UK coronavirus live: Boris Johnson faces Angela Rayner at PMQs as Keir Starmer comes out of self-isolation

Sir Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, says three quarters of families with disabled children had their care support cut during lockdown. As the father of a disabled child, he has seen legal advice saying the government broke international law in the way the Coronavirus Act dealt with the rights of disabled people.

Johnson says he is not aware of these claims, but he will write to Davey about them.

Ian Blackford, the SNP leader at Westminster, says as a Telegraph columnist Johnson said devolution would allow the Scots to make their own laws while “freeloading” on British taxpayers. It was unjust, Johnson said. Does he still think that? And were should powers be held?

Johnson says there has been a massive devolution of powers. But the Scots voted to reject independence. Now they have the opportunity to vote for more devolution in the internal market bill, he says.

Blackford says the PM does not remember what he has written. And he does not know what is in the bill. Clause 46 allows Westminster to bypass the Scottish parliament. He claims Tory MPs know Johnson is incompetent and want him away by the time of the next election.

Johnson says he cannot tell from Blackford’s question whether he supports the union or not. He says the internal market bill will give the Scottish parliament a “surge” of powers in 70 areas.

Johnson says the government is allocating “considerable sums” for schools in the south west of England.

Rayner says we have the highest death toll in Europe. We are “staring down the barrel of a second wave”. And what was the top priority of the Covid war cabinet? Restoring grouse shooting. That probably suits the PM’s friend who paid for his holiday and owns two grouse estates. Is that really his top priority?

Johnson says Labour is raising issues that are “tangential” and scare stories. He says Rayner has not disputed the statistics he mentioned. He says the government is getting on with delivering its agenda, and defending the union. He says no one is in any doubt that this government is facing some of the most difficult dilemmas any government has had to face. But it is solving them thanks to the common sense of the British people. It is with their common sense that the government will succeed.

Rayner says the PM is saying it is the public’s fault. The next time someone drives from London to Durham it will be for a Covid test.

She turns to the issue of mothers having to give birth without their partners. Even worse, some have had to endure miscarriages. Will the PM meet to discuss this issue?

Johnson says Rayner is right to raise this. He understands the point, and agrees. He says health ministers will meet Rayner to discuss this.

Rayner says just yesterday the chief executive of Care England said weekly tests for care home staff were not being delivered. Matt Hancock said it would take weeks to sort this out. But we don’t have weeks, she says.

Johnson says the government has delivered on the most through-going system in Europe. The number of tests has gone up to 240,000 per day. He quotes figures showing testing numbers are higher than Germany, France and Spain.

What has happened is that there has been “a huge, huge surge in demand”, he says.

People should follow the guidance.

Rayner says she welcomes what the PM says, but “get some skates on it”. The PM has put his faith on the moonshot. But on planet earth tests are not available. Do all care homes get weekly tests?

Yes, says Johnson, to the best of his knowledge. They should get weekly tests for staff, and tests every 28 days for residents.

There has been a colossal spike in the number of people trying to get a test, he says. Capacity has been increased. Four new labs are being built. He says he wants to get up to 500,000 tests per day by the end of October. He says the UK is testing more than any other European country.

Rayner says people will see that Johnson did not know how much care workers are paid. It is just over £8 an hour. Will the PM commit to giving care homes the funds they need?

Johnson says a winter care home action plan will be announced tomorrow. The government wants to protect care homes. They will get the PPE they need, the guidance they need and the cash they need.

Angela Rayner says she has a message from someone called Keir. He cannot go to work today because his family needed a test. She says people who can’t get tests can’t go to work. Johnson once earned £2,300 an hour. How much does an average care worker get?

Johnson says the Starmer test came out negative. He says he does not know why Starmer is not here today. He says 89% of people get a test result the next day. He says the government has increased the national living wage.

James Daly (Con) asks for a progress report on the catch-up tuition programme for pupils.

Johnson says the first tutors will start in November.

Boris Johnson says today marks the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower to America. Around 35 million Americans trace their ancestry to someone from the Mayflower.

This is my colleague Peter Walker’s take on what to expect from PMQs.

Sir Keir Starmer is out of self-isolation. He has just posted these on Twitter.

But he won’t be rushing to the Commons in a bid to make it in for PMQs, which starts in 25 minutes. Angela Rayner, the deputy Labour leader, will still deputise for him, as arranged last night.

Back in the Northern Ireland affairs committee, in response to a question about whether the EU would be able to trigger the dispute resolution mechanism under the withdrawal agreement in response to the UK’s decision to introduce the internal market bill, Brandon Lewis, the Northern Ireland secretary, says he has not had that conversation with the attorney general.

Lewis says he does not see why the issue is relevant, because the UK is still trying to implement the agreement.