year where two peope were stabbed and the other at fishmongers hall in november 2019 the commons science committeeorist offender who'd been automatically released from custody halfway through their sentence. the commons science committee was told that starting lockdown a week earlier could have cut coronavirus—related deaths in the uk by half. the epidemic was doubling every 3—4 days before lockdown interventions were introduced. so had we introduced lockdown measures a week earlier, we would have reduced the final death toll by at least a half. the level of coronavirus testing in care homes in scotland has been a persistent theme of questions from the conservative leader to the first minister. at fmqs, he once more demanded faster action. why are we still hearing about problems with testing three weeks after the health secretary promised it would be sorted? why is the story we hear in the daily press conferences in edinburgh so different to what we are picking up on the ground — where it matters? i ask if the first minister's confidant about this, then she should set out a clear timetable clear d

meanwhile, the commons science committee was told that starting lockdown a week earlier could have cutn the uk. the comment came from a former government adviser, professor neil ferguson. the committee chair recalled what professor ferguson had told him in late march. at the time when the forecasts were made at the beginning of march, you suspected...you had reason to believe that there were fewer cases in the country than there were at the time. professor ferguson said there'd been much heavier "seeding" of the virus than had been realised because people returning with coronavirus from italy and spain were not being checked at the uk border. what we now know, because the epidemic had taken off in italy and spain, the point that we realised it's probably 90% of cases imported into this country where imported by those countries. he said the death level was also higher than he'd predicted because it was assumed that the most vulnerable people, in care homes, would be shielded from the virus but that had not happened. so, were the right decisions taken at the right time, he was asked. the

implications of the lockdown with the chairman of the lockdown with the chairman of the common science and technology committeeee in parliament a few weeks ago you asked the prime minister to ask the scientific advisory group to reassess the two metres rule. do you think it needs to come down from two metres to one metre? felt we do need to reassess it, you're right. the prime minister agreed to commission a review by sage. to look at the science and i asked for that to be in good time for monday. when some shots are going to be reopening. it is disappointing that we had that commitment that there would be this review at hasn't taken place. because it's perfectly understandable why we have such a rule. it was a broadbrush rule like many of the rules. but as we go through the pandemic and gather more information, now we have to be advised by the evidence. —— advised. and i think smarter rules that are informed by what we know about the transmission. labour it wasjust saying we have to follow the science. that's pretty much what the prime minister says, we have to follow the signs. is there a case for not follow

rolled out nationally the health minister in charge lord bethel has admitted to the commons science and technology committee that it might not be ready by the end of the year. around the world have be challenging and i know norwegians and singapore and french in are all me. and i really says. we seem to get more in winter when it isn't a priority for us. well the n.h.s. app was revealed at the beginning of may when it was piloted on the isle of wight off the south coast of england it was expected to be rolled out across the country a few weeks later but new documents have shown the app is still in an 11 week low testing program and the government hasn't committed to a firm date for its release the app was meant to be the central pillar of the government's overall contact tracing program which has gone through a subtle name change today i want to update you with the latest plans for our program of test track and trace of course we're developing the contact tracing app which can help us deliver test track and trace on the mass scale that we need across the country helpers take more measures to come out of loc

as a government adviser last month after breaking lockdown restrictions — told mps on the commons science committeetions? how far in are you when you shutdown transmission? and we frankly underestimated how far into the epidemic this country was. we tried very ha rd to epidemic this country was. we tried very hard to estimate what proportion of cases were being missed. obviously at the time we had a policy of trying to screen people at borders. and we estimated then that may be two thirds of imported cases had been missed. what we now know, because the epidemics had taken off in italy and spain, the point that we realised was probably 90% of cases imported into this country were missed. because we were not checking people. you were a member of sage at that time. did sage advise that we should be making tests, not least to detect whether that was an important source? so, what happened, i mean, this was really decisions by the foreign office and by the department of health and social care, not by sage. sage recommended that where a country had been identified as having active transmission, we should

out nationally while the health minister in charge lord bethel has admitted to the commons science and technology committee that it might not even be ready by the end of the year. around the world have been challenging and i know the norwegians singapore and french and others have all me work and. i really since. we seem to get something going for the winter and it isn't a priority for us. well the prisoner launched or revealed at the beginning of may when it was piloted on the isle of wight off the south coast of england it was expected to be rolled out across the country a few weeks later but new documents are shown the app is still in an 11 week low testing program and the government hasn't committed to a firm date for its release the app was meant to be the central pillar of the government's overall contact tracing program which is going through a subtle name change. today i want to update you with the latest plans for a program of test track and trace of course we're developing the contact tracing act which can help us deliver test track and trace on the mass scale that we need cross the country helpe

commons education select committee. we will speak to a union leader in a moment. good morning, robert halfon, what has happened to the government doing things based on science?ned to the government doing things based on science? it is a strange country when the government turned a blind eye to demonstrations in cities across the country, we are campaigning for pubs and garden centres to be open and yet we say that our schools can't open until september despite evidence from the world health organization, many other european union countries, our own chief medical officer, that it is safe to do so, that was conferred to me by the prime minister and the schools minister when they appeared before committee. we worry about the coronavirus, absolutely, we need to do everything we can to be safe, but there could be an epidemic of educational poverty, a growing digital divide and a safeguarding crisis with vulnerable children being affected by mental health, possibly exposed to online harm, possibly exposed to online harm, possibly joining possibly exposed to online harm, possiblyjoining county possibly exposed to online harm, possibly joining county gangs, possibly