Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: I want to underline the shock and anger felt by Welsh Government and by so many across Wales and the globe at the killing of George Floyd by a police officer, and the subsequent draconian response by the President of the United States. US citizens are rightfully protesting against overt racism faced by black people, which seems to be entrenched in some institutions. It's clear that the Welsh...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. COVID-19 is continuing to have a substantial impact on my portfolio and department, and events overseas are having an impact on us here in Wales. Whilst in Wales we're seeing reductions in the rates of infection, it's worth noting that WHO officials have said that the global situation is worsening. There have now been nearly 7 million confirmed cases of...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you. One of the things that I think has been very clever in terms of the marketing strategy is to make sure that that's been changed slightly during this period. So, the phrase, 'Visit Wales. Later' has been something that we've been trying to emphasise. But it is a tightrope that we've got to walk here, because for the time being, it is difficult to encourage people to come to those...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you. The negotiations with the US only started yesterday and, obviously, they were very much broad opening discussions, so, there was not much detail being talked about. There are a 100 people involved in those negotiations from the UK Government side alone and, of course, it was useful, therefore, to be able to speak to the Minister responsible yesterday and to highlight those things...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you. It is a real concern, in terms of the tourism sector, that we are talking about this three-winter prospect that they are confronting. Now, I think there's so much we can do as a Welsh Government, but this is a matter that the UK Government also understands, and so, we will be making sure that, as far as possible, we are asking them to help us out in this very specific sector that...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you, Dai. I am entirely aware that this is a hugely important issue for people, particularly in some areas of Wales, and that’s why I have written to the health Minister to ensure that he is aware of the importance of the Welsh language, particularly when it comes to end-of-life issues and ensuring that there is awareness and that there are staff available who are able to have...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you. Well, it's been quite interesting, the British Council have done quite a lot of surveys in relation to the interest of Chinese students—whether they still want to come to study in the United Kingdom. And it's quite interesting, as you say, that the majority of them still seem to be very interested. There are about 39 per cent of them from China who seem to be undecided, and so...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you. I think you're absolutely right that we are incredibly aware of the impact that this coronavirus could and is having on our tourism sector. And the problem is that it looks like it's going to be a long-term issue, if you think about social distancing and the practical issues of getting people into hotels, of serving food—this is not going to be a quick fix by any means. And...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you. Yes, it was really good to be able to support those Welsh people who have been stuck abroad, and particularly good to welcome home somebody who can make such a huge contribution to the NHS. We were very pleased that we could support him and so many other people from Wales who've managed to come home. There are still some people abroad. I know that the UK Government now have put...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you. Well, in terms of the census, we are keeping a close eye on how those questions are posed because people answer in different ways depending on the question asked, of course. So, we are keeping a very close eye on that. We will have to look at sampling and consider what they’re likely to ask in that area and how that could perhaps impact the census. The important thing with the...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Well, thank you very much, Siân. We're very much aware that this virus—. Well, it's hit every part of Wales, but the effect, of course, is different in different parts of Wales. In terms of how many people are suffering, I think it's fair to say that some of those Welsh speaking areas haven't had the impact that some of the areas in the east have had, but, of course, the impact from the...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: I will be switching to Welsh now. Dafydd Elis-Thomas has had to reprioritise his entire portfolio as a result of the current crisis and provide emergency funding to support the creative industries, sport and culture, as well as reassigning the work of whole agencies such as Cadw, which have had to close all of their sites. Now, in particular, I would like to update you on tourism, which is a...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: I'd like to start, as Minister for international relations, by noting that this week we'll be, in this country, noting VE Day, the end of the war in Europe, a war that I think should be a reminder to us all about what happens when international understanding fails, and, if ever there was an issue that reminds us of how interconnected our world is, then it's surely this coronavirus pandemic....
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you very much. I'm sure you'd be interested to hear that the economy Minister's father used to work at the place that you were talking about, so that's of great interest. I know that the amount of tourism and the number of tourists who are attracted by our narrow-gauge and, as you say, our standard-gauge railway, bring in significant finance into the economy of Wales. So, that is...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Given the current circumstances, our tourism is facing really difficult times. This is a developing situation and I want to assure the sector that we're continually monitoring the impact of coronavirus on tourism and working with colleagues across the Government on what support we can offer.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you. Well, I can report that all Cadw sites—all 24 of them—have now been closed. The museums that fall under the responsibility of the Welsh Government are also closed. The National Library of Wales has also closed its doors and we are, of course, in regular contact with them. We're also in regular contact with the Welsh Museums Federation and associations. And, of course, those...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: The Welsh Government promotes the unique character and value of our historic environment to the people of Wales and the world. Cadw identifies nationally important historic assets, accords them legal protection and works with public bodies and private owners to secure their sustainable management. Clearly, the priorities of this sector are being reviewed in the light of the coronavirus...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Well, I think, under normal circumstances, the answer would probably be, 'Yes, we'd be looking to create a package.' These are extreme circumstances and, therefore, we are responding day by day to the situation. I think the priority is to see how we can support those people who are working for the Urdd at the moment. Is there any way of protecting their jobs and looking to the future? The key...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: I do agree that we need to look not only at the short term, but also what’s going to happen ultimately. The Urdd, of course, is one of the biggest employers in the third sector in Wales. It employs about 320 people; it contributes £31 million to the Welsh economy; and, of course, it’s one of the biggest employers in rural Wales and that’s very important. There are 10,000 volunteers and...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: I think in relation to this, because the FCO is absolutely taking a lead in terms of bringing people home, I would suggest that they should go directly to the FCO.
