THE Barrow MP has called on the health secretary to make sure track and trace measures for coronavirus will be in place in the shipyard.

Simon Fell asked secretary of state Mr Hancock for assurances that large employers would be involved in the roll-out of tracking and tracing to ensure the ‘confidence of the community’.

Responding to the backbencher in the House of Commons, Mr Hancock said the Department of Health and Social Care would ‘absolutely’ be engaging with local employers.

Mr Hancock went on to praise the ‘incredibly important’ work done by nearly 10,000 people in the shipyard.

The health secretary said: “The work in Barrow in Furness is incredibly important, not least because at an early stage in the crisis there was a higher degree of people who tested positive and that itself is down to the local health authorities who worked hard to make that happen.”

Speaking after the debate in Parliament, Mr Fell said: “Getting Furness’ economy up and running is key to making sure that we don’t face the double blow of Covid-19 and an increase in local poverty.

“Ensuring that large employers like the shipyard can get back up and running safely is key to doing this.

“Track and trace should help give employees and the community confidence that being back at work in any kind of large numbers is safe.

“Thank you to the health secretary for pledging support for these measures which will help Barrow’s economy.”