Coronavirus. I will alert the leader of opposition two sets of questions of six which i expected to be taken in two sets. Similar, i will alert the leader of the second Largest Party four questions. I will also essentially call for the questions from opposition front bench. In order to maximize participation can ask the short questions and short answers. We now start Prime Ministers questions. Question number one come mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, this morning i had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others, and in addition to my duties in this house, i shall have further such meetings later today. I would like to pay tribute to the Prime Minister and his ministers for navigating my constituents to these unprecedented times with your decisive action, also to my constituents and those working in the nhs for your truly heroic work. No one can afford to be complacent during this time, and i applaud the right honorable friend to the nation which reinforces the need for us to stay at home, protect our nhs in order to save lives. Can he assured me the guy which will the people get the support they need in order to do so . Mr. Speaker, i fully echo that shape true to our amazings workers, and it is in order to protect them and help them that we are taking extraordinary measures that this country is. And i repeat my advice to the nation, which assisted home, protect our nhs and slave lives. Jeremy corbyn. Thank you very m uch, mr. Speaker. And thank you for making the best arrangement possible today to ensure as many members as possible can ask questions but also the government is held to account which is what the function of parliament is. Many more people have been mourning the loss of loved ones of soul of coronavirus this week. Our hearts go out to all of them and to those suffering from the disease at the present time. Across our country people are working day and night to keep us safe, fed and warm. Our wonderful nhs staff, police, firefighters, prison and probation workers, teachers come civil servants, local government staff and social care, all of them are showing the value of public service. They are the unsung heroes. Keeping transport system running, you to lose running and our supermarkets properly stocked. Id like to pay special mention to one group for the hugely ignored forgotten and decried as unskilled workers, cleaners. All around the country and in this building are doing their best to keep our places hygienic and safe. Over the past few weeks ive asked the Prime Minister many times what action is being taken to ensure testing has been prioritized. I received assurances everything that could was being done. Yet, mr. Speaker, a leaked email shows it was just three days ago that the Prime Minister wrote to uk Research Institutes to ask for help. Saying there was no testing machines available to buy. Why wasnt this done weeks ago, if not months ago, when the government was first warned about the threat of a global pandemic, and what action is now being taken to get testing machines . Mr. Speaker, perhaps i could begin by pointing out this is the right honorable john a burns last Prime Ministers questions and what will be to pay tribute to him for his service to party entity to the country over the last four years in a very difficult job. We may not agree about everything, but no one can doubt his sincerity. And his determination to build a better society. And i want to pay particular tribute and thanks to him and all his colleagues for their cooperation in the current emergency as far as possible across party lines. I agree with him very much about what he said about cleaners. They do an extraordinary job and they deserve all the protection and support that we can give them in this difficult time. And on testing, hes quite right that testing is vital to our success in beating the coronavirus. And the Health Sector has explained we are messing increase their testing going up from 5000 to thousand to 25,000 a day, and in answer directly to his question this is been a priority of this government ever since the crisis was obviously upon us. I think the Prime Minister for his very kind remarks. I believe in decent socially just society. He was talking as though this is sort of an obituary. Just to let them know why voice will not be still. Ill be around. Ill be campaigning. Ill be arguing and ill be demanding justice for the people of this country and, indeed, the rest of the world. Hear, hear. We can only protect the health of us all, mr. Speaker, if we protect the health of our carers. Yet the charities who provide care to people with neurological conditions have said that their workforce is depleting a daily and they have no access to tests. When will all the social care staff have access to regular testing . They are very, very important and obviously very, very vulnerable in this crisis. He is entirely right. Social care staff in, nhs are indeed any of the Public Sector workers need to be tested as fast as possible, and the attitudes question is when will do it as fast as possible. Obviously if they have to self isolate because the suspect they have the disease and cant get the test, then the work is lost for a week and obviously those that need the care and support dont get it at the time. There are reports care homes workers are being turned away from supermarkets in relation to priority shopping. Not being allowed to buy more than certain items that they need to feed the residents, what is the Prime Ministers plan for making sure the care workers can get the vital food and supplies they need for the people that they are caring for . Well, mr. Speaker, as the house can imagine we been a regular contact with all the retailers come all the supermarkets, chains. I had a conversation with all of them a couple of days ago, and they were absolutely assuring that key workers do get time in supermarkets if theres a particular problem i will raise it with them again. I hope the Prime Minister will because care workers are on the front line looking after the most Vulnerable People within our society, and keeping our care homes safe and well should be and must be an absolute priority. The Prime Minister is been saying for quite a long time that nhs staff will get the equipment they need, yet the Healthcare Supply Association, the Healthcare Supply Association has been forced to use twitter to ask diy shops to donate protective equipment to nhs staff. This is an appalling situation. When will nhs staff some social kill staff and community nurses, and all other staff relating to Health Care Get the ppe equipment they absolutely, desperately need . Well, mr. Speaker, i can tell him, hes absolutely right to raise this issue. I know this has been a concern and we had a long meeting on it this morning but im assured the armies that distributing the supply to all the nhs come all the hospitals that needed. In the last 24 hours theyve distributed 7. 5 million pieces of equipment. Its important they did it because yesterday 7 7 of nhs chiefs who responded to a survey sedlak of staff testing Staff Shortages with the two biggest areas of concern for them. Last week the Prime Ministers stood in this chamber at the dispatch box and said he would come adequate, protect ryberg renters from eviction to casserly said that. Yet some renters we getting eviction notices as early as next week. The Prime Minister appears to have gone back on his word so will he now finally absolutely banned evictions for six months in line with the renewal period of the emergency legislation which is going through its parliamentary process at the moment . He raises a very important point about renters which are entered in the way i did last week. We have actually gone further now as he knows by lifting up local Housing Allowance to 30 of the median rate which be important for many people on low incomes across the country. But were also as he knows making sure that nofault evictions are no longer a part of the bill. Will come in for to you, this what reality is on the ground. Many of my colleagues will point out we are getting constituents touch with us who are being threatened with eviction now. Because they are in rent arrears because they can that would because of the shutdown over coronavirus. Can we just be absolutely clear will he make sure it is legislated that nobody can be infected during this First Six Months period of this emergency from the private rented sector . Im going to continue my question shortly, mr. Speaker, in the second part of the session but i just want to ask this question to the Prime Minister. Many british people abroad feel a bit abandoned by their government with many fast running out of medicines, with the host countries in lockdown, flights been canceled, accommodation canceled and assurance visas about to expire not coming the muchneeded costs until theyre able to return home. These british citizens have a right to turn to the own government for help and delays on phone calls on not acceptable. They feel abandoned. Can the Prime Minister as a foreign secretary was asked to do yesterday update the house on what his government is doing to bring people home and provide the emergency costs to the medical needs that many british residents abroad actually have at the present time . Mr. Speaker, he can take it were certainly doing everything we can to bring back british, National British citizens from abroad, a huge operations going on now to repatriate them as he wouldve heard from both the Health Secretary and the foreign secretary where we are protecting renters in spite of what he says. We are doing everything we can to protect our fantastic nhs. We are putting as a society know, were doing, and as a country, were doing quite an extra everything, which is for the first time in our history to get through this crisis we are putting our arms as a country around every single worker, every single employee in this country. [shouting] and it is a quite, it is a quite unprecedented step, and he will be hearing more. I know there are concerns about the selfemployed but he will be hearing more in the next couple of days from a right honorable friend chancellor. I can tell him, he said something the other day of this country would come through this experience changed and change for the better. And there he and i complete the agree. And we will get this country through this crisis with these exceptional steps. And i can tell him that we will do absolutely everything that it takes. We will do what ever it takes to get our country through it together we will beat it. Together. The most important advice i can give him as he retires to his hes not retiring. That will be warmly welcomed by his successor. The most important thing, the most important thing we can all do is stay at home to protect our nhs and to save many thousands of lives. Mr. Speaker, can i think my right honorable friend for his leadership at this incredibly difficult time. And for the measures already to support millions of people and protect them from from financial archer. The government advice is clear, stay home and support the nhs, protect allies. Can he help more people to make the right decision by giving to the 5000 self employed people that he is considering [inaudible] i think my honorable friend very much for racing that. Hes entirely right. I know that the leader of the opposition, quite incredible package to support to the businesses and the workforce of this country. We do need to ensure that we protect the self employed as well and he will be hearing more about that in the next couple of days. Thank you, mr. Speaker. There must be in response to questions from the leader of the opposition we all need to do a weekend. Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said the uk is putting its arms around all our workers. I hope that would become the case because as of today its not. This morning the Resolution Foundation estimates 13 people in self employment are total of 1. 7 million workers are now at risk of losing their income. In scotland, that means 320,000 selfemployed people are deeply concerned about the jobs and the families they support. Thats failing. The selfemployed were promised by the Prime Minister and by his chancellor that help was coming. Only yesterday that told them we have not forgotten you, help is coming. These are the same promises that have now been made for weeks. And yet they and we are still waiting. Can that Prime Minister now explain why he package support the selfemployed wasnt put in place before we announced . Mr. Speaker, as he will understand we done huge amount already to strengthen the safety net for everybody in this country and not just those currently in employment. As i say a package that will get 80 of earnings up to 2. 5 thousand pounds per month but this country never done anything on this scale before. Weve increase universal credit a thousand pounds a year as he knows. We deferred income tax Self Assessment for the selfemployed until july. We are deferring vat into the next quarter. Theres access to Government Finance loans but their particular complexities about the selfemployed, which you need to be addressed. Theres also in the same position and all i can say is where working as fast as it possibly can to get the appropriate package of support for everybody in this country and that is what were going to do and we will get through it together. Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister knows we want to work with them on this but there is frustration because they have gone into lockdown and what goes without income . This is an emergency. The truth is the health and Economic Cost of this virus are people deserve strong leadership, Financial Support and they deserve straight answers. As we stand here, these people are losing their incomes. Telling them to wait another day simply isnt good enough. And norway and denmark in weight support has artie been expended to cover the incomes of the selfemployed. Germany, theres a 50 billion unique program to ensure soft blue delco makeup in ireland the selfemployed are eligible for a special pandemic payment of 350 euros a week. Scottish government has written to the chancellor asking him to expand the jobs to include the selfemployed. And the Prime Minister confirmed that when the chancellor will eventually does announce measures that will be clarity and quality of support between the already announced jobs retention scheme and the new scheme for the selfemployed . They must not be left behind, Prime Minister. Mr. Speaker, hes making a very important point. I share his desire to get clarity of support your eye which is reminded we are having extended mortgage holidays. Were getting all sorts of help, all sorts of interestfree loans to everybody across the whole country. You are particular difficulties of those are not on the schemes as i think the whole house understands. We are bringing for the package to assure everybody gets the support that they need. Thats the way to get this country to it, but if i may say so, the better we tackle the epidemic now, the more vigorously we are able to suppress the disease now, the faster we will come through it and that means, and that means yet it certainly means testing, but it means staying at home, protecting the nhs and thereby saving the lives. Thank you, mr. Speaker. The house has seen many cases of cobr 19 unsure the Prime Minister would like to join me in thanking all the staff at Newcastle Hospital in my constituency. We also thank the many volunteers coming forward to help, but also say to the few people are trying to flout the advice to stay home that their actions will cost lives . Mr. Speaker, i i would inded like to thank all the staff at new cross hospital. For everything they do. Everybody in the nhs across our country. Just since yesterday when we asked for volunteers to come forward, weve seen a huge number of people, hundreds of thousands of people asking to volunteer to whatever they can to support, thousands and thousands of doctors and nurses coming back to our fantastic nhs. I pay tribute to everyone, some of them in this house of commons. Given the Critical Incident last week and tragically that is recorded one of the highest levels of deaths so far, the Prime Minister will understand that theres considerable concern about the situation at the hospital visitors my constituents and many others. Can he tell the house there for when he expects the staff at the hospital to have access to the ppe they need and crucially to the testing equipment as and when they need to keep themselves, prevent the risk of cross infection . Hes right to raise the issue, and theyve had a concern within the last few two days ae will keep those supplies coming. Thank you, mr. Speaker. Theres no doubt our nation and the world is under attack from i virus which intends to take everyone of us sometimes [inaudible] it seems to me in Uncertain Times we need to clarity, leadership and want to commend the Prime Minister for leadership on the clarity has given in the messages coming from cover. What we know very clearly is protect the nhs, save lives by staying at home. But can ask the Prime Minister, will he confirm he will lift in of these measures imposed at the earliest possible opportunity once he knows that our nation is safe . Yes, of course, mr. Speaker, and we keep them under constant review. The more the whole country is able to Work Together to conform with those stipulations, the faster you will get on top of it, the faster, mr. Speaker, we come out of it. Mr. Speaker, to the Prime Minister, thank his ministers have been working constructively particularly for department felt with members from across the house in this difficult time. They have asked to report back difficult situation in our patch it in the light i like to mers to the fact that the oaklands care home in my constituency has had a difficult time lately. A 94yearold resident developed the symptoms of coronavirus. Ten days later, ten days later when the test by an happen, 14 of the 20 were exhibiting symptoms. Seven of the staff were also sick. They were agency staff would also been working in other care homes. None of the protected equipment requested had a right. Can the tell the house come in the 80,000 care homes around britain, what date of the expect tests to be carried out on the day the symptoms emerge . And everything a person working in this care homes will get the protective equipment they need. On the tests, as i said earlier on the edges we want to roll it out as soon as we possibly can. And on the personal protective equipment, the answer is by the end of this week. Thank you, mr. Speaker. , right honorable friend Prime Minister shamir that regular contact in supermarket and Food Supplies to assure that food are getting to the shelter needed . Will determine calling on people to only take what they need, not stockpile . Yes, indeed to trai turner think the profiteering is something we should be looking at from a legislative point of view in this house as happened before in this country. But i can tell him that the supermarkets to have adequate supplies. Our supply chains as my honorable friend knows are very good. We have lacked delivery hours but it is very, very important that everybody in their shopping acts reasonably and considerately for other people. I would like to convey of health workers, social care workers, teachers, cleaners and all those fighting this on the front line. [inaudible] starting to get food. All our self isolating. They even told the next available delivery food slot is april 16. What support can the government offer to ensure Vulnerable People in remote or rural areas are prioritize food delivery . Mr. Speaker, im told there is an army of local volunteers were delivering Food Supplies but if he wishes to you mitigate that directed to us we will take it up. Does the Prime Minister share my concern that the contractors are not following the record government advice of coronavirus . It is about the safety of us all. My constituents have seen that only contracting fail about rules of social distancing. Causing great success. Should this get home to save lives . Mr. Speaker, weve been very clear that everybody should work at home if they possibly can, and construction should only take place in a way that it is a in accordance with Public Health, england. Thank you, mr. Speaker. Charities include those on the front line of our nasa responds to coronavirus working with the susanville, the elderly, Domestic Violence and providing food to the volvo. They are in dire straits in the face a 4. 3 billion drop in income, providing essential service to the vulnerable. It is frankly not an option. When is the Prime Minister going to come forward with an urgent package as my honorable friend, and 150 colleagues from eight parties across the house have been calling for so that they can continue their life saving work . Mr. Speaker, shes absolutely right to pay tribute to the workers and voluntary sector, the charitable sector. They are crucial to our National Response to this crisis and so we are indeed looking at my honorable friend the chancellor are looking at the package of measures to support charities as well. The Prime Minister, commend the Prime Minister and all those on the front line further handling of the situation. He will know ive race with an prepas its important working out to all the elderly and the vulnerable who lived alone regardless of health so no one is left behind. But as former secretary may i raise with him the plight of the British Council . It is running out of money. Theyve had to cease the commercial activities in the reserves will be exhausted within weeks. Can he make funding available . Mr. Speaker, i tend to love the british was doing the job he refers to people continue to support it in any way that we can and we are actively looking for what we can do. When the all this is over i think the mr. Speaker, will genuinely have [inaudible] and in that regard can i commit to them where we have a fantastic offer built up over many decades but which [inaudible] overwhelming self employed. So will the Prime Minister give an assurance to the selfemployed people that when the offer of help comes they will not be in any worse position than they would be if it were in employment . Mr. Speaker, i cannot in all candor promise the house that will be able to get through this crisis with any kind of hardship at all. But what i can tell him, he and i talked facetoface about the issue that he races. Raises. We will do whatever we can to support the selfemployed just as would put our arms run every single employed person in this country. I will understand the point he makes. As for his generous invitation he should be careful on what he wishes for. Thank you, mr. Speaker. May i join colleagues from across the soused in congratulating and thanking the Prime Minister for strong leadership at this difficult time which is provided great reassurance to my constituents. Will the Prime Minister continue to work with the voluntary sector and Charity Groups to ensure Vulnerable People continue to get the support they need from this government during this challenging time . Yes, indeed, mr. Speaker, and thats why weve given in the first instance another half a billion pounds to counsel to look after the poorest and most vulnerable members of society and and i thank him for his support. Thank you, mr. Speaker. There are companies defying [inaudible] Public Health and to save lives. So can he tell the house and for those watching what the consequences are of still operating that shouldnt be today . Mr. Speaker, where businesses are blatantly ignoring the instructions of the government, then they will face the consequences as being [inaudible] mr. Speaker, can i salute the tone of the Prime Ministers a difficult some address to the nation on monday night. I know the heroic efforts are happening to run the amounts of testing. Could Prime Minister give us some idea as to win we will be able to get back to reaching testing in the community as that happens in korea, germany and other countries . And she would not know institute weekly tests for nhs staff so we can remove from them the fear that it might be infecting their own patient . Well, mr. Speaker, i can tell the house that on Antibody Testing and on antigene testing were making huge progress. We are buying millions of antibody tests. To share with you, and on his point is that sometimes about how soon can we get that nhs staff in of the Public Sector workers tested, to see if they come have, that is as soon as we possibly can. [inaudible] the chancellor enchanter secretary by yesterday [inaudible] i can tell the honorable tillman westerly not washed our hands on any sets and uk business or industry. We are in regular contact with the aviation sector doing everything we can to help, and already that sector and others, and many other loan supports can already available. But i can assure you there are other contacts going on as we speak. We will now start the second part of Prime Ministers questions. I will start with agenda coven. Thank you, mr. Speaker. And again thank you for making the arrangements that you have today so the more colleagues can come into the chamber. It is a little odd, however, that were having to have a double session of Prime Ministers question time to question the Prime Minister when he himself should have volunteered to come here and make the statement of some length of the subject rather than just doing it to press conferences and television addresses. This house is the place where the government should be held to account. Construction sites, mr. Speaker, are still operating, still working on nonemergency work, despite the new rules for the chancellor said yesterday that sites will continue to stay open. We heard this morning on the radio a call from a selfemployed construction worker who said that he had contracted coronavirus. He was suffering from it. He knew he had got it but had no other option but to get on the london tube and go on to cite to work. Obviously putting itself at greater risk of putting all of the passengers and all of the workers on that site at risk. Why was he doing it . Because he cited up and close it down. He had no other source of income to feed his family. So is going to work making all of us more at risk as a result. So can the Prime Minister be absolutely clear and give unequivocal guidance now that construction work on nonemergency work should stop now . Mr. Speaker, everybody should work at home unless they must go to work. And every business if you have alternative if businesses continue constructor probably, they should do so in accordance with the guidance of Public Health, and they have a duty of care to their employees. But overwhelmingly what we are saying to the people of this country is about unless you need to leave the house to take exercise, for medical reasons, or to buy essential supplies, you should stay at home, protect nhs and save lives. Clearly people should stay at home and protect others but if theres no other source of income, then the very difficult to my personal choices are going to be made and as a result we are all put at greater risk as a result of it. The selfemployed having to choose whether they go to work or stay at home, or face losing their entire livelihood, relying instead on an overstretched welfare system which could pay as little as 94 pounds per week. One selfemployed person said they need to pay for baby food, rent, council tax and insurance for the card that used to work. Faced with the decision to intrafamily, feed your family, and not get paid, why has it taken so long to get income for all selfemployed workers . There are millions of them. Our economy has changed. Mr. Speaker, we are making it absolutely clear to everybody in this country that they should stay at home and save lives. When it comes to the selfemployed and the particular pressure he raises, i think i have now said several times already in the chamber in answer to other honorable members that we are shortly bringing forward a package. And i think he would recognize that the steps the government has taken to provide support for workers, for employees in this country are quite exceptional and unprecedented. And when the welcome by the trade unions themselves. Mr. Speaker, im asking questions about the selfemployed and those on zero hours contract and those with no recourse to public funds who have no support. They are in a very difficult situation, and he should understand that are many of our constituents for every member of this house, our constituents did hansen handsome house existence. A few days paid loss is catastrophic for them. The time of the gentleman has expired again government ministers to toast the workers affected by the crisis could get help by universal credit. Last night there were queues of over 110,000 people trying to get on to the dwp system in order to register to apply for universal credit. Will the Prime Minister now put extra resources and funding to boost the dwp capacity and relax the often quite draconian requirements on people claiming so that money gets where its needed quickly to this people who have got to feed the kids, got to pay the rent, got to survive somehow . Mr. Speaker, hes perfectly right, and thats why weve increased the funding of universal credit, echoes by at 1000 pounds a year. That will that will bennett 4 million of those on household in the country and over were putting several billion pounds in two the system altogether. Well leave this session to go to capitol hill to get remarks from senator lindsey graham