There are a number of issues forecast in the Gov’s pre-bill publication announcement of the Coronavirus Bill which I think could benefit from advanced thinking: Here’s the statement: Thread - 1/8 gov.uk/government/pub…
Is a two year period (leading to sunset) too much? Should it be 1 year renewable? By what process renewed? I’d hope by affirmative resolution of both houses if possible. 2/8
Provision for the conduct of criminal trials online - compatible with human rights and basic justice? I doubt it if they are mandatory. And what makes sense for those awaiting but unable to obtain a normal trial? 3/8
Are strengthened quarantine procedures required under the current law? Note those powers provided under the Health and Social Care Act 2008, which amended the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984. Bespoke law is better, I’d have thought. 4/8
There’s been bluster about statutory sick pay, tinkering with which will be in bill. But is it remotely adequate? £94.25 a week can’t be enough for most. All the decision-makers here are salaried and not waged. Compare to France (full cover) and Germany (I think 2/3rds?). 5/8
Powers to vary education provision. One is to ‘adapt school meal standards’ and another to ‘relax special educational needs provision’. We need some thinking about both, esp those with more intensive needs. 6/8
Powers to close premises – Since the sign is that this will be ‘powers’ rather than specific measures/decisions, they will presumably be exercisable by SI. What scrutiny, with and without P sitting? Do we need a new scrutiny procedure? These regs could be the most imp part. 7/8
Devolution: Any provision for joined-up crisis management, or is this to be Whitehall-led? With open borders there will be need for limited variation. Is this one for the JMC, or bespoke inter-governmental arrangements? 8/8
Done - and stepping away for two hours. I may have bungled how thread formatting works - if so apologies.
