skynewspolitics--2020-05-18--More councils say it is not safe to send children back to school

Two more councils have said they will defy government instructions for schools in England to start reopening from next month because it is not safe to do so .
Politicians in Wirral and Bury said children should not be forced to go back to the classroom under the timeline to gradually loosen coronavirus lockdown measures drawn up by Boris Johnson .
The prime minister wants all pupils in reception , year one and year six to start lessons again from 1 June .
Several councils - including Hartlepool and Liverpool - have already declared they think it is too early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more have joined them , as the number of deaths in the UK climbed to at least 34,000 .
Wirral 's deputy leader Janette Williamson told Sky News it 's `` not safe '' yet and still a `` life or death '' situation so the council is taking a `` more cautionary approach to this '' .
`` We 're not confident the health and wellbeing of children and staff are guaranteed , '' she said .
Thomas Usher , Wirral council 's cabinet member for education , added `` we do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their children in from 1 June if they 're not comfortable with doing so '' to any of the around 140 schools in the area .
He added `` it 's up to the government to make it clear '' what punishment those who do n't want their children to return to school might face .
In Bury , cabinet member for children Tamoor Tariq said reopening schools would `` pose an unacceptable risk to pupils , staff and communities of vulnerable people '' .
He cited `` real concerns '' with COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limitations '' of the proposed `` track and trace '' programme and an `` inconsistent level of central government support for our recovery '' .
The Department for Education was asked to comment but none was received at the time of publication .
Schools are currently only open for the youngsters of key workers .
England ’ s deputy chief medical officer Prof Jon Van-Tam tried to dampen down fears about schools reopening by explaining that children are not `` high output transmitters '' of the virus .
Speaking at the daily Downing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : `` Unlike flu , where we are very clear that children drive transmission in the community to adults , it really does not seem to be the same kind of signal with COVID-19 .
`` Children are not these kind of big high output transmitters as they are with flu , '' he added .
He also said that most children have only `` extremely mild '' COVID-19 symptoms and the infection rate among them is `` about the same '' as in adults , but `` possibly a little lower '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michael Gove also vowed on Sky News ' Sophy Ridge on Sunday that `` we can provide a safe environment for teachers and for children '' .
Talks between teachers ' union representatives and government scientific advisers , intended to provide assurance about the government 's proposals to enable children to return safely , ended on Friday with union leaders saying the meeting had raised more questions than answers .

Two more councils have said they will defy government instructions for schools in England to start reopening from next month because it is not safe to do so.
Politicians in Wirral and Bury said children should not be forced to go back to the classroom under the timeline to gradually loosen coronavirus lockdown measures drawn up by Boris Johnson.
The prime minister wants all pupils in reception, year one and year six to start lessons again from 1 June.
Image: The PM is trying to gradually loosen lockdown restrictions
Several councils - including Hartlepool and Liverpool - have already declared they think it is too early for this to happen.
Now two more have joined them, as the number of deaths in the UK climbed to at least 34,000.
Wirral's deputy leader Janette Williamson told Sky News it's "not safe" yet and still a "life or death" situation so the council is taking a "more cautionary approach to this".
"We're not confident the health and wellbeing of children and staff are guaranteed," she said.
Image: One senior councillor said there were 'real concerns' with testing
Thomas Usher, Wirral council's cabinet member for education, added "we don't expect parents and carers to send their children in from 1 June if they're not comfortable with doing so" to any of the around 140 schools in the area.
He added "it's up to the government to make it clear" what punishment those who don't want their children to return to school might face.
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In Bury, cabinet member for children Tamoor Tariq said reopening schools would "pose an unacceptable risk to pupils, staff and communities of vulnerable people".
He cited "real concerns" with COVID-19 testing, availability of PPE, "limitations" of the proposed "track and trace" programme and an "inconsistent level of central government support for our recovery".
The Department for Education was asked to comment but none was received at the time of publication.
Schools are currently only open for the youngsters of key workers.
Image: Talks between teachers' unions and government advisers have failed to secure agreement
England’s deputy chief medical officer Prof Jon Van-Tam tried to dampen down fears about schools reopening by explaining that children are not "high output transmitters" of the virus.
Speaking at the daily Downing Street briefing on Monday, he said: "Unlike flu, where we are very clear that children drive transmission in the community to adults, it really does not seem to be the same kind of signal with COVID-19.
"Children are not these kind of big high output transmitters as they are with flu," he added.
He also said that most children have only "extremely mild" COVID-19 symptoms and the infection rate among them is "about the same" as in adults, but "possibly a little lower" in younger aged children.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:07 Children 'less likely to have serious symptoms'
Cabinet Minister Michael Gove also vowed on Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday that "we can provide a safe environment for teachers and for children".
Talks between teachers' union representatives and government scientific advisers, intended to provide assurance about the government's proposals to enable children to return safely, ended on Friday with union leaders saying the meeting had raised more questions than answers.


skynewspolitics--2020-05-18--Post-Brexit immigration plans to scrap free movement clear first Commons hurdle

Post-Brexit immigration plans to replace freedom of movement with the EU have passed their first major hurdle in parliament .
The points-based system was approved by 351 votes to 252 - thanks to Boris Johnson 's large Conservative majority in the Commons .
More details are expected to be fleshed out later in the year to explain the future system for all those who move to the UK after the transition period ends at the end of December 2020 .
The plans will now be scrutinised further by MPs before the House of Lords debates and votes on them , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ make it easier and quicker for medical professionals around the world to work in the health service through a new fast-track NHS visa .
Home Secretary Priti Patel said it was a `` firmer , fairer and simpler '' system .
: : Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker But shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said the legislation was aimed at making overseas workers feel unwelcome in the UK and poses a threat to the country 's interests .
`` It is rank hypocrisy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over 180,000 in England and Wales alone , to stand and clap for them on a Thursday night , and then tell them that they are not welcome in the UK on a Monday , '' he said .
`` The home secretary has been invisible throughout this crisis .
`` And now her first major intervention is a bill that will make workers in the NHS and the care sector feel unwelcome in this country , as well as labelling retail workers , carers , local government workers , refuse collectors , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - the very same workers who have been keeping this country running throughout the crisis . ''
In February , the government announced potential migrants to the UK will have to score 70 points on the new system in order to qualify for a visa .
Three conditions must be met , which total 50 points .
• A job offer from an approved sponsor , such as an employer cleared by the Home Office .
This will earn 20 points .
• Have a job offer that is at a `` required @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 20 points .
• The ability to speak English to a certain level .
This will earn 10 points .
From January 2021 , the minimum salary required for migrants coming to work in the UK will be reduced from £30,000 to £25,600 .
If migrants earn a salary above £25,600 , they will earn the 20 extra points needed to get to the required 70-point level .
If migrants earn less than this - but no less than £20,480 - they may still be able to come to the UK by `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against their lower salary level .

Post-Brexit immigration plans to replace freedom of movement with the EU have passed their first major hurdle in parliament.
The points-based system was approved by 351 votes to 252 - thanks to Boris Johnson's large Conservative majority in the Commons.
More details are expected to be fleshed out later in the year to explain the future system for all those who move to the UK after the transition period ends at the end of December 2020.
The plans will now be scrutinised further by MPs before the House of Lords debates and votes on them, too.
Image: Migrants must meet three conditions to have a hope of securing a visa
Officials said the system will make it easier and quicker for medical professionals around the world to work in the health service through a new fast-track NHS visa.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said it was a "firmer, fairer and simpler" system.
Image: Priti Patel says its a 'firmer, fairer and simpler' system
:: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
But shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said the legislation was aimed at making overseas workers feel unwelcome in the UK and poses a threat to the country's interests.
"It is rank hypocrisy towards our NHS and care workers, over 180,000 in England and Wales alone, to stand and clap for them on a Thursday night, and then tell them that they are not welcome in the UK on a Monday," he said.
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"The home secretary has been invisible throughout this crisis.
"And now her first major intervention is a bill that will make workers in the NHS and the care sector feel unwelcome in this country, as well as labelling retail workers, carers, local government workers, refuse collectors, and many more as 'low skilled' - the very same workers who have been keeping this country running throughout the crisis."
In February, the government announced potential migrants to the UK will have to score 70 points on the new system in order to qualify for a visa.
Three conditions must be met, which total 50 points.
These are:
A job offer from an approved sponsor, such as an employer cleared by the Home Office. This will earn 20 points. Have a job offer that is at a "required skill level". This will earn 20 points. The ability to speak English to a certain level. This will earn 10 points.
From January 2021, the minimum salary required for migrants coming to work in the UK will be reduced from £30,000 to £25,600.
If migrants earn a salary above £25,600, they will earn the 20 extra points needed to get to the required 70-point level.
If migrants earn less than this - but no less than £20,480 - they may still be able to come to the UK by "trading" points earned on specific characteristics against their lower salary level.


skynewspolitics--2020-05-17--Schools reopening row grows: Gove says impact of virus is 'significantly less' in children

Children are `` significantly less '' affected by coronavirus , a senior minister has told Sky News , as the government attempts to allay fears about some schools reopening from June .
Michael Gove said pupils and staff will be “ as safe as possible ” when kids in reception , year one and year six return to the classroom across England next month .
He played down fears as doctors , nurses , teachers and councils deepened their criticism of the COVID-19 lockdown being eased too early .
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has admitted his new “ stay alert @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as public approval for his handling of the crisis dropped sharply and the death toll in the UK rose above 34,000 .
Despite Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland keeping strict social distancing in place , measures in England have been slightly relaxed to allow anyone who can not do their job at home to go back into work , when it is safe to do so .
Schools have been put on notice to reopen to some children in several weeks , while some shops forced to close more than two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start trading again from July .
Talks between teachers ' union representatives and government scientific advisers , intended to provide assurance about the government 's proposals to enable children to return safely , ended on Friday with union leaders saying the meeting had raised more questions than answers .
Cities such as Liverpool have also said they will not start reopening schools in June as the government wants .
Mr Gove said the UK was following the likes of Denmark in reopening schools safely - citing academy chain heads and a private school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We can provide a safe environment for teachers and for children , '' he told Sky News ’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday show .
`` We can also ensure that children , particularly those from the least advantaged homes , have the benefit of a good education so that they can begin to make up on some of the progress that will inevitably have been lost during this period of lockdown . ''
He added : `` We know that children contract coronavirus but the impact is significantly less .
`` They are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely to have serious symptoms than older citizens . ''
Mr Gove revealed around 17,000 workers have now been recruited for the government ’ s `` test , track and trace '' programme to track down people with the virus and others who have come into close contact with them to urge them all to go into self-isolation .
He added it will be up and running by the end of May , when testing capacity should be up to 200,000 a day .
But Labour said schools shouldn ’ t be forced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system is properly up and running and wants the government to publish its scientific advice behind the decision to open schools .
`` The anxiety teachers and parents face would be a lot less if we had that test , trace and isolate strategy in place , '' shadow Cabinet Office minister Rachel Reeves told Sky News .
`` We want that to be up and running to ease the whole range of the lockdown restrictions… '' The government has got a lot more work to do to give that confidence that it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming into school in two weeks ' time . ''

Children are "significantly less" affected by coronavirus, a senior minister has told Sky News, as the government attempts to allay fears about some schools reopening from June.
Michael Gove said pupils and staff will be “as safe as possible” when kids in reception, year one and year six return to the classroom across England next month.
He played down fears as doctors, nurses, teachers and councils deepened their criticism of the COVID-19 lockdown being eased too early.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:59 Labour wants 'less rhetoric and more evidence' on schools reopening
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has admitted his new “stay alert” message has caused “frustration”, as public approval for his handling of the crisis dropped sharply and the death toll in the UK rose above 34,000.
Despite Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland keeping strict social distancing in place, measures in England have been slightly relaxed to allow anyone who cannot do their job at home to go back into work, when it is safe to do so.
Schools have been put on notice to reopen to some children in several weeks, while some shops forced to close more than two months ago have been told they could start trading again from July.
Talks between teachers' union representatives and government scientific advisers, intended to provide assurance about the government's proposals to enable children to return safely, ended on Friday with union leaders saying the meeting had raised more questions than answers.
Cities such as Liverpool have also said they will not start reopening schools in June as the government wants.
Image: Children in three year groups are expected to return to school in England next month
Mr Gove said the UK was following the likes of Denmark in reopening schools safely - citing academy chain heads and a private school body that back the move.
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"We can provide a safe environment for teachers and for children," he told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday show.
"We can also ensure that children, particularly those from the least advantaged homes, have the benefit of a good education so that they can begin to make up on some of the progress that will inevitably have been lost during this period of lockdown."
He added: "We know that children contract coronavirus but the impact is significantly less.
"They are less likely to have symptoms, less likely to have serious symptoms than older citizens."
Mr Gove revealed around 17,000 workers have now been recruited for the government’s "test, track and trace" programme to track down people with the virus and others who have come into close contact with them to urge them all to go into self-isolation.
He added it will be up and running by the end of May, when testing capacity should be up to 200,000 a day.
But Labour said schools shouldn’t be forced to reopen fully until the contact tracing system is properly up and running and wants the government to publish its scientific advice behind the decision to open schools.
"The anxiety teachers and parents face would be a lot less if we had that test, trace and isolate strategy in place," shadow Cabinet Office minister Rachel Reeves told Sky News.
"We want that to be up and running to ease the whole range of the lockdown restrictions…
"The government has got a lot more work to do to give that confidence that it'll be safe to have more children coming into school in two weeks' time."


skynewspolitics--2020-05-17--Coronavirus: Companies face dividend ban under state loan scheme

Companies which receive state-backed loans of up to £200m face being banned from paying dividends or buying back shares under plans being considered this weekend by the government .
Sky News has learnt that ministers are finalising changes to the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme ( CLBILS ) that would include prohibiting the distribution of capital to investors in companies which take on the loans .
The government is also planning to encourage corporate users of CLBILS to demonstrate restraint when they make decisions about executive pay and bonuses , bankers said on Sunday .
If implemented , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to date into corporate governance and boardroom decision-making by Boris Johnson 's administration since the COVID-19 crisis began .
Such changes would reflect a profound anxiety in Downing Street about bosses using cheap public money to line the pockets of their shareholders and senior managers .
This weekend 's Sunday Times Rich List revealed that at least 63 of the UK 's wealthiest people have utilised the government 's emergency wage subsidy scheme to pay their staff during the pandemic .
One banker said it was likely that there would have been more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of remuneration if Whitehall had deemed them to be easily enforceable .
Gordon Brown 's government faced acute embarrassment after the bailouts of Britain 's banks during the 2008 financial crisis , with lenders including Royal Bank of Scotland continuing to pay out large sums in bonuses .
The British Business Bank ( BBB ) , which administers the various lending schemes introduced by the Treasury since March , is understood to have been briefed on the potential changes .
Many of the companies seeking money using CLBILS are privately owned businesses , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ London Stock Exchange .
Data published last week showed that only 59 companies had so far been lent money - a total of £359m - under the scheme .
It is understood that if they go ahead , the CLBILS restrictions on dividends and share buybacks will apply only to loans made above the previous ceiling of £50m , although details were still being ironed out on Sunday .
Hundreds of major employers are expected to apply for CLBILS loans once the cap is lifted to £200m , although the restrictions on payouts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the scheme , banks are accredited by the BBB to issue loans , with the government providing an 80pc guarantee .
Any changes to CLBILS could be unveiled alongside a widening of the eligibility criteria for the Covid Corporate Financing Facility ( CCFF ) , which allows investment grade-rated companies to issue short-term debt that is then bought by the Bank of England , bankers said .
It is conceivable that the dividend and share buyback restrictions being considered for CLBILS loan recipients could also be applied to companies using the CCFF , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that was being planned by ministers .
If the curbs were applied to investment-grade companies , it would deepen the dividend drought spreading across corporate Britain , potentially for several years .
Companies which have gained access to the CCF to date include easyJet , Greggs , Intercontinental Hotels Group and British Airways ' parent , International Airlines Group .
The Chancellor , Rishi Sunak , may announce the revised details to the Treasury 's emergency schemes during the early part of this week , and possibly as soon as Monday .
CLBILS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revisions , including lifting the maximum size of the loans and the turnover eligibility threshold for companies .
There have also been dividend restrictions built into the scheme since it launched , meaning that loan recipients would only be permitted to pay them if they were confident of repaying the loan .
However , the new conditions would go much further .
Previous changes to CLBILS were introduced amid concerns about a corporate 'squeezed middle ' , referring to businesses which fall between SMEs - which have access to the Coronavirus Business Interruption @ @ @ @ @ @ @ borrow up to £5m - and users of the CCFF .
Lenders accredited to issue loans under CLBILS include Barclays , HSBC , Lloyds Banking Group and NatWest Holdings - the taxpayer-backed bank which until recently was known as RBS .
The loans are repayable over a maximum of three years .
Ironically , many of the banks which will now be issuing government-backed loans have themselves found themselves at the centre of a storm over dividends during the pandemic .
Fraught talks between the major high street lenders and banking regulators in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2019 payouts , and suspending dividends and share buybacks until the end of this year .
Dozens of FTSE-100 companies have already axed or cut dividends during the crisis , starving income investors of capital from reliable stocks such as BT Group and Royal Dutch Shell .
The Treasury and BBB declined to comment on Sunday .

Companies which receive state-backed loans of up to £200m face being banned from paying dividends or buying back shares under plans being considered this weekend by the government.
Sky News has learnt that ministers are finalising changes to the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CLBILS) that would include prohibiting the distribution of capital to investors in companies which take on the loans.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:50 'Richest people on planet using furlough scheme'
The government is also planning to encourage corporate users of CLBILS to demonstrate restraint when they make decisions about executive pay and bonuses, bankers said on Sunday.
If implemented, the conditions will be the most far-reaching intervention to date into corporate governance and boardroom decision-making by Boris Johnson's administration since the COVID-19 crisis began.
Such changes would reflect a profound anxiety in Downing Street about bosses using cheap public money to line the pockets of their shareholders and senior managers.
This weekend's Sunday Times Rich List revealed that at least 63 of the UK's wealthiest people have utilised the government's emergency wage subsidy scheme to pay their staff during the pandemic.
One banker said it was likely that there would have been more stringent curbs on bonuses and other forms of remuneration if Whitehall had deemed them to be easily enforceable.
Gordon Brown's government faced acute embarrassment after the bailouts of Britain's banks during the 2008 financial crisis, with lenders including Royal Bank of Scotland continuing to pay out large sums in bonuses.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 22:07 Sophy Ridge On Sunday highlights
The British Business Bank (BBB), which administers the various lending schemes introduced by the Treasury since March, is understood to have been briefed on the potential changes.
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Many of the companies seeking money using CLBILS are privately owned businesses, although some are also listed on the London Stock Exchange.
Data published last week showed that only 59 companies had so far been lent money - a total of £359m - under the scheme.
It is understood that if they go ahead, the CLBILS restrictions on dividends and share buybacks will apply only to loans made above the previous ceiling of £50m, although details were still being ironed out on Sunday.
Hundreds of major employers are expected to apply for CLBILS loans once the cap is lifted to £200m, although the restrictions on payouts could yet provide a deterrent.
Under the scheme, banks are accredited by the BBB to issue loans, with the government providing an 80pc guarantee.
Any changes to CLBILS could be unveiled alongside a widening of the eligibility criteria for the Covid Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF), which allows investment grade-rated companies to issue short-term debt that is then bought by the Bank of England, bankers said.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:03 Chancellor warns of a 'significant recession'
It is conceivable that the dividend and share buyback restrictions being considered for CLBILS loan recipients could also be applied to companies using the CCFF, although it was unclear on Sunday whether that was being planned by ministers.
If the curbs were applied to investment-grade companies, it would deepen the dividend drought spreading across corporate Britain, potentially for several years.
Companies which have gained access to the CCF to date include easyJet, Greggs, Intercontinental Hotels Group and British Airways' parent, International Airlines Group.
The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, may announce the revised details to the Treasury's emergency schemes during the early part of this week, and possibly as soon as Monday.
CLBILS has already been the subject of several revisions, including lifting the maximum size of the loans and the turnover eligibility threshold for companies.
There have also been dividend restrictions built into the scheme since it launched, meaning that loan recipients would only be permitted to pay them if they were confident of repaying the loan.
However, the new conditions would go much further.
Previous changes to CLBILS were introduced amid concerns about a corporate 'squeezed middle', referring to businesses which fall between SMEs - which have access to the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, through which they can borrow up to £5m - and users of the CCFF.
Lenders accredited to issue loans under CLBILS include Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group and NatWest Holdings - the taxpayer-backed bank which until recently was known as RBS.
The loans are repayable over a maximum of three years.
Ironically, many of the banks which will now be issuing government-backed loans have themselves found themselves at the centre of a storm over dividends during the pandemic.
Fraught talks between the major high street lenders and banking regulators in February resulted in them abandoning their previously-announced 2019 payouts, and suspending dividends and share buybacks until the end of this year.
Dozens of FTSE-100 companies have already axed or cut dividends during the crisis, starving income investors of capital from reliable stocks such as BT Group and Royal Dutch Shell.
The Treasury and BBB declined to comment on Sunday.


skynewspolitics--2020-05-19--'Wrong' advice could have led to mistakes in coronavirus response, minister claims

A senior minister has told Sky News that `` wrong '' advice at the start of the coronavirus outbreak could have led to mistakes in the government 's response .
Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey made the comments during an interview with Kay Burley in which she was challenged about ministers ' handling of COVID-19 in adult social care .
Asked if the government had , in hindsight , got the approach to care homes wrong , Ms Coffey told Kay Burley @ Breakfast that `` you can only make judgements and decisions based on the information and advice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Pressed again , she replied : `` If the science was wrong , the advice at the time was wrong , I 'm not surprised if people then think we made a wrong decision .
`` But you have to take judgements based on what you have . ''
The government 's approach to the coronavirus outbreak has been informed by advice from experts on the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies ( SAGE ) .
Ms Coffey 's comments come after a cross-party group of MPs warned the UK has 10 key @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic so far .
They said testing capacity has been `` inadequate '' throughout the pandemic , while the decision to stop community testing early in the outbreak was `` one of the most consequential made '' .
Responding to the report , a Downing Street spokesman said : `` This is an unprecedented global pandemic and we have taken the right steps at the right time to combat it , guided at all times by the best scientific advice . ''
When it comes to care homes , opponents and some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ government of being too slow to react to what was happening .
Official guidance , which was in place until 12 March , said it was `` very unlikely '' that those receiving care in a care home or the community would become infected with the virus .
On 15 April , more than three weeks after the UK was put in lockdown to try to control the spread of COVID-19 , testing was expanded to include care home staff , residents with symptoms and those being discharged from hospital back into care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has said that guidance was first released on 25 February when there was `` no transmission of COVID-19 in the community '' and that `` we brought the lockdown in care homes ahead of the general lockdown '' .
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics ( ONS ) show the number of deaths in care homes has `` fallen significantly '' .
: : Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker '' This morning 's statistics confirm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ England have taken place in care homes , which compares to a European average of around half , '' he told MPs as he responded to an urgent question in the Commons '' But whatever the figures say we will not rest from doing whatever is humanly possible to protect our care homes from this appalling virus to make sure residents and care colleagues have the safety and security they deserve . ''
Sky News has reported extensively on the situation in care homes throughout the coronavirus pandemic .
This includes highlighting fears @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before they were well enough to return , as well as reporting a number of councils threatening to withhold funding to help care homes deal with the virus if they did not agree to take in COVID-19 patients .
Sky News revealed on Tuesday that more than 20 care homes in the northeast of England have sent a legal warning to their local council over fears of a collapse in the sector .

A senior minister has told Sky News that "wrong" advice at the start of the coronavirus outbreak could have led to mistakes in the government's response.
Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey made the comments during an interview with Kay Burley in which she was challenged about ministers' handling of COVID-19 in adult social care.
Asked if the government had, in hindsight, got the approach to care homes wrong, Ms Coffey told Kay Burley@Breakfast that "you can only make judgements and decisions based on the information and advice that you have at the time".
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 3:21 Care homes 'face bankruptcy in days'
Pressed again, she replied: "If the science was wrong, the advice at the time was wrong, I'm not surprised if people then think we made a wrong decision.
"But you have to take judgements based on what you have."
The government's approach to the coronavirus outbreak has been informed by advice from experts on the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE).
In the wake of Ms Coffey's comments, Downing Street appeared to suggest it accepts that ministers bear responsibility for the decisions made in the response to COVID-19.
"The prime minister is hugely grateful for the hard work and expertise of the UK's world-leading scientists, we've been guided by their advice throughout and we continue to do so," Boris Johnson's spokesman said.
"Scientists provide advice to the government, ministers ultimately decide."
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Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 22:43 Special report: The killer in our care homes
Ms Coffey's comments come after a cross-party group of MPs warned the UK has 10 key lessons to learn from its handling of the pandemic so far.
They said testing capacity has been "inadequate" throughout the pandemic, while the decision to stop community testing early in the outbreak was "one of the most consequential made".
Responding to the report, a Downing Street spokesman said: "This is an unprecedented global pandemic and we have taken the right steps at the right time to combat it, guided at all times by the best scientific advice."
When it comes to care homes, opponents and some voices in the sector have accused the government of being too slow to react to what was happening.
Official guidance, which was in place until 12 March, said it was "very unlikely" that those receiving care in a care home or the community would become infected with the virus.
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On 15 April, more than three weeks after the UK was put in lockdown to try to control the spread of COVID-19, testing was expanded to include care home staff, residents with symptoms and those being discharged from hospital back into care homes.
But Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that guidance was first released on 25 February when there was "no transmission of COVID-19 in the community" and that "we brought the lockdown in care homes ahead of the general lockdown".
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show the number of deaths in care homes has "fallen significantly".
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:29 Decision to abandon mass testing a 'mistake'
"This morning's statistics confirm that 27% of coronavirus deaths in England have taken place in care homes, which compares to a European average of around half," he told MPs as he responded to an urgent question in the Commons.
Mr Hancock also said that 62% of care homes have not reported a case of COVID-19.
"But whatever the figures say we will not rest from doing whatever is humanly possible to protect our care homes from this appalling virus to make sure residents and care colleagues have the safety and security they deserve," he added.
Liz Kendall, Labour's shadow social care minister, said the government had been "too slow" to act on COVID-19 in care homes.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 6:20 Hunt: 'Social care should be an equal to NHS'
She added that social care has "not had the same priority as the NHS" during the outbreak.
Sky News has reported extensively on the situation in care homes throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
This includes highlighting fears elderly patients were being discharged from hospital before they were well enough to return, as well as reporting a number of councils threatening to withhold funding to help care homes deal with the virus if they did not agree to take in COVID-19 patients.
Sky News revealed on Tuesday that more than 20 care homes in the northeast of England have sent a legal warning to their local council over fears of a collapse in the sector.


skynewspolitics--2020-05-18--Ten key lessons the govt must learn from COVID-19 set out in new report

The UK has 10 key lessons to learn from its handling of the coronavirus pandemic so far , a cross-party group of MPs have warned .
While the government has been praised for seeking a diverse range of scientific opinion on how to respond to COVID-19 , the Science and Technology Committee has raised concerns about some of the decisions made early on in the outbreak - as well as its preparedness for the future .
In a 19-page document , committee chairman Greg Clark acknowledged that some judgements were made `` within a fog of uncertainty '' , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inform the country 's coronavirus strategy going forward .
Mr Clark 's committee found that the transparency around scientific advice offered to the public `` has not always been as clear as it should have been '' .
The report says there should be greater levels of disclosure about who attends the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies ( SAGE ) , which has been advising the government on the action it should take .
: : Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker Concerns are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ papers used to inform SAGE meetings have been made public , out of a total of 120 .
`` Without visibility of the scientific advice , it will be difficult to corroborate the government 's assertion that it always follows the scientific advice , '' the committee wrote .
It went on to urge the government to regularly update the list of SAGE members , promptly publish new papers after every meeting , and offer a summary of the scientific advice that has informed the government 's decisions .
2 .
Answers about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed The committee concluded that the UK 's testing capacity `` has been inadequate for most of the pandemic so far '' - and that it has n't been increased `` early enough or boldly enough '' .
Very low numbers of people were being tested well into March , the report says , with a broad range of experts from around the world telling the committee this capacity has been inadequate .
The committee heard evidence from Public Health England ( PHE ) on 25 March that the UK had chosen to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as South Korea , which had engaged in mass testing early on in the pandemic .
Professor Sharon Peacock , who works for PHE , said she would offer evidence that explained why the UK rejected South Korea 's methods , but the committee claims this information was never provided .
The committee said : `` The failure of PHE to publish the evidence on which its testing policy was based is unacceptable for a decision that may have had such significant consequences .
`` The absence of disclosure may indicate that - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committee - no rigorous assessment was in fact made by PHE of other countries ' approach to testing .
`` That would be of profound concern since the necessity to consider the approaches taken by others with experience of pandemics is obvious . ''
3 .
England , Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland must continue to work closely together According to the report , the provision of scientific advice has been `` well co-ordinated '' between all four nations of the UK .
The committee heard evidence that the four chief medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closely - with Scotland 's interim chief medical officer Dr Gregor Smith saying `` there was value to consistent messaging for ensuring public understanding and compliance '' .
According to the report , this close collaboration should continue , but Dr Smith warned it is possible that divergent measures may be needed if COVID-19 spreads more severely in some areas than others .
Elsewhere in the report , the Science and Technology Committee warns `` it is not clear that lessons of the delays to testing have been learned '' .
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the virus drastically curtailed the ability to gather data that could have identified the spread of the virus among different groups and with different symptomatic severity , '' the MPs wrote .
The committee recommended that the government should `` take every opportunity to build capacity in advance of need to surge capacity explosively rather than follow a more gradual 'ramping up ' approach '' .
5 .
Deaths of BAME patients must be better recorded The report adds that there are `` significant unexplained differences in the death rates in the UK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ groups compared to the population as a whole '' .
Although NHS England does publish a breakdown of COVID-19 deaths by ethnicity , the committee found that this information is unavailable for almost 10 % of cases - and it does n't cover fatalities in other settings such as care homes .
`` After adjusting for age [ … ] , men and women from all ethnic minority groups ( except females with Chinese ethnicity ) are at greater risk of dying from COVID-19 compared with those of white ethnicity , '' an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 7 May .
`` The government should consider how ethnicity data on those dying as a result of COVID-19 could be systematically recorded , '' the committee said .
6 .
Strategies for managing asymptomatic people must be clearer According to the Science and Technology Committee , it has seen evidence that suggests a high proportion of people with COVID-19 who could transmit it to others `` are free of all symptoms '' .
The report warns `` the possibility of significant levels of asymptomatic transmission have a profound consequence for the management @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` If people have no means of knowing they are infected , then they risk transmitting the infection to large numbers of people if they are not rigorously socially distanced .
`` This is a particular concern for NHS workers and care workers who may be asymptomatically infected and transmitting the disease to vulnerable people with whom they are in close contact . ''
As a result , the government is being urged to `` explicitly set out its approach to managing the risk of asymptomatic transmission '' - with the committee warning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into contact with vulnerable groups may be needed , even if they are n't showing symptoms .
7 .
Contact-tracing capacity must be urgently built up Rigorous contact tracing has been used in several countries with low death rates from COVID-19 - such as South Korea , Singapore and Hong Kong - but the UK 's `` limited capacity '' to do the same was an important factor in the decision to stop full contact tracing on 12 March , the committee concluded .
MPs heard evidence that `` multiple approaches '' will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with NHSX chief executive Matthew Gould warning that it will be `` tough '' to ensure that a contact-tracing app being piloted on the Isle of Wight is used by enough people to be effective .
`` It is clear from the experiences of other countries , such as Singapore , that we can not rely on the use of a contact-trading application to fulfil our needs , '' the committee said .
It added that contact-tracing capabilities need to be built up quickly to ensure social-distancing measures can be eased , while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in infections .
8 .
Isolation and quarantine must be part of the government 's `` test , track and trace '' strategy The Science and Technology Committee heard evidence from leading experts around the world who said quarantine and isolation had been a crucial part in testing , tracking and tracing the virus elsewhere .
When testing and tracing has reached a dependable level in the UK , the committee suggested that providing dedicated facilities for isolation and quarantine `` may be worthwhile set against the more hidden but vastly greater cost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the population '' .
9 .
Capacity for making and deploying vaccines must increase The committee said it was `` encouraging news '' that the first human trials of a potential COVID-19 vaccine are now under way in the UK - describing it as `` testament to the UK 's expertise in this area '' .
Professor Andrew Pollard from the University of Oxford told MPs that potential vaccines need to be manufactured before their effectiveness is proven , or it could be `` years and years '' before the UK has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use .
`` To wait until all trials are completed in order to build up the capacity to manufacture and distribute vaccines could lose valuable time , '' the committee warned .
`` Therefore , even at the risk of redundancy , it is imperative to ensure that the UK has built up sufficient manufacturing and distribution capacity to roll-out a vaccine as soon as its effectiveness is proven . ''
10 .
The government should continue to draw on extensive scientific advice The Science and Technology Committee also heard plenty of evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highly influential in government decisions throughout the pandemic '' .
Sir Patrick Vallance , the government 's chief scientific adviser , had told MPs there had been little disagreement between the government and SAGE `` on anything material '' .
Encouraging existing practices to continue , MPs added : `` It is clear that the government has been serious in taking scientific advice , and that British scientists on SAGE have sought to give that advice in a way designed to help decision making . ''
Responding to the report , a Downing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an unprecedented global pandemic and we have taken the right steps at the right time to combat it , guided at all times by the best scientific advice .
`` Our response has ensured that the NHS has been given all the support it needs to ensure everyone requiring treatment has received it , as well as providing protection to businesses and reassurance to workers .
`` Testing is a key part of our response and we have expanded testing capacity on an unprecedented scale - from 2,000 tests a day in February @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Now everyone aged five and over who has symptoms and needs a test can get one - and we will continue to build this capacity . ''

The UK has 10 key lessons to learn from its handling of the coronavirus pandemic so far, a cross-party group of MPs have warned.
While the government has been praised for seeking a diverse range of scientific opinion on how to respond to COVID-19, the Science and Technology Committee has raised concerns about some of the decisions made early on in the outbreak - as well as its preparedness for the future.
In a 19-page document, committee chairman Greg Clark acknowledged that some judgements were made "within a fog of uncertainty", but said past experiences must be used to inform the country's coronavirus strategy going forward.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 5:39 10 May: 'The stay alert message isn't clear enough'
The committee's 10 recommendations are:
1. Greater transparency is needed about scientific advice
Mr Clark's committee found that the transparency around scientific advice offered to the public "has not always been as clear as it should have been".
The report says there should be greater levels of disclosure about who attends the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), which has been advising the government on the action it should take.
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Concerns are also raised that just 28 of the papers used to inform SAGE meetings have been made public, out of a total of 120.
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"Without visibility of the scientific advice, it will be difficult to corroborate the government's assertion that it always follows the scientific advice," the committee wrote.
It went on to urge the government to regularly update the list of SAGE members, promptly publish new papers after every meeting, and offer a summary of the scientific advice that has informed the government's decisions.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:02 'Anyone over five can get a test'
2. Answers about the UK's approach to testing are needed
The committee concluded that the UK's testing capacity "has been inadequate for most of the pandemic so far" - and that it hasn't been increased "early enough or boldly enough".
Very low numbers of people were being tested well into March, the report says, with a broad range of experts from around the world telling the committee this capacity has been inadequate.
The committee heard evidence from Public Health England (PHE) on 25 March that the UK had chosen to follow a different approach to countries such as South Korea, which had engaged in mass testing early on in the pandemic.
Professor Sharon Peacock, who works for PHE, said she would offer evidence that explained why the UK rejected South Korea's methods, but the committee claims this information was never provided.
The committee said: "The failure of PHE to publish the evidence on which its testing policy was based is unacceptable for a decision that may have had such significant consequences.
"The absence of disclosure may indicate that - notwithstanding the oral evidence given to the committee - no rigorous assessment was in fact made by PHE of other countries' approach to testing.
"That would be of profound concern since the necessity to consider the approaches taken by others with experience of pandemics is obvious."
3. England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland must continue to work closely together
According to the report, the provision of scientific advice has been "well co-ordinated" between all four nations of the UK.
The committee heard evidence that the four chief medical officers from each nation had worked together closely - with Scotland's interim chief medical officer Dr Gregor Smith saying "there was value to consistent messaging for ensuring public understanding and compliance".
According to the report, this close collaboration should continue, but Dr Smith warned it is possible that divergent measures may be needed if COVID-19 spreads more severely in some areas than others.
Image: MPs warned that testing capacity needs to be built before it is needed. File pic
4. Testing capacity must increase
Elsewhere in the report, the Science and Technology Committee warns "it is not clear that lessons of the delays to testing have been learned".
"The retreat to testing only hospital patients for the virus drastically curtailed the ability to gather data that could have identified the spread of the virus among different groups and with different symptomatic severity," the MPs wrote.
The committee recommended that the government should "take every opportunity to build capacity in advance of need to surge capacity explosively rather than follow a more gradual 'ramping up' approach".
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 3:02 BAME people more likely to die from COVID-19
5. Deaths of BAME patients must be better recorded
The report adds that there are "significant unexplained differences in the death rates in the UK of black, Asian and minority ethnic groups compared to the population as a whole".
Although NHS England does publish a breakdown of COVID-19 deaths by ethnicity, the committee found that this information is unavailable for almost 10% of cases - and it doesn't cover fatalities in other settings such as care homes.
"After adjusting for age […], men and women from all ethnic minority groups (except females with Chinese ethnicity) are at greater risk of dying from COVID-19 compared with those of white ethnicity," an Office for National Statistics report found on 7 May.
"The government should consider how ethnicity data on those dying as a result of COVID-19 could be systematically recorded," the committee said.
6. Strategies for managing asymptomatic people must be clearer
According to the Science and Technology Committee, it has seen evidence that suggests a high proportion of people with COVID-19 who could transmit it to others "are free of all symptoms".
The report warns "the possibility of significant levels of asymptomatic transmission have a profound consequence for the management of the pandemic", warning: "If people have no means of knowing they are infected, then they risk transmitting the infection to large numbers of people if they are not rigorously socially distanced.
"This is a particular concern for NHS workers and care workers who may be asymptomatically infected and transmitting the disease to vulnerable people with whom they are in close contact."
As a result, the government is being urged to "explicitly set out its approach to managing the risk of asymptomatic transmission" - with the committee warning regular testing of all workers who come into contact with vulnerable groups may be needed, even if they aren't showing symptoms.
7. Contact-tracing capacity must be urgently built up
Rigorous contact tracing has been used in several countries with low death rates from COVID-19 - such as South Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong - but the UK's "limited capacity" to do the same was an important factor in the decision to stop full contact tracing on 12 March, the committee concluded.
MPs heard evidence that "multiple approaches" will be needed to implement contract tracing, with NHSX chief executive Matthew Gould warning that it will be "tough" to ensure that a contact-tracing app being piloted on the Isle of Wight is used by enough people to be effective.
"It is clear from the experiences of other countries, such as Singapore, that we cannot rely on the use of a contact-trading application to fulfil our needs," the committee said.
It added that contact-tracing capabilities need to be built up quickly to ensure social-distancing measures can be eased, while minimising the risk of a second peak in infections.
8. Isolation and quarantine must be part of the government's "test, track and trace" strategy
The Science and Technology Committee heard evidence from leading experts around the world who said quarantine and isolation had been a crucial part in testing, tracking and tracing the virus elsewhere.
When testing and tracing has reached a dependable level in the UK, the committee suggested that providing dedicated facilities for isolation and quarantine "may be worthwhile set against the more hidden but vastly greater cost of maintaining tighter restrictions on the rest of the population".
9. Capacity for making and deploying vaccines must increase
The committee said it was "encouraging news" that the first human trials of a potential COVID-19 vaccine are now under way in the UK - describing it as "testament to the UK's expertise in this area".
Professor Andrew Pollard from the University of Oxford told MPs that potential vaccines need to be manufactured before their effectiveness is proven, or it could be "years and years" before the UK has a vaccine that's ready for mass use.
"To wait until all trials are completed in order to build up the capacity to manufacture and distribute vaccines could lose valuable time," the committee warned.
"Therefore, even at the risk of redundancy, it is imperative to ensure that the UK has built up sufficient manufacturing and distribution capacity to roll-out a vaccine as soon as its effectiveness is proven."
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:34 We may live with virus 'for several years'
10. The government should continue to draw on extensive scientific advice
The Science and Technology Committee also heard plenty of evidence praising SAGE, which has been "highly influential in government decisions throughout the pandemic".
Sir Patrick Vallance, the government's chief scientific adviser, had told MPs there had been little disagreement between the government and SAGE "on anything material".
Encouraging existing practices to continue, MPs added: "It is clear that the government has been serious in taking scientific advice, and that British scientists on SAGE have sought to give that advice in a way designed to help decision making."
Image: Boris Johnson has led the government's response
Responding to the report, a Downing Street spokesman said: "This is an unprecedented global pandemic and we have taken the right steps at the right time to combat it, guided at all times by the best scientific advice.
"Our response has ensured that the NHS has been given all the support it needs to ensure everyone requiring treatment has received it, as well as providing protection to businesses and reassurance to workers.
"Testing is a key part of our response and we have expanded testing capacity on an unprecedented scale - from 2,000 tests a day in February to more than 100,000 in May.
"Now everyone aged five and over who has symptoms and needs a test can get one - and we will continue to build this capacity."


skynewspolitics--2020-05-19--These items could be cheaper under the government's new trade regime

A range of household appliances and foods will be cheaper and consumers offered more choice , ministers say , under a new trade regime set to begin in January .
Britain will scrap all levies on £62bn of imports when formally leaving EU rules at the end of the year , it has been announced .
Products such as fridge-freezers , dishwashers and other household goods which are currently marked up by up to 3 % will have no tariffs at all .
International Trade Secretary Liz Truss says the new regime , which has been under intense consideration , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for businesses .
But tariffs will remain on UK-produced cars - at 10 % - and on agricultural products including lamb , beef and butter at their current levels , following concerns that these industries could be decimated by Brexit .
These new tariffs will be applied to trade with any country with which the UK has not negotiated a trade deal by the time the transition period ends on 31 December .
The government aims to negotiate a trade deal with the EU this year , but talks have yet to yield @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : `` For the first time in 50 years we are able to set our own tariff regime that is tailored to the UK economy .
`` Our new Global Tariff will benefit UK consumers and households by cutting red tape and reducing the cost of thousands of everyday products .
`` With this straightforward approach , we are backing UK industry and helping businesses overcome the unprecedented economic challenges posed by coronavirus . ''
: : Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker Under @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK trade - worth £425bn - would be tariff-free on World Trade Organisation terms or through trade deals - and this would increase as more trade deals are struck .
This compares with 47 % of trade which is tax-free for the UK currently , under EU rules .
This means an extra £62bn of trade would be tariff-free altogether , around half of which is finished goods and £30bn is for products used in manufacturing supply chains .
This announcement is being made now , it is understood , in order to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expect post-Brexit .
Prices for consumers depend on businesses passing on any saving .
It had been expected last year that the UK would scrap tariffs on up to 90 % of goods , but the plans appear to have been watered down .
Ceramics and glass - UK industries which were also deeply concerned about the end of tariffs leading to intense competition - will also retain theirs .
Zero tariffs will apply on : • Sanitary products and tampons ( down from 6.3 % ) • Paints ( down from 6.5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2.7 % ) • Scissors and garden shears ( down from 4.7 % ) • Cooking products such as baking powder ( down from 6.1 % ) , yeast ( down from 12 % ) , bay leaves ( down from 7 % ) , ground thyme ( down from 8.5 % ) and cocoa powder ( down from 8 % ) There is also a temporary zero rates on medical products to fight COVID-19 including PPE , and disinfectant .

A range of household appliances and foods will be cheaper and consumers offered more choice, ministers say, under a new trade regime set to begin in January.
Britain will scrap all levies on £62bn of imports when formally leaving EU rules at the end of the year, it has been announced.
Products such as fridge-freezers, dishwashers and other household goods which are currently marked up by up to 3% will have no tariffs at all.
However, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) warned that without a trade deal with the EU, families were likely to face a rise in food costs overall - as agricultural goods imported from Europe will face new levies.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 6:29 The UK and EU's Brexit negotiators have made statements on the lack of progress in the third round of talks.
International Trade Secretary Liz Truss says the new regime, which has been under intense consideration, will simplify trade and lower administrative burdens for businesses.
But tariffs will remain on UK-produced cars - at 10% - and on agricultural products including lamb, beef and butter at their current levels, following concerns that these industries could be decimated by Brexit.
These new tariffs will be applied to trade with any country with which the UK has not negotiated a trade deal by the time the transition period ends on 31 December.
The government aims to negotiate a trade deal with the EU this year, but talks have yet to yield a breakthrough.
Ms Truss said today: "For the first time in 50 years we are able to set our own tariff regime that is tailored to the UK economy.
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"Our new Global Tariff will benefit UK consumers and households by cutting red tape and reducing the cost of thousands of everyday products.
"With this straightforward approach, we are backing UK industry and helping businesses overcome the unprecedented economic challenges posed by coronavirus."
:: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
Under the new rules, 60% of UK trade - worth £425bn - would be tariff-free on World Trade Organisation terms or through trade deals - and this would increase as more trade deals are struck.
This compares with 47% of trade which is tax-free for the UK currently, under EU rules.
This means an extra £62bn of trade would be tariff-free altogether, around half of which is finished goods and £30bn is for products used in manufacturing supply chains.
This announcement is being made now, it is understood, in order to give businesses notice about what they can expect post-Brexit.
Prices for consumers depend on businesses passing on any saving.
It had been expected last year that the UK would scrap tariffs on up to 90% of goods, but the plans appear to have been watered down.
Ceramics and glass - UK industries which were also deeply concerned about the end of tariffs leading to intense competition - will also retain theirs.
Zero tariffs will apply on:
Dishwashers (down from 2.7%)
Freezers (down from 2.5%)
Sanitary products and tampons (down from 6.3%)
Paints (down from 6.5%) and screwdrivers (down from 2.7%)
Mirrors (down from 4%)
Scissors and garden shears (down from 4.7%)
Padlocks (down from 2.7%)
Cooking products such as baking powder (down from 6.1%), yeast (down from 12%), bay leaves (down from 7%), ground thyme (down from 8.5%) and cocoa powder (down from 8%)
Christmas trees (down from 2.5%)
There is also a temporary zero rates on medical products to fight COVID-19 including PPE, and disinfectant.
BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson welcomed the "positive movement on tariffs" for items such as household appliances.
But she added: "Without a trade deal with the EU, families across the country are likely to face higher food costs.
"It remains essential that the UK agrees a comprehensive deal that reduces friction - such as checks and delays at the border - and allows tariff-free trade to continue with the EU.
"UK consumers have become accustomed to a huge variety of affordable food thanks, in part, to tariff-free imports from the EU.
"Unless a similar agreement is reached in the next seven months, imported agricultural products will be subject to new tariffs, raising costs for consumers."
The tariff schedule is not the only factor that will affect the affordability of goods after the end of the transition period.
If a no-deal scenario prompts a sharp fall in the pound, that is likely to drive up the cost of imports.
Many experts also think the resultant economic uncertainty would be damaging for the economy - if that hurts jobs and wages, it could also make purchases less affordable for many.


skynewspolitics--2020-05-19--Discharged hospital patients may have seeded virus into care homes - minister

Some hospital patients with coronavirus may have been transferred into care homes , seeding it into communities , a senior minister has admitted .
Environment Secretary George Eustice said there could have been `` some instances '' where those without symptoms were moved untested into care homes , which have been hit hard by the COVID-19 outbreak .
Previously , ministers insisted adequate advice was given to care homes , despite them being told until as late as 12 March an outbreak of the disease in them was `` very unlikely '' and all residents and staff with symptoms were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The admission came as the head of Care England , the largest body representing private care homes in the country , said the government prioritised the NHS over the care sector .
So far around 15,000 elderly residents have died with the virus in England and Wales .
Mr Eustice denied `` the caricature that we took an approach that was wrong '' at the daily Downing Street briefing .
`` Very early on in this epidemic we had protocols in place for care homes , there was guidance as to how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claimed .
`` As the situation developed then more stringent policies were introduced . ''
But he accepted : `` In those early weeks there will have been some instances where people may have been discharged who were asymptomatic .
`` And there may have been some small number of instances where they may have been showing symptoms but would have been isolated - that was the guidance at the time that was in place . ''
: : Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being `` too slow '' to tackle the spread of coronavirus in care homes .
Shadow social care minister Liz Kendall said : `` Social care has not had the same priority as the NHS and these services have not been treated as inexplicably linked . ''
Sam Monaghan , chief executive of Methodist Homes , which runs 222 care homes and schemes , also claimed there is a `` stark disconnect between the ongoing government rhetoric on support for care homes and the lived reality on the ground '' .
He insisted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is still no routine testing for all residents and staff , while PPE remains in short supply , with care companies having to buy it `` on the open market '' .
Speculation has mounted about whether the ground is already being prepared for the fallout of the pandemic in an inevitable public inquiry .
Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey told Sky News on Tuesday when quizzed about the care homes response that : `` If the science was wrong , the advice at the time was wrong .
I 'm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made a wrong decision . ''

Some hospital patients with coronavirus may have been transferred into care homes, seeding it into communities, a senior minister has admitted.
Environment Secretary George Eustice said there could have been "some instances" where those without symptoms were moved untested into care homes, which have been hit hard by the COVID-19 outbreak.
Previously, ministers insisted adequate advice was given to care homes, despite them being told until as late as 12 March an outbreak of the disease in them was "very unlikely" and all residents and staff with symptoms were not eligible for tests until 15 April.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 22:43 Special report: The killer in our care homes
The admission came as the head of Care England, the largest body representing private care homes in the country, said the government prioritised the NHS over the care sector.
So far around 15,000 elderly residents have died with the virus in England and Wales.
Image: Environment Secretary George Eustice at the daily coronavirus news briefing
Mr Eustice denied "the caricature that we took an approach that was wrong" at the daily Downing Street briefing.
"Very early on in this epidemic we had protocols in place for care homes, there was guidance as to how they should approach this," he claimed.
"As the situation developed then more stringent policies were introduced."
But he accepted: "In those early weeks there will have been some instances where people may have been discharged who were asymptomatic.
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"And there may have been some small number of instances where they may have been showing symptoms but would have been isolated - that was the guidance at the time that was in place."
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Labour has accused the government of being "too slow" to tackle the spread of coronavirus in care homes.
Shadow social care minister Liz Kendall said: "Social care has not had the same priority as the NHS and these services have not been treated as inexplicably linked."
Sam Monaghan, chief executive of Methodist Homes, which runs 222 care homes and schemes, also claimed there is a "stark disconnect between the ongoing government rhetoric on support for care homes and the lived reality on the ground".
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 3:54 Hancock on care homes: 'We will not rest'
He insisted to the Commons science select committee that there is still no routine testing for all residents and staff, while PPE remains in short supply, with care companies having to buy it "on the open market".
Speculation has mounted about whether the ground is already being prepared for the fallout of the pandemic in an inevitable public inquiry.
Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey told Sky News on Tuesday when quizzed about the care homes response that: "If the science was wrong, the advice at the time was wrong. I'm not surprised if people then think we made a wrong decision."


skynewspolitics--2020-05-19--Care home bosses: There is 'stark' difference between government talk and reality

Care home bosses have accused the government of prioritising the NHS and not care homes - and failing to make good on promises of support .
Professor Martin Green , chief executive of Care England which represents care homes , told MPs on Tuesday that from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic care homes were a second thought despite housing the `` most vulnerable people '' .
He also said there had been no recommendation for how care homes should react to a pandemic when the government planned for one in 2016 .
Professor Green told the Health and Social @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the start of this pandemic was clearly the NHS , and there was not a recommendation in either the planning process that happened in 2016 , or indeed in this current pandemic at the very start , that the most vulnerable people were in care homes . ''
Shadow social care minister Liz Kendall accused the government of being `` too slow '' to tackle the spread of coronavirus in care homes .
`` Social care has not had the same priority as the NHS and these services have not been treated as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sam Monaghan , chief executive of Methodist Homes , which runs 222 care homes and schemes , told the committee there was a `` stark disconnect between the ongoing government rhetoric on support for care homes and the lived reality on the ground '' .
Both Professor Green and Mr Monaghan said there is still no routine testing for all residents and staff , while PPE remains in short supply , with care companies having to buy it `` on the open market '' .
Professor Green added that when tests are done @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost or people are waiting too long - eight to 10 days - for results , so it is unclear whether they are current .
James Bullion , president of the Association of Directors of Social Services , added : `` There is n't widespread testing .
It is growing , but the care workforce is 1.6 million in this country so we are nowhere near the level of testing that 's required . ''
He said the UK did not take into account quickly enough the risk of transmission from people going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also among staff .
Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt , chair of the Health and Social Care Committee , told Sky News : `` I 'm absolutely sure there was never any intention to expose residents in care homes .
`` There may have been an unintentional effect of saying that we were doing everything to protect the NHS and that had the impact of deprioritising what was going on in care homes .
`` I have to take responsibility for this , as do other previous governments , but there is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care system and there should n't be . ''
: : Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker Health secretary Matt Hancock told parliament : `` It is appropriate , clinically , and safer for people to be discharged from a hospital into a care home . ''
He said it was important infection control procedures are in place and said those procedures and government guidelines have been strengthened as the clinical understanding of coronavirus has strengthened .
Mr Bullion said he wants care staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be tested to reassure both staff and people receiving care they are not going to catch COVID-19 .
He pointed to a survey that said about 10 % of people who receive care at home have stopped it to protect themselves , which he said could affect their health and wellbeing .
And he warned that agency staff are moving between three or four different care homes because there is no `` career grade structure '' and the low pay means staff are having to supplement their income .
Professor Green also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ different agencies .
He said : `` People are also concerned in the workforce about the fact that they 've had endless guidance from various different agencies , many of which has been changing by the day , which frankly I do n't understand why .
`` You know , we just need clear guidance from Public Health England .
I think that what has come out of this for me is that Public Health England understands the NHS but does n't understand the social care workforce and what our needs are .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear central direction , and we need some clarity about how care homes will be supported by the NHS . ''
Mr Hancock said today 's official figures showed the number of deaths in care homes `` has fallen significantly '' , down by a third in the last week - from 2,423 to 1,666 .
He said : `` But whatever the figures say we will not rest from doing whatever is humanly possible to protect our care homes from this appalling virus to make sure residents and care colleagues have the @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Care home bosses have accused the government of prioritising the NHS and not care homes - and failing to make good on promises of support.
Professor Martin Green, chief executive of Care England which represents care homes, told MPs on Tuesday that from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic care homes were a second thought despite housing the "most vulnerable people".
He also said there had been no recommendation for how care homes should react to a pandemic when the government planned for one in 2016.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 6:20 Hunt: Social care should be an equal to NHS
Professor Green told the Health and Social Care Committee: "Our focus at the start of this pandemic was clearly the NHS, and there was not a recommendation in either the planning process that happened in 2016, or indeed in this current pandemic at the very start, that the most vulnerable people were in care homes."
Shadow social care minister Liz Kendall accused the government of being "too slow" to tackle the spread of coronavirus in care homes.
"Social care has not had the same priority as the NHS and these services have not been treated as inexplicably linked," she said.
Sam Monaghan, chief executive of Methodist Homes, which runs 222 care homes and schemes, told the committee there was a "stark disconnect between the ongoing government rhetoric on support for care homes and the lived reality on the ground".
Both Professor Green and Mr Monaghan said there is still no routine testing for all residents and staff, while PPE remains in short supply, with care companies having to buy it "on the open market".
Professor Green added that when tests are done, there are cases when results are lost or people are waiting too long - eight to 10 days - for results, so it is unclear whether they are current.
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Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:52 'Hospital can be dangerous place'
James Bullion, president of the Association of Directors of Social Services, added: "There isn't widespread testing. It is growing, but the care workforce is 1.6 million in this country so we are nowhere near the level of testing that's required."
He said the UK did not take into account quickly enough the risk of transmission from people going between hospitals and care homes, and also among staff.
Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt, chair of the Health and Social Care Committee, told Sky News: "I'm absolutely sure there was never any intention to expose residents in care homes.
"There may have been an unintentional effect of saying that we were doing everything to protect the NHS and that had the impact of deprioritising what was going on in care homes.
"I have to take responsibility for this, as do other previous governments, but there is a separation of the NHS and the social care system and there shouldn't be."
:: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
Health secretary Matt Hancock told parliament: "It is appropriate, clinically, and safer for people to be discharged from a hospital into a care home."
He said it was important infection control procedures are in place and said those procedures and government guidelines have been strengthened as the clinical understanding of coronavirus has strengthened.
Mr Bullion said he wants care staff who are going into people's homes to be tested to reassure both staff and people receiving care they are not going to catch COVID-19.
He pointed to a survey that said about 10% of people who receive care at home have stopped it to protect themselves, which he said could affect their health and wellbeing.
And he warned that agency staff are moving between three or four different care homes because there is no "career grade structure" and the low pay means staff are having to supplement their income.
Image: Care home staff are worried about giving COVID-19 to their patients and their own families
Professor Green also criticised the "endless guidance" from different agencies.
He said: "People are also concerned in the workforce about the fact that they've had endless guidance from various different agencies, many of which has been changing by the day, which frankly I don't understand why.
"You know, we just need clear guidance from Public Health England. I think that what has come out of this for me is that Public Health England understands the NHS but doesn't understand the social care workforce and what our needs are.
"What we need is some really clear central direction, and we need some clarity about how care homes will be supported by the NHS."
Mr Hancock said today's official figures showed the number of deaths in care homes "has fallen significantly", down by a third in the last week - from 2,423 to 1,666.
He said: "But whatever the figures say we will not rest from doing whatever is humanly possible to protect our care homes from this appalling virus to make sure residents and care colleagues have the safety and security they deserve."


skynewspolitics--2020-05-19--Brexit trade talks have turned sour, as UK attacks 'low-quality' deal on offer

Post-Brexit talks with the EU have turned sour , after the UK escalated tensions by accusing Brussels of only offering a `` low-quality '' trade deal .
Downing Street 's chief negotiator , David Frost , said the agreement on offer amounts to `` unprecedented oversight '' of laws and institutions from 1 January 2021 .
A litany of problems with the EU 's demands were fleshed out in a strongly worded letter to his opposite number Michel Barnier and published by Number 10 on Tuesday .
The intervention , which comes days after Mr Frost said `` very little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ since March , will rattle those fearful of a no-deal end to the transition period .
The UK left the EU on 31 January but is still following its rules and remains in the single market and customs union until the end of the year .
Negotiators have until then to strike a trade deal to replace those ties or the UK will fall on to base-level World Trade Organisation terms with one of its biggest trading partners .
The clock is now running down to the end of June - the latest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the transition period , although that is something Prime Minister Boris Johnson has vowed never to do .
Mr Frost said it was `` perplexing '' the EU would not settle a `` high-quality set of agreements '' on policy areas where thinking is `` very similar '' , such as aviation and nuclear , and is instead pushing for `` additional , unbalanced , and unprecedented provisions '' .
He wrote : `` We find it hard to see what makes the UK , uniquely among your trading partners , so unworthy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrangements commonplace in modern FTAs [ free trade agreements ] ... '' At this moment in negotiations , what is on offer is not a fair free trade relationship between close economic partners , but a relatively low-quality trade agreement coming with unprecedented EU oversight of our laws and institutions .
`` It does not have to be like this .
I remain convinced that it would be very straightforward for us to agree a modern and high-quality FTA and other separate agreements , like those you have agreed with other close partners @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could do so quickly . ''
Three rounds of negotiations have happened so far , with the next due to take place next month .
Brussels has previously accused the UK side of trying to run down the clock in an attempt to force them to accept an agreement on its terms rather than suffer the widely anticipated disruption to trade if there is no deal .
Labour 's shadow Cabinet Office minister , Rachel Reeves , has urged the government to `` act in the national interest to get a deal that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights and also for scientific cooperation '' .
On Sunday she said the transition period should be extended to avoid no-deal , telling Sky News : `` We 're saying they must n't rush this and if they are not going to a secure deal , we must n't crash out without a deal , so that means taking the time that is necessary ... '' If they are not in a position to do that then they need to come back and expand the timetable . ''

Post-Brexit talks with the EU have turned sour, after the UK escalated tensions by accusing Brussels of only offering a "low-quality" trade deal.
Downing Street's chief negotiator, David Frost, said the agreement on offer amounts to "unprecedented oversight" of laws and institutions from 1 January 2021.
A litany of problems with the EU's demands were fleshed out in a strongly worded letter to his opposite number Michel Barnier and published by Number 10 on Tuesday.
Image: The UK is part of the single market and customs union until 1 January 2021
The intervention, which comes days after Mr Frost said "very little progress" had been made in talks since March, will rattle those fearful of a no-deal end to the transition period.
The UK left the EU on 31 January but is still following its rules and remains in the single market and customs union until the end of the year.
Negotiators have until then to strike a trade deal to replace those ties or the UK will fall on to base-level World Trade Organisation terms with one of its biggest trading partners.
The clock is now running down to the end of June - the latest point both sides can agree to extend the transition period, although that is something Prime Minister Boris Johnson has vowed never to do.
Mr Frost said it was "perplexing" the EU would not settle a "high-quality set of agreements" on policy areas where thinking is "very similar", such as aviation and nuclear, and is instead pushing for "additional, unbalanced, and unprecedented provisions".
He wrote: "We find it hard to see what makes the UK, uniquely among your trading partners, so unworthy of being offered the kind of well-precedented arrangements commonplace in modern FTAs [free trade agreements]...
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Image: David Frost (left) wrote the letter to Michel Barnier (right)
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:51 From February: 'No race to the bottom' after Brexit - Johnson
"At this moment in negotiations, what is on offer is not a fair free trade relationship between close economic partners, but a relatively low-quality trade agreement coming with unprecedented EU oversight of our laws and institutions.
"It does not have to be like this. I remain convinced that it would be very straightforward for us to agree a modern and high-quality FTA and other separate agreements, like those you have agreed with other close partners around the world, and that we could do so quickly."
Three rounds of negotiations have happened so far, with the next due to take place next month.
Brussels has previously accused the UK side of trying to run down the clock in an attempt to force them to accept an agreement on its terms rather than suffer the widely anticipated disruption to trade if there is no deal.
Labour's shadow Cabinet Office minister, Rachel Reeves, has urged the government to "act in the national interest to get a deal that is good for jobs, workers' rights and also for scientific cooperation".
On Sunday she said the transition period should be extended to avoid no-deal, telling Sky News: "We're saying they mustn't rush this and if they are not going to a secure deal, we mustn't crash out without a deal, so that means taking the time that is necessary...
"If they are not in a position to do that then they need to come back and expand the timetable."


skynewspolitics--2020-05-19--Government website to get British people to pick harvest crashes

The government 's website to get British people to pick this year 's harvest crashed within minutes of the environment secretary urging people to visit it .
During Tuesday 's coronavirus briefing , George Eustice encouraged British people - especially those who are furloughed - to help out with this year 's harvest , which starts properly in June , by going to the Pick for Britain website .
But minutes after his call the website crashed .
A government source told Sky News : `` It has been up and running since April and already lots of people have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So , it 's not a case that it 's a new platform that 's not working .
`` It was due to a surge in demand that the website crashed and we are increasing the capacity of the server at the moment . ''
Mr Eustice said only about a third of people who would normally come from overseas to help with the harvest are already here - and not many more are expected .
`` We will have to rely on British workers to bring harvest home , '' he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pick for Britain website that enables people to go online , check what job issues there are , what job availability there is and to marry up job opportunities from growers and employers with those people seeking a second job - particularly those who are furloughed .
`` We believe those who are furloughed may be getting to the point that they want to lend a hand , play their part .
They may be wanting to get out or supplement their income with an additional job .
`` If they do feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visit that website and look at the opportunities that are there . ''
Earlier in the day , Prince Charles backed the initiative by releasing a video in which he said `` we need an army of people to help '' if this year 's fruit and vegetables are to be picked .
People on social media lamented the website crashing , with many saying they had eagerly gone to see if they could get a job but were disappointed .
Lexi Young tweeted : `` Listens to daily briefing .
Hears about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Computer says no . ''
Steve Rumsby added : `` I was curious about the Pick for Britain website just announced in the Downing Street briefing .
Unfortunately ... '' Georgina Harland said : `` Tried to go on the pickforbritain.org.uk website - not available ... # coronashambles . ''
The National Farmers ' Union ( NFU ) supported the campaign earlier this month as it urged farm businesses , labour providers and recruiters to post job vacancies on the site ahead of it being promoted to the public .
The NFU @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been `` an overwhelmingly positive response to the call for British workers to come forward this summer '' .
: : Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker Scotland secretary Alistair Jack earlier today called on Britons to sign up to work on Scottish farms , especially to pick soft fruit .
He said the government had already confirmed that those who have been furloughed and are allowed to work for another employer can pick produce while continuing to receive 80 % of their salary @ @ @ @

The government's website to get British people to pick this year's harvest crashed within minutes of the environment secretary urging people to visit it.
During Tuesday's coronavirus briefing, George Eustice encouraged British people - especially those who are furloughed - to help out with this year's harvest, which starts properly in June, by going to the Pick for Britain website.
But minutes after his call the website crashed.
Image: The Pick for Britain website crashed within minutes of George Eustice encouraging people to sign up
A government source told Sky News: "It has been up and running since April and already lots of people have found jobs from the site.
"So, it's not a case that it's a new platform that's not working.
"It was due to a surge in demand that the website crashed and we are increasing the capacity of the server at the moment."
Mr Eustice said only about a third of people who would normally come from overseas to help with the harvest are already here - and not many more are expected.
"We will have to rely on British workers to bring harvest home," he said.
"We have launched a new Pick for Britain website that enables people to go online, check what job issues there are, what job availability there is and to marry up job opportunities from growers and employers with those people seeking a second job - particularly those who are furloughed.
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"We believe those who are furloughed may be getting to the point that they want to lend a hand, play their part. They may be wanting to get out or supplement their income with an additional job.
"If they do feel that way I would urge them to visit that website and look at the opportunities that are there."
Image: Many farms rely on seasonal workers from overseas
Earlier in the day, Prince Charles backed the initiative by releasing a video in which he said "we need an army of people to help" if this year's fruit and vegetables are to be picked.
People on social media lamented the website crashing, with many saying they had eagerly gone to see if they could get a job but were disappointed.
Lexi Young tweeted: "Listens to daily briefing. Hears about Pick for Britain. Goes to website. Computer says no."
Steve Rumsby added: "I was curious about the Pick for Britain website just announced in the Downing Street briefing. Unfortunately..."
Georgina Harland said: "Tried to go on the pickforbritain.org.uk website - not available...#coronashambles."
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The National Farmers' Union (NFU) supported the campaign earlier this month as it urged farm businesses, labour providers and recruiters to post job vacancies on the site ahead of it being promoted to the public.
The NFU also said growers told them there had been "an overwhelmingly positive response to the call for British workers to come forward this summer".
:: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
Scotland secretary Alistair Jack earlier today called on Britons to sign up to work on Scottish farms, especially to pick soft fruit.
He said the government had already confirmed that those who have been furloughed and are allowed to work for another employer can pick produce while continuing to receive 80% of their salary from the government.