2. Statement by the First Minister: Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 11:50 am on 10 June 2020.

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Photo of Mark Drakeford Mark Drakeford Labour 11:50, 10 June 2020

Llywydd, can I thank Huw Irranca-Davies for that question, drawing attention to the very important 'Owning the Future' report, which I've enjoyed reading? And it has that outstanding merit of the co-operative movement, which is that it has a whole series of practical proposals at the end—it is not just a report that analyses the problem; it's a report that then gives you seven, as it happens in this case, intensely practical ways in which you can help to shape the future, as the report suggests. And I'm not in the least surprised at that finding in the report, because people in Wales have done so much co-operatively together over the past three months that it's no wonder that they want a greater collective and co-operative approach to shaping that future. And the things we've done as a Government over the years have always seemed to me to be with the grain of the way that people in Wales think about these matters. So, I'm absolutely happy to recommit to continuing to do that over the rest of this Assembly term, as we begin to move out of, and hopefully beyond, the pandemic. I'm looking forward very much to being part myself of the Wales Co-op Party annual conference, held virtually over the coming weekend, and an opportunity to discuss there practical ways in which we can work together to shape a future in which we all have a stake and the contributions of all Welsh citizens are properly valued and celebrated.