6. Statement by the Counsel General and Minister for European Transition: Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:28 pm on 6 May 2020.

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Photo of Jeremy Miles Jeremy Miles Labour 5:28, 6 May 2020

Firstly, on the question of process, as I indicated in my statement last Wednesday to the press conference, the first stage of engagement of the external advisory group is the set of round-tables, and I'm hoping, as I indicated, I think, then, for a subset of that group to be an ongoing feature of our work. So, nothing has changed since I made the statement last Wednesday in relation to that. 

He asks about the geographic mix—yes, there are people from Wales, there are people from other parts of the UK, and there are people from other parts of the world, which is the kind of mix that I think I indicated I was hoping to achieve, so I'm pleased that we've been able to do that. 

In relation to business, there are entrepreneurs and people from a finance background on the panel, on the round-table—contributors. There is a bias towards a range of people who share our values in a very broad sense, just because we want to make sure that we can apply our values in a new context. That is our choice as a Government, to wish to continue applying the values that we were elected to deliver and believe very powerfully in. But we've also brought voices into that mix that may not share entirely those values, and so that's important. We have somebody there who has, in the past, worked for a Conservative Government. So, there is a more complex picture than I think his observations would have led us to believe.

In the second set of questions around lockdown—well, I think I'll just repeat what the First Minister has said on this on a number of occasions. The document is part of the commitment by the Government to be as transparent as we can be in explaining to people in Wales the sorts of principles that are relevant to the decision to lift lockdown when the time comes, and the framework for making that decision. We take a different view about the values that are relevant to that set of choices. But I think, again, as the First Minister has said, publishing that document is an attempt to help shape that UK-wide norm. I think his question implies within it a sense of the Welsh Government doing something that is a deviation from the norm, if you like, where you take the Government in England's perspective as the foundational point. That's not how I see devolution. Governments across the UK are entitled to put forward a vision for how they think things can work, and, where we seek a four-nations basis, that's a contribution to that discussion of Governments in parity, and that, I think, is what the First Minister has done in publishing that document.

He's right to say that the behavioural impact of COVID has been mixed, hasn't it, and I share with him, I think, a view that is to say that it may well be the case, as we come out of COVID, that people don't wish to continue some of those behaviours, And, some of them, you'd understand why that might be, because they obviously involve difficult choices. The point I was simply making was, where some of those behaviours are capable of contributing to broader objectives that we'd want to see, then we as a Government should try and see if we can continue supporting people to make those choices where they can. 

His basic message is: lift the restrictions as soon as possible. I think the point that has been repeatedly made on behalf of the Government is that the time for lifting the restriction is when it's possible to say to people in Wales that it is safe to do so. And the First Minister, I'm sure, will approach the task of considering the question of lifting lockdown with that very much in mind.