Overview

The Coronavirus (No. 2) Bill aims to address various issues arising from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in the UK. It makes temporary provisions across multiple sectors, including public health, justice, immigration, data protection, social welfare, education, housing, employment, and elections. The bill seeks to balance public health needs with individual rights and addresses inequalities exacerbated by the pandemic.

Description

The bill covers a wide range of temporary measures. Key aspects include:

• Public Health Powers: Introduces restrictions on existing public health powers, ensuring proportionality and necessity, and introducing a right of appeal against fixed penalty notices.
• Justice: Requires impact assessments on the use of remote court proceedings, addressing accessibility and fairness.
• Immigration: Suspends various immigration restrictions related to access to services, offences, working rights, and the Immigration Health Charge and "No Recourse to Public Funds" policy, temporarily halting removals and deportations and providing for asylum accommodation and financial support, including minimum standards for accommodation and removal of in-person reporting requirements. It also includes provisions for automatic continuation of leave to remain and exemptions from breaches of leave conditions for those unable to comply due to COVID-19 related reasons.
• Data Protection: Imposes a duty on public authorities to protect data privacy in relation to coronavirus response, and mandates impact assessments for contact tracing and data processing. It also includes provisions for the decentralization of contact tracing, regulations governing the NHS Covid-19 app and NHS Test and Trace system, and restrictions on data processing.
• Social Welfare: Introduces a duty to secure an adequate standard of living for individuals required to self-isolate and provides for financial assistance during school closures and the provision of meals during school holidays.
• Education: Mandates impact assessments before school closures and ensures guidance on remote education is inclusive for all children.
• Housing: Provides protections for vulnerable individuals in relation to housing and accommodation.
• Employment: Provides for financial support for employees and workers required to self-isolate, and mandates workplace health and safety assessments.
• Elections: Amends parliamentary procedure for postponing elections, requiring approval by both Houses of Parliament and necessitates electoral human rights impact assessments before postponement.
• Repeals: Repeals certain provisions of the Coronavirus Act 2020.

Government Spending

The bill will lead to increased government spending across several areas. Specific figures are not provided within the text, but the financial provision clause indicates that expenditure will be paid out of money provided by Parliament. This includes direct costs of implementing measures like self-isolation support, financial assistance for vulnerable groups and housing provisions, as well as indirect costs associated with changes in immigration and justice processes.

Groups Affected

• Individuals with Coronavirus: Will receive financial support for self-isolation, potentially through benefits or a new self-isolation support award.
• Individuals in contact with Coronavirus cases: Will also receive support for self-isolation.
• Landlords and Tenants: Immigration restrictions on renting will be temporarily suspended.
• Asylum seekers and Refugees: Will receive continued accommodation and financial support.
• Prisoners: Certain sentences may be suspended or commuted, while others may be released.
• Court users: Will experience the effects of remote court procedures.
• Employees and Workers: Will receive support if required to self-isolate, changes to Statutory Sick Pay eligibility, and employers will have health and safety duties to ensure COVID-secure workplaces.
• Children: Will receive financial assistance and meals during school closures and holidays.
• Homeless people: Specific protections are included to prevent discriminatory restrictions being placed on them.
• Data Subjects: Their privacy rights are to be addressed in connection with contact tracing and data collection during the pandemic.
• Electoral System: The bill impacts the ability to postpone elections.

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