Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Covid-19: Border Measures

Monday 8 February 2021 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Throughout the pandemic, border measures have been under constant review and updated regularly.
  • The Government announced additional actions for outbound and inbound passengers on 27 January to reduce travel and minimize risk.
  • Over 3.7 million spot checks have been conducted at the border.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Martin Docherty SNP
Immigration Migrants & Borders NHS
Context

The question arises from ongoing concerns about the effectiveness and implementation of health measures at the UK border regarding COVID-19.

Question

What assessment has she made of the effectiveness of covid-19 health measures at the UK border? Throughout the pandemic, there have been significant debates over the adequacy of these measures in controlling the spread of the virus. The questioner seeks to understand how the government evaluates its own actions and whether they have been successful.

Answer from Kevin Foster

Throughout the pandemic, we have kept our border measures under constant review, including regular liaison with the devolved Administrations. On 27 January, the Government announced further action for outbound and inbound passengers to minimise travel across international borders and reduce the risk of covid-19 transmission.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The questioner asked for an assessment of effectiveness but received a statement about reviewing measures without specific evaluation or metrics provided.

How: Regular Liaison With Devolved Administrations

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Q2 Martin Docherty SNP
Immigration Migrants & Borders
Context

The question stems from the public perception that the government missed an opportunity to implement a unanimous support measure regarding border control. It references previous debates on taking back control of borders.

Question

I am sure I am not the only person who has been left wondering why the party, which has talked about taking back control of borders, seemingly failed when there was almost unanimous support in the House for such an action. The MP seeks clarification from the Minister regarding the Prime Minister's explanation to Cabinet members concerning the decision against closing the border on Home Secretary's advice.

Answer from Kevin Foster

Given positive engagement with Scottish Government in policy area, it is disappointing to hear tone of question. In deciding border measures, UK Government considers factors like maintaining supply lines across short straits and routes from Republic of Ireland. Over 3.7 million spot checks conducted since health measures introduced; fines up to £4,000 for non-compliance.

Not addressed: The questioner asked about the Cabinet's decision-making process but received a general statement on border policy and enforcement without addressing the specific defence given by the Prime Minister.

How: Positive Engagement With Scottish Government, Dismissing Tone Of The Question

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