3. Statement by the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs: Response to Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:24 pm on 8 April 2020.

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Photo of Jenny Rathbone Jenny Rathbone Labour 3:24, 8 April 2020

Thank you very much, Minister, for your statement. I note that you say that you have had assurances from the supermarkets that they will prioritise online home delivery orders to those who are shielded. I have today had two e-mails from shielded families who are not getting that service from the supermarkets and are being told that they're still waiting for a list of those who are shielded before they will do that. It seems to be their response is inadequate already. If somebody is telling them they are shielded they should be prioritising deliveries to those people, pending being able to double-check that that is the case. So, I'd like a bit more detail, really, on how we are ensuring that supermarkets are stepping up to the plate on this important issue, because otherwise, clearly, we've got to ensure other arrangements are available to keep them safe if they don't have family or trusted neighbours locally to do it for them.

Secondly, there's already been a very significant spike in the wholesale prices of vegetables and fruit. So, several things arise from that. One is, it seems to me that it is the role of Government to mobilise a land army of people to enable horticultural production to be massively ramped up, as it is inevitable that supplies are going to be interrupted from abroad, because this pandemic is a global one.

I and a group of other Members wrote to you separately earlier this week about the role that garden centres could play in both enabling people to grow their own vegetables and fruit, but also to improve their well-being, both physically and mentally, whilst they are confined to their homes, and those people who have the privilege of having a garden ought to have a bit more time to enable them to do that. So, is there any information you can give on how we can, at the very least, ensure that the plants currently not being sold in garden centres that have closed can be made available, possibly through schools, so that they can be planted, as we simply can't lose that produce?

And thirdly, I would make a plea on behalf of those children who have no access to outdoor play at home: it is absolutely vital for them that our public parks are kept open, otherwise there will be very serious consequences, both for their well-being, but also in particular if they are living in very overcrowded conditions—the parks are a place where they can go to to escape the tensions that are no doubt occurring at home.