Liberal Democrats in Blackburn, Darwen, Hyndburn and Rossendale

Responding to the Government's change in guidance stating that separate households will not be able to meet indoors from today in Greater Manchester, Ea

st Lancashire and parts of West Yorkshire, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Munira Wilson said:

"Throughout this crisis, the Government's communications have been an utter disaster. To announce a regional lockdown of millions of people not only just hours before it's enforced, but with no clarity on the new rules coming into place, is beyond comprehension.

Commenting on a Public Accounts Committee report which condemns the "slow, inconsistent and at times negligent approach" to the social care sector during the Covid-19 pandemic, Liberal Democrat MP and member of the committee Sarah Olney said:"The coronavirus has left people worried about their future and mourning loved ones. While we have relied on frontline staff to protect us, the Government's PPE shortages seriously let NHS and care workers down.

The Liberal Democrats have today urged the Chancellor to step in and support freelancers excluded from existing government support schemes. This comes after the announcement that the BBC will offer financial support to around 600 freelancers who they regularly employ.

Liberal Demcorat MP and Chair of the Excluded UK APPG Jamie Stone demanded Rishi Sunak step in after the BBC confirmed it will pay average earnings for March, April and May capped at £2,500 to around 600 freelancers who have not been eligible for any of the UK Government's support schemes.

Responding to reports that the UK will continue to export tear gas and rubber bullets to the US despite continued use of force against protesters, Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said: "From the use of gas and rubber bullets against peaceful protesters, to the arrest of over 70 journalists, it is clear that there are serious ongoing questions regarding the use of this equipment in the United States.

Today Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey has written to the Prime Minister with a plan for an immediate inquiry into the coronavirus pandemic.

Ed has called on the Prime Minister to appoint Martin Forde QC as the chair of an independent coronavirus inquiry and to start work immediately. Martin Forde was the independent adviser on the design of the Government's Windrush Compensation Scheme and is chair of the independent inquiry into Labour's report on the party's handling of antisemitism complaints.

Lib Dem Councillor, Roy Davies has criticised the confusion created by the Council's mixed messages over what can go in the new blue bins. These bins are designated for paper and cardboard and the scheme is to help improve Blackburn with darwen's poor recycling rates. The confusion is over what to do with waxed cartons for fruit juice. Some blue bins say they can be used for these cartons and others say they cannot.

The Darwen Town Deal Board, which includes Lib Dem Town Council Leader John East, has agreed to spend £25,000 looking at the feasabiliy of developing an elite cricket academy based at Darwen Vale High School. The Board Cairman Wayne Wilde said,"An elite cricket academy would be absolutely fantastic for our town and for the chances of our sporting youngsters. The proposal has been put forward by the Aldridge Education Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) which has recently also successfully established a similar £2m facility at another of its academies in Brighton."

Local Liberal Democrats have called on the government to rapidly improve its test and trace performance in the borough. The government's own scientific advisers say we should contact 80% of an infected person's close contacts within 48-72 hours. Currently in Blackburn with Darwen only 54% are being contacted.

Responding to a Public Accounts Committee report published today that finds an "astonishing" failure on the part of the Government to prepare for the economic impact of a pandemic, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said:

Everyone agrees that COVID-19 is an unprecedented challenge, but the Government's failure to ensure there was a contingency plan at the ready has left thousands of families with no help whatsoever, and thousands of businesses making redundancies or closing down.

Considering that pandemics are one of the key risks any Government plans for, if there had have been a proper plan in place implemented quickly, we could have saved thousands more livelihoods.

This makes an independent inquiry into this Government's handling of the pandemic more urgent than ever. The Liberal Democrats were the first to demand this and will continue to push for it until the Government has explained its lack of preparedness.

Local Liberal Democrats have expressed concern that Blackburn with Darwen's Covid 19 cases has risen. The infection rate has risen from 42.3 to 79.2 per 100,000 in the population. This has put us now as the highest infection rate in the country. we are urging all residents to follow the advice from our local Director of Public Health, Professor Dominic Harrison. This incudes reducing household visiting to one household plus two members from another household, wearing face masks in all public spaces and asking people not to hug or shake hands on greeting. The Director said that if the infection rate does not decrease by 27 July further measures would have to be considered.