Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: I am reviewing how we deliver the international strategy in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and will be producing a series of action plans during the autumn. These will set out how we can strengthen our international relationships, including through our priority countries and regions and our work in Africa.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: I and my officials are working closely with the Department for International Trade to ensure that the UK Government represents the interests of Welsh businesses and consumers in negotiations. The ministerial forum for trade has met twice and I have regular contact with Greg Hands, the Minister of State for Trade Policy.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: We continually assess the potential risks including through the Cabinet Sub-committee on European Transition and Trade. As a result of our initial assessment we have been consistently clear that any deal with the USA must not result in undermining environmental standards and putting our producers and consumers at risk.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: I am in regular contact with the Minister of State for Trade Policy, Greg Hands. We, the Department for International Trade and Devolved Administrations Ministers, have also met twice now through the new formal ministerial forum for trade. The third meeting is due to take place imminently.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Diolch yn fawr, John. Certainly, we are very aware that a lot of people seem to be spending a lot more time outdoors, particularly in the lovely weather that we've had. But you're absolutely right to underline the fact that what we've got to do is to encourage those people, in particular from deprived areas, that perhaps don't usually undertake sporting activities, to really start to take...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you, Mohammad. And just to underline the point that we will reopen our tourism sector when it's safe to do so. We've made clear our traffic lights system, where what we'll be looking at first of all is the signal that accommodation without shared facilities will be the first to open. And we are just preparing the ground for that to be possible now. But we will not move until the...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Diolch yn fawr, Lynne. I think that's a wonderful initiative—to undertake a superheroes game or challenge during this time, and it's great to hear that. And it's absolutely right that there are people from non-Welsh-speaking homes who are really keen to make sure that they keep up their Welsh during this time. And certainly, when the education Minister made her statement on 'stay safe, stay...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you very much, Darren, and thank you for championing the cause of the Welsh Mountain Zoo once again. Just to confirm that it is correct that zoos have not, in Wales, been required to close, but, as you said, it's probably not commercially viable for them to do so whilst localism and that local approach to fighting coronavirus is in place. So, obviously, we'll have to wait to see what...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you very much. Just to say that I have had a number of discussions with the Minister for Education on this issue, and I'd like to make it clear, I think, that as we are a bilingual nation, I think it makes a great deal of sense that we place Welsh and English on the face of the Bill. That's what you would expect in a bilingual nation. What is important is that there are opportunities...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you, Joyce. I think we probably recognise that, if we were to open the tourism sector, then it would be very difficult not to move away from the localism situation. Of course, people who will be travelling there or would be going from there, it would be very difficult to ask people to travel to somewhere and then not to move. It would be very, very difficult to police. So, I think we...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you, Angela. First of all, on the community consent, I do think that one thing that we need to avoid is to open up and to find that the communities, locally, are hostile to the people who are coming in. That would be the worst place to be, and so, we do need to develop that community consent. We speak very regularly to local authorities about the feelings within their communities and,...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you very much, Rhun. We have made it clear that we will be giving those working in the sector three weeks' notice so that they do have an opportunity to prepare. Of course, we'll have to see whether the R rate will be in a position next week where we can provide them with more clarity on the possibilities for reopening in the future. We are highly aware, of course, that the tapering of...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Diolch yn fawr, Vikki. I have very regular meetings with the education Minister, and obviously have been very aware of the need to ensure that there are opportunities, in particular for those pupils who come from non-Welsh-speaking homes to be able to practice their Welsh, to be able to get their hands on resources that would be beneficial to them in terms of accessing materials that may be...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you. I, first of all, would say that those microbusinesses, I hope, will have an opportunity to bid in the next economic resilience fund, and it is being specifically targeted at those in the next phase of the economic resilience fund. So, I do hope you'll encourage those people who have contacted you to take a look at that, and they can already assess whether they will be eligible,...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you, David. Absolutely—I would say that we are very much connected to the UK tourism industry. I know that the Deputy Minister meets very regularly with his counterparts across the United Kingdom, and a lot of the guidance that is being developed, is being developed in concert with the rest of the UK, where possible. Because it doesn't make sense for us to perhaps have a separate...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you very much. First of all, thank you to the Conservative Party for confirming their support for Black Lives Matter, as I would expect. So, it's really good that we have very much a consensus in terms of our approach here in Wales. In relation to the curriculum, there are core aspects of the areas of learning and experience within the new curriculum that very much will underline the...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you. Just to say that, in terms of the support given to online learning of Welsh, I think that that has been hugely successful. Obviously, it's considerably cheaper than doing things face to face. So, all of that funding that was being done in terms of face-to-face contact is now being done online. What is interesting is, actually, more people turn up to the classes online than did in...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you very much, Helen Mary, and thank you for your support on our stance and our response to the Black Lives Matter issue here in Wales, and for the message that we clearly want to convey to the United States.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Can I just say, in terms of the museum, I was very interested to hear the response of the First Minister earlier in relation to the idea of developing some kind of museum? We'll certainly explore that as a department and have a look what the opportunities are there. I do think it is essential for us to recognise the influence and the impact and the way that black people have contributed to...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: With regard to the Welsh language, I am delighted that learning Welsh has become so popular during this lockdown period. Less than two weeks after the start of lockdown in Wales, the National Centre for Learning Welsh launched new Welsh language classes, with 8,300 new people joining. And may I extend my congratulations to the Urdd on the holding of the Eisteddfod T? Over 6,000 people...
