Afternoon across scotland and north east england, more rain, but all of us will see temperatures rise. Now, the week in parliament. Hello and welcome to the week in parliament, a week when the Prime Minister changed his mind and locked down england again. I am not prepared to take the risk with the lives of the british people. But his predecessor challenged the numbers behind the lockdown. It is not 1,000 deaths a day so the prediction was wrong before it was even used. Also in this programme, a call for the bonfire night ban to go further. It isjust irresponsible. How can we morallyjustify the sale of fireworks in a pandemic . First, for weeks, borisjohnson had resisted calls for a temporary lockdown in england to slow the spread of coronavirus. He accused his critics of trying to turn the lights out, but as infections continue to rise, the Prime Minister admitted his strategy of local tiered restrictions had failed to reduce the number of infections. He came to the commons to seek the backing of mps and to explain why a four week long lockdown was needed, why nonessential shops had to shut, why cinemas and gyms had to close. Borisjohnson was keen to reassure sceptical mps that it would end on december 2nd when he hoped to return to a regional approach. Although he did not rule out the lockdown continuing. Of course this is not something that any of us wanted to do, none of us coming to politics to tell people once again to shutter their shops and furlough their staff and stay away from their friends and family and all members feel the pain and anxiety that we are all going to share in the month ahead. As Prime Minister, when i am confronted with dated that projects our nhs could even collapse, with deaths in the second wave potentially exceeding those of the first and when i look at what is happening now, among some of our continental friends and i see doctors who have tested positive been ordered to work on covid wards and patients airlifted to hospitals in some other countries simply to make space, i can reach only one conclusion. I am not prepared to take the risk with the lives of the british people. Sir keir starmer said labour supported the latest restrictions, but they should have been introduced earlier. There have been huge mistakes made in recent weeks during this pandemic. We have been told so many times by the Prime Minister, often on wednesday afternoon, there is a plan to prevent a second wave, it is working. Well, there was not and it did not. And now, less than four months after the Prime Minister told us it would all be over by christmas, we are being asked to approve emergency regulations to shut the country down. That is a terrible thing for the country to go through. But there isnt any excuse for inaction or for allowing the virus to get further out of control. So, labour will act in the National Interest and we will vote for these restrictions, these regulations tonight. The first backbench mp to speak was theresa may who had barely begun before her successor left the chamber. Can i first of all say that i do not envy him and the government, the decisions they are having to take and the difficult. And the difficult position that they find themselves in. Boris johnson later apologised, but he was not around to hear her question the data behind the decision, particularly a slide used in a weekend News Conference modelling the possibility of 4000 deaths per day. You look at the trajectory showing that went to 4000 deaths per day, we would have reach 1000 by the end of october. Now the average in the last week of october was 259 by my calculation and each of those deaths is a sadness and our thoughts are with the families, but it is not 1000 deaths a day, so the prediction was wrong before it was even used. And this leads to a problem for the government, because it is for many people, it looks as if the figures were used to support the policy, rather than the policy being based on the figures. She later abstained and other conservative mps went further. The people that will be damaged by this will be the poorest in society, they will be damaged because they lose theirjobs, the loss of a job is notjust an income problem, it is self respect, it is a status, it is what you do, how you stand up in front of your family and show them that you are bringing as it were the money back to the house and improving their lot. I think there is an unintended perhaps but an arrogance in assuming that government has the right to do so. That it has the right to tell people whether they can visit their elderly parents in a care home, whether it has a right to tell parents they cannot see their children or their grandchildren. Whether it has any right, for heavens sake to tell consenting adults with whom they are allowed to sleep. Other tories backed the government, albeit with a heavy heart. I will be reluctantly supporting the government but with a caveat, i am putting the minister and the government on 28 days notice. They have had many months but now over that short period they need to put in place a Public Health strategy. John steinbeck wrote that a sad soul can kill you far quicker than a germ. It is not entirely biologically correct but we understand the point. Loneliness and isolation extract a heavy mental and physical toll. Ultimately this comes to a very significant judgment. It comes to a judgment about how we best manage a nation and lead a nation through an incredibly difficult period with a pandemic of a virus that exists only to multiply and a virus that lives and breathes off the essence of what it is to be human. Order when it came to the vote, mps backed the new restrictions for england by 516 38 with more than 30 conservative mps voting against the government. Although the lockdown restrictions apply only in england, the government decision to extend the furlough scheme, paying 80 of the wages of some workers applies across the uk. Politicians in scotland, wales and Northern Ireland were swift to point out that this happened only when england went into lockdown and not when the other nations imposed their own restrictions. After some confusion, the chancellor came to the commons, against the backdrop of bleak bank of england projections. Given the significant uncertainty, a worsening economic backdrop and the need to give people and businesses security through the winter, i believe it is right to go further. So, we can announce today that the furlough scheme will not be extended for one month, it will be extended until the end of march. The government will continue to help pay the wages of people up to 80 of the normal amount, all employers will have to pay for hours not worked is the cost of employer nets and pensino contributions. I also want to reassure the people of scotland, wales and Northern Ireland. The furlough scheme was designed and delivered by the government of the United Kingdom on behalf of all the people of the United Kingdom, wherever they live. That has been the case since march and it is a case now and it will remain the case until next march. Businesses are more gauche have been pleading for certainty from this government, but the chancellor keeps ignoring them until the last possible moment, afterjobs have been lost and businesses have gone bust. The National Lockdown was announced on saturday, many weeks after both sage and labour called for a circuit breaker. The chancellor ridiculed those proposals and labour argued that scotland should have access to the furlough scheme, should there need to be a National Lockdown north of the border, and once again the chancellor said no. Then the Prime Minister said yes, cue another undignified scramble to accept that demand today. The snp said nations outside england had been ignored. The reality is that scotland, wales, Northern Ireland and the north of england have been dingied by the chancellor until he was forced to lock down in england. I am glad the furlough and the self employment support scheme has been extended until march but we should be clear that this kind of support is not unique to the uk and countries of all sizes have been supporting their people and many of them have done it more competently and more generously than the uk. I am glad the honourable lady welcomed the extension ofjob support through until next year, and with regards to scotland, it is clear that even the first minister has conceded that this generous support currently available in scotland is only possible and affordable because we have a treasury that represents the whole of the United Kingdom. Rishi sunak. Details of the english lockdown were initially confirmed by the Prime Minister in a downing street News Conference on saturday evening. Boris johnson was flanked by sir patrick vallance, the governments chief scientific adviser, and the chief medical officer, professor chris whitty. As we have seen, their use of a slide suggesting covid deaths could reach 4000 per day if no action was taken, has proved controversial. The two men faced a grilling when they appeared before mps on the science and technology committee. Was it sensible orfair to put forward the graph with 4000 deaths a day without, with or without caveats, pictures tell a much more powerful story than numbers do, that will have frightened a lot of people around the country. Our position was as a scenario from a couple of weeks ago, based on an assumption to try and give a new reasonable worst Case Scenario and that those figures therefore were not as reliable as the six week figure which i spent time talking about. Those figures were ones done by major academic groups, based on those assumptions, and in the spirit of trying to make sure that things are shared and open, they are the things that we have seen. You dont think that you have just frightened people, who do not have your scientific background and understanding of models . I hope not. That is certainly not the aim. It is difficult to not see your family and hug your relatives and worry about christmas. Yes or no, is this lockdown going to work . If people adhere to it in the way that i expect they will, it will reduce the r number below one in the great majority of all of the country and that will pull us back in time and make a huge difference. I would not want to imply that suddenly that means that covid is over as a problem, this is a long haul and i have repeatedly said, i think people broadly accept this. Chris whitty. Borisjohnson told mps that in the medium to long term he was more optimistic than he had been at tackling the virus. The reasons for his optimism . A link to the prospect of mass testing and a vaccine. Mps on the health and science committees joined forces to try and find out when a vaccine might be ready. As you look ahead, what do you think the percentage chances are that we will get a vaccine at some stage in the next year that will wipe out coronavirus . Well, to wipe out coronavirus, very slim. To get a vaccine that has an effect of both reducing illness and reducing mortality, very high. Again, if you look at the data that has been generated so far, by multiple different vaccines and companies so far, actually the data is pretty good. You think we could be in a situation by easter or early summer where all the Vulnerable People in the country have got a vaccine that will have some impact on reducing the dangers of coronavirus . That is my view, yes. 50 . Kate bingham. Time for some news in brief from around westminster. The commons voted to reject measures introduced by the house of lords to protect the uks Animal Welfare and food standards in future trade deals. To avoid chlorine washed chicken or hormone fed beef appearing on the shelves. Both foods are already illegal in the uk and ministers say the ban will be enshrined in uk law at the end of the transition period. One american born mp looked forward to see more british produce on american shelves. I hope that we will notjust be looking at how we can protect ourselves but how we can promote the british farmer, how we can package ourselves and put our delicious cheese, apples, wine in the lips and stomachs of our north american colleagues, and that they will longingly look for the Delicious Food quality standards that only we can provide. Bonfire night has a special significance around westminster, but with organised gatherings banned in england, mps were worried that more people would hold their own events. More than 300,000 people signed a petition calling for a ban on the sale of fireworks to the public, because of the impact of loud, unexpected noises on Vulnerable People and on animals. The petition was debated in westminster hall. What can we expect this year when organised displays will not be happening . It is bound to lead to an increase in demand on Emergency Services at a time when we should be protecting our nhs. It is just irresponsible. How can we morallyjustify the sale of fireworks in a pandemic . A business minister was sympathetic to the problem but said banning fireworks was not the answer. We acknowledge the experience of the Police Council who say banning fireworks would push them underground and make them more difficult to monitor. In addition it could lead to more people buying products inappropriately through online media sources and from outside the uk. Individuals sourcing fireworks from illegitimate or unsafe supplies may unwittingly buy products that are unsafe as they may not meet uk safety requirements. For 15 years, people hoping to become british citizens have had to take what is known as the life in the uk test. It covers british values, history and everyday life but 600 historians have complained about the accuracy of the test and the accompanying textbook, and peers have their own complaints. Having tried for interest half a dozen of the tests and only failed one, i thought content was generally correct as far as it goes and is on the right lines, but may i suggest two tweaks . One, just 24 questions is not nearly enough. That should be doubled to about 50 and more time given, and secondly i found only one answer on the rule of law. There should be a lot more stressing that this is a liberal democratic country where democracy trumps religion and also that we have respect and tolerance for everyone in society. And no riding on the pavement either. I thank my noble friend for pointing those things out. I suspect if we took a straw poll of all views on this house the handbook would be a very long handbook. He is more accustomed to a maiden over than a maiden speech but the recently ennobled former cricketer ian, lord botham used his first contribution in the lords to call on the government to support Community Sports clubs. My whole life has revolved around sport, golf and fishing to name a few and most will know, a bit of cricket. Sport has been more than a game to me, it has been a life and given my life structure and focus and kept me both physically and mentally fit. My career has been well documented, so it is no secret that i am a passionate strong willed man who will fight for the causes close to my heart, be it sport, countryside, charity and the world we are now living, coronavirus and how we continue to live with this pandemic. Lord botham, whose presence even remote seemed to leave some of his new colleagues rather starstruck. The pandemic continues to dominate debates in parliament across the uk. In scotland, where a system with five levels of restrictions has just been put into place, the heads of the medical and surgical colleges have warned of an impending storm in the nhs after publication of its plans for the winter. So can i ask the first minister how many beds are we short, how many staff are we short because of illness and isolating and why is itjust a week after that Preparedness Plan was published, senior medics are already sounding the alarm . Can i first of all say that we listen very carefully to the royal colleges and liaise very carefully with the royal colleges, that will be true of the health secretary, chief medical officer and others within the scottish government. We are not short right now of beds or staff but we do face a very challenging winter. That is true of scotland, england, wales, Northern Ireland and much of europe. Nicola sturgeon defended her governments overall strategy. Today england is in full lockdown. I cant rule that out for all or part of scotland but right now we are in a better position. That is down to in part the decisions have been taking and much more it is down to the compliance of people the length and breadth of the country but we have no room for complacency at all which is why when we come to review the allocation of levels on tuesday we will take a very cautious and very precautionary stance. But this is a storm that has been brewing for some time. Long waits and limited capacity were already the reality for thousands of patients. Workforce shortages were already having a profound impact on staff and their workload long before the pandemic. So what action is the first minister going to take in the National Health service in response to these stark warnings from the front line staff in our National Health service . I dont mean to minimise the challenge at all. I hope people listening to me not just here just now but every day for the last seven months, whatever they think about these decisions i have taken would not in any way get the sense i am underestimating the severity of the challenge. I know the severity of the challenge we face. Nicola sturgeon. Waless 17 day firebreak ends on monday. Members of the senedd met virtually for questions and the plaid cymru leader argued that the welsh governments reliance on westminster for funding the furlough scheme was strengthening the support for independence. If we were able to borrow ourselves unfettered as an independent country we could invest in the way that slovakia has been able to do, testing two thirds of its entire population over the weekend. When you compare that to the failing uk Lighthouse Lab system which is