Covid-19: Scientific Advice Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Covid-19: Scientific Advice

Baroness Brinton Excerpts
Wednesday 17th June 2020

(4 years, 6 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Lord True Portrait Lord True [V]
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I strongly agree with my noble friend, who has great experience as a Minister and a distinguished career. Of course, responsibility ultimately lies with Ministers for taking decisions. Ministers wrestle with those difficult decisions every day. On balance, I believe that Ministers have done their very best to serve the people of this country in this unprecedented crisis. The time for reviews is when the curtain comes down, not when we are still fighting the drama.

Baroness Brinton Portrait Baroness Brinton (LD) [V]
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In the week after the SAGE meeting that my noble friend Lord Scriven and the noble Baroness, Lady Wheatcroft, referred to, SAGE met again, on 20 February. The SPI-M report on community transmission, dated 17 February, that was presented at that meeting states at paragraph 16:

“Some believe … that there may already be sustained transmission.”


However, government guidance on 25 February for care homes states:

“There is no need to do anything differently in any care setting at present.”


Why were care homes still being advised that there was little likelihood of infection?