want whilst they have to sit at home? normally i find myself in agreement with my right honourable friend, but i must say, i do not think she is right in this instance, because if you look at what the british people have achieved in the last few weeks, by following the guidance, by deciding to work together to get the r down, they have done just that. they have done that collectively. they have got the r back down below one. that is not compliance —— noncompliance, that is by people deciding to follow the rules and get the virus down. i will just say, mr speaker, ifind it

extraordinary that the official opposition represented by gentlemen opposite currently have no view on the way ahead and are not proposing to vote tonight. perhaps he would like to tell us. i'm very pleased to hear it. many of us on this i believe they should be restrictions, but believe the prime minister's restrictions lima tiers are wrong. he has explained why he will come back on the 16th of december with a syste m back on the 16th of december with a system that we might be able to vote for, but the system today is totally inadequate. how is it possible that in chesterfield, with 118 per 100,000, we are in tier 3, in chesterfield, with 118 per 100,000, we are in tier3, but in london constituencies he represents are having a much higher level and are having a much higher level and are in tier2? are having a much higher level and are in tier 2? it are having a much higher level and are in tier2? it is are having a much higher level and are in tier 2? it is because our re sta u ra nt are in tier 2? it is because our restaurant tears and pub owners are not worth it to him! i think you will think carefully about what he has just will think carefully about what he hasjust said. we will think carefully about what he has just said. we will look trying to look after —— we are trying to look after businesses across the country! nobody understands those

concerns more than this government. i think it is extraordinary that despite the barrage of criticism that we have, we have no credible plan from the party opposite. indeed, we have no view, no view on the way ahead. it is a quite extraordinary thing, mr speaker, that tonight, to the best of my knowledge, the honourable gentleman opposite who said he will always act in the national interest, has told his party to sit on its hands and to abstain in the vote tonight. i think the government has made its decision. we have taken some tough decisions, mr speaker, and the labour opposition has decided tonight, heroically, to abstain, mr speaker. i think, tonight, heroically, to abstain, mr speaker. ithink, when tonight, heroically, to abstain, mr speaker. i think, when he history of this pandemic comes to be written, i think the people of this country will observe that instead of having politicians of all parties come

together in the national interest, they had one party taking the decision and the other party heroically deciding to abstain, mr speaker. in the story of 2020, i think there are two great feats in which we can take a great deal of comfort. first, our country has come together in extraordinary effort that has so far succeeded in protecting our nhs, and in saving money lives. —— many lives. and while scientists have been zeroing in on the weaknesses of covid, telescoping ten years of work into ten months, and now they their endeavours are about to deliver vaccines to defeat the virus. that is clear. the government is backing not one potential vaccine, but seven. we have ordered 100 million doses of the oxford astrazeneca vaccine that is now seeking

approval. we have ordered 7 million doses of the moderna vaccine, which has almost 95% effectiveness in trials. and we have ordered 40 million doses of the pfizer biontech vaccine, which, if approved by the regulator, could start being administered before christmas. in total, our vaccines task force has secured over 350 million doses, more than enough for everyone in the uk, the crown dependencies and our overseas territories. all we need to do now is hold our nerve until these vaccines are indeed in our grasp and indeed being injected into our arms. i say to the house again, let us follow the guidance, let us roll—out mass testing, deliver mass testing to the people of our country. let's work together to control the virus, and it is in that spirit that i commend these regulations. i commend these regulations to the house.

the question is asked of questionable three on the order paper. igo questionable three on the order paper. i go to the leader of the opposition, sir keir starmer. thank you, mr speaker. can i start by welcoming the fall in infection numbers, the drop in the number of people being admitted to hospital and, crucially, that the national r number is now below one, below one in many parts of the country. that is very welcome news across the house. before the lockdown, the infection rate was doubling every two weeks. the r number was about one in every part of england and rising and the number of people

in the hospital was going up sharply across the country. in other words, the virus had been allowed to get out of control. but if anyone doubts that the lockdown was necessary. i would point out that since the 2nd of november when this lockdown started, 10,711 people have tragically died within 28 days of testing positive for covid—19. in the last week alone, that is an average of 460 deaths per day. they are appalling numbers and everyone isa are appalling numbers and everyone is a tragedy. we can argue about why this lockdown didn't happen earlier when the infection rate was lower, as we argued for in this side of the house, but whatever view was taken of the timing, it is clear that the lockdown was necessary, and has helped to reduce infections. mr speaker, kelly also welcomed the progress on vaccines. speaker, kelly also welcomed the progress on vaccines. i have nothing but admiration for our scientists and they have made amazing progress. this is a great moment for our scientists. i went to oxford university a week before last to see the vaccine group there had to see

the vaccine group there had to see the remarkable work that they were doing just before they announced their results. a vaccine may now be in sight, but we must do everything we can to encourage take—up and make sure it is rolled out quickly, fairly and safely. the questions before this house today are these. how can we save as many lives and livelihoods as possible until we reach the light at the end of that channel? are the measures that the prime minister has announced today going to control the virus and provide the right support to communities worst affected by these restrictions? labour has supported the government into national lockdowns and i recognise the need for continuing restrictions and i do recognise that the tiers have been toughened as it was obvious to eve ryo ne toughened as it was obvious to everyone that the previous tiers we re everyone that the previous tiers were a one—way street to tier 3. but iam farfrom were a one—way street to tier 3. but i am far from convinced were a one—way street to tier 3. but i am farfrom convinced by were a one—way street to tier 3. but i am far from convinced by what the prime minister has said today. in

particular, the economic package is nowhere near sufficient to support the communities most affected and they have been suffering for many months. i also fear that without the right health measures in place, in particular a working trace and isolate system, there are real risks that this plan is incapable of controlling the virus this winter. i wa nt to controlling the virus this winter. i want to set out in a bit more detail. does my right honourable friend agree with me that support for businesses, especially in tier 3, in the hospitality and art sector particularly, it isjust not enough because many of them are on the brink of collapse ? because many of them are on the brink of collapse? we have lots of speakers. those who are going to intervene early, it is not fair on those who want to intervene later. please, let's think about each other. i will come to the business support in minutes. let me make the

point in support of the case today. the first point is that we have been here before. on the 10th the first point is that we have been here before. 0n the 10th ofjune, the prime minister told us for the first time of his whack a mole strategy to control local infections, the 10th ofjune. he told us it would be so effective that restrictions would only be for a few weeks, or even a few days. that was far from reality. leicester, for example, has just gone into the 154th day of restrictions and by the time these regulations run out on the 2nd of february, leicester will have been in restrictions for 217 days, so that didn't work, that a 10th of june proposal. roll on to the 22nd of september. i know infections rising in 19 of the 20 areas under restrictions. the prime minister announced new restrictions, including the rule of six. he stood

and he told the house that the rule of six will curb the number of daily infections and reduce the reproduction rate to below one. that is what he set about the role of sex. that didn't work. two weeks later, the 12th of october, the precise opposite happening, he stands up again for a third time, introduces at three tier system. he said this would work. he told the hostess will deliver at the reduction in the r number that we need. that didn't work. 19 days later, fourth attempt now, a hurried press co nfe re nce later, fourth attempt now, a hurried press conference on the saturday, the prime minister announces that the prime minister announces that the tier system had not worked, the virus was out of control and the national lockdown was unavoidable. the reason this all matters is that there is a pattern here. the prime minister has a record of overpromising and under delivering. short—term decisions that then pump

into the harsh reality of the virus and an energy plan is conjured up. we are now at least on the fifth plan, with an even bigger promise that never materialises. after eight months the prime minister should not be surprised that we and many of the british people are far less convinced this time round. i will give way. i have a biology degree andl give way. i have a biology degree and i am going to take a wild plant that i am one of the key members of this house that has used the word epidemiology and anger before january this year. we have choices to control this virus. we can have a lockdown, a tiered system or no lockdown, a tiered system or no lockdown, where lives like john and ken who we have just recently lost in my family, has happened. why won't the right honourable gentleman and the labour party not support

these measures tonight?|j and the labour party not support these measures tonight? i am setting out exactly why not. the first point is, that we have been here before. this is at least plan number five and the first four haven't worked. i think everybody would forgive the british public for being sceptical about the fifth plan. i will go on to set out because the second point i want to make is this. the public health risk of the prime minister? approach is significant. the prevalence of the virus remains high, even if the r number is below one, it is onlyjust below one. we knew that the virus is at its most deadly during the cold winter months, exactly when the nhs is under the strain. if we are to keep the r number blue one during the winter and not with the progress that has been made in the last four weeks, we need to proceed with precision and caution, but instead of levelling with the british

public, the prime minister has spent the weekend telling his backbenchers that the plan is all about, in his words, listening restrictions across the country and he has been feeling a promise that within two weeks or so, local areas have a real prospect of dropping two and tier beneath the one they are in. in my view that is highly unlikely and we might as well face that now. it is obvious that the new tier1 may face that now. it is obvious that the new tier 1 may slow face that now. it is obvious that the new tier1 may slow but it won't prevent a rise in infections and far from certain that the new tier 2 will hold a rate of infection. let's just see where we are in two weeks. i look across the house to members who think that perhaps in two weeks their area will drop down and tier just before christmas. let's see. this isn't hindsight, i am telling you what is going to happen in two

weeks. we know where we will be in two weeks and i have no doubt there will be members on the opposite side getting up and saying i thought my area was going to drop as tierjust before christmas. that is not levelling, that is not being straight because that is not going to happen. tier 1, the new tier 1, may slow the rate of infection but it won't prevent it increasing. tier 2 will struggle to hold the rate of infection. i hope it does, i hope i stand here and i am wrong about this, and! stand here and i am wrong about this, and i think our members so by am. but tier2... this, and i think our members so by am. but tier 2... order. we have had this continuous... let's give it a rest today. tier 2 needs all other factors to fall into place and time. while everybody will welcome the

chance to see our loved ones at christmas, i am chance to see our loved ones at christmas, iam not chance to see our loved ones at christmas, i am not convinced the government has a sufficiently robust plan in place to prevent a spike in infections over the new year. of course this is difficult and all systems will have risk, but that brings me to my third point. the risk we face today and the decision we make today are much higher because the prime minister has failed to fix the major problems with the now £22 billion track and trace system. before the prime minister simply presses the point aside again, let me remind him that one of the major reasons that sage advice a circuit breaker back in september was because track and trace was only having in their words a marginal impact on transmission. the great thing that was going to control the virus wasn't working then. if we are to control this virus, that really matters. the prime minister having his head in the sand isn't helping. another prime minister will say we have made

advancesin prime minister will say we have made advances in testing. i recognise that and i genuinely hope it helps to tackle the virus, but let me quote the chief scientific officer who said this, testing is important. testing is important, but of course it only matters if people isolate as well. that is blindingly obvious. but only a fraction of people who should be self isolating are doing so and the prime minister still hasn't addressed the reasons for this, including the huge gaps in support. i know that there's been an announcement about the change of those by the app, a ridiculous admission in the first place, but only one in eight workers qualify for the one £500 self isolation supports. 0ne for the one £500 self isolation supports. one in eight qualify that support. anyone not receiving that has to rely on statutory sick pay, which is the equivalent of £13 a

day. that is a huge problem that needs to be addressed. people want to do the right thing, but for many, there is a realfear that to do the right thing, but for many, there is a real fear that self isolation means a huge loss of income that they simply can't afford. now think, i can't prove this, that one of the main reasons that people aren't passing on their contacts that people aren't passing on their co nta cts in that people aren't passing on their contacts in the way that we want is because they fear that those that they are passing on the contacts to won't be able to afford to self—isolate. that is a real problem and we can't carry on ignoring it. he is doing a very good job. it is hisjob to criticise he is doing a very good job. it is his job to criticise the government and of course mistakes have been made, but a credible opposition has a plan of its own. what is the plan of the labour party? i will come to that. i have accepted the case for restrictions, we were very clear about the need for a circuit break,

but we need a scheme that works and i'm expelling what the problem is with this scheme as we go through it. let me stay with track and trace because we know the claims the prime minister made about this at the beginning of the year and middle of the year. on tracing, crucial tracing, the latest figures show 137,000 close contacts were missed by the system in one week. that is the highest weekly figure yet. this is not —— this is not a figure that is not —— this is not a figure that is going down, but going up. that means that over 500,000 close contacts have been missed by the system in the last month. that is not a statistic. that is half a million people who should have been self isolating, but instead of self isolating they were with their friends, theirfamilies isolating they were with their friends, their families and their communities. half a million people in one month. that is a huge gap in

the defences. i raised this every week, the prime minister pretends it is getting better, but it never does. the prime minister has almost given up on this now, put mass testing in its place. blind optimism, not a testing in its place. blind optimism, nota plan. testing in its place. blind optimism, not a plan. the idea we can go through the next few months and successfully keep the virus under control when 500,000 people a month are wandering around when they should be self isolating is not a sensible plan going forward. my my four point is to come to the level of economic support provided. i have to say to the prime minister, it is hard to overstate the level of anger is about this at their in our communities. many of whom have been in restrictions for months on end. yesterday, i did a virtual visit to the north—west, to businesses there. their emotions ranged from deep disappointment with the government to raw anger that the prime minister and chancellor just are to raw anger that the prime minister and chancellorjust are not listening and do not get the impact

of months of