Coronavirus

Derek Thomas Excerpts

Wednesday 11th March 2020 Commons Chamber

[Matt Hancock]

Yes, we will publish more on this in very short order. Some of the changes in this area will be in the Bill, but some will be in secondary legislation, so that they can go at a faster pace, potentially, than the Bill. The ESA (C), as it is known, comes in only after seven days and bringing that down is an important part of the reassurance that the hon. Member seeks.

[Derek Thomas (St Ives) (Con)]

I thank the Secretary of State and all his team for the way that they have handled this so far and for the statement this evening. I also thank him and others for the way in which they have continued to communicate in a clear and very accessible way. As the spread of the virus affects people’s lives in more and more ways, it is really critical that that continues to happen and that fake news cannot be given breathing space. Will he assure us that there is a clear plan about how to communicate so that the whole public know exactly where to go for information when they need it?

[Matt Hancock]

Absolutely. This is right at the top of the agenda; tackling fake news is incredibly important. The major social media platforms and search engines have already risen to this task and I pay tribute to them—in the past, I have been known not to pay tribute to them, and sometimes quite the reverse. They have absolutely risen to this task and we will keep on it, but, of course, the information that we provide to the public will have to evolve both as we learn more about the disease and as we move through the plan. For the moment, the absolute core message is that people should wash their hands.