Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer faced each other at PMQs
The PM defended regional restrictions but tells MPs: 'I rule nothing out in combating the virus'
MPs approved the government's new three-tier system for local coronavirus restrictions on Tuesday
42 Conservative MPs spoke out against the 10pm curfew on hospitality
Most of England is currently in the lowest tier but millions of people in the North and Midlands face extra curbs
Keir Starmer has called for a short national circuit break to control the infection rate
Schools in Northern Ireland will close for two weeks on Monday to try to limit the coronavirus infection rate
Boris Johnson will call the president of the EU Commission later as the PM has said time for a trade deal is in "short supply"
BBC Politics
And with that, another week's PMQs comes to an end, as does our live page coverage.
You can scroll down to recap how it all went.
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Reality Check
Defending his policy of regional restrictions, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “the disease is appearing much more strongly in some parts of the country than in others”.
He gave the example of Liverpool where he said “the figures are now running at 670 cases per 100,000 against 33 cases per 100,000 in Cornwall”.
He’s roughly right here. The latest case data from Cornwall records 31 cases per 100,000 in the week to 10 October.
Liverpool recorded 635 cases per 100,000 over the same period and the Merseyside area of Knowsley, which is now under the “very high” tier of restrictions, recorded 667 cases per 100,000, closer to the number the Prime Minister cited.
Read more about the north-south divide in infections and lockdown restrictions here.
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Reality Check
Image source, Getty ImagesThe prime minister was asked how people prevented from working by Covid restrictions would make ends meet.
He said: “whatever happens, a combination of the Job Support Scheme and Universal Credit will mean that nobody gets less than 93% of their current income.”
Chancellor Rishi Sunak gave an example on Monday of a worker in their late twenties, renting privately and working 35 hours a week.
Let's call him 'Jack'...
The chancellor said that if that if Jack's employer was forced to close by restrictions, Jack would receive just over 90% of his previous income after taxes and benefits, even though the Job Support Scheme would only be getting him two thirds of his wages.
How much he would actually receive would depend on a number of factors including how much he earns and the rent he pay.
It is possible to come up with a scenario in which Jack would receive about 90% of his usual income because he would not pay as much tax and could be entitled to Universal Credit.
But the Institute for Fiscal Studies points out that if you took a worker making £12 an hour rather than the £8.72 minimum wage then their earnings would probably still be too high to qualify for Universal Credit even if their wages were cut by one third, so although they would pay less tax, they would still have to live on only about 70% of their previous income.
We can’t find the evidence for the PM’s 93% claim though and have contacted the Treasury. We'll let you know if they come back to us
In the meantime you can read more on this here.
Iain Watson
Political correspondent
In truth there was more heat than light at today’s PMQs as the protagonists traded charges of opportunism.
But in the High Noon political duel, it felt that Keir Starmer had come better armed.
The advice from the scientists on Sage gave Sir Keir his initial ammo.
But he reloaded – by citing support for a ‘circuit break’ from a Conservative as well as Labour local government leaders.
And, in effect, he accused the prime minister of costing lives by not ‘following the science.
Boris Johnson shot back, accusing Sir Keir of u-turning on his previous position of supporting the government’s measures.
And failing to get his MPs to vote for restrictions which the Labour leader apparently backed.
But the Prime Minister was forced to defend a regional approach with no guarantee this will be enough to drive the reproductive rate - the so called’ R’ number - of the virus below 1.
If the PM succeeds, then his own MPs in areas of lower restrictions, and many voters, will raise a glass to celebrate that businesses have remained open.
But if the virus is resistant to the current measures, Sir Keir's attack that the PM is too slow to act could really hit home.
And with Northern Ireland and Scotland already imposing tougher restrictions, the Labour leader is taking an opportunity to portray the Prime Minister as an outrider.
Reality Check
Prime Minister Boris Johnson called on Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to “work together as he was prepared to do on Monday to keep kids in school, who he would now yank out of school in a peremptory way”.
Mr Johnson may have misunderstood the Labour leader’s proposed circuit breaker plan.
The proposal was to implement it around half term when schools would be closed anyway, and to keep them open for the rest of the time.
Announcing his support for the strategy yesterday, Sir Keir said the plan would "not mean schools closing" but it should "run across half-term to minimise disruption".
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House of Commons
Parliament
Image source, HoCAnd after 34 minutes, this week's Prime Minister's Questions comes to an end.
House of Commons
Parliament
Image source, HoCThe Liberal Democrat's Wendy Chamberlain says she has used her contact tracing app to check-in today but will need to manually switch to the Scottish app when she travels home to Fife.
She says this is a particular problem in border communities and asks the prime minister what he is doing to solve it.
Boris Johnson say he is grateful to her for pointing out the issue and says he will "do what I can to introduce interoperability" across the nations.
He adds that in terms of overall approach, the four nations have much in common.
House of Commons
Parliament
Image source, HoCJoining via video link DUP's Gregory Campbell raises the latest measures brought in by the Northern Ireland Executive, including shutting bars and schools.
He asks what plans Mr Johnson has "to help these much needed sectors" that are in "dire need" of support.
The PM says he is in "continuous contact" with Stormont and "will look at further imaginative and creative measures" to support businesses across the UK.
House of Commons
Parliament
Image source, HoCLabour's Helen Hayes tells the prime minister about her constituent who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer.
He wants to move closer to his family but because of the cladding on his building he cannot sell it until his building gets an EW1S certificate which could take ten years.
"Luke cannot wait that long," she says and asks "when will the prime minister end this scandal."
Conservative MP Matthew Offord also asked Boris Johnson about this issue earlier.
Mr Johnson says the government is looking at ways of ensuring mortgage backing for those in this difficult situation.
He adds that "we must get on with removing flammable cladding of all kinds."
House of Commons
Parliament
Image source, HoCLabour MP Matt Western asks the prime minister about a story that broke over the weekend regarding his Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick.
His Newark constituency had been granted £25m of funding from the department by another minister.
But Mr Jenrick approved funding "to return the favour" to that minister, he claimed. .
Mr Western says it "looks a bit grubby".
But Boris Johnson says it was "independently approved", adding: "If he has some serious allegation to make.. may I suggest he has the guts to make it?"
House of Commons
Parliament
SDLP MP Colum Eastwood says that under the new furlough scheme, a full-time worker on minimum wage would earn £227 a week.
"I doubt this PM could survive on that," he says.
He goes on to ask Boris Johnson how he expects others to live on the wage?
The PM replies that a "combination of the Job Support Scheme and Universal Credit means nobody gets less than 93% of their income".
House of Commons
Parliament
Image source, HoCNext up is the SNP's leader in Westminster, Ian Blackford.
He quotes the founder of Scottish firm Brewdog, who warns the end of furlough will "lead to tsunami of unemployment".
And he accuses the PM of being "reckless".
Mr Johnson says the chancellor has offered new measures and Universal Credit has been increased.
But Mr Blackford says the answer "just shows the prime minister doesn't get it".
He says the prime minister's next job "could be on the backbenches" and that he will "never, not ever be forgiven for the damage he is about to cause to the people".
Mr Johnson responds by saying the government is "continuing to support people across whole of the UK".
House of Commons
Parliament
Image source, HoCSir Keir Starmer uses his last question to ask about a quote from government sources that there is an 80% chance of the prime minister backing a circuit break.
"Is that right," asks Sir Keir.
"And if it is, why doesn't he do it now - save lives, fix testing and save the NHS."
Boris Johnson hits back accusing Sir Keir of supporting the government one day and then performing "a dramatic U-turn the next".
He adds Labour want to exploit the crisis.
In answer to the Labour leader's question the PM says "I rule out nothing in combating the virus."
James Gallagher
Health and science correspondent, BBC News
Image source, PA MediaCoronavirus testing
The reproduction number, or R value, for Covid-19 is now officially averaging above one across the UK once again - although it varies by region.
But what exactly does it mean and how is it calculated?
Read our explainer from our Health and Science correspondent here
Iain Watson
Political correspondent
The difficulty for the PM is that he has to defend a regional approach, but knows he cannot rule out further national action further down the line.
He portrays the Labour leader as the man who wants to shut pubs and bars but he too has done so in the worst-hit areas, and it’s pretty clear that more areas will join the Liverpool City region in the top tier.
House of Commons
Parliament
Image source, HoCSir Keir says he has listened to the prime minister and his strategy "but I can't think of a single scientist who backs him".
He quotes England's chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty, who said on Monday he was "not confident nor is anybody confident" the highest tier restrictions will be enough to tackle the rise in positive cases.
The Labour leader asks: "Why is the prime minister so confident his approach will get the R number below one? Or is that no longer the government's plan?"
Mr Johnson accuses him of "misrepresenting the position" of the government.
He says if the regional measures are implemented "in full with support and active cooperation" of local leaders, along with "full and proper enforcement" and strong local testing, "those measures would deliver the reduction in the R that we need in order to avert what none of us want to see - except the right honourable gentleman - of a nation lockdown".
The PM adds: "We don't want to go there. We want a regional approach. He should cooperate."
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