Source · Select Committees · Home Affairs Committee
Fifth Report: Home Office preparedness for COVID-19 (coronavirus): management of the borders
Home Affairs Committee
HC 563
Published 5 August 2020
Government response
Sixth Special Report: Home Office preparedness for COVID-19 (coronavirus): management of the borders: Government Response to the Committee’s Fifth Report · published 13 Nov 2020
Recommendations & Conclusions
7
Conclusion
Acknowledged
Para 36
We are also concerned at the lack of clarity over who was responsible for the...
Conclusion
We are also concerned at the lack of clarity over who was responsible for the continued monitoring and assessment of emerging infection threats from different countries, and for drawing up policy options for Ministers to respond. Any future inquiry into …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees that any future inquiry into the UK's handling of COVID-19 should consider all aspects of the response, including the specific points raised by the committee.
Home Office
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28
Conclusion
Acknowledged
Para 149
We welcome the Government’ decision to re-introduce border measures.
Conclusion
We welcome the Government’ decision to re-introduce border measures. We discuss later what the most appropriate border measures should be. But at a time when Home Office preparedness for COOVDD19 (coronavirus): management of the borders 79 COVID-19 infections continue to …
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Government Response Summary
The Government acknowledges the importance of border health measures for protecting public health and controlling imported cases of the virus.
Home Office
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32
Conclusion
Acknowledged
Para 174
We welcome the Government’s attempt to develop an approach to travel corridors which recognises the...
Conclusion
We welcome the Government’s attempt to develop an approach to travel corridors which recognises the different prevalence of the virus in different countries and regions. It is clearly sensible to be able to treat travellers from New Zealand, where there …
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Government Response Summary
The government stated it keeps its methodology and border measures under regular review, informed by public health information, and has created a Global Travel Taskforce to enable the safe and sustainable recovery of international travel.
Home Office
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34
Recommendation
Acknowledged
Para 176
We welcome the Government’s commitment regularly to review its border quarantine regulations.
Recommendation
We welcome the Government’s commitment regularly to review its border quarantine regulations. The move to weekly and daily reviews of travel corridors is welcome as three-weekly reviews were not sufficiently frequent. Far more frequent review appropriately reflects the agility required …
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Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the need for increased transparency in the Travel Corridor process and states it is working with other departments and devolved administrations to consider options for this.
Home Office
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35
Conclusion
Acknowledged
Para 192
Given the surge in confirmed COVID-19 cases in mainland Spain and the clear and rising...
Conclusion
Given the surge in confirmed COVID-19 cases in mainland Spain and the clear and rising risk of increasing numbers of people returning to the UK with COVID-19, a precautionary approach including quarantine for returning travellers is the right one. As …
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Government Response Summary
The government agreed on the need for swift action due to COVID-19 risk, detailing how it acts quickly to adjust travel corridor exemptions based on Joint Biosecurity Centre assessments of public health risks.
Home Office
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42
Recommendation
Acknowledged
Para 208
We are concerned that Ministers do not seem to have access to information about prevalence...
Recommendation
We are concerned that Ministers do not seem to have access to information about prevalence rates internationally, and there is confusion about what information is held by the Department for Health and Social Care, as well as the interaction between …
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Government Response Summary
The government explains that lead responsibility for border measures has transferred from the Home Office to the Department for Transport, with public health monitoring primarily handled by DHSC. It emphasizes ongoing intensive cross-government collaboration but does not commit to clarifying overall departmental responsibilities or establishing a new process for greater transparency.
Home Office
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45
Recommendation
Acknowledged
Para 215
It is concerning that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for Transport have...
Recommendation
It is concerning that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for Transport have issued contrasting advice to the public on more than one occasion, at a time when providing clarity about the new travel corridors and nurturing confidence …
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Government Response Summary
The Government agrees on the importance of clear communication and states that gov.uk serves as the single source for policy and operational changes, with content linked from a central page to ensure clarity and consistency for users.
Home Office
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53
Recommendation
Acknowledged
Para 235
Implementing border quarantine measures over any time frame is indeed disruptive.
Recommendation
Implementing border quarantine measures over any time frame is indeed disruptive. However if applied swiftly, relaxed appropriately, and justified properly using the full range of scientific evidence available, evidence from other countries demonstrates that they are an effective tool to …
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Government Response Summary
The government stated that health measures at the border protect public health and control imported cases, describing how it reviews its approach and is establishing a Global Travel Taskforce to consider the safe and sustainable recovery of international travel.
Home Office
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