UK political parties have joined forces to demand that the UK parliament is recalled amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Parliamentary business was suspended due to fears that MPs could contract the virus, with MPs expected to return to Westminster on April 21.
But a cross-party letter, addressed to First Secretary of State Dominic Raab, asks that parliament is recalled virtually in order for scrutiny to be conducted against the Government's actions in the battle against Covid-19.
According to the document, the cross-party group includes Ian Blackford, Joanna Cherry, Caroline Lucas, Philippa Whitford, Christine Jardine, Wendy Chamberlain and Alyn Smith.
It states: "With the UK recording its worst daily fatality rate yet during the coronavirus crisis ... we should be able to hold the Government to account publicly.
"With public and political unease mounting about aspects of the Government's handling of the crisis, people rightly expect these issues to be debated by their elected representatives fully and publicly.
"We recognise that it is still not possible for MPs and peers to travel to Westminster to sit in parliament, but we believe the technological means are there now to ensure that a greater level of remote accountability is possible.
"Video debates, conducted according to the regular procedures and schedules of each House, could be held and streamed to Parliament TV as usual, oral and urgent questions could be asked, and statements could be made."
Press briefings won’t cut it. We need proper detailed parliamentary scrutiny so I’ve joined a cross party group to demand the U.K. Govt #RecallParliament virtually so the right questions can be asked & lessons learned #CoronavirusCrisis pic.twitter.com/oN90SJfHKt
— Joanna Cherry QC (@joannaccherry) April 11, 2020
Thursday saw Holyrood go virtual with an online edition of First Minister's Questions, with Nicola Sturgeon addressing questions from party leaders via video.
But Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg has so far rejected the calls for parliament to return, insisting that MPs will return on April 21.
It comes as the updated figures for coronavirus in the UK reveals that the death toll has now passed 10,000.
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