The emergency coronavirus lockdown laws have been extended for six months following a vote by MPs.
MPs voted 484 to 76, with a majority of 408, to extend coronavirus laws for a further six months.
The extension of emergency powers will now last until October.
But despite the extension ministers insisted this did not change the lockdown roadmap, which will see some restrictions remain in place in England until at least June 21 - reports Mirror Online.
Matt Hancock came under fire from Tory MPs after failing to guarantee “draconian” powers to implement pandemic restrictions will be scrapped in October.
Mr Hancock told the Commons he “cannot answer” whether the Government will be “retiring” the legislation in October or whether it will be rolled on.
But this prompted concerns from MPs, some of whom pressed for the Government to move quicker given the success of the vaccine programme.
Mr Hancock said: “There are parts of this Act that have allowed us to do good things that everybody would like to see like that, and so when we do come to retire this Act, which we must within one year and preferably within six months, we will need to make sure that we can continue to do that sort of thing and make sure that nurses can be enrolled as easily as possible into the NHS.
“But I cannot answer whether we will be retiring it in six months. My preference would be yes, but given the last year, I think a prediction would be hasty.”
Senior Conservative MP Mark Harper, chairman of the lockdown-sceptic Covid Recovery Group, ahead of the debate said he was opposed to the Act’s “very significant draconian powers” being extended for a further six months.
The Coronavirus Act covers support packages like furlough and business loan schemes, as well as allowing courts to use video technology.
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MPs must vote to extend these powers every six months, meaning the next vote could be in October.
The vote does not mean that lockdown is being extended until the autumn.
Ministers say the measures are needed so the Government can respond to the pandemic effectively if they need to.
It does not affect the Prime Minister's plan to ease lockdown measures.
