Red tape will be cut to enable distillers to make hand sanitiser, the Business Secretary said.

Speaking at the daily Downing Street coronavirus briefing alongside the NHS’s medical director, Alok Sharma said the government wanted to give businesses greater flexibility.

Mr Sharma said "red tape" will be reduced to allow new producers of hand sanitiser to bring products to market "in a matter of days".

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“We're removing administrative barriers to the production of hand sanitiser.

"By reducing the amount of red tape, new suppliers and businesses that produce ingredients for safe hand sanitiser will be able to bring their products to market in a matter of days."

He namechecked brewery firm and distillers Brewdog, which has turned to producing hand sanitiser.

Insolvency rules are going to be relaxed

Mr Sharma announced changes to insolvency rules to allow firms "greater flexibility as they face the current crisis".

"It is crucial when the crisis passes, as it will, we are ready to bounce back," he said, as he detailed measures to help businesses "emerge intact the other side of the Covid-19 pandemic".

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Alok Sharma at the Number 10 conference on March 28 Picture: PA

"These measures will give those firms extra time and space to weather the storm and be ready when the crisis ends whilst ensuring creditors get the best return possible in the circumstances," he continued.

The new rules will allow companies undergoing restructuring to continue access to supplies and raw materials.

And, he said, there would be a temporary suspension of wrongful trading provisions for company directors to remove the threat of personal liability during the pandemic, which will apply retrospectively from March 1.

"However, to be clear, all of the other checks and balances that help to ensure directors fulfil their duties properly will remain in force."

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AGMs might go online

Companies required to hold annual general meetings will be able to postpone the meeting, hold it online or over the phone using proxy voting.

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Asked about concerns from some workers that their employers were forcing them to come into work, Mr Sharma said it was incumbent on businesses permitted to remain open during the shut down "to keep their employees safe".

He said most businesses were adapting and, where necessary, issuing staff with personal protective equipment.

"If there are instances where organisations and businesses are not behaving appropriately in terms of their duty of care then of course there are organisations like the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) who should be informed."

170m PPE masks have been sent out

Prof Stephen Powis, medical director at NHS England, said getting personal protective equipment to frontline health workers was an “absolute priority”.

More than 170 million of the "very highest level masks" have been dispatched "in the last couple of weeks”, 40 million gloves had been sent in recent days, as well as 25 million face masks and 30 million aprons.

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Boris Johnson is still leading coronavirus efforts

Mr Sharma said the Prime Minister, who announced on Friday he had tested positive for the virus, was only showing mild symptoms.

He had led a video call on Saturday.

More flights could be chartered to bring Brits home

Asked what measures were being taken to bring UK citizens stuck in countries like Peru home to Britain, Alok Sharma said the Foreign and Commonwealth Office was speaking to airlines and looking at chartering special flights.

‘Stay at home to save lives’

There were calls from both Mr Sharma and Prof Powis for people to heed the Government’s advice and stay at home. He said: "If we do reduce the deaths below what we initially thought, I want to be absolutely clear, that won't be because we are somehow lucky.

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Prof Powis Picture: PA

"It won't be because somehow the virus is acting in this country differently from any other country, it will be because every citizen in this country, the British public, have complied with the instructions the Government has given based on the best scientific evidence to reduce the transmission of the disease.

"We can beat this virus, we can reduce the number of deaths, but only if we reduce the spread and the transmission."