Russell George: I will, Deputy Llywydd.
Russell George: Diolch, Deputy Llywydd. I move the motion this afternoon in the name of my colleague Darren Millar. This motion was of course tabled at the back end of last week, just before the Government made its announcement on the easing of restrictions. I'm always pleased when the Welsh Government pays heed to our motions and I'm glad that the Welsh Government has listened to calls from ourselves and...
Russell George: Can I ask about the isolation period first of all, Minister? I was a bit disappointed that we didn't have anything on that today in the statement. We know that the UK Health Security Agency has found that most people are not infectious after five days and we know that the UK Government has reduced the period from seven to five days, albeit that you have to have a negative on the fifth day....
Russell George: Can I thank the Minister for her earlier briefing to me and colleagues? That was appreciated, Minister. And, of course, thank you for your statement today, much of which, of course, we know from the press conference last Friday from the First Minister.
Russell George: Can I thank Plaid for bringing forward this debate this afternoon? I think it's a very worthy use of time this afternoon to be debating this topic. We haven't put forward any amendments to this motion tabled by Siân Gwenllian, because we agree with the motion as it's been tabled. We're not minded to support the Government's amendment, because it deletes important points of the Plaid motion,...
Russell George: Can I say, Minister, I think it is entirely unacceptable at this point in the pandemic that we are voting on these regulations retrospectively? This was, of course, understood nearly two years ago at the beginning of the pandemic, but we are now in a virtual meeting, where meetings can be requested more easily, and we are now in a position where the regulations should be debated first before...
Russell George: Diolch, Llywydd, and can I wish you a happy new year, and the Minister and all Members as well? Let's hope 2022 is a good year. Thank you for your statement today, Minister. Can I also thank you for your briefings that you provided to me and other colleagues today with your officials? I think they're particularly very helpful, so greatly appreciated. I note that recent research by the...
Russell George: First Minister, the Welsh NHS is obviously under significant pressure at the present time due to the pandemic, but also we're aware that, in pre-pandemic times, the Welsh NHS was under significant pressure at this time of year. We of course need to relieve pressure on A&E by encouraging the use of other services, such as minor injuries units and using pharmacies, rolling out regional surgical...
Russell George: First Minister, can I ask how many people are in hospital with the new variant now, at the present time? And there's a real concern that some health boards—Betsi in particular—are cancelling planned operations to ensure the booster programme is being completed. Now, last month, we saw that 40,000 people were waiting over a year for treatment, and 9,000 over two years, each likely, or...
Russell George: Diolch, Llywydd. I move the motion this afternoon in the name of my colleague Darren Millar. Today, I'm pleased to open this debate on the issue that the Welsh Conservatives have continually been raising over the past 18 months. We first called for an independent public inquiry into the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Wales, and we still feel that the people of Wales who have lost loved...
Russell George: Thank you, Minister, for your answer. I'm sure, like me, Minister, you can understand the huge concern and anxiety that a farming business and family face when they receive a letter from the Animal and Plant Health Agency concerning TB testing and restrictions on their herd and farm. My specific question is concerning farming families wrongly receiving letters from APHA informing them that...
Russell George: 1. How does the Welsh Government communicate with farmers regarding potential TB breakdown situations? OQ57349
Russell George: Minister, can I thank you for your statement and the advance copy today, and also for the briefing that you provided to Health and Social Care Committee Members with your officials? That was helpful this morning as well. I agree with you, Minister; there's huge concern here, because there's so much uncertainty and we know that omicron is fast becoming the dominant strain across the UK and in...
Russell George: Can I first of all say 'thank you' for your statement, Minister? You've referenced the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee, as has Mark Isherwood, extensively, but I was privileged to chair that committee, and I think it's fantastic that, on a cross-party basis, we very much supported the work of Banc Cambria and made a series of recommendations, which I hope helped to move issues...
Russell George: Diolch, Llywydd. First Minister, I'm aware that the UK has donated the majority of any vaccines that are surplus to the UK, of course, to COVAX to support developing countries, but I understand something different to you, First Minister, in terms of World Trade Organization members' developing views on a proposed waiver of some of the provisions of the trade-related aspect of intellectual...
Russell George: I do know, as well, responding to some of the—. Can you hear me, Llywydd? My visual has disappeared.
Russell George: Thank you for your answer, Minister. Of course, in rural areas of Wales such as Powys, whilst the twenty-first century schools funding has been used for new school builds, many older school buildings are being retained due to their geography or for rurality reasons. I heard the responses, Minister, to the earlier questions today, but can I ask you how you envisage twenty-first century schools...
Russell George: 5. Will the Minister provide an update on how schools in Powys are benefiting from the 21st century schools programme? OQ57319
Russell George: Will the Minister make a statement on the development of guidance to support local authorities in assessing planning applications for intensive poultry units?
Russell George: I'd like to thank Mabon ap Gwynfor for bringing this debate forward today. I think it's an extremely important issue that I believe all parties care about in this Chamber, and I'm sorry I wasn't quick enough, actually, to put my name in support of the debate before it was tabled. But I'd like to put it on record that I will be supporting the motion today, and I agree with the points in the...
