Recommendation 13

We consider the section 98 arrangements for six-monthly parliamentary review of temporary Coronavirus Act provisions unsatisfactory. The Act prescribes a binary “take all or leave all” vote, which will present MPs with no real choice over provisions which have clear and obvious equality impacts on their disabled constituents and which, they may take the view, are no longer justified, either this autumn or later in the two-year lifetime of the Act. Continuing these provisions has the potential to further restrict or curtail important and hard-won rights relied upon by disabled people and deserves proper consideration, separately from the statutory vote. Arranging for the House to express its view on temporary provisions with clear and obvious implications for disabled people would be an opportunity for the Government to demonstrate its commitment to equality. The Government should not only to give MPs the chance to debate the temporary provisions discussed in this Report but should also make arrangements to test, separately from the statutory vote required by section 98 of the Coronavirus Act, the view of the whole House on the merits of continuing different, individual provisions for a further six months and each subsequent six-month period until the sunset provision of the Act. Arrangements should be made for this to happen before the second six-monthly review in spring