Part of 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Services – in the Senedd at 1:37 pm on 14 March 2018.
Thank you, Presiding Officer. Cabinet Secretary, storm Emma passed through our area nearly a couple of weeks ago now, and I'd like to use this opportunity to put on record my thanks, and I'm sure the thanks of every Assembly Member, to the NHS staff who were so brilliant at getting in, in very difficult conditions, who were prepared to stay and work a lot of extra hours to make up for colleagues who couldn't come in. We owe them an enormous debt of gratitude because it was pretty tough. I know that, for three days, I couldn't get out of my house, and yet there were people who were staffing our local hospitals. I also know, Cabinet Secretary, that you are aware that there was a lot of speculation in the press from staff who'd said that when they had stayed over in order to help us through this difficult time, they had been charged for accommodation. I think you were quite robust in saying—and I don't believe I'm putting words in your mouth—that that shouldn't happen. Could you reassure us that, in fact, any staff who did go out of their way to help us haven't incurred extra costs, and that we are able to defray any costs that people did incur in any way whatsoever, and that health boards haven't charged people?