We now move to item 5, which is a statement by the Minister for International Relations and the Welsh Language on coronavirus, COVID-19, and I call on the Minister for International Relations and the Welsh Language, Eluned Morgan.

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. COVID-19 is continuing to have a substantial impact on my portfolio and department, and events overseas are having an impact on us here in Wales. Whilst in Wales we're seeing reductions in the rates of infection, it's worth noting that WHO officials have said that the global situation is worsening. There have now been nearly 7 million confirmed cases of coronavirus reported across the globe, along with 400,000 deaths. We have a long way to go, and, for a number of countries, it is possible that the worst is yet to come. Our commitment to developing nations has continued throughout this pandemic, as well as our commitment to fair trade, which has been given particular prominence this month as we are celebrating our twelfth anniversary as a Fairtrade Nation. 

I want to underline the shock and anger felt by Welsh Government and by so many across Wales and the globe at the killing of George Floyd by a police officer, and the subsequent draconian response by the President of the United States. US citizens are rightfully protesting against overt racism faced by black people, which seems to be entrenched in some institutions. It's clear that the Welsh Government may not have the devolved powers to directly challenge the actions of the Government of another country, but I think we do have the moral obligation to speak out. As our health Minister, Vaughan Gething, stated:

'We must challenge racism, inequality and injustice wherever we find it, including right here at home'.

Now, we know without question that institutionalised racism is not a problem reserved to the USA. We've got a long way to go in our own country to address this issue, but we've made clear our solidarity with all those protesting. But solidarity is not enough. We must be prepared to challenge other countries, particularly when those actions create a response here in Wales. In that vein, I've written to the Foreign Secretary of the United States setting out the position of the Welsh Government and requesting that the President of the United States is reminded of his obligations to respect human rights and to ask if he'll acknowledge, without condition, that black lives matter.

I've also asked our international relations team to monitor the worrying situation in Hong Kong and to underline our commitment in the Welsh Government to the principles of democracy, the rule of law and human rights. 

Now, we've used the invaluable information provided by our international offices on how other overseas Governments are easing the lockdown to help shape our planning and our response here in Wales.

The clock is ticking in relation to developing a new relationship with the EU, and, when the transition phase ends, our current trading relationship with many other countries in the world also comes to an end. We're aware of the recent media reports regarding US trade negotiations, and in particular the growing concern with regard to the lowering of UK food and animal welfare standards, and the potential import of chlorinated chicken is of great concern. The UK Government has provided assurances to us that they will not agree to lowering standards in any future trade deals, and that's something that they promised in their manifesto and that we will hold them to.

I'd like to turn now to tourism. There's been a great deal of interest in that this afternoon. From the First Minister down, we're all acutely aware of the scale of the challenge facing the tourism, hospitality and the events sector, and, since the crisis began, the Deputy Minister and I have been meeting regularly with industry leaders. We know that when the summer season is gone, it's gone. It's therefore critical that we continue to work with the industry and local communities to ensure a safe return to tourism as soon as the public health position allows. We know that the industry would like us to provide a date as to when the industry can resume, but we've said consistently that we'll be driven by the science, and not by dates, and will only ease restrictions when the medical advice says it's safe for us to do so.

We've promised that we'll give the industry three weeks' notice as a minimum in order to prepare for reopening and we're giving detailed consideration as to when we can signal it will be approaching the right time to reopen shared accommodation without facilities, which is set out in the amber zone of the First Minister's programme. We're conscious that the industry will be watching next week's 21-day statement very closely and will be looking for a signal from the First Minister in terms of the tourism sector.

We're acutely aware that as businesses approach August, they'll be required to contribute financially to the furlough scheme, and we understand the importance of these dates to businesses. So, we're preparing—and we're preparing in detail—and that's included developing detailed guidance and protocols to support the sector and protect the community and staff and visitors.

Our package of support to the industry is the most generous in the UK, particularly through our bespoke economic resilience fund, under which, as of 5 June, we've awarded over £10 million to tourism businesses, safeguarding over 4,500 employees. And as you've heard, phase 2 of the fund will pave the way for further tourism businesses to access these funds. We'll continue to press the UK Government on extending the furlough scheme or creating a bespoke package for the sector.

Unfortunately, the events industry is likely to be the last to recover, and we're looking to work even more closely with organisers across Wales to consider the way forward. The culture and arts sector is also under extreme pressure. These organisations are often the beating heart of our communities, and they'll be even more important in the future.

We've worked closely with all our key stakeholders to offer advice and guidance and we've prioritised our responses to those activities most critical in the short term, and on supporting organisations with cash-flow problems and general hardship. And we're also providing guidance on the safe return of sport and the reopening of facilities when the conditions are right.

The Llywydd took the Chair.

With regard to the Welsh language, I am delighted that learning Welsh has become so popular during this lockdown period. Less than two weeks after the start of lockdown in Wales, the National Centre for Learning Welsh launched new Welsh language classes, with 8,300 new people joining.

And may I extend my congratulations to the Urdd on the holding of the Eisteddfod T? Over 6,000 people competed, with many of these being new audiences for the eisteddfod. It was a pioneering event for S4C and the Urdd, it was broadcast live, and this was the largest digital live broadcast for children and young people in the UK during the COVID-19 period.

The Urdd's peace and goodwill message was broadcast on 18 May. The young people of Wales asked us to stop the clock in response to COVID-19, to think about how we want to live in the future. That message reached 37 million people around the world, in 57 languages, including all the languages represented by the British-Irish Council.

The challenges related to the virus will continue for some time to come, but I am confident that in time, we will come through this as a country. It's worth quoting Waldo Williams here:

Let Hope be our master: may Time be our servant.

Thank you.

Thank you to the Minister for the statement.

If I can begin by wholeheartedly associating myself and my party with the Minister's comments about the situation in the United States of America, and express how very pleased I am that she has felt able to write on behalf of Wales as a nation and express our concerns. The Minister's right, of course, when she says that no nation, sadly, is exempt from this kind of prejudice and discrimination. Further to Adam Price's question to the First Minister earlier, will she have further discussions with her ministerial colleagues to discuss the opportunity to open a specific museum highlighting the history and the contribution of people from black and ethnic minority communities to us here in Wales? I'm sure that she would agree with me that one of the best ways to counter prejudice and discrimination is particularly for our young people to understand the history better.

With regard to tourism, I fully understand what she says about not wanting to try to give dates; it is impossible, clearly, to do so. But she mentions in her statement that there will be further sectoral guidance for businesses as to how they can open safely. This will be very much welcomed, but I'm sure the Minister will understand that that guidance needs to be available as soon as possible, so that if, for example, businesses need to make physical adjustments, whether that's adjustments to a bar or to a boat, that they have time to put that in place, and also that they are able to retrain their staff if that's necessary.

I wonder if she can tell us today when she expects to have the outcome of the discussions that I'm very much welcoming that she has with the UK Government. Because, again, businesses may—. It will help businesses enormously if they know what kind of support may be available when the current packages come to an end, and what that looks like.

With regard to the cultural and arts sector, the Minister, of course, is quite right to say how important these institutions are, and I'd like to commend, for example, the Arts Council of Wales, in the way that they've responded to and worked with the sector. Does the Minister agree with me that it may be possible for us to open some of our key institutions—I'm thinking of the folk museum at St Fagans, for example—sooner than others? And that if we do so, we may want to put in place some kind of priority system, so that particularly young people get access to this very important history. And can the Minister tell us any more about the support that's been provided through the arts council for freelancers in the creative sector? My understanding is that that scheme's been very successful, but that it may be oversubscribed.

You'll need to come to an end now, and I'll come back to you in a couple of minutes after the Minister's responded to the first set of questions.

I do apologise. I'll end it there and I'll come back.

The Minister.

Thank you very much, Helen Mary, and thank you for your support on our stance and our response to the Black Lives Matter issue here in Wales, and for the message that we clearly want to convey to the United States.

Can I just say, in terms of the museum, I was very interested to hear the response of the First Minister earlier in relation to the idea of developing some kind of museum? We'll certainly explore that as a department and have a look what the opportunities are there. I do think it is essential for us to recognise the influence and the impact and the way that black people have contributed to Wales over the years, and that that should be recognised. It's quite incredible to me that there have been people, for example, attending Sir Thomas Picton School in Haverfordwest who have no idea about who he was or what he did, and I think that is clearly something that needs to be addressed. 

I also think, in relation to the sectoral guidance that you talked about, we're just putting the finishing touches to the sectoral guidance that will be available for hotels, for facilities, for sporting facilities, for tourism attractions. All of that work has been painstakingly done over a number of weeks in co-ordination and in consultation with representatives from the sector. So, that is all available, and will be available in the next week or so, and so of course that will then help people to put some measures in place.

When we're talking about the packages that may be available from the UK Government, obviously already I know that the finance Minister has written to the Treasury to ask for an extension to the furlough, and even to consider that particular sectors like the tourism sector will need some special attention. But, I think there is a recognition that this is beyond our ability to fund from here in Wales. 

On the issue of the folk museum, we already indicated in the last 21-day review that open-air museums would be able to open in the near future, so we've given them time to prepare. I know that St Fagans has already been doing a huge amount of work to get prepared and to be ready for that, and to make sure that those guidelines that they've developed are being very strictly adhered to, which I hope will give confidence to the public when that opens that it will be safe for them to enter the museum.

And then, just finally on the arts council package, you'll be aware that a £17 million fund was reprogrammed from within existing budgets. Some of that fund—. For the arts there was a £7 million arts resilience fund, and there were opportunities for, as you say, freelancers to be able to access that. I know that a lot of that money has already been earmarked, but there is definitely an opportunity for freelancers to ask for support from that funding.

Helen Mary Jones.

Thank you, Llywydd, and I'll be brief. I must admit to having forgotten that I'd got a second lot of questions. I do apologise.

Can I just ask the Minister—? I agree with everything that she said about the fact that they've adapted brilliantly. But, I'm told that we've had a big upswing in people wanting to learn Welsh online, which is obviously really encouraging. I know that she's had to reprofile her budget, but is the Minister confident that there is sufficient resource available for those coming forward wishing to learn Welsh at this difficult time to be able to do so?

With regard to the Black Lives Matter campaign, will she consider talking to the education Minister about how we might better reflect the history of black and ethnic minority people in Wales in our curriculum as we move forward? I very much take her point about young people studying in Thomas Picton school probably don't know who he is. Then, in that context also, whether she will consider in the medium term—this is not something immediate—looking at those historic monuments, those public buildings, and the people that they are named after, to see whether it's time for us to undertake a similar review to the one that is being done in London, to ensure that we are not memorialising people whose histories we would not wish to reflect.

Thank you. Just to say that, in terms of the support given to online learning of Welsh, I think that that has been hugely successful. Obviously, it's considerably cheaper than doing things face to face. So, all of that funding that was being done in terms of face-to-face contact is now being done online. What is interesting is, actually, more people turn up to the classes online than did in the physical classroom, so I think that there's a real opportunity for us to rethink the way that we deliver Welsh language teaching to adults in Wales. So, I'm very pleased with the way that things are moving. Obviously, some people have a bit of time on their hands at the moment to be able to develop their language skills, and we're thrilled to see that.

I know that the education Minister is intensely aware of the importance of telling Wales's histories, and it's very much an issue of talking about the plural histories of Wales. That has got to include black lives. I know that the First Minister is very keen and understands that it should be a matter for every school in Wales, and that is something that I know that the education Secretary is looking at in terms of the new curriculum and how that can be built in. Obviously, it would make sense for different schools around the country to respond to what happened to them locally. So, you do need to give flexibility, and I think that that's the whole purpose of the new curriculum—that people are able to respond to what's happening locally as well.

On the situation in relation to monuments in Wales, it is clear that we shouldn't be celebrating the deeds of people in the past where we have real concerns about, ethically, what that represents for us. I think that we've already seen in Cardiff city council that that debate has started, and I'm sure that we will see that debate now occur across Wales—in local authorities across Wales. I do hope that people will look at some of the other statues and monuments that exist in Wales that perhaps are of people we shouldn't be celebrating, and there's an opportunity, I hope, for us to focus on that.

But, I know that the equalities Minister is very keen to look at how we develop in this space. This is something that she was looking at way before the killing occurred in the United States. The race equality action plan is already being developed. So, I'm really confident of the fact that, actually, we are incredibly aware that there are still real disadvantages for black people within our communities, and that we do need to focus on that, particularly now during the coronavirus time.

Can I start, Minister, by affirming on behalf of the Welsh Conservative Party that black lives matter? I do hope that the brutal death of George Floyd is seen in future as an axial moment, when something happened not just in the United States but all over the world, and especially in our case in Wales and in the UK, when we did examine our own history and particularly our attitudes and our striving for greater equality, but how that falls short particularly in terms of racial equality. 

I'm reminded of work that Helen Mary and I helped do 20 years ago, when the then first equalities committee—it was thought to be very innovative then, incidentally, when we had devolution for the first time—looked at the Lawrence report and we did recommend that the curriculum examine the role of the Bristol channel in the slave trade, which, whilst it was based on Bristol, did involve the south Wales ports as well. It's sobering to think that, 20 years on, there's still a huge amount to do, although we have made progress as well. 

Can I just say that I do think it's for each generation to decide how their most prominent public spaces are used and how they're used to commemorate or celebrate particular personalities or wider collective causes? I think it should be done with reflection and deep consideration, because it needs to be a learning experience for everyone, for wider society. Therefore, I do not like the thought that these matters are settled on impulse, however strong and sincere that is, and not with a proper process. I hope the culture committee meeting tomorrow will start to look at this heritage aspect of who is celebrated and where and how we have an appropriate way of dealing with these sometimes very contentious issues. 

I just, in my first set of questions, want to ask one specific on tourism. I think there is a consensus now in the Chamber that self-catering accommodation can be opened up, and that now needs to proceed quickly. There is a question about many caravan and motorhome parks that have shared facilities but could close them and then allow caravans and motorhomes in, and they, having their own facilities, being able to use pitches would at least permit a level of business in those parks. I have raised this issue already in a written question, and I do hope that there's a fuller answer and a fuller policy so that we have the flexibility for those that can show they've closed the shared facilities that they have on site, so that they can open then just for the self-catering units that are there. But I do ask you to look at that specific question when the next lockdown review occurs in a week or so's time.

Thank you very much. First of all, thank you to the Conservative Party for confirming their support for Black Lives Matter, as I would expect. So, it's really good that we have very much a consensus in terms of our approach here in Wales. 

In relation to the curriculum, there are core aspects of the areas of learning and experience within the new curriculum that very much will underline the importance of looking at this as an issue within the curriculum. But, again, it will be up to those people locally to determine how they develop that and approach that. 

On the issue of tourism, I can assure you that we are doing a lot of extremely detailed work in terms of what may be able to open during the amber phase. We're looking at what constitutes shared accommodation or shared facilities, and we are certainly looking at the issue of caravan parks and whether they would be able to open if they were to close those shared facilities. So, that is certainly something that we are already undertaking. 

Can I just underline that, of course, we're all anxious to see things get back to normal in some of our key tourism areas in particular, but, just to underline that, whatever we do, we have to bring the community with us? I think there's still a lot of nervousness in some parts and we need to develop that confidence. I think these guidelines that we've been setting out, and that we have been developing, I hope, will give the assurance to those communities that it will be safe to open when that R rate is in a situation where we are confident that it will be safe to do so.

Minister, do you agree with me that a coherent and ambitious tourism strategy requires, also, a partnership approach with the rest of the UK? And whilst what we can do in Wales is very, very important, it needs to be connected to some wider issue as well—you've already mentioned the furlough scheme. One hopes the shared prosperity fund, when that's operating, will be able to invest heavily in tourism. It's such a crucial sector in Wales and in other parts of the UK, and it's going to require sustained support over the next 18 months in all probability. Because even when we get to what, I hope, will be a much fuller tourist season next spring, there will be a lot of rebuilding to do. So, I think it's important we do what we can in Wales in terms of business rate relief, for instance, but we do need to be part of a wider UK-partnership approach, as well, especially on some of those potential big funding sources.

And here, I do believe that our marketing strategy can feed into a UK one as well, but I think that we've probably not done as much as we could have in the past, probably since the days of the Welsh Development Agency. I don't think we've had a world-class marketing strategy for Wales. I think that that's what we should aim for again, because Government is in a wonderful position to deliver a marketing strategy, particularly for tourism, because there is just market failure there, with so many more small providers who can't join together to fund a marketing strategy, but Government can do it. But we need, also, to feed into UK infrastructure. Foreign embassies, for instance, and trade missions are a key thing to be reminded of, because if we're promoting Wales for tourism, we're promoting it for wider business too.

Thank you, David. Absolutely—I would say that we are very much connected to the UK tourism industry. I know that the Deputy Minister meets very regularly with his counterparts across the United Kingdom, and a lot of the guidance that is being developed, is being developed in concert with the rest of the UK, where possible. Because it doesn't make sense for us to perhaps have a separate protocol for how you use a buffet in Wales from how you would use a buffet in Scotland. So, all of those things are being discussed in detail.

We have been working with the representatives of—it's not just on a governmental side, but also on the industry side—. So, we have Welsh representatives on the VisitBritain board. The UK Tourism Industry Council are, of course, people who become involved in the weekly discussions that Dafydd Elis-Thomas, the Minister, has with the industry. So, I think that connection with the UK is actually extremely strong.

When you're talking about a marketing strategy, our marketing strategy, of course, at the moment is 'Visit Wales. Later', and, of course, at some point, we will be switching that when we feel it is safe to do so. But I do think that a huge amount of work has already been done in this space. We have about 1 million followers on Twitter in relation to Wales.com. I think a huge amount of work has been done already in terms of the branding of Wales. I think that's in a very good place now. So, it's how we promote those platforms to a wider audience and get the UK Government to be promoting on our behalf. Certainly, one of the things that we've been trying to emphasise within that new international strategy is giving the clear information to the UK Government in terms of what we want them to say on our behalf, and I think we're in a much better place with that now.

Thank you for your statement, Minister, and for the work you're continuing to do, and may we all pray for peace across the world.

My region's economy, like many parts of Wales, is heavily dependent on the tourism sector, a sector that has been decimated by the coronavirus pandemic. The majority of operators in my region are microbusinesses, and the loss of earnings has been catastrophic. Unless we move to allow the sector to operate soon, many of these businesses will not survive. Minister, the Welsh Government have made grants available until the end of June, and, on these grants of £10,000 or £25,000, will they be a one-off payment or will more support be offered if the sector is unable to operate in June, July and August?

While I accept that public safety must be of paramount importance and that the tourism sector will be unable to operate as it did before coronavirus, there are many ways to mitigate the disease and still have a tourist season, provided social distancing is maintained. Minister, what discussions have you had with the technical advisory cell about how tourism and leisure can operate safely during this pandemic?

Many holiday parks in my region consist of static caravans, which by law have to be 5m apart. These are self-contained, with their own kitchens and bathrooms. Minister, will you consider allowing these parks to open in the next couple of weeks? Measures can be taken to minimise risks, given that this sector makes 70 per cent of its revenue during June, July and August. Minister, do you agree that holiday parks should be allowed to open as soon as is possible?

And finally, Minister, with quarantine measures in place for all those travelling to the UK, it is unlikely that we will see many foreign tourists this year. But, on the other side of the coin, it is unlikely that UK residents will be enjoying foreign holidays either. So, what steps are you taking to ensure that, when it is safe to do so, my region, and the whole of Wales, reaps the benefits of the inevitable rise in staycations? Thank you.

Thank you. I, first of all, would say that those microbusinesses, I hope, will have an opportunity to bid in the next economic resilience fund, and it is being specifically targeted at those in the next phase of the economic resilience fund. So, I do hope you'll encourage those people who have contacted you to take a look at that, and they can already assess whether they will be eligible, even though that hasn't formally been opened yet.

Also, in terms of guidance, as I say, we are very aware of the need to put some guidance in place so that it's absolutely safe for places like caravan parks to open when it's safe to do so. We, of course, will work very closely with the TAC organisation just to have a look at whether the containment of the virus is in a place where it would be safe to open in the next few weeks. That guidance is being developed. We would encourage those people who work on caravan sites or self-catering accommodation to take a look at that, but I've got to underline that this is all conditional on it being safe to do so and that R rate coming down.

In terms of foreign holidays, you're absolutely right. The vast, vast majority—I think it's about 80 per cent or 90 per cent—of people who come to Wales are actually visitors from the United Kingdom. So, of course, we'd always welcome foreign tourists when it's safe to do so, but it's clear that those visitors are less likely to come this year. I think you're absolutely right to underline the chances of there being more people who would want to undertake staycations.

I think the other things we've got to consider then, of course, are opportunities and being creative in terms of extending the season for those tourism operators, and how we extend that season so that we don't get that huge congregation on beaches and places like we've seen in England, which, of course, would not be a good situation either. So, all of this has got to be done very, very carefully and with great caution.

Minister, thank you for your statement today. I have some questions relating to the Welsh language element of your portfolio. Firstly, with regard to Welsh language education, I'm just wondering what discussions you might have had with the Minister for Education around the reopening of more provision for pupils who attend Welsh-medium schools, and also, the efforts to tackle digital exclusion there. I think, obviously there are issues across the board, but particularly for pupils who come from English-speaking families, there is that extra barrier. So I'd be keen to know what work you've done to try to overcome that.

My second and final question is around the announcement from the Coleg Cymraeg that it's extending its incentive scholarship scheme worth £1,500 over three years to include every student starting university in September 2020 who chooses to study at least 40 credits through the medium of Welsh. This is a really great initiative. What work is being done both with schools, with colleges and with our higher education institutions to raise awareness of this programme?

Diolch yn fawr, Vikki. I have very regular meetings with the education Minister, and obviously have been very aware of the need to ensure that there are opportunities, in particular for those pupils who come from non-Welsh-speaking homes to be able to practice their Welsh, to be able to get their hands on resources that would be beneficial to them in terms of accessing materials that may be of use to them. The Hwb support is very, very extensive—what's available in terms of resources to help people is there. But of course that is not helpful, as you say, if there is a digital exclusion element, and that's why I know that the education Minister has put additional resources in specifically to target those children who perhaps previously were not able to access online resources. But I'm glad to see that that has happened.

Certainly, in terms of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, yes, I think that is a very constructive way of hopefully incentivising people to do more of their course through the medium of Welsh—not necessarily the entirety of their course, but we are certainly hoping that this is going to help, particularly in vocational training areas. Yes, there has been some publicity about this this week, so that awareness, I hope, has been raised, but there needs to be an effort now by the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol to target that at the students who would be most likely to benefit. Of course, all of this is much more difficult during lockdown—identifying people—but I think a lot of this work can be done online, and certainly most of the people who would benefit from that are people who spend half of their lives, I think, on their little mobile phones. So there is a very clear way to be able to get to them and spread that news.

Thank you, Llywydd. Today, I jointly signed a letter to the First Minister with the Anglesey Tourism Association and the council outlining our concerns about the tourism sector. There are many businesses on their knees now, and quite simply we're asking for greater clarity from the Government in terms of its plans for the sector over the next few weeks and months.

This is how I see it: you can either decide that you need to keep the restrictions tight and extend the financial support to the sector, or your scientific advice will suggest that it is possible to allow some tourism, and then we can start to discuss a timetable for reducing that financial support, although long-term support will be required because of how much of the season has been lost already. But what you can't do is retain restrictions and not provide support. Would the Minister agree with that, and will she realise now that the sector and businesses already feel that it's the eleventh hour for them? Does she feel that we must have greater clarity from the Government as to what the plan is? Because businesses and prospective tourists need that now.

Thank you very much, Rhun. We have made it clear that we will be giving those working in the sector three weeks' notice so that they do have an opportunity to prepare. Of course, we'll have to see whether the R rate will be in a position next week where we can provide them with more clarity on the possibilities for reopening in the future.

We are highly aware, of course, that the tapering of furlough is to commence in August, and if people can't access any kind of salary, wage or profit coming in, then it'll be impossible for them to pay their staff. We are aware of that date where a number of businesses will face collapse at that point. So we are highly aware of the situation and, of course, we will have to wait and see whether we're in a position next week to give greater clarity to the industry. 

Good afternoon, Llywydd. Good afternoon, Minister. I couldn't possibly talk about anything else apart from tourism, given the area that I represent. As we all know, the hospitality industry was probably the first one hit; it's been hit the hardest and will need to be hit the longest. My cry of—my plea to you is to adopt a one-size-does-not-fit-all strategy.

I've already heard some very welcome indications that you're going to look at some sectors, but I would like to see the Welsh Government use real imagination over this, because I've got so many different kinds of businesses—a business that has three yurts, which will, in total, have six visitors, and they will say to me, 'Okay, they all do share the same bathroom facilities. However, what is the difference between six people using that bathroom and a bunch of workers in the local Tesco all using that bathroom during the day?' So, it's about really being imaginative and really thinking it through, and not just adopting a standard cut-off point. I absolutely recognise that we must make sure that the R number does not spiral out of control, but if we're going to support these businesses going forward, we absolutely need to have that elasticity. 

You also mentioned—one last point—the community consent. Now, this is an area that's really agonised an awful lot of people who've contacted me, because there is nothing out there about it and, again, they feel that they're being put into the hands of other people who may not be as well informed, who may be very parochial about their particular area and that there may be lots of different agendas being run. How are you going to define 'community consent'? Will those businesses be involved, because businesses on my patch, from the very big ones to the very smallest, do not feel involved with anything. They do not feel they're being communicated with, and they do not want to be blindsided by people being able to just put a blanket block on them from some sort of community element that would be unfair. As long as it's fair, above board and transparent, people can live with it. At the moment, they don't see that. 

Thank you, Angela. First of all, on the community consent, I do think that one thing that we need to avoid is to open up and to find that the communities, locally, are hostile to the people who are coming in. That would be the worst place to be, and so, we do need to develop that community consent. We speak very regularly to local authorities about the feelings within their communities and, of course, they have representatives within their communities. I think the other thing to underline is that these businesses don't work apart from their communities; they are a part of the community, and it is really important for them also to make their presence felt, for them to make their voices heard, because they are the community as well, and many, many people who work in these businesses are of the community. So, I think we've got to be really careful not to say that it's us and them and that it's the industry versus the community; they belong to each other and they are symbiotic. They are dependent on each other as well. 

Just in terms of the accommodation, it is really difficult and it will be really difficult to police things unless it's straightforward. So, whilst I hear your pleas about being creative and imaginative, we've also got to work out how we can police the system and allow it to function, and so if we go away from shared facilities, it's very difficult to see where those lines would be drawn. So, whilst I hear you, I do think that we have to get something that is implementable and that we can police, in a way. 

I also want to talk about tourism but first of all, I want to mention Sir Thomas Picton School. Two of my children went to Thomas Picton school, and were never, ever told, nothing ever came home to say about the name, the person behind the name, and there was certainly no education that informed either pupils, parents or the community about the person whose name that school bore. It doesn't bear that name anymore, thankfully. 

But I want to move on to tourism, as I've said, and there's been a lot of talk here about when the R rate is right, tourism can open, and I fully support that. I fully support all the measures that the Government here and in Westminster have put in place to help those businesses stay alive. But the one thing that hasn't been mentioned here today is if you open up tourism and you allow people into a community, then, you can't not allow people to leave that community. So, once you open up tourism, you have, de facto then, removed the localism. There's no question about that; those two things will have to work together. 

And I suppose my question in terms of the R rate is that—and it's a fear, so it might as well be voiced—we don't know where people are coming from, we don't know what the R rate is in the areas that they are currently residing in. So, what sort of checks and balances are we doing to both ensure people—? Because I want the community to come with us here; I want people to feel that they're safe, and there has to be some mechanism that reassures people that that is the case. But, more critically, it will be the end of the local lockdown that people are adhering to—there's absolutely no question about that in my mind—and how are we going to communicate that to the wider public? 

Thank you, Joyce. I think we probably recognise that, if we were to open the tourism sector, then it would be very difficult not to move away from the localism situation. Of course, people who will be travelling there or would be going from there, it would be very difficult to ask people to travel to somewhere and then not to move. It would be very, very difficult to police. So, I think we recognise that, which is why we need to take this very, very carefully and understand that that's what it would mean. Of course, we need to be aware, therefore, that the headroom in relation to R, once we open that, it means that we'd be in a very different situation in terms of opening up our communities more widely. This is not easy and we've got to get the balance right, and what's clear to me is that we need to get the buy-in, as I say, of that local community. 

Minister, in Plenary a month ago in response to Siân Gwenllian, you confirmed that you were aware of concerns that a proposed clause within the curriculum and assessment Bill could have a detrimental impact on the gains that have been made in terms of Welsh-medium education, and that you would look carefully at the situation. However, it doesn't appear that there's been any change in the Government's plans, and yesterday, Ceredigion County Council  made a public statement urging, once again, the Government to secure changes to the Bill before it's published, for the benefit of developing Wales as a bilingual nation in line with all of our aspirations. 

Minister, how is placing English on the face of the Bill, and forcing those children who want to have a Welsh-medium education to opt out, consistent with the Welsh Government's vision of creating a million Welsh speakers? Quite to the contrary, isn't it entirely contrary to the wording and the spirit of the Welsh Government's policy, which states clearly that Welsh-medium education is the most effective way of securing full bilingualism? Will you therefore commit to do everything within your power within the Cabinet to insist that the education department supports, rather than undermines, your language strategy? 

Thank you very much. Just to say that I have had a number of discussions with the Minister for Education on this issue, and I'd like to make it clear, I think, that as we are a bilingual nation, I think it makes a great deal of sense that we place Welsh and English on the face of the Bill. That's what you would expect in a bilingual nation. What is important is that there are opportunities and that it's possible for us to ensure that people are immersed in the Welsh language, as has traditionally happened in Wales, particularly up until the age of seven. Now, that will be possible through the Bill, and I am confident that we will be in that situation. 

Can I just ask you about the Welsh Mountain Zoo? We heard earlier on in an exchange with your ministerial colleague Ken Skates that zoos have never been required to close here in Wales and that they are allowed to open, but, obviously, with a 5-mile travel restriction, that's not going to be viable any time soon, until that restriction is lifted. I heard what you said in response to Joyce Watson, about the reopening of the tourism industry, and I would urge you to consider, even as a halfway step, allowing people to travel within neighbouring counties, even, as a means to opening some of these open-air attractions, which could be opened in a safe way whilst maintaining social distancing for even local visitors.

Can I also ask about the funding and resources made available to that zoo? It is the national zoo of Wales. We have a national library, we have a national theatre, we have national museums, all of which receive significant annual support from the Welsh Government, but our national zoo doesn't. Is that something that you can consider, providing some support on a more frequent and annual basis in the future, particularly given the fact that this is a very cherished national asset that is very important to the tourism economy in north Wales?

Thank you very much, Darren, and thank you for championing the cause of the Welsh Mountain Zoo once again. Just to confirm that it is correct that zoos have not, in Wales, been required to close, but, as you said, it's probably not commercially viable for them to do so whilst localism and that local approach to fighting coronavirus is in place. So, obviously, we'll have to wait to see what happens in the near future in terms of the opportunities for people to travel further distances, and all of that will depend on where the R rate is. But just to confirm that the Welsh Mountain Zoo has had access to significant funding from the Welsh Government and that the Welsh Government has been far more generous in its support to zoos than they have been in England. I think it probably is worth underlining that. 

These are great resources for us. It's a great visitor attraction in north Wales, and certainly we have stood by them during this time, but obviously we understand the pressure that they're under and the incredible amount of money that it takes to feed animals. That cost does not go away, and one of the reasons why we have been so keen to support them, of course, is due to the animal welfare issues that we are very concerned about. 

Minister, I have been running an essay competition for children in the constituency during lockdown, entitled, 'My COVID superhero is...'. It has been inspirational and uplifting, but it has also been a really powerful way for me to hear the voices of children in my constituency. It has been very well supported by Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw, and I do support them for that, but I would like to associate myself with the remarks that Vikki Howells made about the difficulties being faced by families where a young person is in Welsh-medium education but the parents don't have a knowledge of Welsh. One of those young people has nominated her father as her superhero, because he has been helping her with her Welsh, and she tells me that it has been hard for him—her name is Nina—'because he has to translate my work to find out what to do to help me, and I have to help him to make sure it is correct as he translates it.' Now, all of us that are educating our children at home are facing massive challenges, but there are very real challenges if you haven't got an understanding of the language in which you're trying to help your child. Minister, what more can you do, in conjunction with the education Minister, to ensure that the support is there, so that all our young people can enjoy the educational opportunities we want them to have? Thank you.

Diolch yn fawr, Lynne. I think that's a wonderful initiative—to undertake a superheroes game or challenge during this time, and it's great to hear that. And it's absolutely right that there are people from non-Welsh-speaking homes who are really keen to make sure that they keep up their Welsh during this time. And certainly, when the education Minister made her statement on 'stay safe, stay learning', she made an absolute commitment then to ensuring that children from English-speaking homes who attended Welsh-speaking schools should have the same entitlement to support. And we've made sure that there are advice and links and support available, on Hwb in particular, but also we've asked those headteachers in those schools—those Welsh-language schools—to make sure that they publish guidance for headteachers and practitioners. And I know that that has happened because my own children have received some of that guidance. So, that guidance is in place already, pointing to resources. But I'd also encourage them to go beyond just the traditional academic routes, to get involved in activities such as the Urdd. A lot of their work is being done online now; you've heard that they had the Eisteddfod online, the Eisteddfod T, where thousands—7,000 children—took part. And there are other resources on S4C and other places. So, there are resources out there, but I would ask them to contact their headteachers, who have been given very clear advice on where they can get that support from.

Thank you, Minister, for the statement you have given earlier, and I'm very pleased regarding the George Floyd affairs in America—very sad. I would rather say that all life matters—there is no superiority by anyone, any human being, to another one because of the race relation or caste or ethnicity. I admire your feeling on that, and you have written to Americans—wonderful. I think the whole world will take this lesson and make sure everybody is equal and everybody has equal rights as a citizen in all parts of the world.

Minister, my question to you—one or two: what assurance can you provide to tourist operators in Wales that their businesses will reopen in the very near future, to allow them to benefit from what remains of the summer season of 2020? And the second one is: all these sporting events, whether it's cricket, rugby, football, or the Olympics next year, our sportsmen and women do need to get training, and training vigorously, to make sure they get to certain standards. So, what are you doing with the sporting side of our national heroes to make sure they do not lose out when the events come, and they do not lose out because of this COVID-19 lockdown in their houses? So, is there any plan for them, to make sure that they are continuously engaged with their professional activities in Wales? Thank you.

Thank you, Mohammad. And just to underline the point that we will reopen our tourism sector when it's safe to do so. We've made clear our traffic lights system, where what we'll be looking at first of all is the signal that accommodation without shared facilities will be the first to open. And we are just preparing the ground for that to be possible now. But we will not move until the communities are happy for us to do so, and also when the health situation is in the right place for us to do so.

On the sporting events, just to make clear that there are many outdoor sports that are able to be undertaken already. But certainly, professional sportspeople have been able to start back—people like footballers; they have been able because that is a job for them. But in the next review, we will be considering whether it will be possible for elite sports athletes to be able to undertake training. And so that is something that we are looking at, to see if it will be possible to review that in the next period.

Minister, one thing that we've seen through COVID-19 is many people becoming more physically active. I think we've all seen them walking and jogging and cycling around where we live. But some people are becoming less physically active, perhaps because the usual infrastructure that facilitates their exercise, such as gyms, is not available. This seems to mirror health inequalities—people who have better health and better circumstances tend to be exercising more and vice versa for those in more deprived circumstances. And I was just wondering, as we build back better, as we say, whether you'll be looking at the public health aspect of sport and exercise to make much closer links than we've seen up to now, recognising the physical and mental health importance of physical activity and sport.

Diolch yn fawr, John. Certainly, we are very aware that a lot of people seem to be spending a lot more time outdoors, particularly in the lovely weather that we've had. But you're absolutely right to underline the fact that what we've got to do is to encourage those people, in particular from deprived areas, that perhaps don't usually undertake sporting activities, to really start to take those up. And we, of course, have always been very keen to encourage that. And one of the things we've done, of course, is to repurpose the sports fund to make an £8 million fund available so that those sports facilities that would have gone under, had we not stepped in, will still be there at the other end of this crisis. So, I think, in terms of building back better, it's certainly important for us to make sure that those facilities are there in place so that that opportunity to build back better will be there, because without those sports facilities, it would be much more difficult for us to attain that.

I thank the Minister.