Telford MP Lucy Allan says ending coronavirus laws now 'does not make sense'
An MP has said that it made sense for the government to renew the Coronavirus laws – as the country approaches the "final hurdle" of the pandemic.
Telford's Conservative MP Lucy Allan was one of those to back the extension to the legislation at it was passed in the House of Commons last week.
The extension was passed by 484 votes to 76 – with 36 Conservative MPs rebelling.
The laws, which were originally passed last year, give the government wide-ranging powers that range from shutting down pubs to detaining individuals deemed at risk as part of efforts to contain the spread of the virus.
Mrs Allan said that she had reluctantly supported the extraordinary measures, but that they were necessary to save thousands of lives.
She said: "The Coronavirus Act has proved to be a key piece of legislation in the national response to the Coronavirus pandemic. The purpose of the legislation is to protect us all and ensure a comprehensive response to the crisis across all levels of Government and society.
"This has meant that some extraordinary measures have had to be taken which have limited our rights, something which I have only reluctantly supported given the alternative, many thousands more deaths.
"I have consistently scrutinised the Government's use of these powers in parliament and do not wish to see restrictions in place for any longer than they are necessary to save lives.
"The act would have expired at the end of March and so needed to be renewed to ensure that local authorities, the police and the NHS continue to have the powers needed to respond to the pandemic and to implement restrictions if needed.
"The powers are also necessary as we move forward with the cautious easing of restrictions set out in the Prime Minister's roadmap. It would not make sense to remove our ability to tackle the pandemic as we approach the final hurdle."
She added: "The measures outlined in the Government's roadmap provide a path out of this pandemic, offering us a route to normal life.
"We are currently meeting each of the Government's four tests for easing restrictions and remain on track to deliver on vaccine commitments meaning we have been able to move forward to the next stage of the roadmap.
"By June 21, it is envisioned that all restrictions on our liberties will be rolled back. To demonstrate its commitment to this date, the Government has committed the remaining stages of roadmap into law, which is most welcome."
