Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: Working Parents and School Closures

Lord Mackay of Clashfern Excerpts

Monday 18th January 2021 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Penn (Con)]

My Lords, the guidance for the furlough scheme is also clear that those required to shield because they are clinically extremely vulnerable are eligible for the scheme under its current rules. The other piece of hope for the clinically extremely vulnerable is the fact that we have sent out 5 million letters, starting today, to those over 70 and the clinically extremely vulnerable to start their programme of vaccination.

[Lord Mackay of Clashfern (Con) [V]]

My Lords, since these difficulties for parents are caused by the inability of the local authority to perform its responsibility under the statutory duty of the parents to send their child to school and the local authority’s duty to receive the child, is there a legal responsibility on the local authority to deal with these difficulties?