COVID-19: 2 Sisters Factory

Part of 5. Topical Questions – in the Senedd at 2:53 pm on 24 June 2020.

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Photo of Rhun ap Iorwerth Rhun ap Iorwerth Plaid Cymru 2:53, 24 June 2020

(Translated)

Thank you very much. I am grateful for those statements. There is clearly concern locally as a result of the events of last week. The Government have said that they are now looking into the safety of the food production sector, and that's a good thing. May I ask why this kind of assessment hadn't happened before now, and has the Health and Safety Executive been effective enough in the Minister's view? And will there be very different advice now on how these sites should operate? Because this plant can't reopen again without an assurance that staff are safe.

In terms of the broader community, can I ask how confident is the Minister that the early warning system, if you like, or the test and trace system, is going to be able to identify broad community transference at an early enough stage so that any decisions that may be needed in terms of tightening lockdown can be made in good time? There is good collaboration on a regional level in terms of the trace element, but some members of staff have waited many days for the result of their tests, which undermines confidence in the system. And finally, may I turn to the need to comply with the requirements of self-isolation? It was very important to have confirmation that the company was going to continue to pay the staff in full during this period, but what further steps will the Government take to ensure that messages are heard and that support is provided in order to ensure that that crucial compliance is high?