In terms of the timeline for getting the £100 million out to businesses, I can assure all Members that we are endeavouring to do this as fast as we possibly can do. The meeting on Thursday will be crucially important with the council for economic development. I wish to gain approval from the council, our social partners, for the purpose of the £100 million and the criteria that will be set in order to ensure that the right businesses are getting support.

I think it's worth saying, Llywydd, that businesses will be faced with a very difficult choice. Do they hibernate if they are to survive? Will they hibernate through this current crisis, or will they go on trying to raise an income through the crisis? Will they survive by staying in operation? Now, the UK Government has a role to play in both scenarios. First of all, the First Minister has asked for the UK Government to underwrite wages to ensure that businesses can maintain the employment of individuals, even if they are not in the workplace, and that's absolutely right. The First Minister has also raised the question of a role for a universal income. Again, it could be vitally important in ensuring that those who are most exposed to coronavirus in terms of their economic and welfare exposure are not those who are hardest hit.

In addition, the UK Government can play a major role in terms of tax relief and tax holidays, and this is as an ask that we have made of them today. Welsh Government is able to utilise levers with regard to business rate relief, and we can also look at supporting businesses in terms of cash flow and fixed costs other than those that are applied to wage bills, if the UK Government is willing and ready to step in as I've already outlined. And we are looking at using that £100 million for that express purpose.

I recognise that right now there are certain sectors, as I said to Russell George, that are suffering incredible pain. Those sectors include hospitality, they include the whole of the tourism sector, parts of the retail sector as well. There are also demands from social care to ensure that social care providers are able to pay for the wage costs of employees who need to be covered, and therefore potentially agency staff costs. And also, of course, self-employed people are facing very, very difficult decisions right now in terms of how they go about getting through coronavirus. But the Member is absolutely right that we need to ensure that any viable business today has a viable prospect of surviving and thriving at the end of the coronavirus crisis.

I thought it was a powerful statement that President Macron made last night when he said that no business, large or small, no matter how big you are, will be forced to close as a consequence of coronavirus. And this is a message that I repeated to UK Government. UK Government need to take action to ensure that that is the same situation in the UK. The commercial banks, as the Member said, will play an enormously important role, and as many Members have already said today, in 2008 the public bailed out the banks, and now in 2020 it's absolutely right that the banks play their part in bailing out many businesses that are viable, that have a strong future, but which are facing an incredible challenge right now.

We will be meeting with the commercial banks on Thursday. There are various questions that I'll be raising with them, including to what extent they can make discretionary decisions. Often, decisions are made in HQ. Those decisions don't necessarily reflect the different type of economy that we have here in Wales, particularly in rural areas. So, I wish to ascertain the degree to which the banks are able to make discretionary decisions. There are various other questions that I'll be raising with the banks. I will write to Members after that meeting with further information, so that all Members are able, in turn, to inform their constituency businesses in their areas. I think it's also worth saying, Llywydd, that as we go through the recovery period, there will be a significant demand for working capital, and this is something that I'll be raising with the development bank and high-street banks on Thursday.

My advice to the travelling public using public transport is that they should not use public transport unless it's absolutely vital if they consider that they may have symptoms. If they do have symptoms, they should only—only—use public transport if it is absolutely essential to get the medical support that's required. It's vitally important that all passengers follow the guidance that has been shared by Public Health Wales and that they are able to practice as best possible social distancing when using transport or when at stations.

The bus sector has already provided me, I'm pleased to say, with figures concerning the cost of maintaining services during this difficult period. We'll be considering that level of support that has been asked for, recognising, of course, that the bus network across Wales is vitally important and must be maintained for the future.