4. Statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services: Coronavirus (COVID-2019) update

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:56 pm on 3 March 2020.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 3:56, 3 March 2020

Well, on the final point about the impact of activity in China and its place not just within the Chinese economy, but the global economic impact—it's a matter that Ministers are concerned about across the UK. It's been a part of the conversation in COBRA meetings. The challenge is what is our ability to step in and do something in the alternative. This Government may have some levers available to it, but I don't want to pretend that we're going to be able to somehow mitigate completely the potential impacts across China—of course, some of which we'll only see in future months and years—whether that's about the ability to source alternative sources for goods or services, not just within the health services, but more widely. So, that's where we'll need to see what happens as it happens, as well as try to forecast where we may be able to help businesses, if that is possible. Some of this is about those people running and managing those businesses and their ability to source some of their own goods. It's often the case that they're better placed to do so than a Minister in the Government. 

In terms of Cardiff Airport and the need to step up arrangements—well, that would depend on the advice we're given about whether it's an effective thing to do, about whether it's an effective strategy in containing coronavirus and its spread, or indeed in delaying it. We may reach a point, though, when no restrictions on travel would prove to be effective. It would have to be led by the science, and that's why the SAGE group of scientific advisers are really important, their modelling about some of the challenge about transmission of coronavirus, and, indeed, the advice that we're receiving from the four chief medical officers. So, if we need to do that, we'd be clear about the basis on which we'd have additional arrangements in place at Cardiff Airport and the expected impacts of that. I think it's important we remain as transparent as possible in any action we do choose to take and have a proper footing for doing so as Ministers.