SANCTIONS could be imposed on employers who fail to protect their staff as they return to the workplace under the future easing of the lockdown restrictions, Matt Hancock has signalled.

The UK Health Secretary failed to go into detail about what the penalties could be but made clear there were ongoing discussions about the subject in Whitehall.

His intervention follows the raising of “urgent concerns” by trade union leaders and political opponents about a lack of clarity and preparedness in the Government’s strategy that they fear could leave workers unsafe and risk a second outbreak.

As Boris Johnson prepares to unveil his roadmap to recovery this weekend, details of draft proposals have been leaked, which include: extensive floor markings to encourage social distancing; the taking of temperatures as workers enter the workplace; less hot-desking; widespread hand sanitisation; the closure of canteens and lifts; staggering shifts; maximise home-working and for all travellers who use public transport to wear face coverings.

Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader who meets Boris Johnson for talks tomorrow, called for a “national safety standard” for people returning to work after the trade union leaders expressed their fears over what they regarded as the lack of a detailed Government plan.

Calling for binding rules for employers to publish risk assessments and a tough approach to enforcement, Frances O’Grady, the TUC General Secretary, said: “Unless the Government significantly strengthens its plans, safe working will not be guaranteed.

“The current proposals fail to provide clear direction to those employers who want to act responsibly and they are an open goal for rogue employers, who will cut corners and put their workers - and the wider community - at risk.”

Asked about sanctions on rogue employers, Mr Hancock, who stressed that it was “critical” that employers offered safe workplaces, told Sky News: “There are discussions about those and a draft set of proposals but I don’t want to prejudge those discussions that Alok Sharma[the Business Secretary] is leading with the unions and[businesses].”

In other developments:

*documents from the UK Government’s expert SAGE group showed scientific advisers had suggested the introduction of a traffic-light system to ease the lockdown gradually to avoid a second peak and losing public trust;

*Sir Patrick Vallance, the Government’s Chief Scientific Advisor, in giving evidence to MPs, said the UK was still "quite early" in the epidemic, that there was a 10% to 30% increased risk if people kept only one metre and not the recommended two metres apart, that wearing masks could be “beneficial” in crowded public areas and that fewer than one in six people had antibody protection to the virus;

*Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons Speaker, urged the Prime Minister to make his big announcement on lifting the lockdown to the House of Commons first but No 10 signalled he remained intent on a televised address to the nation this weekend;

*Mr Hancock said he would examine proposals for a national arboretum memorial to commemorate those essential workers who had lost their lives to Covid-19;

*data showed fewer than 300 passengers out of the millions who had arrived in the UK from coronavirus hotspots were put into quarantine in the three months before the lockdown and

*Virgin Atlantic announced plans to cut 3,150 jobs at the airline in the wake of the pandemic.