Coronavirus: MPs will use Zoom to grill ministers as plans for virtual parliament advance

Digital Commons plans expected to be in place by end of Easter recess

MPs will be asked to use Zoom for digital sessions as plans for a virtual parliament during the coronavirus crisis took a step forward.

Parliamentary officials are working on proposals to allow MPs and peers to hold the government to account remotely from 21 April following demands for greater scrutiny from Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle and opposition politicians.

The plans discussed at a meeting of Commons authorities on Monday would allow MPs to dial in to prime minister's questions, as well as urgent questions and ministerial statements.

The government has been criticised for its handling of the crisis, including slow introduction of testing and lack of critical protective equipment for NHS staff and other key workers.

In a recent letter to MPs, Commons clerk John Benger said MPs will soon be offered a more secure version of Zoom, the video conferencing app, which is used by Downing Street for cabinet meetings and for the daily press briefings.

He said: "We have worked at speed to enable this. We could not make it available sooner because we needed to ensure that our version of Zoom meets some basic legal, security and privacy requirements.

"This version of Zoom is closely aligned to that used within government and is therefore more secure than Zoom’s consumer offerings which many members are currently relying on."

Dr Benger said up to 20 virtual committees could start up after the Easter recess after the success of the first remote hearings to scrutinise health officials and government ministers. Officials are working with the BBC to hone their plans.

However Dr Benger said he was "reluctant to give an undertaking" that all parliamentary business could take place, due to the "scale and complexity" of the task.

The senior official also warned that the Commons will have to pass a resolution to change the way it operates – requiring MPs to attend in person.

Sir Lindsay confirmed that parliament will return after the Easter recess but the details would hammered out closer to the time.

He told BBC Breakfast: “In the end, we're not sure what the position will be. What we do know is that the House will return.

“It is how many people we will need in the House, whether that will be to extend the recess or not, but we'll only make that judgement when we get nearer, and we'll be making the right judgement, to make sure people are safe, taking the right health advice.

“What I would say is that if it needs a virtual parliament, of course, everything will be on offer and everything will be looked at. But that decision will be taken as we get nearer that time.”

Darren Hughes, chief executive of the Electoral Reform Society, said: “Scrutiny must continue as life-changing decisions continue to be made every day.

"That means parliament must adapt to return this month and convene digitally – ensuring voters’ concerns from across the country are heard and properly represented at this urgent hour.

“It is essential that MPs are not just able to contribute from isolation but vote too, learning from the experiences of other parliaments that are already allowing this to happen.

"We look forward to seeing these plans develop to ensure democracy and good governance doesn’t disappear when we need it most.”

Parliament rose a week early for its usual Easter break due to concerns about the spread of coronavirus in Westminster.