Summary of the news:
- Matt Hancock, the health secretary, said that the shielding scheme will be eased for people in England from 6 July. He stressed that this decision would be reversed if necessary. He said: “I use the word ‘pause’ very deliberately because the (shielding) list will continue and should the clinical advice be that we need to bring it back in, then that is what we will do.”
- Hancock said that the incidence of coronavirus had fallen so much that now just one person in 1,700 had the disease, compared with one in 400 a month ago. He also said that the daily number of new cases, at 1,000, was at its lowest level since coronavirus started peaking in March, and that the daily headline UK death rate, at 15, was at its lowest level since mid March.
- The home secretary spoke in the Commons about events in Reading, in which three people were killed and at least three others were injured, in what was declared a terrorist incident. Priti Patel said that it is “clear that the threat posed by lone actors is growing”. She said: “The United Kingdom has the best security service and police in the world. Since 2017 they have foiled 25 terrorist plots including eight driven by right-wing ideologies.
- School exams could be delayed next summer to allow more teaching time, MPs were told. The government is considering delaying the 2021 summer exams because of the disruption caused by Covid, Gavin Williamson, the education secretary for England, confirmed in the Commons.He told MPs the government would be consulting with exams watchdog Ofqual to push back the exam dates to later in the summer to maximise teaching time.
- The UK has recorded a further 15 coronavirus deaths, the lowest daily increase since mid-March. The Department for Health and Social care said: “As of 9am 22 June, there have been 8,029,757 tests, with 139,659 tests on 21 June. 305,289 people have tested positive.” They added: “As of 5pm on 21 June, of those tested positive for coronavirus, across all settings, 42,647 have sadly died.”
Updated
A minute’s silence was held outside of the Blagrave Arms pub for the victims of the Reading attack.
Ahead of the pause, Jamie Wake, a friend of the victims, told reporters: “I wish I could stand here and say that I can make sense of the senseless. Sadly today, like many others, I can’t.
“We become so used to seeing incidents like this on the television. This time, we cannot change the channel. This time, it’s on our doorstep.
“And this time, it’s happened to people we know. The LGBT+ community and our allies, here in Reading, are close family, and we’re stood here outside the Blagrave, a place we call home, and a safe space for so many members of our community.
“A place that today we have all been drawn to as we unite together, to mourn as one.”
Updated
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In Wales, the deputy chief medical officer, Dr Chris Jones, said that there were no changes on advice to the group of people who are shielding in the country.
We are asking this group of people to continue following the shielding advice set out in the chief medical officer for Wales’ most recent letter sent out at the beginning of June, until August 16.
We know shielding is not easy, but we are continuing to advise this group of people to take these measures because, although coronavirus is declining in Wales, it has not gone away and these shielding measures will continue to protect this group of people.
We know that the UK government is making changes to the advice it will be issuing to people who are shielding in England from July. But our advice to people who are shielding in Wales remains the same as set out in the letters sent by the Chief Medical Officer earlier this month.
He added that the June letters to the shielded group in Wales included two important changes:
1. The first change related to exercise. Outdoor exercise is unlimited – but we are advising people who are shielding to strictly follow social distancing and hygiene practices. Risk can never be completely eliminated but we advise those shielding to exercise at times that are less busy so contact with others is reduced.
2. The second change related to the ability to meet others. Those who are shielding were advised they can meet with people from another household in their local area outdoors. However, they should not go into another person’s house or share food with them.
All the other shielding advice – such as working from home; not sharing meals or utensils at home; sleeping in a separate bed; not sharing towels and cleaning the bathroom after use – remain in place for your protection.
This is advice only – shielding is not compulsory. These measures and advice are there to help protect you from contracting coronavirus and protect you from developing a potentially serious illness.
Matt Hancock's press conference - Summary
Here are the main points from Matt Hancock’s press conference.
- He stressed that this decision would be reversed if necessary. He said:
I use the word ‘pause’ very deliberately because the (shielding) list will continue and should the clinical advice be that we need to bring it back in, then that is what we will do.
- Jenny Harries, the deputy chief medical officer for England, encouraged people who have been shielding not to be fearful about returning to work. She said that incidence of coronavirus was now so low that, on an epidemiological basis, it would be safe to advice them to return to work now. But they were being told to go back from 1 August to give them time to get used to the idea, she said. She acknowledged that people would be worried. But she advised them to overcome their fears. She said:
For many people who have been out of normal societal circulation, actually having a job, going to work and doing something purposeful, is really important for your ongoing health, and your economic and mental health as well ...
Although people will be fearful, they perhaps sometimes do need to push a little bit in order to get the benefit back themselves.
- Harries said that many children who have been shielding would be better off in school. She said:
There is almost certainly a large number - a very large number - of children who are not going to school at the moment who could go, because parents are concerned that they should be shielding.
As an example, she cited the example of a child with asthma that was under control. She said
Those children are at very, very low risk from Covid, they are probably at very, very significant risk of getting left behind in their education. In terms of the long-term health outcomes, that would be far worse.
- Hancock said an announcement about where travel corridors might be established would come before the June 29 deadline for reviewing the quarantine arrangements. Asked about the plan, which would involve exempting certain countries from the quarantine rules, he said:
A lot of work is being done on travel corridors, I’ve been working on it over the weekend. And we have a formal review date of the quarantine policy at the end of this month on June 29, and we’ll make sure that in good time for that we publish what we plan to do next in terms of where we think - based on the epidemiological advice - we’re able to formalise travel corridors.
- Hancock said that the incidence of coronavirus had fallen so much that now just one person in 1,700 had the disease, compared with one in 400 a month ago. He also said that the daily number of new cases, at 1,000, was at its lowest level since coronavirus started peaking in March, and that the daily headline UK death rate, at 15, was at its lowest level since mid March. (See 5.07pm.)
Q: [From the Northern Echo] Why are the coronavirus rates so high in the north east? Are people right to be worried? And has coronavirus changed the government’s levelling up agenda?
Hancock says the pandemic has made the levelling up agenda even more important than it was. The government will be “redoubling” its efforts on this, he says.
He says the virus is under control in the north east. The number of cases is falling.
Harries says across the world less affluent communities have been worse hit.
She says, rather than being anxious, people should be careful and concerned. Being too fearful does not help, she says. She ends saying:
Be careful and be cautious, but don’t be too anxious.
And that’s it. The press conference is over.
Q: If there is a gap between what the scientists and the politicians are saying about the two-metre rule, shouldn’t the public trust the scientists?
Hancock says the government has been guided by the science throughout this.
But he says the charts he showed earlier indicated that the number of new cases is coming down. (See 5.07pm.)
Q: What is reaction to the R number going up in Germany? (See 10.10am.)
Harries says that shows why we should not give up all social distancing rules.
She says test and trace is there to ensure that, when there are new outbreaks, they are spotted earlier.
She also says that, as the incidence rate falls, the R number becomes less crucial.
Updated
Harries says the new guidance relating to shielding is being issued beforehand so people have time to consider it properly.
She says they cannot rule out people encountering the virus. But now the cases are “so low” that the risk is minimal. She says on average you would have to meet 1,700 people now to come across a case. (See 5.08pm.)
She says “now is as safe as it is likely to be for a while”.
She says there may be more risk in the winter if cases rise again. But she says at that point doctors be able to give people very personalised advice about the risk.
Updated
Q: Are you willing to change the law to ensure unscrupulous employers do not treat workers who were shielding unfairly?
Hancock says the legal protections are there in law already.
Q: Is it safe to open up when the WHO has raised the alarm over a record increase in daily global cases?
Hancock says that helps to explain why the government has introduced quarantine measures.
Q: Will children who are shielding be able to go back to school in September?
Harries says there are a large number of children who are not going to school now who could return. She cites as an example a child with mild asthma who is able to run around. The risk from their being in school is very, very low, she says. But the risk to them from missing school is much higher, she says.
Updated
Q: Will you do anything to legally protect people who cannot go back to work?
Hancock says legal protections for workers continue.
He repeats the point about how the government is following clinical advice.
Harries says for many people having a job, and being able to go out, is important for their health.
She says people are not being told to go back to work straight away. They have some weeks to get used to this. People may be fearful. But they may need to push a bit to go back to work in a way that they will subsequently find beneficial.
Q: Some people are worried about going out when shielding ends. What will you do to support them?
Hancock says it is critical that work is available in a Covid-secure way.
Dr Jenny Harries, the deputy chief medical officer for England, says she knows that people shielding are frightened.
But the infection rate has come right down.
And there seems to be a seasonal effect, she says (ie, the risk is less in the summer).
And she says businesses are being told to take steps to maximise safety.
Q: You are ending statutory sick pay for those shielding. Isn’t that another source of worry?
Hancock says they are acting on clinical advice.
The scheme is being paused, he says. He says he is using that word deliberately. If it needs to be reintroduced, it will be, he says.
Updated
Mandy from Salisbury asks what is happening with travel corridors.
Hancock says a lot of work is being done on this. He was working on them over the weekend. The 14-day quarantine rules for UK arrivals is being reviewed by 29 June. He says before then the government will produce new advice.
Updated
Hancock is now taking questions.
Alan, a member of the public, asks what infrastructure projects are at risk from the cost of the increased borrowing by the government.
Hancock says the government’s view is that it must accelerate infrastructure spending, not reduce it.
Updated
At the press conference Hancock says he will be writing to everyone on the shielding list with more guidance about what to expect.
He says it may take time for people to get used to the new rules. He will try to make them as clear as possible.
He says people shielding receiving food boxes will continue to get them until the end of July.
And he says seven supermarket companies have said they will continue to prioritise people who are shielding for online deliveries.
He says the shielding list will continue.
Support for people on the shielding list has been a huge effort, he says.
He thanks those who have shielded. He says they have contributed to the fight against coronavirus.
Coronavirus shielding scheme to be eased in England from 6 July
Hancock says he can announce that shielding rules are being relaxed. The government briefed details of this under embargo, and my colleague Sarah Boseley has the story. It’s here.
This is how the story starts.
People with underlying health issues who are most at risk from Covid-19 will no longer have to shut themselves away in their home and can shop and mix with other people from 6 July in England, the health secretary has said.
Support for people who are undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, have a damaged immune system or have had an organ transplant will continue to the end of July, said Matt Hancock.
But from 1 August, the 2.2 million “clinically extremely vulnerable” who have been shielding from the virus in England will receive only local authority and voluntary help and can return to their jobs if their workplace is “Covid-secure”.
The government says it is safe for the most at-risk to leave their homes, but the new guidance will cause anxiety. Macmillan Cancer Support said its data showed almost half of people with cancer in England who have been shielding (45%) are worried they will be forgotten as the lockdown continues to ease, while 67% are worried they will not get the help they need.
And here is an extract from the government news release.
From Monday 6 July [people who are shielding] will be able to spend time outdoors in a group of up to six people including those outside of their household, while maintaining physical distancing.
Those who are shielding and live alone or are single parents with children will also be able to create a ‘support bubble’ with one other household of any size, following the same rules already in place for the wider population.
This announcement is almost identical to what was announced early for people shielding in Northern Ireland. (See 4.33pm.)
Updated
Hancock says a month ago one person in 400 had coronavirus. Now it is one person in 1,700.
That is why the government can relax the lockdown further, he says.
Updated
Hancock has arrived for the press conference.
He starts with the daily slides.
He says for the first time since the virus started peaking the number of new cases is below 1,000.
And here are the death figures. He says today’s death toll, at 15, is the lowest figure since mid March.
But it is the figure for a weekend, he says. He says the figures normally rise after the weekend because fewer deaths get recorded on Saturdays and Sundays.
Matt Hancock's press conference
Matt Hancock, the health secretary, will be taking the UK government press conference at 5pm. He will be appearing with Dr Jenny Harries, the deputy chief medical officer for England.
This is from Andy Bell from 5 News.
.@MattHancock just went into Number 10 - is it the end of 2 metres ? I asked him; “lots of news” he replied #COVID19
— Andy Bell (@andybell5news) June 22, 2020
Priti Patel indicated that the UK must continue to be vigilant, with the terror threat level currently at “substantial”.
SNP chief whip Patrick Grady said: “It is the third terrorist attack since the UK terror threat level was reduced in November.
“Is (Ms Patel) considering the use of the scale of the terror threat level and whether there is any consideration of reviewing the criteria and the circumstances around the raising or the lowering of the threat level?”
Patel responded: “That terror threat is independent of the Home Secretary and the Home Office, it’s a JTAC (Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre) assessment.
“The fact of the matter is the threat level is substantial and on that basis we all continue to be vigilant and obviously monitor situations and engage with our intelligence and security services and take the relevant advice.”
Updated
Northern Ireland to put shielding on hold from 31 July
In Northern Ireland Robin Swann, the health minister, has announced two measures to reduce lockdown restrictions for people who are shielding (told to stay at home because they are deemed extremely clinically vulnerable). As the Northern Ireland Department of Health says in its news release:
From 6 July, people who are shielding will be able to meet up to six people outside the home, as long as social distancing is strictly observed.
In addition, people who are shielding and living alone will be able to form a support bubble from July 6 with one other household.
Swann also said that shielding would be put on hold from 31 July. He said people shielding would get a letter before then with further advice. He said:
I have no doubt that shielding has played a key role in saving many lives. It has undoubtedly been extremely difficult for those who are shielding. I have listened with great sympathy to what people have told us about feeling isolated and how they have missed their loved ones.
I know these easements that take effect on 6 July will be welcome news to many as we move towards the pause in shielding from the end of July.
Northern Ireland’s First Minister Arlene Foster has confirmed the Stormont Executive has agreed that groups of up to six people will be able to meet indoors from tomorrow.
“It is recommended that social distancing should still be maintained along with other mitigations such as ventilation and good hand hygiene,” she told Stormont’s briefing on Monday.
“This was the one relaxation remaining outstanding from the initial stage of our recovery plan and I know many of you have been desperate in recent weeks to visit your family and friends inside their homes.”
At the public accounts committee, the SNP MP Peter Grant is asking the questions now.
Q: When did it become clear that there would be a problem with PPE in care homes?
Rosamond Roughton, the director of adult social care at the DHSC, says on 13 March advice was issued relating to the use of face masks in care homes. She says at that point there were pressures on the system. She says it was not usual for face masks to be needed in care homes.
Updated
An MP has told of how one of his parliamentary assistants carried out CPR on a victim of the Forbury Gardens attack.
Speaking in the Commons, Tory Chris Loder (West Dorset) told MPs: “In the same way that (Tobias Ellwood) did so in March 2017, another member of our parliamentary family who, by chance was at Forbury Gardens on Saturday, ran courageously towards danger, his only focus to help the injured.”
Loder said a member of his staff “not only used his own shirt to stem the bleeding of one victim, but continued resuscitation on a second victim until the paramedics arrived”.
He added: “This was indeed a remarkable and extraordinary effort from a young man who has been with us in parliament for little over four months and whom I am extremely proud to have as part of the West Dorset parliamentary team as I hope is the whole house.”
Updated
Patel was questioned about whether the suspect in the alleged terror attack was known to security services and other authorities after it emerged he was under investigation as a person who might travel abroad “for extremist reasons”.
Patel said she would not get into speculation and commentary but the policy was as stated that: “If you commit crimes in the UK we will do everything in our power to remove you and that has been the focus of this government.”
She said: “It is not always easy and there are barriers to overcome”.
At the public accounts committee, Sir Chris Wormald, the DHSC permanent secretary, says the government did implement the recommendations of the report from the Cygnus planning exercise in 2016.
He said that involved plans for a flu pandemic. He said coronavirus had created a much higher demand for PPE in hospitals.
Updated
Nick Thomas-Symonds warned that legislation alone would not be enough to safeguard against future tragedies.
He said: “Legislation alone is not enough. We need a comprehensive look at de-radicalisation in our prisons, how people who pose a threat are risk-assessed and how different agencies can work together to safeguard against tragedies in the future.”
Priti Patel responded: “He’s absolutely right, legislation is never the only answer or the only solution, not just on issues of this nature but wider safeguarding, community measures and the responses that are put in place.”
At the public accounts committee Sir Simon Stevens, the NHS England chief executive, is being asked more questions about the NHS contract to use private hospitals.
Q: How many of the 8,000 beds in private hospitals you paid for were used?
Stevens says this was not just about beds. It was about freeing up the staff too for NHS use.
Q: But how many beds were used?
Stevens says several hundred thousand patient procedures took place under this arrangement.
Q: And can you give a rough figure for the cost?
Stevens says he can’t at this stage. But the first phase of this contract comes to an end at the end of June. At that point he will provide a figure to the committee, he says.
Conservative former minister Sir John Redwood, MP for Wokingham, said James Furlong [one of the victims in the Reading attack] was “by all accounts an inspirational teacher who always went the extra distance for his pupils and was a very kind man”.
He told the Commons: “He will be sorely missed. The community is very shaken today by this news.
“But will the Home Secretary intensify the efforts of the intelligence services, police, Border Force and the others as we’ve had too many of these mass murders in recent years and we want some reassurance that we can get on top of this and save the lives of others in the future?”
Home Secretary Priti Patel, in her reply, said: “(Sir John) is absolutely right in terms of the intensification of the work that is taking place and this is cross-cutting across Government, covering a range of measures - police, intelligence and security.”
Shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said it is “vital” that questions are addressed in the wake of several terrorist incidents.
He said: “It is heartbreaking that we are having this conversation again so soon after the terrible attacks at Fishmongers’ Hall in November that tragically took the lives of Jack Merritt and Saskia Jones and the attack in Streatham in February.
“This is a live investigation so we have to ensure there is due process and that the police can do their job but the country will want answers about these incidents which have occurred in such quick succession.
“So whilst the priority today must be to ensure that there are no further related threats and that the victims and families are cared for, it is vital that questions are addressed.”
At the public accounts committee the Conservative Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown is asking the questions again.
Q: Will the government renew its contract with the private health sector to keep capacity available?
Sir Simon Stevens, the NHS England chief executive, says the government will want to renew its contract. But this time it will be different. The original contract was about having capacity for Covid patients. Now they need capacity for catch-up non-coronavirus procedures.
Q: How much was the contract worth?
Stevens says he cannot give a figure. It is still being established. But he says the NHS is paying on an “at cost” basis.
Patel said through the Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill “we are introducing much tougher penalties for terrorists to keep the public safe”.
She told MPs: “This is the biggest overhaul of terrorist sentencing and monitoring in decades. Strengthening every stage of the process from introducing a 14-year minimum jail term for the most dangerous offenders to stricter monitoring measures.”
She added: “We continue to pursue every option available to tackle the terrorist threat and to take dangerous people off our streets. As the Prime Minister reiterated yesterday, the police and security services will continue in their investigations to better understand the circumstances of this tragic incident and if further action is needed we will not hesitate.
“Our world-class CT, police and security services have my unequivocal backing as they hunt down hate-fuelled terrorists and extremists. So my message today is clear, simple and strong: swift justice will be done, victims will be supported and if further action is needed to stop terrorists in their tracks, this Government will not hesitate to act.”
Priti Patel is being questioned in the House of Commons and a stabbing attack in Read, which was declared a terrorist incident. She said it’s important minority groups are not vilified.
Reading East MP Matt Rodda said he wanted to thank the emergency services for their bravery. “Reading is a friendly and peaceful town.. this whole incident is completely unknown to us.” He said community solidarity was shown when different faith groups came together to lay flowers, adding that local people had been supporting one another.
Patel said:
The way in which the community has come together with multi faith groups but also emergency services and police officers, it is outstanding... the police officers and emergency services that responded with such swiftness and such bravery.
Q: What plans are in place to tackle the backlog of non-Covid procedures building up?
Amanda Pritchard, the chief operating officer for NHS England, says the NHS is gearing up for this.
Priti Patel said that it is “clear that the threat posed by lone actors is growing”.
She said: “The United Kingdom has the best security service and police in the world. Since 2017 they have foiled 25 terrorist plots including eight driven by right-wing ideologies.
“They serve the country with professionalism and courage, embodying what the British public rightfully expect from those on the front line of the battle against violent extremists and terrorists.
“The UK’s counter-terrorism strategy remains one of the most
comprehensive approaches to countering terrorism in the world.
“But we have all too often seen the results of poisonous extremist ideology. The terrorist threat that we face is complex, diverse and rapidly changing.
“It is clear that the threat posed by lone actors is growing.”
Priti Patel is speaking in the Commons about events in Reading, in which three people were killed, in what was declared a terrorist incident. She said:
Over recent decades we have seen the result of poisonous extremist ideology...The threat posed by lone actors is growing... and they are united by the same vile hate.
Patel said the government was “united in a mission to tackle terrorism in all forms” and stressed that there was £900m counter. terrorism police funding.
Patel said that the message today was “swift” and “justice will be done, victims will be supported and if more action needed to top terrorists in act” the government will act.
Updated
At the public accounts committee hearing Amanda Pritchard, the chief operating officer for NHS England, says the NHS wants to keep the Nightingale hospital and private hospital capacity available, in case there is a second peak later this year.
Priti Patel makes Commons statement about Reading terror attack
The home secretary is speaking in the Commons about events in Reading, in which three people were killed and at least three others were injured, in what was declared a terrorist incident.
Priti Patel said:
There are limits to what I can say … On behalf of the police following conversations over the weekend and a visit to Reading this morning [I will say the following] … A 25 year-old male entered Forbury Gardens in the centre of Reading and began to viciously attack several groups of people … The armed suspect was tackled to the ground by an unarmed officer and was immediately arrested at the scene. The suspect remains in custody.
Police confirmed the threat is contained but sadly three innocent members of the public were killed … and another three victims were injured and received hospital treatment.
Patel sent her heartfelt condolences to the families of those affected and said it was “humbling” to visit Thames Valley police this morning, and to meet the officers who first attended the incident.
These officers a few of whom student officers ran towards danger to help those in need without a second thought … These officers are heroes and showed courage bravery and selflessness way beyond their years.
Patel paid tribute to the emergency services and members of the public who stepped in to help.
Updated
Back at the public accounts committee, Sir Chris Wormald, the DHSC permanent secretary, is being asked about care homes.
He says he is “undefensive” and “reflective” about what happened. He explains:
I’m not going to say … everything was correct. We are in a process of learning as we go along.
The Labour MP Nick Smith asks if it was sensible to discharge people with Covid into care homes, assuming the risks could be managed.
Wormald says he thinks that decisions were justified at the time. He says that is not the same as saying the same decision would be taken again.
When Smith suggests DHSC has been blaming Public Health England for what happened (on the basis of what was said earlier - see 3pm), Wormald says that is not what he is arguing. He says there is no sense in which the department is trying to push responsibility on to someone else.
Updated
Public Health Wales has recorded one further coronavirus death in Wales, taking the total to 1,478. The details are here.
School exams could be delayed next summer to allow more teaching time, MPs told
The government is considering delaying the 2021 summer exams because of the disruption caused by Covid, Gavin Williamson, the education secretary for England, confirmed in the Commons.
He told MPs the government would be consulting with exams watchdog Ofqual to push back the exam dates to later in the summer to maximise teaching time.
The Ministry of Justice has announced it will no longer publish daily updates on coronavirus infections within the prison estate and will move to a weekly release.
In recent weeks the number of cases have been increasing at a slow pace, with cases frequently increasing at a rate of less than 1% a day.
In the last update released on Friday, the figures showed that as at 5pm on Thursday, 505 prisoners had tested positive for the coronavirus across 81 prisons, as well as 984 workers across 105 prisons. There are about 79,600 prisoners across 117 prisons in England and Wales, and around 33,000 staff working in public sector prisons.
At least 23 prisoners and nine staff are known to have died, as well as one prison escort driver and one NHS trust employee working in a secure training centre.The current regime, which has seen a ban on family visits, reduced time spent out of cells to about 30 minutes a day, suspended prison transfers and forced new arrivals to be quarantined for 14 days, has been hailed a success by ministers as deaths and infection rates behind bars have been significantly lower than expected.
Updated
At the public accounts committee, Gagan Mohindra, a Conservative, asks why the risks facing hospitals were stress-tested, but not the risks facing the care sector.
Sir Chris Wormald, the DHSC permanent secretary, says they have already set out at this hearing what measures were taken to protect the care sector.
Rosamond Roughton, director of adult social care at the DHSC, says the social care sector also comes under local government control. Councils may have done stress-testing, she suggests.
Updated
NHS England has recorded a further 20 coronavirus hospital deaths in England, taking the total to 28,338. The full figures are here (pdf).
At the public accounts committee, Sir Chris Wormald, the permanent secretary at the Department for Health and Social Care, says the department would like to have had more data at the start.
And he says they have much better and more timely information from the NHS than from the care sector.
Updated
Coronavirus will have cost Greater Manchester £732m by the end of 2020-21, the region’s combined authority has calculated.
This is made up of additional costs responding to the crisis of £236m, together with lost revenues of £496m. Taking into account government grants and reserves, the total net deficit facing Greater Manchester’s 10 districts is £368m.
£71m of the increased costs went on adult social care, which includes an increased demand for care and support, purchase of personal protective equipment and reduction in charging income (day support).
The analysis “lays bare the scale of the funding challenge facing Greater Manchester’s councils”, Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, said. “Without urgent support, this funding crisis will engulf local government and endanger the vital services that councils provide to the community, particularly for the most vulnerable.”
The breakdown of lost revenues is:
Commercial income - £167m (42%)
Business rates losses – (net*) £69m (17%)
Council tax losses - £97m (25%)
Sales, fees and charges - £61m (15%)
Updated
UK records further 15 coronavirus deaths in lowest daily increase since mid-March
The DHSC has published today’s headline coronavirus death figures for the UK. A further 15 deaths have been recorded.
This is the lowest increase in the daily headline figure since 15 March, according to the Evening Standard.
As of 9am 22 June, there have been 8,029,757 tests, with 139,659 tests on 21 June.
— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) June 22, 2020
305,289 people have tested positive.
As of 5pm on 21 June, of those tested positive for coronavirus, across all settings, 42,647 have sadly died.
More info:
▶️ https://t.co/xXnL3GbBWS pic.twitter.com/mJg2FQa94y
Updated
DHSC chief admits hospital discharges into care homes caused 'big problems, but claims move 'rational' in circumstances
Wormald says he is not claiming that there were not “big issues” in care homes. He accepts that lessons need to be learned.
But he insists that the decisions were “rational” given the evidence at the time.
I’m not denying there were big problems … But I don’t accept … that decisions were not soundly based on science at the time.
Updated
Sir Chris Wormald, the permanent secretary at the Department for Health and Social Care, claims that at the point when hospital patients were being discharged into care homes, coronavirus was not widespread in the community.
[Corrected tweet:] Wormald denies it was "reckless" to discharge patients into care homes earlier in the pandemic when cases were rising.
— HealthServiceJournal (@HSJnews) June 22, 2020
"I'm not denying we have had challenges in care homes... [but] on discharge, the PHE advice at that point was COVID-19 was not widespread."
The Tory MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, who is questioning him, does not accept this. He suggests the policy made no sense.
Updated
'Absolutely reckless': Health officials face angry grilling from MPs over discharge of patients into care homes
The public accounts committee hearing has now turned to social care.
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, a Conservative, is asking the questions.
Q: On 17 March you sent out detail advice for the NHS. But similar advice only went out to the social care sector on 15 April. Wasn’t it forgotten?
Sir Chris Wormald, the permanent secretary at the Department for Health and Social Care, says he does not accept that.
But he says it was “considerably more difficult” to help the social care sector because it is much more diffuse.
Rosamond Roughton, director of adult social care at the DHSC, says the department sent out advice to care homes well before the action plan (mentioned by Clifton-Brown) was published on 15 April. She lists a series of actions taken.
Q: Weren’t you negligent?
No, says Wormald. He says considerable action was taken to help the care sector. The action plan referred to advice and support that had been offered to the sector before 15 April.
Q: On 2 April care homes were asked to increase their capacity to take patients from hospitals. But only five people per care home were getting tested. There was no adequate PPE or training. How was that not negligent?
Wormald suggests his colleague, Steve Powis, the national medical director at NHS England, will address this.
Powis says that originally the number of cases were low. But modelling suggested that the NHS could be overwhelmed. It was clear from the reasonable worst case scenario that this was the case.
Q: Wasn’t this policy driven by the need to stop the NHS being overwhelmed? Care homes did not get the same consideration.
Powis says they were discharging people who were clinically fit to be discharged.
Q: How did you know they did not have Covid if you did not test them?
Powis says processes were in place in hospital. He says staying in hospital could be harmful.
Q: But how did you know they did not have Covid if you did not test them?
Powis says they were following the Public Health England guidelines at the time. He says most people who had contracted Covid had not needed hospital treatment.
Clifton says what they were doing was “absolutely reckless”.
Updated
More than half of people signing up as NHS volunteers never needed, official figures suggest
The Commons public accounts committee has just started taking evidence from senior NHS officials about whether the NHS and social care were ready for the coronavirus peak.
The witnesses include: Sir Simon Stevens, the NHS England chief executive; Sir Chris Wormald, the permanent secretary at the Department for Health and Social Care; and Steve Powis, the national medical director at NHS England.
In response to the first question to him, Steven says there was an “overwhelming response by the public” to the appeal for NHS volunteers.
Q: How many of the 600,000 people who signed up have actually contributed?
Stevens says “over 300,000 volunteering tasks have been complete”.
He says a lot of people responded because they wanted to help the NHS. Far more people responded than responded to any previous call for volunteers like this, he says.
(At one point it was reported that 750,000 people had signed up to volunteer. The figure given by Stevens suggests that more than half of them were never needed.)
Updated
Sturgeon welcomes report proposing 'education-led recovery' in Scotland
At her media briefing (see 1.13pm) earlier Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, welcomed the report (pdf) published by the Scottish government’s independent advisory group on economic recovery. It is one of the first detailed documents from a government body in the UK to look at how coronavirus could be used as a catalyst for far-reaching reform.
Here is an extract from the foreword by the group’s chair, the former Tesco boss Benny Higgins.
Prior to the onset of the health crisis, we faced a number of significant economic challenges. Extended steady but low economic growth combined with relatively full employment indicates structurally low productivity. Our export base is narrow. Our population is an ageing one. There is the jeopardy, as well as the opportunity, of the transitions associated with climate change and the so-called fourth industrial revolution, which will be characterised by digitisation, the use of data, machine learning and artificial intelligence. And, of course, the long-term ramifications of Brexit – the outlook for which has worsened markedly. These challenges have not gone away.
But we have a new starting point. Three themes have emerged as even more dominant than before; inequality, education, and unemployment. The last few months have exposed and illuminated the scale of inequality across the world and here in Scotland. And the events of the last few weeks have brought an acute, overdue point of inflection in how we reflect on racism. The health crisis has spawned further inequalities, and the relaxation of restrictions will create yet more. It is illustrative to consider that 90% of the top 50% of earners in the country can work from home, whilst 90% of the bottom 50% cannot do so. Many of the lowest paid essential workers have put their health and that of their families at risk during this crisis. There are countless studies that demonstrate the impact of ‘learning loss’ when young people are denied access to conventional schooling. Once again, it is most pronounced in disadvantaged communities, where the alternative to formal delivery is very constrained.
The central importance of the role of education in the reconstruction of the economy is unarguable, and the breadth of what this means needs to be reconsidered. We need to accelerate existing concepts being developed in schools to prepare some children in their later years for vocational roles and apprenticeships. We must strive to ensure that learning is designed to match the skills we need in Scotland in future. Reskilling and lifelong learning will be vital too. Our universities are the envy of many around the world. We must protect them but also leverage them to greater effect; we must transform acknowledged worldclass research into comparable levels of development, and, in turn, large- scale commercialisation. We need an education-led recovery.
The report also proposes what it calls a “Scottish jobs guarantee”. It explains:
The scheme should offer secure employment, for a period of at least 2 years, to 16-25 year olds, paid at the living wage, with access to training, apprenticeships and the possibility of progression. It should be delivered locally, with brokerage of opportunities between employers and jobseekers: but it should be set within a coherent national framework.
Updated
An AI robot developed by a pair of brothers whose mother is shielding has helped a local authority identify hundreds of households needing extra support during the coronavirus lockdown.
Monty and Hector Alexander founded the start-up Yokeru after their grandmother fell over and was left for eight hours unaided, and are now looking at ways to ensure isolated households are not overlooked.
They started the business while Monty, 24, was studying mechanical engineering at Imperial College London, in an attempt to “improve communication between vulnerable people and caregivers”.
An automated voice call system developed by the pair has been piloted at Hammersmith & Fulham council since 14 May to regularly contact 9,000 residents shielding in the west London borough.
The technology costs about a fifth of a traditional call centre and has asked residents every two weeks how they are coping with self-isolation, if they feel at risk, and if they have concerns for their mental or physical safety.
Responses are presented to the council and the appropriate officers make contact with those who need specific help.
Of the 9,000 residents contacted, 927 households with “unmet needs” such as issues getting food or medication, loneliness, mental health and safeguarding concerns have so far been identified.
Using a human call operator, it would have taken the council 225 hours, or 32 working days, for every day of calls made by Yokeru in order to reach all the shielded households.
Updated
Boris Johnson is expected to announce tomorrow plans for the hospitality sector to reopen from 4 July and set out whether the two-metre social distancing rule in England can be relaxed.
Health secretary Matt Hancock said over the weekend England is “clearly on track” to further ease lockdown restrictions after repeated calls to reduce the 2-metre rule to 1 metre.
The prime minister is discussing the proposed changes with the Covid-19 strategy committee on Monday afternoon, attended by chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance and chief medical officer for England Prof Chris Whitty.
He will then outline plans to parliament tomorrow for pubs, restaurants, hotels and hairdressers to reopen in England from 4 July, and a likely loosening of the distancing guidance to boost the economic restart.
Dr Zeshan Qureshi, lead author of a report on social distancing for Oxford University’s Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme there was scientific uncertainty around relaxing the 2-metre rule.
His team has looked at every study published up to 17 June on Covid-19 and social distancing. He said:
This 1 to 2-metre distancing, it’s not based on data that we are getting from coronavirus. It is based on historic data, decades and decades old that has been applied to coronavirus in good faith.
It is based on very old, outdated models of droplet transmission, which assume that large droplets are the route in which infections are transmitted.
Updated
A photo project celebrating “stories of hope” from the NHS is being screened at Piccadilly Circus in London.
Launching on Monday, more than 12,000 photos and stories have been collected for the project from key workers, carers, patients and NHS staff, which will be displayed at the central London location.
The Rainbows For The NHS installation, which was described as a “testament to this important moment in history”, will be displayed in the capital for one week.
The interactive mosaic art project was created by Helen Marshall of The People’s Picture, who has previously produced photo mosaics celebrating the Queen’s diamond jubilee and the 100th anniversary of British women getting the right to vote.
“As an artist, I was really moved by the collective creative response of the nation to the pandemic, and like everybody else I wanted to do something,” Marshall said.
“I particularly wanted the NHS staff, key workers and carers’ stories to be highlighted. By collecting thousands of photos, videos and stories, I have created one giant interactive rainbow mosaic during my time in lockdown.”
The installation will appear on Piccadilly Lights until Sunday 28 June, after which it will be available to view online.
Martin Machray, joint chief nurse for the NHS in London, said: “This is an inclusive and safe way for the nation to connect and thank our NHS, key workers and carers through art. It’s wonderful to have so many images and people represented; each an individual story of hope and testament to this important moment in history.”
Updated
No 10 refuses to deny reports saying plans to relax Sunday trading laws have been dropped
The Downing Street lobby briefing has finished. Here are the main points.
- The No 10 review of the two-metre rule has been concluded, the prime minister’s spokesman said. He said it would be presented to ministers at a meeting of the C-19 committee chaired by Boris Johnson late this afternoon, after the 5pm press conference. Prof Chris Whitty, the government’s chief medical adviser, and Sir Patrick Vallance, its chief scientific adviser, will be participating. The C-19 group will consider the recommendations of the review, and the next steps in the coronavirus recovery roadmap, ahead of cabinet considering these measures and Johnson making a statement to MPs on the plans tomorrow.
- The spokesman brushed aside claims from Independent Sage, an unofficial group of scientists chaired by Sir David King, the former government chief scientific adviser, saying replacing the two-metre rule with a one-metre rule would be a mistake. Asked about the statement on this from Independent Sage, the spokesman just said the government was considering a range of advice. In its press notice Independent Sage said:
[Independent Sage] publishes a review of the scientific evidence today and says that reducing to 1 metre indoors will mean the end of social distancing measures in Britain as it effectively messages a ‘return to normal’.
Until there is evidence that infections have dropped to much fewer than 1,000 cases a day, it says it is not safe in indoor spaces particularly in restaurants, bars, or workplaces where it notes, people tend to lean toward each other when they speak.
It says the government is ignoring the advice from its own Sage committee and that it is now ‘crucial’ that the government publishes the underlying evidence behind the proposed change of rules as the public and businesses will now need to make their own risk assessment.
- The spokesman said the government was planning to unveil a Covid bill this week with legislation to help businesses adjust to new social distancing requirements. Explaining the aims of the bill, which will officially be called the business and planning bill, the spokesman said:
At the heart of it will be legislation to enable businesses to adjust to new ways of working and to help businesses capitalise on the summer months. It will look to support businesses to implement safer ways of working to manage the ongoing risks from coronavirus, and in particular the need for social distancing.
It has been reported that one of the features of the bill will be a change to licensing laws to allow all pubs, restaurants and cafés in England to serve alcohol to customers outside.
- The spokesman did not dispute reports saying that the government has dropped plans to relax the Sunday trading laws. Ministers floated this idea recently, but according to one report at least 50 Tory MPs have said they would vote against legislating implementing this. Asked about claims that the relaxation of Sunday trading laws has been dropped from the forthcoming Covid bill being published this week, the spokesman just said that the Sunday trading laws were being kept under review.
- The spokesman stressed that the government would “not hesitate to put the handbrake on” if coronavirus infections started to increase. He was responding to a question about the increase in the reproduction number in Germany. (See 10.10am.) In a statement yesterday Downing Street said:
The more we open up, the more important it is that everyone follows the social distancing rules. We will not hesitate to put the handbrake on to stop the virus running out of control.
- The spokesman said claims that Johnson was deliberately stalling the appointment of the intelligence and security committee were “entirely wrong”. These claims have been prompted by the fact that the committee has still not been set up more than six months after the election. Until the committee is reestablished, it cannot publish its report into Russian interference in British politics, a document that is thought to contain material embarrassing to the Conservative party. The spokesman said that work on establishing the committee was “ongoing” and that it would be established “as quickly as circumstances allow”. He refused to comment on claims that one reason for the delay was a No 10 decision to remove the Tory former cabinet minister Theresa Villiers from the committee because she defied the government whip in a vote on post-Brexit food standards.
- The spokesman said Robert Jenrick, the communities secretary, still has the confidence of the prime minister. But the spokesman would not say whether Johnson knew that Jenrick he viewed a promotional video for Richard Desmond’s £1bn property development when the two met at a dinner before that was revealed in the Sunday Times yesterday.
- The spokesman said that Johnson would “not hesitate” to act if the investigation into the Reading terror attack suggested that legislation needed to be tightened. The spokesman said the government had been willing to tighten legislation in the wake of previous attacks. But the spokesman said he could not comment on the details of the Reading case because the investigation was live.
- Matt Hancock, the health secretary, will take the 5pm press conference this afternoon, the spokesman said. He will appear with Dr Jenny Harries, the deputy chief medical officer for England.
Updated
At her news conference Nicola Sturgeon also announced the publication of a report from the Scottish government’s independent advisory group on economic recovery. She said:
The report is clear-sighted about the scale, the vast scale, of the challenge our economy faces as we come out of this crisis.
However, it sets out practical measures, founded on values, which can help us to address that challenge.
It provides recommendations that can help us to help businesses and individuals get back on their feet, and in doing so, I think it potentially lays the foundations for a much more resilient, more sustainable, and fairer economy in the years to come.
I therefore warmly welcome it.
Updated
Hello everyone. I am covering the Guardian’s UK live feed with Andrew Sparrow. Please get in touch if you have any questions, comments and news tips. We are always really keen to gain insight from our readers on the issues that are affecting you as it helps our coverage. For anonymous tips I am also on Signal and you can find my number of my email response so drop me a message.
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Updated
Nicola Sturgeon said Scotland continued to make good progress in tackling coronavirus, adding she intended to set out more indicative dates when lockdown measures could be eased later in the week. But she also stressed the need not to be complacent in dealing with Covid-19.
Sturgeon said:
The virus hasn’t gone away, there are already countries - China and Germany for example – that are right now dealing with spikes in cases as a result of significant outbreaks. And health officials in South Korea have said they think the country is now experiencing a second wave.
I know that when numbers of cases and deaths here are continuing to fall it is very tempting for all of us to think it is all over and we should just now quickly get back to normal.
We are trying to get back to normal and we want to do that as quickly as possible, but let me reiterate my strong view that acting recklessly now would be a serious mistake.
We must continue to be cautious and all of us must continue to adhere strictly to the public health advice. That will help us continue progress and avoid a resurgence of the virus now.
But it will also hopefully put us in a much stronger position ahead of the winter months to come.”
Updated
No new coronavirus deaths have been registered in Scotland in the last 24 hours, first minister Nicola Sturgeon said.
A total of 2,472 patients have died in Scotland after testing positive for coronavirus, no change on Sunday’s figure.
The death total previously remained unchanged on 21 June, 15 June, 8 June and 7 June. Sturgeon said 18,170 people have tested positive for the virus in Scotland, up by 14 from 18,156 the day before.
There are 867 people in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19, an increase of 66. Of these patients, 15 were in intensive care, down by one.
Updated
Boris Johnson has released his own tribute to the Windrush generation.
72 years ago today the Windrush generation began to arrive in the UK. They contributed greatly to rebuilding post-war Britain.
— Boris Johnson #StayAlert (@BorisJohnson) June 22, 2020
Today we celebrate members of the Windrush generation and their descendants, and their fantastic contribution to Britain. #WindrushDay
Hackney council is urging people to respect the London borough’s parks, after London Fields was left covered in litter with people urinating against trees and large groups gathering.
Residents in nearby streets and estates have reported significant disruption to their lives over recent weeks, with the behaviour in London Fields making them feel unwelcome in the park, the council reported.
We issued another 58 £150 fines for urinating at London Fields this weekend.
— Hackney Council (@hackneycouncil) June 22, 2020
Our parks are not festival sites - they’re for the whole community.
We're urgently investigating further legal options to manage these problems. https://t.co/1wok2o503j
Updated
The increase in the reproduction number, R, in Germany has been linked in part to a coronavirus outbreak at a slaughterhouse. (See 10.10am.) On Good Morning Britain this morning, Prof Devi Sridhar, professor of global public health at Edinburgh University, explained that the virus seems to thrive in slaughterhouses and meat processing plants because they are cold, damp places where workers may be shouting at each other without wearing masks.
The R rate has risen in Germany sparking fears of a second wave. It has been linked to a number of localised outbreaks, including one at an abattoir.
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) June 22, 2020
Professor @devisridhar tells @susannareid100 why she thinks the outbreaks have come from abattoirs.#GMB pic.twitter.com/Utnmj5lYBF
Updated
Britain owes 'debt of gratitude' to Windrush generation, says Prince Charles
Prince Charles has said that Britain owes a “debt of gratitude” to the Windrush generation. In a video message to mark Windrush Day, the 72nd anniversary of the Empire Windrush arriving at Tilbury Docks in 1948, the Prince of Wales said:
Today offers an opportunity to express the debt of gratitude we owe to that first Windrush generation for accepting the invitation to come to Britain and, above all, to recognise the immeasurable difference that they, their children and their grandchildren, have made to so many aspects of our public life, to our culture and to every sector of our economy.
Charles paid particular tribute to the Windrush migrants who have worked in the NHS. He said:
Now I hesitate to single out any area of this activity but, as coronavirus lockdown begins to ease, I did just want to say a particular word about our National Health Service, of which people of African and Caribbean descent have been an indispensable part since its very beginning.
Referring to the Covid-19 crisis, he said:
I know that the black community has been hit particularly hard by this pernicious virus.
To those who have lost their loved ones in such heartbreaking circumstances, when it has been impossible for them to comfort their relatives in hospital, I can only convey my most profound sympathy; and to everyone on the frontline who has been put under such intense pressure over the last three months and risen heroically to the unprecedented challenge, I want to say on behalf of all of us how inordinately proud we are of them and the way they carry out their onerous duties.
The prince also said Britain’s diversity was its “greatest strength” and something that “gives us so much to celebrate”.
Updated
Northern Ireland ministers to meet this afternoon to consider further easing of lockdown
Stormont ministers are considering further easing of Northern Ireland’s lockdown, PA Media reports. The executive is poised to allow up to six people to gather in an indoor setting. The final decision at the meeting of the executive on Monday afternoon will depend on the latest evidence on the suppression of the disease.
On Saturday, Northern Ireland’s heath trust labs reported no new confirmed cases of coronavirus for the first time since lockdown. The daily update from the Department of Health revealed there were no positive results in the 995 tests analysed in their labs through Friday. It was the first day since March that no new positive tests had been reported in a 24-hour period by health trust labs across the region. There was one coronavirus-linked death announced on Saturday and none announced on Sunday.
While a move to allow six people to gather indoors would allow for multiple people from different households to meet inside, it is set to have some social distancing guidance attached, PA Media reports.
Traffic wardens are back on patrol in Northern Ireland today after the lockdown suspension of on-street parking charges was lifted. From 26 June, caravan parks, campsites and self-contained tourist accommodation will be able to reopen. A week later, on 3 July, hotels, restaurants, cafes, coffee shops, pubs and bars will be able to welcome customers back. Church services are set to resume on 29 June while a provisional date for hair salons, barbers and nail bars to reopen has been set for 6 July.
Updated
Younger people more optimistic about life returning to normal quickly than older people, ONS says
The Office of National Statistics has published two reports this morning related to coronavirus, one on its social impact on young people and another one its social impact on older people, although given that both reports contain survey data relating to all-age groups, it is not obvious why the research was not wrapped up together.
One of the main findings is that young people are much more likely than older people to think that life will return to normal after six months.
Commenting on the findings, Dawn Snape, assistant director of the sustainability and inequalities division at the ONS, said:
Younger people were generally more optimistic about lockdown, with more than half expecting life to return to normal within six months. One of their biggest worries was the impact on schools and universities, in particular being unable to attend them, the quality of their education and uncertainty around exams.
While they were more optimistic, young people were much more likely to report being bored and lonely during the lockdown period, and 42% of them reported that it was making their mental health worse.
They turned to TV, friends and family and exercise to help them cope during this time.
Updated
Priti Patel, the home secretary, will make a statement in the Commons about the Reading terror attack after 3.30pm, it has been announced.
Today there will be one government oral statement in the @HouseofCommons from @pritipatel on the Reading Terrorist Attack pic.twitter.com/IsUMdI87FA
— Leader of the House of Commons (@CommonsLeader) June 22, 2020
A 14-year-old boy, believed to the youngest person ever charged with preparing a terror attack, has appeared by video link at the Old Bailey.
The teenager, from Hampshire, participated in the hearing remotely from Rainsbrook secure training centre. He faces one charge of plotting a terror attack. He was remanded in custody.
The trial will take place on 28 September at a court to be fixed later. Nothing should be reported to identify the defendant, the court was told.
Updated
Slaughterhouse outbreak blamed for contributing to 'R' in Germany rising to 2.88
In Germany, “R”, the reproduction number, rose to 2.88 on Sunday, according to the daily estimate published by the country’s public health agency, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). Its Sunday daily bulletin (English language version) is here (pdf).
On Saturday, the RKI had R at 1.79, and on Friday it was at 1.06.
According to Bloomberg, the increase has been driven by local outbreaks “including in the region of North Rhine-Westphalia, where more than 1,300 people working at a slaughterhouse”.
R is one measure of of the rate at which coronavirus is spreading. Any number above 1 means that every one person infected will pass it on to more than one other person. An R number of 2.88 implies each German case is producing another 2.88 others.
Ministers say it is essential to keep R below 1.
However, R is not the only way of measuring the seriousness of an epidemic and, if the overall incidence of infection is low, an R number above 1 is much less worrying than if the disease is much more widespread. At the end of last week, the UK government started publishing growth rate estimates for coronavirus, nationally and by region, as well as R numbers. Unlike R, the growth rate figure indicates the speed at which a virus is spreading or diminishing, not just the overall direction.
There is a more detailed explanation of the difference between the two measures here.
Updated
Agenda for the day
Here is the agenda showing what’s coming up today.
Morning: Boris Johnson chairs meeting of cabinet’s C-19 committee to discuss further easing of the lockdown.
9.30am: The ONS publishes day on the social impact of coronavirus on young and old people in Britain.
12pm: Downing Street lobby briefing.
12.30pm: The Scottish and Welsh governments are due to hold their daily coronavirus briefings.
2.30pm: Sir Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, Sir Chris Wormald, permanent secretary at the Department of Health and Social Care, and other senior officials give evidence to the Commons public accounts committee about preparing the NHS and social care for the coronavirus peak.
2.30pm: Gavin Williamson, the education secretary, takes questions in the Commons.
5pm: UK government press conference.
Updated
Second victim of Reading terror attack named as US citizen
Good morning. I’m Andrew Sparrow, taking over from Josh Halliday.
The Philadelphia Inquirer has named Joe Ritchie-Bennett, an American, as one of the three people killed in the Reading terror attack. He is the second victim to be named, after James Furlong, a history teacher.
According to the Inquirer, Ritchie-Bennett, 39, had lived in Britain for about 15 years. He worked for a London law firm before joining a pharmaceutical company in Reading.
This is from the US ambassador to the UK, Woody Johnson:
I offer my deepest condolences to the families of those killed in the attack on June 20. To our great sorrow, this includes an American citizen. Our thoughts are with all those affected. We condemn the attack absolutely and have offered our assistance to British law enforcement.
— Ambassador Johnson (@USAmbUK) June 22, 2020
Updated
Minister says sharp rise in Germany's R number 'concerning' as PM prepared to ease lockdown further
While much of the focus this morning has been on the alleged terror attack that left three people dead in Reading on Saturday, the UK appears to be at a crucial juncture in its response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Later today, Boris Johnson will meet members of the government’s Covid-19 strategy committee to discuss the reopening of the hospitality sector – including pubs, restaurants and hairdressers – on 4 July. The prime minister will also decide whether to reduce the 2-metre social distancing rule in England.
All the noises from government point towards these changes for England being announced tomorrow.
James Brokenshire, the security minister, did not demur from that direction of travel in his interviews this morning.
When asked if the 2-metre distancing rule was going to be reduced in England, he told BBC Breakfast:
There has been a great deal of work that’s been taking place at pace over the last number of days, informed by the science, informed by experience from around the world as well, as to how we can appropriately look at easements and appropriately also reflect on the two-metre rule as well.
He added the international experience and understanding of the virus had evolved in recent weeks and the decision would be informed by “the best, most up-to-date science” and medical experience.
Brokenshire was later asked for his response after it was reported the “R” number in Germany had risen over the weekend. He said:
It is concerning to see the situation in Germany and it’s why we are informed in our actions by experience from around the world, why the chief scientific officer, the chief medical officer, speak to their counterparts in different parts of the world to ensure that we are applying the best learning and the best experience in informing our next steps.
Updated
James Brokenshire told BBC Breakfast there was no indication of a change to the UK’s threat level.
The security minister said the investigation was ongoing but that police had indicated they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the attack.
“This is very live, there are devices in terms of the phones and all those sorts of things. They’ll be interrogating, following through on the different statements, the searches that continue and it is absolutely right that they do follow it through in that way,” he said.
Brokenshire said he was unable to go into detail about the suspect and what was known about him due to the ongoing investigation. He added:
What I would say is that the police and security services obviously deal with thousands of leads, that they have difficult challenges that they have in terms of prioritisation of resource, but I can assure that if there are lessons to be learned, there are policies that needs to be changed, if we need to do things differently, absolutely that is what we will do.
Updated
James Brokenshire, the security minister, has paid tribute to first responders and members of the public after Saturday’s attack in Reading. A police officer is said to have tackled the suspected attacker to the ground while bystanders attempted to give CPR before paramedics arrived.
Brokenshire told BBC Breakfast:
I want to pay tribute to the work of our emergency services, the police, all of those first responders who dealt with this appalling evil and callous act, but also those members of the public as well who supported the police, bravely dealt with those issues on the ground.
Our thoughts, our hearts go out to all of those this morning who have lost loved ones, who are mourning or have been affected by this appalling incident.
Police face 'wicked problem' monitoring 40,000 potential terror suspects - ex-Met chief
Police and security services face a “wicked problem” deciding which of the 40,000 people known to them could launch a terror attack, a former head of UK counter-terrorism has said.
Sir Mark Rowley, former assistant commissioner for specialist operations in the Metropolitan police, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “What you end up with operationally is about, I think, about 3,000 people under investigation at one stage. But there is 40,000 people … whose names have touched the system.
And in that 40,000 are lots of volatile people who dip in and out of interests in extreme ideology, and to spot one of those who is going to go from a casual interest into a determined attacker, which can happen in a matter of days, is the most wicked problem that the services face.
Updated
The security minister James Brokenshire has said the public should be “alert but not alarmed” after the alleged terror attack in Reading on Saturday.
Appearing on Sky News, Brokenshire said:
There is no thing as absolute security but I think that I should stress the fact that this country has some of the world-leading approaches to dealing with terrorism [and] that our police and security services are well supported.
"The public should be alert but not alarmed."
— SkyNews (@SkyNews) June 22, 2020
Security Minister @JBrokenshire insists the government will do its part "to see that our systems are as rigorous and robust as we can make them" to help tackle terrorism. #KayBurley
More on this story: https://t.co/vIxOewXiqd pic.twitter.com/KbV6MhWhme
Brokenshire said the government had increased the funding of counter-terrorism policing by an extra £90m over the course of this financial year, taking it up to over £900m. He added:
The point is that these cases are complex. We know that a threat is out there. That is why we must remain vigilant. As the head of counter-terrorism policing yesterday, the public should be alert but not alarmed. We obviously need to go about our lives. We cannot allow those who would use fear or violence to divide us to succeed and that is why we will carry on. we will do our part in government to challenge and see that our systems are as rigorous and robust as we can make them. We will not allow those who seek to use fear or terror to succeed.
Updated
Good morning and welcome to our UK liveblog.
Police are investigating the background of Khairi Saadallah, the 25-year-old Libyan refugee held over the alleged terror attack that left a teacher and two others dead in Reading on Saturday night. It has emerged that Saadallah was on the radar of MI5 in the middle of last year.
On coronavirus, Boris Johnson will discuss reopening the hospitality sector and loosening the 2-metre social-distancing rule in England with his top cabinet colleagues and scientists.
Customers in England may be asked to check in as they arrive at pubs and restaurants under plans for reopening the hospitality sector that will be confirmed to MPs tomorrow by the prime minister.
Decisions on relaxing the 2-metre distancing rule and reopening hospitality on 4 July are expected to be rubber-stamped at a meeting of the government’s Covid-19 committee today.
Updated
