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Written question asked by Lord Haskel (Labour) on Wednesday, 24 June 2020, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 8 July 2020. It was answered by Lord Callanan (Conservative) on Monday, 6 July 2020 on behalf of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.


Procurement: Coronavirus

Question

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the transmission of COVID-19 by reducing the use of paper in supply chains; and whether the regulations on (1) e-signatures, and (2) e-transactions, apply to every aspect of a supply chain.

Answer

According to the World Health Organisation, the likelihood of an infected person contaminating commercial goods is low and the risk of catching the virus that causes COVID-19 from a package, including paper package, that has been moved, travelled, and exposed to different conditions and temperate is also low.

The Government has endorsed the conclusions reached in the Law Commission’s report Electronic Execution of Documents that the existing legal framework in England and Wales makes clear that businesses and individuals can feel confident in using e-signatures in commercial transactions.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL6128
Session
2019-21
Subjects
Electronic commerce Paper Coronavirus Supply chains
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk