The former director of the Cabinet Office’s emergency planning department has also revealed that preparations for a no-deal Brexit were ‘a really major consumer of resources’ in the run-up to Covid janemerrick23 reports
The government did not plan for a national lockdown in any way, the former head of emergency planning for the UK has admitted to theKatharine Hammond, who was director of the Cabinet Office’s civil contingencies secretariat from 2016 to 2020, said while there had been some planning for limited school closures in the event of a viral pandemic, ministers and officials did not prepare at all for a full lockdown, with classrooms closed for months and the economy effectively put into shutdown.
Her evidence to Baroness Hallett’s inquiry laid bare the full scale of the lack of planning by the UK government in the run up to the 2020 Covid pandemic.
It also emerged that the National Security Council’s sub-committee on Threats, Hazards, Resilience and Contingencies, which focused on pandemics as well as other major risks, was abolished in July 2019, less than six months before the virus emerged.Hugo Keith KC, the lead counsel for the inquiry, asked Ms Hammond if there had been any consideration of full national lockdowns by the UK government in the years before Covid emerged. She replied: “No, there wasn’t.
Mr Keith said: “Was there any consideration, foresight or planning for total economic collapse, furlough schemes, for national support financially and for the closing of businesses and in effect the economy?” Ms Hammond replied: “As all of those flow from the planning for a lockdown, so the answer follows no.”
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Vaccination against COVID-19 may consistently reduce the risk of long COVID symptomsVaccination against COVID-19 may consistently reduce the risk of long COVID symptoms SSRN UniofOxford COVID SARSCoV2 symptoms infection transmission
Read more »
Rishi Sunak Wants the U.K. to Be a Key Player in Global AI RegulationPost-Brexit Britain is seeking a place in the global conversation around regulating AI
Read more »
Tories revive Boris Johnson doughnut strategy to win London mayor race despite Brexit woesSome Tories believe Sadiq Khan’s record, and anger over the expansion of the ultra-low emission zone, which sees drivers charged for polluting vehicles, gives the party an outside shot of winning big in outer London 🗳️ singharj and HugoGye
Read more »
'You Sound Crackers': Boris Johnson Ally Called Out For Claiming Downfall Is 'Revenge For Brexit'Former Tory MP Lord Stewart Jackson clashes with Ellie Mae O’Hagan from the Good Law Project after a Commons committee found the ex-PM deliberately misled parliament.
Read more »
Pandemic akin to war, lawyer tells Covid inquiryDecisions were 'finely balanced' and, with hindsight, might have been different, Fiona Scolding KC says.
Read more »
Boris calls for Tory MP on Privileges Committee to resign over Covid party allegationBoris Johnson has urged a Tory MP sitting on the 'Partygate' Privileges Committee to quit should an allegation that he broke lockdown rules be upheld.
Read more »