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Boris Johnson used video link for this week's Prime Minister's Questions Image caption: Boris Johnson used video link for this week's Prime Minister's Questions

Plans to allow MPs who are shielding to take part in House of Commons debates via video link have been criticised for not going far enough.

The influential cross party Procedure Committee is calling on the government to allow all MPs to take part in debates virtually during the coronavirus pandemic.

At the moment, MPs can ask questions and respond to statements virtually but they are not allowed to speak during debates on legislation, or anything else, unless they are physically present in the Commons chamber.

On Monday the Leader of the Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg said the government planned to allow only MPs who are clinically vulnerable to take part in debates until the end of March.

During a short debate, the Conservative chair of the Procedure Committee Karen Bradley said his "refusal to listen" to the "views of the House" was "indefensible".

She said the public would be "baffled by a situation where the prime minister can answer Prime Minister's Questions virtually yesterday and and make a statement to the House virtually today, but cannot then take part in a debate until he has finished self isolating".

"This is an utterly farcical situation," she said.