Watching Science and technology committee live. MPs’ questions show that they really struggle to understand data, modelling and COVID. Whitty and Vallance are very patient and clear in what they say.

Again MPs do not understand role and authority of Whitty. Asking for data over which he has no control. “ I do not want to promise what I cannot deliver”.

Can we see the model? This would be lines of indecipherable formulae and computer code.

Unhappy about projections of 4000 deaths/day and headlines that came from. You just frightened ordinary people. In fact September 21st predictions were spot on. MPs do not like message so they try to undermine it.

Not happy that modellers do not calculate economic impacts “only present one side”. Vallance “we do science, treasury do economics, cabinet office integrate. MP says this is one sided and thinks SAGE should do it

Excess deaths due to COVID, overwhelming NHS, effect on normal NHS service and fourthly on lockdown effects

MP wants SAGE to do job which is not done by treasury and cabinet. Can you publish it -Vallance says no - take it up with ministers. If you want economic data published ask treasury not us.

MP not happy that results of 4 models including an “outlier” were published. Assumptions underlying models may be published if modellers can.

MP suggesting “outlier” is discredited and should be discarded. Clearly does not understand models, predictions and worst case scenarios

Whitty - things are predicted to be as bad as April and then get worse. Hunt now being Panglossian - why will it be as bad in the light of all we have done. Whitty - these will reduce mortality but it will still be high because numbers of cases are high.

Hunt struggling to understand Badi points. Just wants Whitty to agree with him.