A full physical return to parliament is hard to justify

The government’s new roadmap to recovery states that as part of phase 1, parliament should set an example by returning to work as normal including more physical proceedings (see page 29).

The guidance says:

It is vital that Parliament can continue to scrutinise the Government, consider the Government’s ambitious legislative agenda and legislate to support the COVID-19 response. Parliament must set a national example of how business can continue in this new normal; and it must move, in step with public health guidance, to get back to business as part of this next step, including a move towards further physical proceedings in the House of Commons.

Garry Graham, Prospect deputy general, responded:

“The new government guidelines make clear that they expect a full return of parliamentarians to Westminster as part of Phase 1 of easing the lockdown. The guidelines for other workplaces however, which stipulate e.g. staggered shifts, cannot be applied here. This could create a massively elevated risk to parliamentary staff.

“For parliament to return in full, safely, there must be proposals in place to limit the number of people working at any one time, and to protect those who have to work. The supply of appropriate PPE must be included in these proposals.

“Given the exemplary job staff have already done in creating a fully functioning hybrid parliament perhaps the example parliament should be setting to the country is that they are obeying the government’s direction that ‘Where you can work from home you should do so’.

“Parliamentarians can work from home, if the only reason to return is to send a mixed message to the country, then the significant additional risk to MPs and staff is hard to justify.”