Britain will remain in lockdown for another three weeks as the cabinet debates whether to encourage some people to return to work.

Dominic Raab, who is deputising for Boris Johnson, will announce on Thursday that the lockdown will stay in place until at least May 7.

He is expected to ask Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, and the other leaders of the devolved administrations to attend a Cobra meeting to ensure a UK-wide approach in setting the deadline, the maximum allowed under emergency legislation that mandates reviews every three weeks.

Senior ministers are split, however, on whether to encourage people to return to the workplace if it is safe to do so and if they cannot work from home, as evidence of the economic, social