Boris Johnson news – live: PM announces cinemas and museums to reopen, as Japan gives UK six weeks to strike post-Brexit trade deal

Windrush compensation payments have been too slow, admits Priti Patel

The home secretary Priti Patel has been discussing Windrush compensation after figures showed only 60 people had received money in the first year of the scheme.

She told MPs: “So far over 12,000 people have been granted documentation by the Windrush task force, including over 5,900 grants of citizenship and the compensation scheme continues to make payments to compensate the losses and the impairs individuals suffered as a result of not being able to demonstrate their lawful status.”

Patel added: “As of the end of March more than £360,000 had been awarded and further offers have been made of approximately £280,000.

“And I can confirm today that over £1m has been offered in claims so far and more payments and offers are being made each week.”

Nick Thomas-Symonds criticised the government for its slow progress in compensating those impacted by the Windrush scandal.

He said: “[Patel] talked about more progress today but she must know that that rate of progress is just too slow given the number of years that have elapsed since this scandal first came to light and already this scheme has been in operation for over a year.”

Patel said: “I agree, the payments and the way in which payments have been made have been far too slow.

“I’m not apologising for that at all, I have outlined in my statement that it is right that we treat each individual with the respect and dignity they deserve. These are complicated cases.”

Top hotelier attacks quarantine rules

Not everyone is happy now that the hospitality sector can reopen on 4 July. The leading hotelier Sir Rocco Forte has attacked the government for its “completely unnecessary and ridiculous” quarantine rules.

He criticised the decision to keep the rule which requires visitors from other countries or people returning to the UK from abroad to quarantine for 14 days on arrival.

“It’s no good just reducing the social distancing rule from two metres to one metre – that won’t help businesses which rely on international travellers because they simply won’t be coming here,” he told The Independent.

“It leaves me unable to open my UK hotels because it is just not economically viable. We are stopping people from coming to this country and saying that the UK is closed for business. These rules need to be lifted straight away.”

Wera Hobhouse withdraws from Lib Dem contest

Wera Hobhouse has bowed out of the Liberal Democrat leadership election, and backed fellow MP Layla Moran instead.

She told her supporters: “If you and I really believe in the need for a new direction, then we must accept when we are no longer the best vehicle to deliver that.”

“That is why I am withdrawing from the Liberal Democrat leadership election and, this afternoon, I have offered to work with Layla Moran on behalf of our party and her vision for the country.”

Hospitality industry 'taken by surprise' by pre-lockdown advice

Kate Nicholls, chief executive of trade body UK Hospitality, has told the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs select committee that it was not "meaningfully" consulted over the government's decision to tell consumers to avoid pubs and restaurants in March.

She told MPs: "There was no meaningful consultation prior to the decision taken to close premises with the announcement on March 16 that customers would be advised to not visit pubs and restaurants.

"That took the industry a little bit by surprise but we were in detailed conversations with the government after that."

The government announcement came about a week before pubs and restaurants were told to close. In a move that caused confusion and consternation at the time, people were told to avoid going to such venues but those businesses were allowed to remain open.

Government urged to conduct 'root and branch review' of hostile environment policy

SNP justice and home affairs spokeswoman Joanna Cherry called for a "root and branch review" of the government's hostile environment policy.

She said: "It's all very well to agree that Black Lives Matter, but actions speak louder than words and the reality is that many of this Government's immigration policies continue to have disproportionate impacts on BAME communities and if the home secretary does not carry out the root and branch review of the hostile environment policy this will continue."

The home secretary, Priti Patel, replied: "In Wendy Williams' report she was clear that lessons must be learnt at all levels by all political parties.

"The root causes can be traced back to legislation from the 1960s and 80s, much of which is complex, but of course I appreciate [she] has not fully read the report and is quoting selectively.

"I will be returning back to the House to outline how we will be implementing the recommendations from the lessons learned review."

Earlier, Patel admitted that compensation payments to victims of the Windrush scandal had been too slow.

Cooper calls for more staff on Windush compensation unit

Labour chair of the home affairs committee Yvette Cooper called on Priti Patel to boost the staffing of the Wishrush compensation unit after the home secretary admitted the government had been too slow to issue payments.

She said: "In our Windrush committee report two years ago, we raised four personal cases of injustice, but sadly two of them have since died without receiving anything at all...

"Would she accept that keeping people in hardship and in limbo waiting like this compounds the injustice that they have already felt?

"Could she tell the House how many cases have now received payments, what proportion are still outstanding and whether it is true that that is still over 90 per cent and also how many people have been waiting more than a year and will she increase the staffing of the compensation unit so we can urgently get people this support and compensation for the injustice that was so wrongly meted to them?"

Responding, Patel said: "She is right with the two claims that she has just mentioned, I have the details in front of me of one of them in particular where the actual claim is going through the quality assurance process, that has taken time... I am reviewing all the claims myself."

She added: "I have been specifically told by the Home Office, by the permanent secretary overseeing this that additional resources are not required for that team and that is something that I check every single week."

Priti Patel admits Windrush compensation scheme too slow but refuses to apologise

Priti Patel has admitted the Windrush compensation scheme has been too slow to reimburse people affected by the scandal – but said she would not apologise.

Last month, the Home Office revealed its Windrush Compensation Scheme, which was announced in April 2019 and was estimated to pay out between £200m and £500m, had only provided £360,000 to 60 victims of the government’s actions.

Speaking in the House of Commons on Tuesday, the home secretary said the Home Office was dealing with “complicated cases” and that delays were occurring because each case was being handled in a “sensitive way”.

May Bulman has the full story:

Boris Johnson taking final coronavirus daily briefing

The prime minister is now delivering today's Downing Street coronavirus press conference, which No 10 announced earlier would be the last of the daily pandemic briefings.

He is outlining the changes to the lockdown measures he announced in the House of Commons earlier, including the relaxation of two-metre social distancing and plans to reopen pubs, restaurants, museums, galleries and hotel in England from 4 July.

Johnson warns he could reverse changes

Boris Johnson praised the actions of the public during the lockdown but warned there would be local outbreaks and restrictions may have to be reimposed.

The prime minister said: "The government has asked a huge amount of all of you, and... the people of this country met that challenge with good humour and common sense.

"Of course the fight is far from over. This is a nasty virus still that wants to take advantage of our carelessness.

"I'm afraid there will be local outbreaks. And I must tell you that if the virus were to begin to run out of control, I will not hesitate to put on the handbrake and reverse some of these changes at local or indeed national level as required.

"But we can avoid that if we all continue to stay alert and do our bit to control the virus."

MPs have 'disgraced and shamed' parliament, says Rees-Mogg

Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg has told MPs the behaviour of some MPs has "disgraced and shamed" parliamentary democracy.

Opening the debate on a motion that will establish the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) to deal with bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct in Parliament, Rees-Mogg said: "This is a dreadful position for us to be in as a House.

"The behaviour of a small number of Members of Parliament over years and decades has disgraced and shamed our parliamentary democracy of which I and many honourable members are so proud."

He added: "How we treat each other matters at all times in all places, but particularly in parliament."

Rees-Mogg said the ICGS has "already been approached by a large number of people, receiving 201 calls and emails in the first quarter of this year alone".