Reopening the Welsh Parliament Estate

Part of 6. Questions to the Senedd Commission – in the Senedd at 3:16 pm on 1 July 2020.

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Photo of Andrew RT Davies Andrew RT Davies Conservative 3:16, 1 July 2020

Thank you, Presiding Officer, for that answer. I, too, would like to put on record my thanks to the Commission staff and everyone who has obviously helped us, as Members, over the course of the last 12 weeks or more. But, I do think that it's a matter of urgency now that the Assembly parliamentary estate is reopened—in safe conditions, I might add—and I was pleased to hear that modelling work has gone on to that effect.

Can you confirm when the Commission will move from its current planning, of only 10 per cent of staff or Members returning to the estate, to a more normal figure—like we have in the education system—of 30 per cent, as I believe that is the Public Health Wales figure that can be used as a benchmark for return to work? And, if it does prove impossible to adapt some of the parliamentary estate, is the Commission actively looking, a bit like the Dublin Parliament has, at locating other facilities where greater engagement of Members can be achieved in a physical presence?