Yorkshire peer calls for legal clarity over Government's local lockdown plans

Speaking in the House of Lords on Wednesday Lord Scriven asked who had the responsibility and legal powers to implement the lockdowns if local flare ups of the virus occurred.

But Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care Lord Bethell said the policy was still “in development” and could not answer on who would have legal responsibility for the plans.

Join our new coronavirus Facebook group for the latest confirmed news and advice as soon as we get it

Lord Bethell said: “The arrangements for local lockdowns aren’t fully in place. In fact the policy around that is in development. We haven’t had a full decision made on whether we are going, on what arrangements we will make, for lockdowns.”

Speaking after the exchange, Lord Scriven said: “The Chief Medical Officer has said we will be likely to get local flare ups. The Government cannot seriously expect local areas to take action to keep local people safe and to dampen the virus in their area if the Government hasn't got policies, systems and legal arrangements in place to ensure local bodies can take swift and decisive action to deal with a spike of coronavirus.

“It is utterly incomprehensible that the Government has decided to start lifting the lockdown - recognising the risks this poses - without legal clarity on the issue of who is responsible for managing local infection surges and implementing lockdowns.

“If we are to have any hope of containing Covid-19 and preventing a second wave of infections, these systems are absolutely pivotal. We must see clarity on these powers as a matter of urgency. Without this, it’s hard to escape the conclusion that ministers are again playing catch up with what the scientists are telling them, taking serious risks with public health.”

-------------------

Editor’s note: First and foremost - and rarely have I written down these words with more sincerity - I hope this finds you well.

Almost certainly you are here because you value the quality and the integrity of the journalism produced by The Yorkshire Post’s journalists - almost all of which live alongside you in Yorkshire, spending the wages they earn with Yorkshire businesses - who last year took this title to the industry watchdog’s Most Trusted Newspaper in Britain accolade.

And that is why I must make an urgent request of you: as advertising revenue declines, your support becomes evermore crucial to the maintenance of the journalistic standards expected of The Yorkshire Post. If you can, safely, please buy a paper or take up a subscription. We want to continue to make you proud of Yorkshire’s National Newspaper but we are going to need your help.

Postal subscription copies can be ordered by calling 0330 4030066 or by emailing [email protected]. Vouchers, to be exchanged at retail sales outlets - our newsagents need you, too - can be subscribed to by contacting subscriptions on 0330 1235950 or by visiting www.localsubsplus.co.uk where you should select The Yorkshire Post from the list of titles available.

If you want to help right now, download our tablet app from the App / Play Stores. Every contribution you make helps to provide this county with the best regional journalism in the country.

Sincerely. Thank you.

James Mitchinson

Editor