Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

Part of 4. Questions to the Counsel General and Minister for European Transition (in respect of his European Transition Minister responsibilities) – in the Senedd at 12:34 pm on 15 July 2020.

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Photo of Jeremy Miles Jeremy Miles Labour 12:34, 15 July 2020

Well, I understand the narrative that the Conservative benches, clearly, are trying to develop today around this topic, but I would just reiterate the point that the First Minister made in his observations earlier, which is to say that the approach of the UK Government is not one that sets the health of the nation at odds with the health of the economy. The entire strategy of the Welsh Government in relation to this, advised by our medical advisers and scientific advisers, is to take that cautious approach, and I think that that is borne out by the consequences in terms of the suppression of the virus in Wales.

I think, if one speaks to most businesses, certainly, there's a recognition that that cautious, evidence-based, transparent approach has got us to the place we are today because of the readiness of people in Wales to respond to that in the way that they have, and I think that everyone understands that the damage of a second lockdown of the sort that we've been through would be very significant on the economy of Wales. And I think, therefore, the approach of seeking to avoid that, if we possibly can, seems to me to have a fairly wide base of support.