David Rowlands: Will the First Minister provide a breakdown of the number of deaths involving coronavirus by age group?
David Rowlands: Can I thank the economy and skills committee for producing this excellent report and its attempt to analyse what constitutes the foundational economy? I would also like to note the Government's overall positive response to the recommendations made. I believe that what comes out of this report is the clear need to define what constitutes the foundational economy. Perhaps a fair description...
David Rowlands: Counsel General, you seem to have indicated in your answer to Joyce Watson that it is the UK Government that should be leading on trade negotiations with whatever party is engaged. In the past, you've bemoaned the fact that Wales may not be able to impose its own divergence in rules and regulations from those of the UK in general. Do you not agree that it's imperative that the UK shows a...
David Rowlands: Shall we now turn to the other statistic that is guiding the Welsh Government's interventions, that is deaths from COVID-19 infection? Here, I feel it's imperative to make the distinction between those said to have died as a direct consequence of COVID-19 and those who are said to have died with COVID-19. Let me now quote from the medical advice given to doctors with regard to recording...
David Rowlands: Okay. Are you hearing me now?
David Rowlands: Okay, thank you very much. Diolch, Llywydd. Can I preface this debate by saying it is not designed to encourage people to break lockdown restrictions? On the contrary, I urge people to obey the restrictions, both for the firebreak period and those in place after next Monday. The overarching objective of this debate is to question whether the strategies employed by the Welsh Government, and...
David Rowlands: Minister, we know that the lockdown measures are having a devastating effect on the Welsh tourism industry—many thousands of businesses will not survive this series of lockdowns. And to echo Gareth Bennett's comments, the situation is exacerbated by the fact that we are actively discouraging the English, in particular, from coming to Wales. Does the Minister not accept that this will have a...
David Rowlands: Good afternoon, Dirprwy Lywydd, I'm afraid I didn't have the indication to unmute there. Can I thank the Minister for your update today and for your statement? It is, of course, excellent news that you were able to put in place the interventions outlined, not only for those using the rail network, but also for those whose jobs are being secured by your actions. And can I assure the Minister...
David Rowlands: Whilst the Commission has not considered this particular aspect before, I'm sure that, now you've brought it to our attention, we are more than willing to have a look at it and to consider how we may react to your suggestions.
David Rowlands: Can I thank Janet Finch-Saunders for her question? Within the limited green space on our estate, the Commission has made significant improvements in recent years to encourage biodiversity. We introduced two beehives and organised a launch event with local children, Members and academics to promote the value of bees and improvements to support the wider pollinator population. A third beehive...
David Rowlands: Well, it does cover the fact that we have to be very careful as to who is actually on the estate at any one time. I am not in a position to answer for Ministers, R.T., as you know.
David Rowlands: Well, there is a process for managing access to the estate, which includes a notification process for all users of the estate, Members and their staff, Ministers and their staff, and Commission staff and contractors, and this has been shared with all users and it is working effectively.
David Rowlands: Can I thank Andrew R.T. for that question? The position is that the Welsh Government has a sub-lease to occupy office space on the fifth and second floors of Tŷ Hywel. The sub-lease includes the use of shared facilities, including car parking, meeting and conference rooms, canteen and catering facilities, cycle storage, electric vehicle charging points and, lastly, post room services.
David Rowlands: Can I thank the Deputy Minister for his statement this afternoon? I believe the Welsh Government more than adequately funds bus companies in normal times. COVID, of course, may need extra funding in very targeted scenarios. However, I feel there is considerable waste in the resources allocated to the bus industry, where we see multiple buses, perhaps just minutes apart, on identical or...
David Rowlands: Surely, Minister, the internal market Bill simply aims to maintain the joined-up market of the UK. It ensures that all four of the UK nations are not limited by regulations determined by each devolved Government, which would, of course, be very damaging to trade within the UK. It also aims to guarantee that the international community has access to the UK as a whole, knowing the standards and...
David Rowlands: Llywydd, I want to broaden this debate today, because the interventions by both the Welsh Government and the UK Government not only have implications for Wales and the UK, but have worldwide implications. The World Health Organization are now advocating that national lockdowns should be the last resort in combating COVID-19, so why are both the UK and the Welsh Governments still pursuing this...
David Rowlands: Well, I thank the Minister for that answer and I must say that it's very encouraging—the interventions that you mentioned. Minister, I mentioned last week in my question to the Counsel General, and I make no apologies for mentioning it again, that British farmers are amongst the most efficient and innovative farmers in the world and are capable, given the right resources and incentives, of...
David Rowlands: 6. What measures is the Welsh Government putting in place to ensure that farmers can make the best of the opportunities provided to the farming industry post-Brexit? OQ55682
David Rowlands: What assessment has the Welsh Government made of the number and role of community councils?
David Rowlands: I thank the First Minister for his answer. Whilst it is prudent to make such arrangements for the post-pandemic environment, it is also true that it is incumbent upon the Government to mitigate the economic consequences of lockdowns whilst the virus is still with us. The recent lockdown arrangements are of course having a devastating effect on businesses across Wales. However, First Minister,...
