3. What assessment has the Deputy Minister made of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on equality for women in the workplace? OQ55316

I've been working closely with those most affected by COVID-19 in Wales. The Women's Equality Network Wales, for example, has highlighted how women have been disproportionately affected as carers, as mothers and in the workplace. Equality is central to the First Minister's framework for recovery from the pandemic. 

Thank you, Minister. It's good to know that that work is ongoing. As the economy starts to open up, I'm being contacted by increasing numbers of women who are under pressure to return to work although they have responsibilities for caring for children. Of course, that is very challenging, as we are not likely to see children back in schools on a normal basis for quite some time.

What can the Government do to send a very clear message to employers in Wales that they need to be compassionate with working parents during this period in order to support them to maintain their employment? What more can the Government do in terms of looking at things like grandparent bubbles to ensure that working parents do have access to the childcare that they need to maintain their jobs?

Thank you, Lynne Neagle. These are key questions that I'm sure we're all being asked. It's important that also our social partners are engaged with this. I know that the Wales TUC is very much sending out the message up until schools reopen next week that employers should keep staff on furlough and not be expecting them to return to work until they reopen, and that will be on a gradual basis. So, of course, there is also a return to work for more people coming forward, and the gradual reopening of childcare facilities that were announced, from 22 June, and they're operating under new guidelines. 

I think it is important that all of our key workers have had free childcare over this period of time, in those hub schools, with vulnerable children as well. So, if people want to know about their local childcare facilities, of course you can find it from your local family information service. But I think also you raise a very important point about the sort of childcare that already goes on, with grandparents particularly. This is something that we are looking at in terms of the need, because clearly, at the moment, it's a question of you being unable to be in the house—you can meet with households, but not inside. It's been looked at as part of the 21-day review process, about mixing households and being drawn together to inform thinking, enabling that important childcare that so often takes place with grandparents engaged as a key consideration. So, it's certainly being considered, but the reopening of childcare facilities is important as well as the strong message to employers not to force a parent, particularly women, back to work without that childcare.