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The United Kingdom’s jail threat for lying on coronavirus travel forms has caused a behind-the-scenes split in the British government.
Health Minister Matt Hancock said on Tuesday that from next week, any arrival who tries to conceal that they visited a country on the U.K.’s high-risk “red list” on their passenger locator form will be fined £10,000 or face up to 10 years in jail.
But despite being signed off by Downing Street and senior ministers, that move — a significant U-turn, given the U.K. largely left its borders open to foreign travelers — has perplexed Tory backbenchers and others in Cabinet. Several senior Tories have raised objections, according to London Playbook.
One snag for MPs is enforcement. One source told Playbook that they were “not quite sure what offense” a rule-breaker would be charged with. Plus, the sentence for lying on a form could then be higher than the maximum jail terms for serious crimes such as dealing in firearms or sexual activity with a child.
Tory MP Mark Harper told the Times that the proposal should be subject to a vote in parliament, and questioned whether 10 years was appropriate.
Meanwhile, former Attorney-General Dominic Grieve told the Telegraph: “The maximum sentence of 10 years for what is effectively a regulatory breach sounds in the circumstances, unless it can be justified, extraordinarily high.”
Others, however, backed Hancock. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told Sky News on Wednesday that a jail sentence was “appropriate” for those caught lying on their forms.
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