Russell George: Thank you for your answer, Minister. I appreciate what you've said. I think, from my perspective, we as Welsh Conservatives were raising deep concerns about the level of hospital-acquired infections in Wales from last summer onwards. There was a sense, I feel, that the Welsh Government was shrugging its shoulders at the time, with your predecessor saying that lessons had been learnt....
Russell George: Diolch, Llywydd. Minister, do you feel it would be appropriate to apologise on behalf of the Welsh Government for its failure to contain hospital transmissions during the first and second waves of the pandemic?
Russell George: What plans does the Welsh Government have to invest in health facilities in mid Wales?
Russell George: Can I first of all say this is certainly an issue that I've raised myself with successive Welsh Governments? I think I raised this first with Edwina Hart, so very supportive in terms of my position in terms of Banc Cambria and the Welsh Government's approach to community banking. I listened very carefully to the answers provided, Minister, but I think what people will want to know, especially...
Russell George: Will the Minister make a statement on the progress of the community bank of Wales?
Russell George: —with that as well. Have I gone on too long, Presiding Officer? I will come to an end there, because the new Presiding Officer in the corner there has told me that I must be going over time. I will end there, then, stand-in Presiding Officer in the corner, and ask about local health boards' plans in terms of COVID-lite hubs and routine treatment in that regard as well.
Russell George: Thank you, Minister, for the regulations today and bringing them forward. I can certainly say that, as Welsh Conservatives, we’ll be supporting the regulations today that have been brought forward in retrospect, because clearly they are relaxing a number of restrictions, including, as you mentioned, weddings and funerals, which, as you said, are important life moments for families. I agree...
Russell George: What plans does the Welsh Government have to build new community hospitals in Wales?
Russell George: Thank you for your answer, Minister. I'd like to ask you about your tests and testing strategy. As it stands now, some TB-infected cattle are not being detected by Welsh Government's own tests, and this clearly causes great frustration to the farming industry when the First Minister himself tries to heap blame on farmers, as was outlined earlier in this session by my colleague Samuel Kurtz....
Russell George: 7. Will the Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's bovine TB eradication plan? OQ56639
Russell George: Diolch, Deputy Presiding Officer. Minister, can I thank you for your update this afternoon? On the delta variant, although we're looking at higher numbers of infections in Wales, there are still relatively low numbers of hospitalisations, fortunately, standing at 116 with COVID in general in acute beds, and one with COVID in an invasive ventilation bed. I of course appreciate, and I think you...
Russell George: Can I first of all say to the Minister that we'll be supporting, as Welsh Conservatives, the regulations this afternoon, as these regulations are clearly in regard to opening up our society and economy, which, of course, we support? I did notice in your opening comments, Minister, that you mentioned that every adult in Wales has been offered the vaccine. It's not specifically in regard to...
Russell George: Minister, can I thank you for your statement today? I certainly very much welcome what you've said, in terms of funding for diagnosis and support for long COVID. I, like many in this Chamber, I think, would have been shocked by the ONS figures that said as many as 50,000 people across Wales have been suffering from long COVID. I, myself, spoke to a constituent fairly recently about their...
Russell George: Will the First Minister make a statement on health services in mid Wales?
Russell George: I've taken part in past debates on the introduction of the Welsh Government's NVZ approach, so I'm largely going to use my time today to highlight the plight and example of one particular farming family and how these regulations will affect them. But for the purpose of clarity, I will repeat my long-standing views that these regulations should never have been introduced; they are unnecessary,...
Russell George: Thank you, Minister. I appreciate that you've given a little bit more detail about the timescale. You referred to having that information back from the health boards by, I think you said, next week. And I suppose the question then is timescales about the process of when you'll be making those commitments, bringing forward those proposals to the finance Minister, and when you believe the...
Russell George: Thank you, Minister. I appreciate your answer. I suppose it's not just health authorities, but it's other health professionals that you need to work with as well, and many of those I've spoken to over the last couple of weeks just feel disappointed that they haven't yet had that funding allocated and announced. I appreciate the process that you've mentioned and outlined, but I think their...
Russell George: Diolch, Llywydd. Minister, in my new role, I would like to first of all just say congratulations on your appointment, and I hope to work constructively with you, particularly with regards to the challenges ahead, which we have to face together as a country. My colleagues and I have very much welcomed the announcement of £1 billion to help the NHS recover from the pandemic, and the first...
Russell George: Can I thank the Minister for her statement this afternoon, and say that the number of people in hospital with coronavirus is at its lowest level since the start of the pandemic? And as the Minister pointed out as well, we've seen that 10-day period where we've seen no deaths at all recorded from the virus apart from, sadly, that one death yesterday reported by Public Health Wales. I think...
Russell George: Can I first of all thank the Minister for her introduction to the regulations today, and can I congratulate the Minister very sincerely on her new appointment also? We in Welsh Conservatives will support the regulations this afternoon, as, in my opinion, and in Welsh Conservatives' opinion, it's the right approach in terms of easing the restrictions on the economy and opening up society...
