House of Commons to begin lifting Covid restrictions

Restrictions on the numbers of MPs permitted in the House of Commons chamber are to be lifted from next week, the Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has said.

In a letter to MPs, Sir Lindsay said the Covid-19 controls in the House of Commons Commission had agreed they would start winding down from next Monday as lockdown comes to an end in England.

The so-called “hybrid model”, which enables MPs to participate in proceedings of the House remotely, will continue to July 22 when the House breaks for the summer.

However Sir Lindsay said that if there were no further changes to the Government’s road map, they would return to “fully physical proceedings” when the House returns in September while advisory notices will be removed.

“We are moving into an exciting new phase where we can finally begin to open up the House of Commons for business,” he said.

“I look forward to seeing the House buzzing again, and to welcoming back so many colleagues who we haven’t seen for many months due to the pandemic.”