Part of 3. Topical Questions – in the Senedd at 2:59 pm on 18 March 2020.
Can I thank Russell George for his questions? There were a number of areas and subjects that he's raised this afternoon.
First of all, can I say with regard to Business Wales—Business Wales are obviously being inundated with calls right now? I was informed just this morning that additional staff have been moved away from their regular jobs, their regular functions, in order to answer the huge number of calls that are being made to that particular service. I also raised the issue of the voice messaging and the referral of people through the voicemail system. That is being addressed as we speak. I would suggest to businesses as a first port of call to visit the website and the information that's provided on it. There is also the possibility to log a call back if businesses are not able to wait more than five, 10, or, indeed, 30 minutes, and I do recognise—I do recognise—that there is enormous pressure there with Business Wales. We're looking at every opportunity to further bolster the number of people that are advising businesses within Business Wales.
In terms of notices for business rates, if they can be stopped, obviously they will be, but if they can't be and they've already been issued, then further notices will be going out to inform businesses that they will have zero to pay. In terms of the £330 billion that was announced, it is purely in loans at the moment and we require an additional sum of money—a very, very significant sum indeed—to be made available to cover the fixed costs of businesses as they try to struggle through this period or if they decide to hibernate as they cease operation for a temporary period of time. That money should be used to ensure that there is an income for people who are affected by coronavirus and who are in work but also to retain those valuable workers on the books of those businesses that are affected. It's absolutely vital that action is taken in that regard.
I know that the Finance Minister is speaking this afternoon with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and Rebecca Evans will be making a very powerful case for that gap that I mentioned to be filled. It's absolutely essential if we are to roll out precisely the same level of support in terms of NDR for the sectors that were announced yesterday by the Chancellor. There are enormous costs, obviously, associated with supporting chain supermarkets, chain superstores and chain hotels, but, in the very least, we look to the opportunity of making discretionary support available to councils, recognising that in many parts of Wales independent large businesses, such as those hotels in many of our communities, can provide invaluable support to the supply chain.