Source · Select Committees · Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Fourth Report - Parliamentary Scrutiny of the Government’s handling of Covid-19
Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
HC 377
Published 10 September 2020
Government response
Fifth Special Report - Parliamentary Scrutiny of the Government’s handling of Covid-19: Government Response to the Committee’s Fourth Report of Session 2019–21 · published 9 Dec 2020
Recommendations & Conclusions
5
Recommendation
Rejected
Para 34
The Government’s desire to find alternatives, such as bespoke primary legislation, to using the emergency...
Recommendation
The Government’s desire to find alternatives, such as bespoke primary legislation, to using the emergency provisions of the Civil Contingency Act 2004 is understandable. Bespoke primary legislation has the advantage of going through the stages of Parliamentary scrutiny. However, the …
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Government Response Summary
The government defends its decision not to use the Civil Contingencies Act for COVID-19, stating that the Coronavirus Act allowed for prior parliamentary scrutiny and provided sufficient safeguards, implicitly rejecting the recommendation for its future use as a stop-gap or for new equivalent safeguards.
10
Conclusion
Rejected
Para 51
The use of the urgent procedure has not always been justified, particularly when the Government...
Conclusion
The use of the urgent procedure has not always been justified, particularly when the Government has announced that measures will be introduced some weeks in advance. Examples of this are provided by the regulations mandating the use of face coverings …
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Government Response Summary
The government defends its use of the urgent procedure due to the rapid nature of the pandemic, stating it cannot delay urgent regulations. It notes it will consult Parliament and hold votes wherever possible but is confident it acted lawfully and rationally in its use of the procedure.
12
Recommendation
Rejected
Para 54
The Committee strongly welcomes the Government’s publication of draft legislation for implementing future local lockdowns...
Recommendation
The Committee strongly welcomes the Government’s publication of draft legislation for implementing future local lockdowns similar to those in Greater Manchester or Leicester. This is a welcome improvement in transparency and facilitates parliamentary scrutiny of measures that may need to …
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Government Response Summary
The government states that the transition to a Tiers structure replaced the need for the specific draft legislation mentioned, rendering the recommendation to increase awareness of it no longer applicable. They highlight other general efforts for parliamentary engagement.
13
Recommendation
Rejected
Para 59
The six-monthly Parliamentary reviews offer an opportunity for the House to debate the relevant temporary...
Recommendation
The six-monthly Parliamentary reviews offer an opportunity for the House to debate the relevant temporary provisions within the Coronavirus Act 2020 but they do not allow the House to individually vote on whether specific provisions should continue or be repealed. …
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Government Response Summary
The government rejected the recommendation for additional thematic debates, arguing that the existing system of scrutiny, including numerous debates, oral statements, and committee oversight, provides sufficient opportunities for Parliament to examine the Coronavirus Act.