coronavirus

Commons Library Research Briefing – Coronavirus: International Travel FAQs for England

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The House of Commons Library has published a briefing paper which provides answers to frequently asked questions about international travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Coronavirus: International Travel FAQs for England

This paper is a compilation of frequently asked questions about international travel from and to England, and how it is affected by current restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The paper addresses the following questions:

  • What is the international travel ban?
  • What are the reasonable excuses for travel?
  • Who is exempt from the international travel ban and travel requirements?
  • What are the penalties for international travel offences?
  • I’m travelling to the UK, what do I need to do?
  • What COVID-19 testing is required after arrival in England?
  • What is the “test to release” scheme?
  • What is hotel quarantine for travel from “red list” countries?
  • Are there any exemptions from Hotel quarantine?
  • What if I cannot afford to pay for Hotel Quarantine?
  • When can I go on holiday?
  • I can’t fly because of lockdown, but my flight wasn’t cancelled, what are my options?

Constituency office risk assessments

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Please note that links to the old Parliamentary intranet have been removed as of October 2023. Please use search on ParliNet to find relevant current details, if available.

https://parlinet.parliament.uk/house-of-commons-members-staff/

The House has produced a risk assessment and guidance to support Members in safely re-opening constituency offices.

The guidance advises Members to consider whether it is necessary to open constituency offices and if so provides practical guidance on the steps to take to ensure the safety of Members, their staff and others.

For any questions regarding this guidance, please contact the Parliamentary Safety Team on
[email protected].

Coronavirus (COVID-19): right to work checks

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Advice for employers carrying out ‘right to work’ checks during the coronavirus pandemic.

It is still necessary for employers to check that their employees have the right to work in the UK and it remains an offence to knowingly employ anyone who does not have the right to work in the UK.

Right to work checks have been temporarily adjusted due to coronavirus (COVID-19). This is to make it easier for employers to carry them out.

Please see here for full details: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-right-to-work-checks

Covid-19 and Casework: Ask the Library 25-26 June 2020

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On 25 and 26 June 2020 the House of Commons Library is offering a series of sessions which are aimed at helping Members’ staff deal with casework arising from the coronavirus pandemic. The sessions will also be of wider interest to Members’ staff interested in policy development.

The sessions will be provided online via MS Teams and will be recorded, so if you miss one you can listen later.

The cut-off date for signing up is Midnight on 22 June 2020.

You must have a Parliamentary network account to access this.  See here for more details: https://parliament.learningpool.com/course/view.php?id=1735

An Update from The Speaker

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Please note that links to the old Parliamentary intranet have been removed as of October 2023. Please use search on ParliNet to find relevant current details, if available.

https://parlinet.parliament.uk/house-of-commons-members-staff/

On 15 May, The Speaker of the House, The Leader of the House and the Shadow Leader of the House issued a further update for Members of Parliament and their staff.

The update contains guidance for Members’ staff and constituency offices, information on the measures in place in Parliament and information from Public Health England.

To view the update, please see this page on the intranet

COVID-19 – a lecture by Professor Chris Whitty

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Time: 18:00

Date: Thursday 30 April 2020

Where: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/covid-19

At the time of writing, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has killed many thousands worldwide, infected many more – and changed lives around the world in ways that were unimaginable just weeks ago.

What is COVID-19, how has it been managed and what role will science play in combating it? Gresham Professor of Physic (and Chief Medical Officer for England) Chris Whitty, one of the key figures in the UK’s fight against the disease, will explain what we know – and what we don’t.

 

Coronavirus Statutory Instruments Dashboard

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The national effort to tackle the Coronavirus health emergency has resulted in UK ministers being granted some of the broadest legislative powers ever seen in peacetime.  This Dashboard highlights key facts and figures about the Statutory Instruments (SIs) being produced using these powers in the Coronavirus Act 2020 and other Acts of Parliament.

https://www.hansardsociety.org.uk/publications/data/coronavirus-statutory-instruments-dashboard

 

Daily Update 01/04/2020

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As of today we will be posting a short daily summary of the latest Covid-19 news, focusing on the most important stories of the day. Our aim is try and highlight the issues which we think will be most relevant to people working in Parliament.

Today saw the largest increase in UK Covid-19 deaths in a single day since the pandemic began. Of the 563 people that have died, the youngest was only thirteen years old. 

Politically, the main story today has been the government’s pledge to test NHS staff. So far 2,000 NHS staff have been tested out of a total 500,000, a disparity which has led to the government receiving criticism. The government maintains that their strategy is to increase the amount of testing taking place amongst NHS workers and the population as a whole.  

The government has also promised an additional £12 billion to local authorities in England to support business. Local authorities have been urged by the government to distribute these funds as quickly as possible.