Source · Select Committees · Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Recommendation 11
11
Paragraph: 52
In the event the Government believes it is necessary for the urgent procedure to 32...
Conclusion
In the event the Government believes it is necessary for the urgent procedure to 32 Parliamentary Scrutiny of the Government’s handling of Covid-19 be used to make affirmative statutory instruments, it behoves it, especially with legislation as important to the national interest as lockdown measures, to schedule debates on those regulations in a much more timely fashion than it has so far in relation to COVID-19.
Paragraph Reference:
52
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The Government does seek to provide as much notice and opportunity for scrutiny as possible, but the rapid changes in disease transmission rates means that due to timing, we are not always able to make use of draft legislation to facilitate the sort of consultation we would ideally like to have. However, the transition into a Tiers structure, to provide more certainty to areas, replaced the need for draft legislation to implement future local lockdowns. The development and publication of the COVID-19 Winter Plan was a good example of how we have set out the policy in advance, confirmed geographies based on latest data, laying the legislation with debates and approval in advance of coming into force. The Government aims to give as much parliamentary engagement as possible ahead of the introduction of legislation. Indeed, the contents of the Coronavirus Act were agreed and cleared across Government and with the DAs with extensive engagement with the Opposition and other parties ahead of the Act’s passage through Parliament. We continue to make use of JBC, office of CMO and policy leads to obtain as best feedback as possible.