Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Self-Isolation and Linked Households) (England) Regulations 2020

Baroness Wheatcroft Excerpts

Thursday 7th January 2021 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Wheatcroft (CB) [V]]

My Lords, the rules are clear. Those who can work from home must do so. Businesses must do everything that they can to ensure that remote working is made possible. However, there is no doubt that some organisations still prefer to have their staff in the office where they can see them. Some estate agents, for instance, are keeping staff in the office when it is hard to see why that is necessary.

If the Government tell people that they should work from home but employers insist that they travel to the workplace, will they choose to obey the Government or risk disobeying their employer and losing their job? There are penalties for individuals who flout the rules, but can the Minister say what sanctions there are on an employer who puts their staff and the community at risk by insisting that they attend the office?

I echo the question of the noble Lord, Lord Berkeley of Knighton—[Inaudible.] Today, for instance, there are 13 Back-Benchers speaking in this debate from the Chamber, but parliamentary staff have done a remarkable job in ensuring that Peers can work from home. Of course, it is a privilege to debate from the Chamber, but is it essential that so many parliamentarians must work from Westminster?

Finally, on test and trace, could the Minister tell the House just how many people have been traced via the app, and what the average cost of each successful contact is? If he does not have the information to hand, perhaps he could write to me.