Lifting the Lockdown: Workplace Safety

Sharon Hodgson Excerpts
Wednesday 6th May 2020

(4 years, 6 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lindsay Hoyle Portrait Mr Speaker
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Sorry, but we will have to move on to Sharon Hodgson.

Sharon Hodgson Portrait Mrs Sharon Hodgson (Washington and Sunderland West) (Lab) [V]
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Does the Minister agree that a public information campaign is required before and during the easing of lockdown, to inform employees and employers of their respective rights and duties, and to give the public confidence in returning to work?

Paul Scully Portrait Paul Scully
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Communication is so important in this. We have seen how effective the message about staying home and saving lives has been so far. What we must now do is work with businesses to ensure that they have fully communicated the message on safe guidelines for their workplaces. Similarly, we need to make it clear to employees, as we are now doing, that those who cannot work from home, unless they are in a business that has specifically been asked to close, can travel to work, but they need to be considerate about that and ensure that they work within the social distancing rules. Yes, communication is everything, and I think we all have a responsibility to get those messages across.