Thank you to those who have contacted me about the emergency legislation relating to the Government's response to coronavirus.
I welcome that the Government has sought to offer Parliament additional scrutiny, offering MPs a vote on changes to regulations wherever that is possible, on England- or UK-wide measures before they come into place. I agree that it is vital for actions to be taken as swiftly as possible in the fight against coronavirus, but I also believe it is important that Parliament has additional opportunities to thoroughly examine new measures before they are put in place wherever that can be achieved.
I would like to reassure you that all the measures in the Coronavirus Act are temporary and proportionate to the threat we face. It is important that they will only be used when strictly necessary, and will only be in place for as long as required to respond to the situation. I welcome measures in place to review this act on a six-monthly basis to ensure that the measures remain appropriate. It is clear that the virus will be with us for some time, and it is vital that we are able to take the necessary steps to save lives.
I do hope you find this information useful; I will continue to monitor this issue and scrutinise the steps the Government is taking closely.
