such as hotels for ten days without exception. they will be met at the airport and transported directly into quarantine. the department of health and social is working to establish these facilities as quickly as possible. my right honourable friend, the home secretary, will set out the details of our plans in her statement shortly. mr speaker, it was the emergence of new variant after 70% more transmissible that forced england back into lockdown and i know everyone yearns to know how much longer we must endure these restrictions, with all the consequences forjobs, livelihoods and most tragically of all the life chances of our children. we will not

persist for a day longer than is necessary, but nor can we relax too soon. because if we do, we run the risk of our nhs coming under still greater pressure, compelling us to reimpose every restriction and sustain those restrictions for longer. so far, our efforts do appear to have reduced the number there were great, but we do not yet have enough data to know how soon it will be safe to reopen our economy. at this point we don't have enough data tojudge the at this point we don't have enough data to judge the full effect of vaccines in blocking transmission. know the extent and speed with which the vaccines will reduce hospitalisations and deaths, nor how quickly the combination of vaccinations and the lockdown can be expected to ease the pressure on the nhs. what we do know is that we remain in a perilous situation with

more than 37,000 patients now in hospital with covid, almost double the peak of the first wave. but the overall picture should be clearer by mid february. by then, we will know much more about the effect of vaccines in preventing hospitalisations and deaths. using data from the uk but also other nations like israel. we will know how successful the current restrictions have been in driving down the infections. we will also know how many people are still in hospital with covid, which we simply can't predict with certainty today. so we will then be in a better position to chart a course out of lockdown without risking a further surge that would overwhelm the nhs. when i announced a lockdown, i said we would review its measures in mid—february once the most vulnerable had been offered the first dose of the vaccine. so i can tell the house that when parliament returns from recess in the week

commencing the 22nd of february subject to the full agreement of the house, mr speaker, we intend to set out the results of that review and publish our plan for taking the country out of lockdown. that plan will of course depend on the continued success of our vaccination programme, the capacity of the nhs, and on deaths falling at the pace we would expect as more people are inoculated. 0uraim would expect as more people are inoculated. our aim will be to set out a gradual and phased approach towards easing the restrictions in a sustainable way, guided by the principles we've observed throughout the pandemic, beginning with the most important principle of all, that reopening schools must be our national priority. in the first sign of normality getting to return should be pupils going back to their classrooms. i know how parents and teachers need as much certainty as

possible. including two weeks notice of the return of face—to—face teaching. so i must inform the house that for the reasons i have outlined it will not be possible to reopen schools immediately after the february half term. and i know how frustrating that will be for pupils and teachers who want nothing more than to get back to the classroom. and her parents and carers who spend so many monthsjuggling their and her parents and carers who spend so many months juggling their day jobs not only with home—schooling but with meeting the myriad other demands of their children from breakfast until bedtime. and i know, too, the worries we all share about the mental health of our young people during this prolonged period of being stuck at home. so our plan for leaving the lockdown will set out our approach to reopening schools. if we achieve our target of vaccinating everyone in the four most vulnerable groups with their first dose by the 15th of february

and every passing day sees progress towards that goal, then those groups that have developed immunity from the virus about three weeks later, thatis the virus about three weeks later, that is by the 8th of march, we hope it will therefore be safe to begin the reopening of schools from monday the reopening of schools from monday the 8th of march. with other economic and social restrictions being removed thereafter as and when the data permits. then all thereafter, i should say. as we are extending the period of remote learning beyond the middle of february, i can confirm the government will prolong arrangements for providing free school meals for those eligible children not in school, including food parcels and the national voucher scheme, until they have returned to the classroom. we can also commit now that as we did this financial year we will provide a programme of catch up over the next financial year. and this will involve a further £300 million

of new money to schools for tutoring, and we will work in collaboration with the equitation secretary to develop as appropriate specific initiatives for summer schools and a covid premium to support catch up. but we recognise that these extended school closures have had a huge impact on children's learning which will take more than a year to make learning which will take more than a yearto make up. learning which will take more than a year to make up. so we will work with parents, teachers and schools to develop a long—term plan, to make sure pupils have the chance to make up sure pupils have the chance to make up their learning over the course of this parliament. i know, mr speaker, the measures i'm setting out today will be deeply frustrating to many honourable friends and colleagues and disappointing for all of us. but the way forward has been clear ever since the vaccines arrived, and as we inoculate more people hour by hour, this is the time to hold our nerve in the endgame of the battle

against the virus. and our goal now must be to buy the extra weeks we need to immunise the most vulnerable and get this virus under control so that together we can defeat this most wretched disease, reclaim our lives, once and for all, and mr speaker, i commend this statement to the house. i’m speaker, i commend this statement to the house. �* ., ., ., the house. i'm now going to call the leader of the _ the house. i'm now going to call the leader of the opposition, _ the house. i'm now going to call the leader of the opposition, keir - leader of the opposition, keir starmer, _ leader of the opposition, keir starmer, who is participating virtuallx _ starmer, who is participating virtually. keir starmer. thank you, mr speaker. _ virtually. keir starmer. thank you, mr speaker, and _ virtually. keir starmer. thank you, mr speaker, and can _ virtually. keir starmer. thank you, mr speaker, and can i _ virtually. keir starmer. thank you, mr speaker, and can i thank - virtually. keir starmer. thank you, mr speaker, and can i thank the i mr speaker, and can i thank the prime ministerfor mr speaker, and can i thank the prime minister for advanced state of his statement. mr speaker, to lose 100,000 people to this virus is nothing short of a national tragedy. it is a stark number, an empty chair at the kitchen table, a person obviously taken before their time, and today we should remember that. and we should mark the moment by learning the lessons of the last year, to make sure that the same

mistakes are not made again. of course, any government would have struggled with this pandemic, i get that, the british people get that. but the reality is that britain is the first country in europe to suffer 100,000 deaths, and we have one of the highest death rates in the world. in the prime minister often says that he has been balancing the health restrictions against economic risks, but that simply does not wash. alongside that high death toll we also have the deepest recession of any major economy. the lowest growth of any major economy. and we are on course to have one of the slowest recoveries of any major economy. so for all the contrition and sympathy that the prime minister expresses, and i recognise how heartfelt that is, the truth is this was not

inevitable. it wasn'tjust bad luck. it's the result of a huge number of mistakes by the pro—minister during the course of this pandemic. we were too slow into lockdown last march, too slow into lockdown last march, too slow into lockdown last march, too slow to get protective equipment too slow to get protective equipment to the front line, and of course too slow to protect our care homes. 20% of deaths in this pandemic has come from care home residents, 20%. and i really don't think that the prime minister and the health secretary understand just how offensive it was to pretend that there was a protective ring around our care homes. the government had the chance over the summer to learn from those mistakes in the first wave and prepare for a second wave and a challenging winter. i put that challenge to the pro—minister in june, but that chance was wasted.

the government went on to fail to deliver of effective test, trace and isolate system despite all the warnings. they failed to deliver clear and concise public messaging crucial in a pandemic, one minute telling people to go to work, then to do the complete opposite. and the prime minister has failed on a number of occasions to follow the scientific advice that the virus was getting out of control. first in september when that advice was given, and the failure to implement a circuit breaker or lockdown over half term as we suggested. then in december with the fiasco over christmas mixing. and once again, in the 13 day delay from december 22 when that further medical advice was given, and the third national lockdown was finally introduced. as a result, we have seen third wave more deadly than the first and

second waves. mr speaker, 50,000 people have died since november the 11th. 50,000 deaths. in 77 days. that's a scarcely believable toll on the british people. now, in isolation any of these mistakes are perhaps understandable, taken perhaps understandable, ta ken together perhaps understandable, taken together it is a damning indictment of how the government has handled this pandemic. the prime minister has said, now is not the time to answer the question, why, that is the answer he gave in the summer after the first wave, that then was not the time to answer why. he said the same after the second wave. and he says it again now, each time repeating the mistakes over and over again. that is why now is the time

to ask and answer the question why. the way out of this nightmare has now been provided by our amazing scientists, our nhs, ourarmed forces and hundreds of thousands of volunteers. the vaccine programme is making incredible progress. the british people have come together to deliver what is the largest peacetime effort in our history. and despite the prime minister's constant complaining, all of us, all of us are doing whatever we can to help that vaccine roll—out as swiftly and as safely as possible. on schools, first i have to say, even for this prime minister, it is quite something to open schools one day, close them the next, to call them vectors of transmission, and then to challenge me to say that the schools

he has closed are safe. only now to give a statement where he says that schools can't open until the 8th of march at the earliest because it's not safe to do so. that's his analysis, is the sort of nonsense that has led us to the highest death toll in europe. and the worst recession. but of course we welcome any steps forward in reopening schools. and we are going to look at the detail of how the education secretary plans to deliver this. and the plans to deliver online learning. and i also hope the prime minister will take seriously our proposal echoed incidentally by the children's commissioner, and the conservative chair of the education select committee, that once the first four categories of the most vulnerable have been vaccinated by mid—february, he should bring forward vaccination of key workers and use that window of the february half term to vaccinate all school

staff including every teacher and teaching assistant. there is a clear week there when that could be done, and it should be done. on borders, we will look at the detail... and it should be done. on borders, we will look at the detail. . .- we will look at the detail... order, order, we will look at the detail... order, order. order- _ we will look at the detail... order, order, order. i— we will look at the detail... order, order, order. i have _ we will look at the detail... order, order, order. i have to _ we will look at the detail... order, order, order. i have to say, - we will look at the detail... order, order, order. i have to say, the . order, order. i have to say, the right _ order, order. i have to say, the right honourable gentleman is well past the _ right honourable gentleman is well past the five minutes allocated. mr past the five minutes allocated. speaker, on past the five minutes allocated. ij�*i' speaker, on borders past the five minutes allocated. m speaker, on borders we will look at the prime minister's statement in detail and office to hear what the home secretary has to say. but mr speaker, in due course there will be a public enquiry, and the prime minister will have to answer questions. but i hope he can finally answer this very simple and direct question — because yesterday the prime minister was maintaining the government had done, his words, everything we could to save lives. so is he really saying to those grieving families that their loss

was just inevitable and that none of the 100,000 deaths could have been avoided? thank you, mr speaker. prime minister. the avoided? thank you, mr speaker. prime minister.— avoided? thank you, mr speaker. prime minister. ., ., prime minister. the right honourable centleman prime minister. the right honourable gentleman asks _ prime minister. the right honourable gentleman asks about _ prime minister. the right honourable gentleman asks about mistakes - prime minister. the right honourable gentleman asks about mistakes and l prime minister. the right honourable gentleman asks about mistakes and i | gentleman asks about mistakes and i have said there will be a time to reflect and to analyse, to learn lessons and to prepare. but i may say to him that i believe the biggest mistake he has made is in seeking continually to attack what the government has been trying to do at every opportunity, supporting one week and then attacking the very same policy the next week. and he complains about confusion of messages. how much has he actually done as leader of the opposition to reassure the public, for instance, about nhs test and trace which has done a very good job of confining him for the third time. what has he done to reassure people about messaging rather than attacking

confusion and trying to sow doubt about what the government is doing. there was a very different paths open to him at the beginning of this pandemic, and i think it's a great pity that he has not taken it. if i may say so, on schools, mr speaker, he knows perfectly well that the problem is not that schools are unsafe, they are not unsafe, schools are safe and he should say it, and his union paymasters should hear him say it loud and clear. the problem is that they bring communities together. obviously, large numbers of kids are a considerable vector of transmission. it is not that there's any particular extra risk to those involved in education, and i heard with interest what he had to say about his proposal for changing the jcvi priority list. and i really think the right honourable gentleman should reflect on what he is saying.

because the jcvi should reflect on what he is saying. because thejcvi priority list one to nine is designed by clinicians, to nine is designed by clinicians, to prioritise, mr speaker, those groups most likely to die or to sufferfrom groups most likely to die or to suffer from coronavirus. groups most likely to die or to sufferfrom coronavirus. and by trying to change that and saying that he wants now to bring in other groups of public sector workers to be decided by politicians rather than by the jcvi, be decided by politicians rather than by thejcvi, he has to explain which vaccines he would take from which vaccines he would take from which vulnerable groups, mr speaker, to make sense of his policy, because thatis to make sense of his policy, because that is what he is doing. that is what the labour proposal would involve and, indeed, by making it more difficult for us to vaccinate all those vulnerable groups in the fastest possible way, mr speaker, that policy, that labour policy would actually delay our route out of lockdown, delay our ability to get kids back into school in the way

they want. so i urge him to think again or at least to explain which members of those vulnerable groups would be deprived of vaccines in order to follow the labour policy. all i can say, having listened carefully to what the honourable gentleman had to say, is that everybody will have to answer questions at the end of this, and i think all politicians can... let me put it this way, all politicians will be asked what they did, what we did collaboratively, working together, the people of our country, together, the people of our country, to beat this virus. and i'm not sure that upon reflection, the right honourable gentleman's choice was the right one either for his party of the country.— the right one either for his party of the country. chair of the select committee _ of the country. chair of the select committee. on _ of the country. chair of the select committee. on monday _ of the country. chair of the select committee. on monday baronessj committee. on monday baroness harding said _ committee. on monday baroness harding said that _ committee. on monday baroness harding said that 4096 _ committee. on monday baroness harding said that 40% of- committee. on monday baroness harding said that 4096 of the - committee. on monday baroness i harding said that 4096 of the people harding said that 40% of the people asked to self as late by nhs test and trace were not fully doing so, which works out at a worrying 30,000

people every single day who are potentially still spreading the virus, many still going to work. because this is such a big threat to our containment strategy for the virus, i wonder if the premise to good say what he thinks we need to do to deal with this, and in particular whether it is now time to consider making a blanket offer to those asked to self—isolate that we will make good any salary they lose, because in the end that may be cheaper than having to extend furlough if the case rate remains high. i furlough if the case rate remains hiuh. , . , , . , high. i very much respect my right honourable _ high. i very much respect my right honourable friend's _ high. i very much respect my right honourable friend's suggestion - high. i very much respect my right| honourable friend's suggestion and high. i very much respect my right l honourable friend's suggestion and i understand the logic of what he is saying. but i believe the people of this country should be isolating, self isolating in the way the right honourable gentleman the leader of the opposition is doing, on the basis it is the right thing for themselves, theirfamilies, their themselves, their families, their country. themselves, theirfamilies, their

country. they do get support where needed of £500 and very considerable fines forfailing to needed of £500 and very considerable fines for failing to do it, needed of £500 and very considerable fines forfailing to do it, and i think that is the right way forward and i hope you will enjoy me in commending prompt action by everybody who is asked to self—isolate. it's the right thing to do for you, for yourfamily self—isolate. it's the right thing to do for you, for your family and for your country. the to do for you, for your family and for your country.— to do for you, for your family and for your country. the leader of the snp, ian blackford. _ for your country. the leader of the snp, ian blackford. let _ for your country. the leader of the snp, ian blackford. let me - for your country. the leader of the snp, ian blackford. let me thank| for your country. the leader of the i snp, ian blackford. let me thank the prime minister _ snp, ian blackford. let me thank the prime minister for _ snp, ian blackford. let me thank the prime minister for an _ snp, ian blackford. let me thank the prime minister for an advance - snp, ian blackford. let me thank the prime minister for an advance copy . prime minister for an advance copy of his statement. as we know yesterday the uk reached yet another terrible milestone, 100,000 covid related deaths. today it is only right that we reflect on all of those who have lost their lives during this pandemic, and our thoughts and prayers and most especially with their families, those who are left with the heaviest burden of grief. in time there will be a reckoning on the uk government's response to the virus. and it's clear that this verdict may well be damning. in the here and now, though, it remains ourjob to

focus on how we can support and save as many people as possible in the weeks and months ahead. that means a renewed commitment to maintaining public health, but it also must mean a renewed package of financial support for all of those, prime minister, who have been left behind by this tory government. right now covid is the immediate threat to life, that poverty remains a coward too. in 2019 it was revealed that tory austerity cuts over the previous decade had resulted in as many as hundred and 30,000 preventable deaths. the prime minister, is not to repeat tory austerity. if people are to believe him, he should still be making three important announcements today. extend the furlough scheme for the full duration of the pandemic, maintain the uplift a universal credit and reply to legacy benefits, and put in place a package of support for the 3 million included. prime minister, 11th hour announcements have to stop. these

decisions can't wait till the budget in march. people need certainty now. i asked the premise to the same questions at prime minister's questions but failed to get a straight answer, so please try again, prime minister, his government extend furlough, maintain the universal credit uplift and offer support for the 3 million excluded. finally, on international travel, both the scottish and welsh governments want to go further and quarantining measures than what his uk government is proposing. will the prime minister stopped his half measures and enjoying the governments in scotland and wales in stricter enforcement is on international travel? that, prime minister, would be leadership. i look forward to what the devolved administrations do. later. but i can tell the house that we are putting in the toughest measures of virtually anywhere in the world, and

my right honourable friend the home secretary will be setting out the detail in due course. and i can tell him that this country through the might of the uk treasury, as the chancellor has said many times, has been able to look after people across the uk. it is thanks to the uk government that we have the furlough scheme, the bounce back loans, the many otherforms furlough scheme, the bounce back loans, the many other forms of support. it is thanks to the uk that we have, for instance, the army able to move people in distress with covid in remarked parts of scotland to the hospitals where they need to get to, and indeed the british army helping across scotland, i am proud to say, to distribute the vaccines that are so central for our flight back from this virus. so i hope you will abandon his nationalist position, narrow nationalist position, narrow nationalist position, and look at the achievements of the uk overall. and

i think it is a fine, fine thing, it would be a wonderful thing, by the way, if the snp for a moment would stop talking about their desire for a referendum while we are trying to deal with the pandemic. daeid dealwith the pandemic. david davies. the _ dealwith the pandemic. david davies. the prime _ dealwith the pandemic. david davies. the prime minister i dealwith the pandemic. david davies. the prime minister is| deal with the pandemic. david - davies. the prime minister is very ro erl davies. the prime minister is very properly concerned _ davies. the prime minister is very properly concerned to _ davies. the prime minister is very properly concerned to protect - davies. the prime minister is very properly concerned to protect our| properly concerned to protect our national health service and particularly to prevent hospitals and intensive care units being overwhelmed this winter. my question is about the scope to enhance primary care to reduce the need for covid patients to go to hospital in the first place. new canadian studies published this week, four and a half thousand people, show the use of colchicine has cut hospital emissions by 25% in death rates by almost half. similarly some studies have shown 75% reductions in death rates. what skippers are to act quickly to enhance our primary care

level to protect populations and this winter? this winter, not next winter. i this winter? this winter, not next winter. .., , winter. i can tell my right honourable _ winter. i can tell my right honourable friend - winter. i can tell my right honourable friend he - winter. i can tell my right| honourable friend he rakes winter. i can tell my right - honourable friend he rakes very important point and task forces currently reviewing both the drugs dimensions and i will make sure he has kept up to speed with the findings. has kept up to speed with the findinus. �* , has kept up to speed with the findinus. �*, ., ., , m findings. let's head to ed davey. mr seaker, findings. let's head to ed davey. mr speaker. as — findings. let's head to ed davey. mr speaker. as of— findings. let's head to ed davey. mr speaker, as of 6:30pm _ findings. let's head to ed davey. mr speaker, as of 6:30pm yesterday i findings. let's head to ed davey. mrl speaker, as of 6:30pm yesterday the uk has the worst recorded death rate by head of population in the world. this is a grave moment for our country. i'm sure all our hearts go out to the families who have lost loved ones. last week the prime minister told me he was still not prepared to launch the enquiry into the covid crisis that he promised six months ago. so instead, today, will he at least tell the country

that he will launch this enquiry sometime this year so we can find out why our country has seen the worst death rates from covid in the world, learn the lessons, and give bereaved families the answers and the justice he owes them? {lime the justice he owes them? once again...- _ the justice he owes them? once again,... madame _ the justice he owes them? once again,... madame deputy - the justice he owes them? once again,... madame deputy speaker, once again the right honourable gentleman has the answer contained in his question. because this country is going through a very grievous bout of a deadly pandemic. he rightly draws attention to the death toll of 100,000, and as he knows there are currently 37,000 people in hospital and the entire british state is working flat out to

bring that virus under control and get us through this pandemic and at the side. and now as i have told him before, it is not the right time to consecrate the energies and efforts of officialdom and it would be huge to enquiry. as i said before, and i will reassure him again today, yes, of course there will be a time to learn lessons, to reflect, and to understand and to prepare, and adam deputy speaker. idea? understand and to prepare, and adam deputy speaker-— understand and to prepare, and adam deputy speaker. now we go to richard drax. thank you. _ deputy speaker. now we go to richard drax. thank you. can _ deputy speaker. now we go to richard drax. thank you. can i _ deputy speaker. now we go to richard drax. thank you. can i welcome - deputy speaker. now we go to richard drax. thank you. can i welcome and i drax. thank you. can i welcome and thank my right _ drax. thank you. can i welcome and thank my right honourable - drax. thank you. can i welcome and thank my right honourable friend i drax. thank you. can i welcome and | thank my right honourable friend for his upbeat statement which offers much needed hope to a beleaguered nation. rather contrary to captain hindsight�*s contribution. with a successful inoculation programme in full swing, his plan to breakfree

from lung cancer restrictions is critical. variance or no variance, does my right honourable friend agree that the lives and livelihoods of millions of our citizens now depend on a more proportionate response to this pandemic, which will require political courage to initiate? mr will require political courage to initiate? ~ , . initiate? mr speaker, i very much resect initiate? mr speaker, i very much respect the _ initiate? mr speaker, i very much respect the point _ initiate? mr speaker, i very much respect the point of _ initiate? mr speaker, i very much respect the point of view - initiate? mr speaker, i very much respect the point of view of - initiate? mr speaker, i very much respect the point of view of my i respect the point of view of my honourable friend, who has long been a keen and justified campaignerfor liberty, and ice share his instincts very strongly. but i must tell him that we will be, we will continue to be cautious in our approach because we do not wish to see more lives lost and we can possibly avoid. so thatis lost and we can possibly avoid. so that is why what we will do is continue with the roll—out of the vaccine programme, the fastest in europe, and currently... and on february 15 as ijust

europe, and currently... and on february 15 as i just said to the house, we will look at where we are and we will be setting out a road map which i hope will be useful to him and to all colleagues throughout the house on february 27. hand him and to all colleagues throughout the house on february 27.— him and to all colleagues throughout the house on february 27. and now we no to jim the house on february 27. and now we go to jim shannon- _ thank you and i thanked the prime minister. could we see what has taken part to see about planning or online teaching is special reference or not being able to access online classes. i or not being able to access online classes. ., or not being able to access online classes. . , ., classes. i agree. it better that the classes. iagree. it better that the are classes. i agree. it better that they are back _ classes. i agree. it better that they are back in _ classes. i agree. it better that they are back in their - classes. i agree. it better that i they are back in their classrooms but can the prime minister ensure that all the teaching staff, especially special needs teachers, will be. a priority for the vaccine roll—out. and that there will be no.

we are rolling out 1.3 million laptops. to we are rolling out 1.3 million la..tos_ ., ., ~' we are rolling out 1.3 million la--tos. ., . ~' , we are rolling out 1.3 million la--tos. ., .," , . we are rolling out 1.3 million [an-tos. ., w , . . laptops. to make sure children have access. laptops. to make sure children have access- the — laptops. to make sure children have access. the most _ laptops. to make sure children have access. the most important - laptops. to make sure children have access. the most important thing i laptops. to make sure children have access. the most important thing is| access. the most important thing is that the right honourable gentleman has said you get kids back in as soon as we sensibly can. that is what we are determined to do and i want to reassure him about the vaccination programme within mentioning anxieties about supply and as i stand before you today, i am confident that we will deliver on the february 15 pledge and will continue to be able to drive... i see my honourable friend, the minister for see my honourable friend, the ministerfor the see my honourable friend, the minister for the vaccine roll—out, confirming we will be able to continue that accelerating curve of supply as well.

continue that accelerating curve of supply as well-—