THE UK Government's efforts to secure Personal Protective Equipment for frontline staff are getting worse not better, Sir Keir Starmer has claimed, as he warned delaying an exit strategy risked the "successful four-nation approach" to beating the virus.
The Labour leader asked UK ministers to explain how long it would take to fix the issue as he also warned the country looked on course for one of the worst Covid-19 death rates in Europe.
Dominic Raab acknowledged there were "challenges on the front line" but insisted there was a global supply shortage on PPE and the Government was doing "absolutely everything we can" to improve the situation.
The Foreign Secretary was again deputising for Boris Johnson after the Prime Minister's fiancee Carrie Symonds gave birth to a baby boy.
Speaking at PMQs, Sir Keir began by asking why deaths in care homes were still rising, to which Mr Raab replied by stating it was a "challenge that we must grip and can grip".
Sir Keir went on: "Six weeks ago on March 17, the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser [Sir Patrick Vallance] indicated the Government hoped to keep the overall number of deaths from coronavirus to below 20,000.
"He said that would be 'good,' by which, in fairness to him, he meant successful in the circumstances. But we're clearly way above that number and we're only partway through this crisis and we're possibly on track to have one of the worst death rates in Europe.
"On Monday, the Prime Minister said in his short speech that many were looking at our apparent success in the UK. But does the First Secretary agree with me that far from success these latest figures are truly dreadful?"
Mr Raab replied: "This is an unprecedented pandemic, a global pandemic, and I think in fairness we shouldn't criticise either the CMO or the deputy CMO for trying to give some forecast in response to the questions that many in this chamber and many in the media are calling for."
Turning to PPE, Sir Keir said: "I recognise the challenge the Government faces on this, I recognise that getting the right piece of equipment to the right place every time is very difficult, but lives do depend on it.
"And it is 10 weeks since the Health Secretary declared that there was a serious and imminent threat to life. You'd hope that by now, things would be getting better, not worse."
Sir Keir added: "So can I ask the First Secretary, what is going on and how soon can it be fixed?"
Mr Raab replied: "I feel animated, inspired to do even better, but he needs to recognise on PPE that there is a global supply shortage and we're doing absolutely everything we can to make sure that those on the front line get the equipment that they need."
Sir Keir went on to encourage the Government to publish details about what happens in the next phase and on the exit strategy with Mr Raab saying he could not offer a time frame.
The Labour leader said: "France, Germany, Spain, Belgium, New Zealand, Australia, Scotland and Wales have all published exit plans of one sort or another.
"[Mr Raab] said: 'Well, what are the proposals, what should they cover?'. If you look at those plans, as he's done and I've done, it's clear that there are common issues such as schools reopening, business sectors reopening.
"These are the issues that, if he wants me to put them on the table, I absolutely will."
He added: "Delay risks not only falling behind other countries, but also the successful four-nation approach so far."
Mr Raab replied: "The Scottish Government has not set out an exit strategy. I read through very carefully their 25-page document, it was eminently sensible and it was grounded in the five tests that I set out on April 16."
On testing, Mr Raab also said the PM's 250,000 tests a day target remains "an aspiration" but would not put a date on it.
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