Alok Sharma, secretary of state for business, energy & industrial strategy, has confirmed people working in construction can continue to do so in an open letter to the sector.
He wrote: "The Government has advised that wherever possible, people should work at home. However, we know that for many people working in construction their job requires them to travel to their place of work, and they can continue to do so. This is consistent with the Chief Medical Officer’s advice."
To ensure workers were safe in their workplace, the industry has developed Site Operating Procedures, which were published by the Construction Leadership Council. Mr Sharma said the procedures align with the latest guidance from Public Health England and would continue to be updated as health guidance changes. The letter can be read
here
.
Michael Gove praised the dedication of the country’s manufacturing industry in innovating new processes and concepts to increase the number of ventilators available to the NHS
He said existing medical suppliers were scaling up production, while a number of major UK engineering companies were innovating new models, including McLaren, Airbus, GKN Aerospace, Ford, Rolls Royce and Dyson.
He told the Downing Street press conference that the UK had suffered from a lack of domestic manufacturing capacity for mechanical ventilators - vital for treating the poorliest coronavirus patients - before the pandemic.
But he says production has been ramped up hugely in response to an appeal from government, distributed via Local Enterprise Partnerships among others, which has resulted in thousands of new ventilators "rolling off the production line" this weekend, and due to be "rapidly distributed" to the NHS front line early next week.
ADDITIONAL NEW GUIDANCE RELEASED TODAY
Destroying spoilt beer during coronavirus (COVID-19)
HMRC has introduced a
temporary measure
to help brewers and publicans in the destruction of spoilt beer during the coronavirus outbreak
.
Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance on business support grant funding
Guidance
for English local authorities sets out details of the Small Business Grants Fund (SBGF) and Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund (RHLGF). This includes updates on State Aid, monitoring and reporting requirements, new annexes on state aid, Spotlight, post payment checks, and clarification of eligibility of charities. The guidance applies to England only
.
BUSINESS SUPPORT PACKAGES: LATEST INFORMATION & UPDATES
The government has announced temporary changes to Right to Work (RTW) checks during the coronavirus outbreak. Since 30 March 2020, Right to Work checks have been temporarily adjusted to make it easier for employers to carry them out during the coronavirus outbreak. Until further notice, employers do not need to see original documents and can complete Right to Work checks over video calls.
Prospective workers are now able to submit scanned documents, rather than originals, to show they have the right to work. Checks continue to be necessary and it is an offence to knowingly employ or let property to anyone who does not have legal immigration status in the UK.
If prospective or existing employees cannot provide any of the accepted documents, employers should use the
Employer Checking Service
. Once the temporary changes end, employers will be asked to carry out prescribed checks on existing employees who started work during the pandemic.
