This archive report was first published on 15 May 2020.
As the UK government plans to reopen schools in England from June 1, the House of Commons is facing a decision on whether to return to physical sessions or continue with virtual debates and voting.
Since the coronavirus lockdown began, members of the 700-year-old lower House of Commons have been able to join debates via videolink, and this week voted online for the first time.
Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle emphasized that safety would remain the priority, and social distancing must be maintained in the chamber and across parliament until public health advice changes.
However, some MPs, including Jacob Rees-Mogg, have expressed concerns that the virtual system has constrained the ability of MPs to hold the government to account.
Rees-Mogg complained that debates are 'inevitably stilted' and lack interventions, saying, 'I begin to fear that I am boring the house, and I can think of no greater sin.'
Others, like Robert Halfon, an MP in Johnson's Conservative party, have urged the government to keep virtual measures in place for those who are disabled and must continue to self-isolate.
Halfon said, 'It is not a parliament for survival of the fittest, it's a parliament for everybody.'
With the debate ongoing, the UK Parliament is weighing the pros and cons of returning to physical sessions or continuing with digital measures.
