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HoC
The variety of MPs within the chamber shall be restricted to about 50
The Home of Commons is to cut back its sitting hours and prioritise coronavirus-related enterprise when it returns subsequent week.
There shall be no proceedings on Thursday or Friday for the foreseeable future and consideration of non-virus laws shall be pared again.
Screens are to be erected within the Commons chamber to allow MPs to query ministers by video hyperlink.
The main focus shall be on ministerial statements and choose committee work.
Underneath a “hybrid” plan put ahead by Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle, enterprise will proceed within the Chamber however with considerably fewer MPs attending to permit social distancing guidelines to be noticed.
Whereas there are anticipated to be not more than 50 MPs within the chamber at anyone time, the intention is for an extra 120 to have the ability to ask questions nearly utilizing videoconferencing expertise.
Parliament rose for its Easter recess early on 25 March because of the pandemic. It can return for 2 days subsequent week, on Tuesday and Wednesday, and sit for 3 days every week thereafter.
Laws on account of be debated subsequent week is to be postponed, leaving the Commons to deal with departmental query instances, ministerial statements and choose committee work.
Conservative MPs have reportedly been informed that they aren’t anticipated to attend in particular person subsequent week, given the journey restrictions in pressure as a part of the lockdown.
On Wednesday, the brand new Labour chief Sir Keir Starmer is because of make his debut at Prime Minister’s Questions.
Nonetheless, it isn’t clear whether or not Boris Johnson shall be current as he’s at present recuperating from coronavirus and never endeavor any work after spending seven nights in hospital, three of them in intensive care.
International Secretary Dominic Raab is at present deputising for the PM and Sir Keir has indicated that deputy chief Angela Rayner will stand in for him at any time when Mr Raab is taking questions.
The Commons doesn’t routinely sit on Fridays, until MPs are debating Non-public Members Payments.