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

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:30 pm on 8 April 2020.

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Photo of Lynne Neagle Lynne Neagle Labour 3:30, 8 April 2020

Thank you, Minister, for your statement. As you know, I have been inundated with enquiries from constituents who have been struggling to access online shopping. Those are shielded constituents and constituents who are vulnerable as well. There's been a very widespread perception that shoppers in Wales have been disadvantaged as opposed to those in England. So, I think my first question is whether you would acknowledge that there's been a communication issue here that Welsh Government needs to urgently address with shoppers in Wales.

I hear what you're saying about the supermarkets having the shielded data now. I spoke to the head of public affairs at Sainsbury's myself yesterday, and they told me that they had indeed received the shielded data now, but my constituents today are still getting e-mails off Sainsbury's telling them that this is still a work in progress and that they can't register, and that is just not acceptable and needs to be resolved as a matter of urgency so that the people who must shield can shield. Food parcels are all well and good, but most people want to get their own shopping in and see to themselves, and we need to resolve that urgently. 

You referred to the group that you're in with Julie James and Vaughan Gething. I'm also concerned because I'm still getting constituents who are on the shielded list but haven't received a shielded letter, and not all GPs are taking the same approach to shielded patients, so there's an issue there about people being able to actually unlock that support in the first place. So, I'd like to ask you to raise that with Julie James and with Vaughan Gething so that we have got a consistent approach to the shielded across Wales.

And then my final point relates to vulnerable people more generally, because that is actually a huge group that is outside the shielded group. I've been contacted by people with sight problems and other vulnerable people who've always shopped online and now can't get an online shopping slot. So, I'd like to ask you what you think the solution is for those people, because I don't think it's realistic for local government to be able to take food to all these people—or volunteers—and I would like to see the Welsh Government really working proactively with supermarkets to really boost that online capacity. I know it's a challenge, but, if we can boost online capacity, that will also help the social distancing, with fewer people going shopping in the first place. So, I'd like to ask you what your plans are, going forward, to work proactively as a Government with the supermarkets to really boost that online capacity so that it can meet the needs not just of the shielded but of the vulnerable in Wales, which is a much bigger group. Thank you.