Prime Minister's Questions: 10 June 2020

Questions from the Leader of the Opposition

The Leader of the Opposition, Keir Starmer, focused his questions on the Windrush and Lammy reports, the number of excess deaths, and school reopenings.

Mr Starmer asked the Prime Minister:

• why recommendations from both the Lammy report (which investigated racial bias in the justice system) and the Windrush report (which investigated the Windrush scandal and the role of the Home Office) have not yet been implemented.
• why policy has not been changed "to mitigate risk" after the release of the Public Health England report into Covid-19 and its effects on BAME people.
• why, if the number of excess deaths in the UK is 63,000, is the Prime Minister "proud" of his record on tackling coronavirus.
• if he will commit to a national taskforce on school reopenings.
• why the Government did not have a "strategic plan" for school reopenings.
• if he will follow the lead of Wales' Labour Government maintain free school meal vouchers for children during the summer holidays.

Questions from the Scottish National Party's Westminster Leader

The SNP's Westminster Leader, Ian Blackford, asked about expert scientific advice and the two-metre distancing rule.

Mr Blackford asked the Prime Minister:

• what scientific papers he has read on the two-metre distancing rule, after the Prime Minister told the Liaison Committee that he "did not actually read the scientific papers".
• if he is planning to scrap the two-metre rule despite "the experts' advice".

Full list of topics and questioners

• Labour MP, Vicky Foxcroft (Lewisham, Deptford) asked if the furlough scheme will be reviewed so that shielded people are not "penalised".
• Conservative MP, Jerome Mayhew (Broadland) asked if a consultation paper would be published on a long-term strategy for the UK's relationship to China.
• Conservative MP, Alan Mak (Havant) asked if the Prime Minister would commit to funding for the Advanced Research Projects Agency.
• Conservative MP, Peter Aldous (Waveney) asked if beer gardens could reopen from 15 June.
• Conservative MP, Maria Miller (Basingstoke) asked if he will look at systematic racism in Government departments.
• SNP MP, Kirsty Blackman (Aberdeen North) asked if, in light of President Trump's comments on George Floyd's death, if the Prime Minister still believes he has “many, many good qualities".
• Conservative MP, Sir Peter Bottomley (Worthing West) asked about the Bishop of York, who is retiring.
• Liberal Democrat MP, Sir Edward Davey (Kingston and Surbiton) asked if the Government will abolish "suspicionless stop-and-search powers" due to the fact that they disproportionately affect black men.
• Conservative MP, Mark Menzies (Fylde) asked about funding for the M55 link road.
• SNP MP, Stewart Malcolm McDonald (Glasgow South) asked if the UK's "manifestly inadequate" sick pay system would be improved.
• Conservative MP, Mark Logan (Bolton North East) asked about up to date local information on the R rate.
• SNP MP, Kenny MacAskill (East Lothian) asked if the Government would commit to protecting high food standards post-Brexit, and if a food standards commission will be established.
• Conservative MP, Robert Largan (High Peak) asked about the roll-out of gigabit broadband, upgrading the Manchester to Sheffield line and building the Mottram bypass.
• Labour MP MP, Rachel Hopkins (Luton South) asked about a lack of crisis funding for Luton council, support funds, and the "illogical quarantine impacting Luton airport".
• Conservative MP, Stuart Anderson (Wolverhampton South West) asked about aiding deprived areas in his constituency.
• Labour MP, Olivia Blake (Sheffield, Hallam) asked about local welfare assistance schemes, citing an 89% increase in emergency food parcels given out by food banks.

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