Vaughan Gething: I thank Members for their comments, which I think fairly reflect the correspondence and the course of discussions that have taken place on this matter. As ever, we're left with a practical consideration. If we could have our ideal format, then we'd have a different arrangement in front of the Senedd, but we have to balance what I think are the clear benefits to the public and to patients from...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'm pleased to move the motion on the Medicines and Medical Devices Bill and to explain why I believe the Senedd should approve it. The Bill's purpose is to bring medicines, veterinary medicines and medical devices that were formerly subject to European Union regulation under UK law following Brexit. It is enabling legislation that will then be implemented...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I thank the Chair of the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee for his report on both the merits and technical scrutiny. It is always an important function to make sure that the law is as consistent as possible, and even where we don't agree, it is certainly, I think, a continually important function to make sure that the law is in good shape....
Vaughan Gething: Thank you, Llywydd. I move the motions before us to approve these sets of regulations before us today. I'll address each of the regulations in turn, starting with the Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (No. 5) (Wales) Regulations 2020. On 14 December, the Government published our updated coronavirus control plan. I was grateful to Members for their contributions to the debate held...
Vaughan Gething: Formally.
Vaughan Gething: I think, on your final point, that is something that I know the chief medical officer and our chief nurse are particularly concerned about, because the figures are there about a more significant mortality rate for people with a learning disability. Our challenge is whether it's actually the learning disability or whether actually there are other underlying conditions, and, actually, when you...
Vaughan Gething: Yes, thank you, and thank you in particular for, again, mentioning our staff, who are working under incredible pressure to both deliver the vaccination and to protect the public, but also with the ongoing care and treatment for people who are ill from both COVID and non-COVID illness as well. And there is certainly no lack of urgency within our national health service and partner...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the questions. To be fair, I think the question about the phase 2 roll-out was confused at the start, and in terms of the phase 2 roll-out and the question about school staff, of course I'm sympathetic to a range of occupational groups who are working as key workers to keep all of us safe. In particular whilst we're staying at home, we're relying on groups of people to maintain...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the questions. On the second dose being the same as the first in terms of the type of vaccine, that is certainly what our plan is. I saw a rather unhelpful New York Times suggestion we might mix them, and that's never been the approach we've planned to take here in Wales, and at this point in time, we don't have an issue with supply. If there was a need to do that, then, I am...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the questions. So, on the speed of the over-70s and the clinically extremely vulnerable, otherwise known as the shielded group of people, we're expecting to have offered all of those their vaccination by the middle of February. That is for them as opposed to the whole household. We have asked, and there have been a number of questions that have gone back to the JCVI around the...
Vaughan Gething: Turning to your first point about spring, spring is the season and it's not a never-ending season. So, you won't have this sort of idea, as David Jones, when he was in the Welsh Office, suggested, that spring and summer actually then went on, at some point, into the autumn and the winter. The reason why we've given spring as an outline timescale is that that really is part of where we are...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for your comments and questions. Just to make clear, I've said repeatedly that this is a race against the virus; it's a marathon effort, over many months, and we all want to move as quickly as possible. I don't think I can be any clearer about the approach of the Welsh Government and the direction that our national health service is taking. I really do think we should all be very...
Vaughan Gething: I thank the Member for his series of questions. Sorry, there's been a problem with my computer. I'll just get rid of this. So, in terms of the series of questions that he's asked, I think he asked a couple of questions that were essentially the same question in a different way. The plan that I announced yesterday will help us, and it sets out how we're going to speed up the roll-out of the...
Vaughan Gething: The plan reflects months of detailed delivery planning, and sets out our national strategy and priorities for the coming months. The plan sets out three key milestones. By mid February, all care home residents and staff, front-line health and social care staff, everyone over 70 and everyone who is extremely clinically vulnerable or the shielded population will have been offered the...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Yesterday, I published our national COVID-19 vaccination plan for Wales. The plan was published on the same day as we commenced daily reporting on the number of vaccines administered in Wales. As of this morning, more than 91,000 people across Wales have now received their first dose of one of the two approved COVID vaccines. This marks significant...
Vaughan Gething: I think it's an interesting question that the Member raises when it comes to staff being furloughed. The starting point is, should an employee be shielding—and we've given clear advice that if you're on the previous shielded list—then our advice is if you can't work from home securely, then our advice is not to go to work, and there's written confirmation of that advice going out to...
Vaughan Gething: I think it's a fair question. What I've done is I've asked our technical advisory group to look again at the current evidence, not just on the new variant, but the evidence of COVID and education, and my understanding has been that teachers are not high-risk professionals. Other education staff are not high-risk professions, and that's good news. And it's credit to those teachers, and other...
Vaughan Gething: I'm happy to confirm that every part of Wales will continue to receive its fair share, so I would expect that, when we ultimately see all the figures smoothed out, the Betsi delivery will be in accordance with its population—I think it's about 23 per cent or 24 per cent of the population. So, it will get its fair share. It's not being held back. It's actually about its ability to test all...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you. On your final question, I have to say I'll happily take that and have a further discussion with the chief medical officer's department about shielding and families and advice that we should give to people about how to best protect themselves and their loved ones. I recognise there are genuine concerns that people have. On the move to level 4 before Christmas, I do believe that...
Vaughan Gething: I thank the Member for the questions. On the final question, I think I've covered several times the Oxford vaccine roll-out. We expect to receive the first vaccines for delivery on 4 January, as with every other UK nation. The first few days will be about making sure that our delivery systems are secure. I've also had indicated that it may be sensible to have the first few of those delivered...
