The following amendments have been selected: amendments 1 and 3 in the name of Rebecca Evans, amendments 2, 5, 6, 7 and 8 in the name of Siân Gwenllian, and amendment 4 in the name of Caroline Jones. If amendment 2 is agreed, amendment 3 will be deselected.

Item 9 on the agenda, then, is the Welsh Conservative debate on COVID-19 prevention measures. I call on Paul Davies to move the motion. Paul Davies.

Motion NDM7376 Darren Millar

To propose that the Senedd:

Calls upon the Welsh Government to:

a) extend the mandatory use of face coverings to include airports, shops, supermarkets, shopping centres, hospitals and other healthcare settings;

b) use local coronavirus restrictions in response to significant increases in Covid-19 infection rates in a proportionate manner to avoid a full Wales-wide lockdown;

c) require all travellers entering Wales from overseas to undertake a Covid-19 test on arrival at Cardiff Airport.

Motion moved.

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I move the motion tabled in the name of my colleague Darren Millar on behalf of the Welsh Conservatives. Now, the motion before us calls for three simple things: for the Welsh Government to reconsider the position on face coverings, to ensure that localised lockdowns are proportionate to the threat of the virus in those specific communities, and to require all travellers entering Wales from overseas to undertake a COVID-19 test on arrival at Cardiff Airport.

Now, the first of those issues has now been addressed, and, as of Monday, people in Wales in shops and other indoor public spaces have now had to wear a face covering. This policy change is very welcome, and I'm pleased to see the Welsh Government finally accepting the merits of face coverings and supporting the calls of opposition parties on this matter. Of course, Ministers could and should have acted sooner, particularly as evidence continued to grow regarding their potential benefits. For example, the Welsh Government's own technical advisory group updated its advice on face coverings on 11 August this year, noting that face coverings will reduce the dispersion of respiratory droplets and small aerosols that carry the virus into the air from an infected person, whilst providing some protection to the wearer. Indeed, both the SAGE Environmental and Modelling Group and the World Health Organization have also made it clear that face coverings have an important role as part of a package of prevention and control measures that can help limit the spread of the virus.

It, therefore, begs the question why didn't the Welsh Government act sooner? And I know that Members across this Chamber were calling on the Government to do so. The mandatory use of face coverings in shops and other indoor public spaces could have had a significant impact on communities had the policy been announced a few months ago. The Welsh Government continue to tell the people of Wales that's it's taking a cautious approach to tackling the virus, and so it really made no sense not to use all the tools at its disposal to limit the virus as much as possible. Whatever the reason is behind the Welsh Government's delay in bringing forward a mandatory face covering policy, the important thing now will be ensuring that the changes to the rules are properly enforced to help reduce transmission of the virus. According to recent polling by YouGov, people in Wales are less likely to wear face masks than people in England or Scotland, which really highlights the need for consistent advice from the Welsh Government in order to reduce community transmission.

Now, whilst the Welsh Government has made it clear that the use of face coverings in shops and other indoor public spaces is mandatory, that same leadership has not been shown in relation to schools. Instead, the Welsh Government's current guidance recommends face coverings for all members of the public over 11 years in indoor settings in which social distancing cannot be maintained, including schools and school transport. So, that begs the question, if the use of face coverings is mandatory for shops, why isn't it mandatory for schools? If the science has led the Welsh Government to introduce face coverings in shops, why not schools and colleges? Why does the Welsh Government feel the need to make the decision for shops and some indoor spaces, but in the case of schools and education providers, the responsibility was put on local authorities and individual providers? Therefore, I hope, in responding to today's debate, the Minister will be frank and upfront about why the Welsh Government has delayed in making the use of face coverings mandatory in some public areas. And I hope the Minister will also tell us why the Government chose to make the decision in relation to shops, but not schools and colleges. 

The second point of our motion calls on the Welsh Government to use local lockdown measures in response to significant increases in COVID-19 infection rates, and to ensure that those lockdowns are proportionate to the threat level posed in those communities in order to avoid a full Wales-wide lockdown. We know that in May, the Welsh Government made it abundantly clear that it wouldn't consider localised lockdowns, because, at the time, it argued that different rules could cause a great deal of confusion for people across the country. Indeed, the finance Minister actually went on to say that one of the strengths of the Welsh Government's message was that it was a very clear message applying equally across Wales. Clearly, the Welsh Government has changed its position on localised lockdowns and, as a result, Caerphilly has been locked down to help stem the spread of the virus in that community, and we hear today, of course, that that has also happened in Rhondda Cynon Taf.

Of course, Members will remember that local restrictions were not considered in Wrexham following a spike in cases in July, despite the area seeing the second largest increase in cases in the UK. Now, we have made it clear on this side of the Chamber that we support the introduction of local restrictions to help stem significant increases in local community transmission and to help reduce the risk of any outbreaks becoming a national issue. However, it is absolutely crucial that the Welsh Government monitors any localised lockdown to ensure that it's effective and proportionate to the threat that the virus poses in that area. Therefore, perhaps in responding to this debate, the Minister will provide some further information regarding localised lockdowns—what discussions he's having with local authorities about the transmission of the virus in their areas—and perhaps he will also tell us a bit more about how the Welsh Government is monitoring the effectiveness of local lockdowns as things progress.

Dirprwy Lywydd, that brings me to the final part of our debate, which calls on the Welsh Government to require all travellers entering Wales from overseas to undertake a COVID-19 test on arrival at Cardiff Airport. When Caerphilly was put into a localised lockdown, the health Minister made it very clear that the rise in cases was partly linked to people in the area returning from holiday, which has resulted in the virus recirculating within the local community. Therefore, at that point, surely it was critical that the Welsh Government ensured that passengers were tested once they arrived in Cardiff Airport.

Indeed, in the health Minister's statement today on Rhondda Cynon Taf going into lockdown tomorrow, he makes reference to the fact that this has been necessary because of increases in new cases that have been driven by people returning from summer holidays in continental Europe. As Members are aware, airport testing is taking place across the world, and so, airport testing here is entirely feasible. Indeed, across the border, Labour MPs have actually campaigned for airport testing to take place in England. And yet, the airport in Britain that the Labour Party actually have control over has yet to actually test a single person. The shadow Home Secretary, Nick Thomas-Symonds, is right to say that a robust testing regime in airports could minimise the need for those returning from countries with high coronavirus prevalence to quarantine for two weeks.

As Members are aware, I raised this issue with the First Minister yesterday afternoon, and he made it clear that practical issues have to be addressed, and that discussions are continuing with the management at Cardiff Airport. Therefore, perhaps the Minister can pass that information on to his party colleagues in Westminster, since they are so keen to push ahead with a testing regime in airports quickly. And, perhaps the Minister can tell us what exactly are the practical issues that need to be ironed out at Cardiff Airport, and when we are likely to see any progress on this issue.

Dirprwy Lywydd, if I can briefly turn to some of the amendments tabled to this motion. Of course, with regard to amendment 1, since the debate was tabled, the Welsh Government has changed its position on the use of face coverings, and I am pleased that the Government has finally listened to our calls on this issue. We will, of course, be supporting amendments 6, 7 and 8, which seek to strengthen the motion and call on the Welsh Government to provide a COVID-19 plan for the coming period, explore the use of smart lockdowns in response to localised clusters, and urgently address issues within the current testing regime.

Therefore, in closing, Dirprwy Lywydd, at the heart of this debate is a desire to forensically examine Wales's COVID-19 prevention and control measures, and to consider what more needs to be done to protect the people of Wales and limit the spread of the virus. I believe that Members are all pretty much on the same page here, and I know that we all share the aim of eradicating this awful virus from our communities and minimising its impact on our constituents. But, it's clear that more can and needs to be done.

Dirprwy Lywydd, I hope that the Welsh Government will consider the proposals in our motion today and bring about testing at Cardiff Airport as a matter of urgency. No stone should be left unturned in protecting our communities and minimising the impact of COVID-19 in our communities. Therefore, I urge Members to support our motion.    

Thank you. I have selected the eight amendments to the motion. If amendment 2 is agreed, amendment 3 will be deselected. So, can I ask the Minister for Health and Social Services to move formally amendments 1 and 3, tabled in the name of Rebecca Evans?

Amendment 1—Rebecca Evans

Delete sub-point (a).

Amendment 3—Rebecca Evans

Delete sub-point (c) and replace with 'test people returning to Wales from non-exempt countries with a higher incidence rate of COVID 19 than Wales, in accordance with current advice from the Technical Advisory Group'.

Amendments 1 and 3 moved.

Formally.

Thank you. I call on Rhun ap Iorwerth to move amendments 2, 5, 6, 7 and 8, tabled in the name of Siân Gwenllian—Rhun.

Amendment 2—Siân Gwenllian

Delete sub-point (c) and replace with:

'calls on the Welsh Government to review the effectiveness of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 in relation to international travel to date and to implement any lessons learned.'

Amendment 5—Siân Gwenllian

Add as new point at end of motion:

Calls on the Welsh Government to make face coverings mandatory in communal areas of specific education settings.

Amendment 6—Siân Gwenllian

Add as new point at end of motion:

Calls on the Welsh Government to introduce a new COVID-19 plan for Wales to provide an updated, holistic framework for dealing with the pandemic during the coming period.

Amendment 7—Siân Gwenllian

Add as new point at end of motion:

Calls on the Welsh Government to urgently address issues with the current testing regime and to work towards introducing mass daily testing.

Amendment 8—Siân Gwenllian

Add as new point at end of motion:

Calls on the Welsh Government to explore the use of ‘smart lockdowns’ in response to localised clusters, limiting restrictions to as local an area as possible.

Amendments 2, 5, 6, 7 and 8 moved.

Thank you very much, Deputy Llywydd. It's great to take part in this debate, and I move that list of amendments. I think it's good at the beginning of a term that we have an opportunity to draw attention to some of the things that I think are working, and some of the major elements of concern with regard to the pandemic and the steps that are being taken to keep people safe. 

At the beginning, I would like to thank all of those people who are working tirelessly in so many sectors to keep us safe. The very public thanks at the beginning of the pandemic was a clear characteristic of that time, and we need to sincerely thank those people again. 

So, turning to the motion, it is a sensible motion on the whole, I have to say. I don't agree with everything in it, but it is a sensible motion. I can't help but draw attention to the irony of who put forward the motion and some of the comments that we've heard from the Conservatives. It's fair to say that the Welsh Government has been at its best in this pandemic when it has not been tied to the activity and attitude of the Conservative Government in Westminster.

I hope that the Conservative Members in Senedd Cymru agree with me that mistakes or confusion in the messages from Boris Johnson and his Government have been very damaging in the battle to keep deaths down. From rushing back to normality when that wasn't possible to, of course, one prominent figure ignoring the restrictions. There's been an opinion poll that suggested that Dominic Cummings's behaviour had been a turning point in public attitudes. It was seen as a licence for people to do whatever they wanted to do, and I'm sure that has cost lives. 

Also, if I may say, we have a motion here, a sensible one, that is encouraging the Government to be sensible, but the materials that have been published by the Conservatives on social media, the tweets and the memes and so on, suggest a kind of bravado that is contrary to this sensible and responsible approach that's being encouraged.

I'll turn to the amendments. We reject amendment 1 because we believe that the international evidence has shown for a long time that face coverings can be a very important tool in the battle against the virus. They're not enough in and of themselves, of course, but we don't understand why the Welsh Government has been so slow in compelling the use of face coverings in shops and so on. But better late than never in that regard. We know that there is room to extend this further, but once again the Government has rejected this, and we are not entirely sure why. 

Turning to amendment 2, our first amendment—I think it's self-explanatory. Let us learn lessons about international travel and its impact on the spread of the virus, because it's obvious that there is a problem here, and that we do need to understand that better. 

Now, amendment 3, the Government's amendment—we won't be supporting that. I think that, in reality, there has been a practical problem, yes, in testing every traveller, but as technology develops, as capacity is increased, and in being aware of the problems with travellers returning from abroad, there is genuine value in the principle of testing every traveller.

Amendment 4—we agree with that. We have been calling for accommodation to be provided for those who are quarantining and self-isolating to safeguard families. It's important for those families and those extended families, of course. We've seen wide-ranging use of this kind of facility in places such as Italy and China. 

And the other four amendments are from Plaid Cymru. Amendment 5, as I've noted—we support the wearing of face coverings. We can't understand why we wouldn't do that.

Amendment 6 calls for a new COVID plan. We're constantly learning. We need a plan that reflects the change in our understanding of the disease and what activities and locations are dangerous. I haven't been convinced that the plan for the winter that was published yesterday reflects the latest science. 

Amendment 7—again, it's self-explanatory, and is something that Labour in Westminster hasn't had any problem in calling for. So, hopefully Labour will support it here in Wales as well. We need greater testing capacity. We've seen this over the past few weeks. We need greater capacity in Wales so that the Welsh Government has control over the ability to provide for the population here. 

Amendment 8—at a time when an entire council area, Rhondda Cynon Taf in this instance, has been placed under new restrictions, we do believe that looking at smart local lockdowns is something that genuinely needs to be considered. A general lockdown is certainly damaging, and by now I think we do have the ability to target these restrictions. So, there we are.

So, a few comments on where we are at the moment—

No. Can you wind up, please?

[Inaudible.]—is changing constantly, and I will close there. I do think it's important that the Government reflects the changes—[Inaudible.]

Thank you. Can I call on Caroline Jones to move amendment 4, tabled in her own name?

Amendment 4—Caroline Jones

Add as new point at end of motion:

Calls upon the Welsh Government to secure accommodation to enable travellers and those without the facilities to quarantine in isolation.

Amendment 4 moved.

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I formally move the amendment tabled in my name. I'd like to thank the Welsh Conservatives for bringing forward this very important debate, which I will be supporting, along with the Plaid Cymru amendments that I feel seek to strengthen the debate.

I've been calling for the wearing of face coverings to be mandatory on public transport particularly from the early days of the pandemic, following calls from my constituents who were key workers but not able to get on buses because public transport was running at only 25 per cent capacity, which was unsustainable. I did put this forward as a question to the First Minister, and I was pleased to see this suggestion adopted a day later.

We know for a fact that SARS-CoV-2 virus is spread by microdroplets making it effectively airborne. We also know that the disease can be spread by those not displaying any symptoms at all, and face masks can and do prevent the spread of COVID-19. We must heighten people's awareness and be consistent in our message and emphasise the importance of wearing a mask. Had the guidelines been adhered to, we may not be seeing local lockdowns as we are seeing now, and the only way we can ensure that people wear a mask is to mandate it.

There is evidence that the outbreaks we are seeing are caused by people returning from overseas and not self-isolating. And an entire county and beyond, as we've learnt today, of people have had their freedoms curtailed because of the actions of a few. Anyone travelling from overseas should have to quarantine in isolation for 14 days. It makes no sense that people can travel from COVID hotspots, told to isolate, but can, if they so wish, ignore the instructions, safe in the knowledge that nobody is checking. They are allowed to leave their homes to shop. It is also nonsensical that everyone in the household can carry on as normal—going to work, the supermarket or the pub. I believe that the Welsh Government needs to secure accommodation to enable travellers to quarantine in complete isolation, where food and medication is delivered to them and they are tested for COVID-19 at day 2 and day 9, regardless of whether they are displaying symptoms. And those returning to the UK who have the facilities to completely isolate from the remainder of their households can do so in their own homes, but would be subject to testing and regular random checks to ensure compliance. This is how it is done in countries that have successfully suppressed COVID—countries that haven't had any cases in over three months. And if we are to have any chance of suppressing a second wave, then we need to be tough.

Locking everyone down is unfair and is unnecessary. We need to isolate carriers and possible carriers and test them all, regardless of whether they are displaying symptoms. If we don't, this outbreak will continue to smoulder unchecked, flaring up when we least expect it. Lockdowns may well be necessary in future, but they need to be hyperlocal and strictly enforced. Caerphilly county is in lockdown, but its residents can still travel to work or go to the pub, so it is more of a partial lockdown.

If we are to get a handle on this, measures may need to be tougher, but they also don't need to be applied across the board. Our focus must be on identifying and isolating those infected with the virus, not locking everybody away—that's akin to chopping down the forest to prevent a fire. I urge Members to support my amendment and the motion. Diolch yn fawr.

Thank you. Suzy Davies.

Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. Obviously, things have moved on since this debate was tabled, but I think the original motion and the amendments are pointing now to something quite interesting as we look forward. I think it was yesterday that Mark Reckless mentioned COVID fatigue, and I think that does raise a couple of questions about how we proceed from here, and the first one from me is: do people find it easier to stick to rules when they're asked to do something rather than not to do something? And then, the second question for me is: do they experience more buy-in to a national message than to a local one? For me, these are questions of agency: how can I make a meaningful contribution to making all this better? And responsibility: why should I bother following these rules?

So, on the first of those questions, of doing something rather than not doing something, I think Paul Davies has explained this pretty well. We know that face coverings aren't force fields, but they are a visible statement of intent to the world around you. 'I'm wearing this thing, in my own way, to try not to infect you with a disease that I might not know that I have.' I did a quick experiment on this in Mumbles, in my region, just before summer recess, where shopkeepers weren't particularly keen on seeing people with masks, but when I explained that they were less about self-protection but more about protecting others nearby, they were more than happy to think twice about their original position. And I think in wearing a mask, if I were wearing one, it might make you think twice about standing too close to me, or too close to the person in the queue in front of you who's not wearing a mask. And I suppose while that might make some people a bit judgmental, I think this is why I just wanted to say that I agree with the sentiment behind Plaid's amendment 5. I just wish they'd been a bit more specific on where masks should be mandatory, because I'm not big on subjecting our school leaders to lots of formal regulation, but I am quite keen to avoid them being left open to complaints or even legal action about discrimination in any made-in-school policies on face coverings. As I said yesterday, sometimes you do need the force of law behind you to avoid it being invoked against you.

And although, more generally, and except for those who would need to be exempt, I think maybe there's something for being a little bit judgy—those mass demonstrations, the disregard of simple social distancing requirements in supermarkets, those big boozathons we've seen down in the Bay, the house parties. I mean, just on social media yesterday, I saw, and I'm quoting, 'I'm the only one in this carriage wearing a face mask and there's a group of young adults in the seat next to me, all bunched up, looking at each other's phones.'

So, my second question on that—I think it may well be easier to understand the national message, even a national law than a local one, but it's much easier to ignore it when there's no sense of public disapprobation for breach. It's less forgivable, I think, to break rules that obviously affect those around you when your personal behaviour has more traceable impact. A national message also ceases to have effect when its consequences are so utterly disproportionate as to kill credibility. The five-mile rule was a classic case of misdirection of both epidemiological and behavioural science. The number of contacts, not the number of miles, is what matters. And I think I might be entitled to be just a bit judgy on this, where the Government has been willing to shilly-shally on masks and willing to refuse to test asymptomatic staff in hospitals and care homes, let alone more widely, when university labs in Wales were offering to help, but was willing to effectively imprison people like my father for almost four months, regardless of the prevalence of COVID where he or his loved ones lived, and he was someone living well with dementia. He now needs the supervision of a care home because being unable to see his family for so long cut those last few strings tying him to his own identity and sense of place in the world. When I voted for the Coronavirus Act, I told you, health Minister, that you'd better have a very good reason to stop me seeing my elderly father, and a national approach meant that you didn't. And that's why any future management has to be localised, as both we and Plaid seem to suggest here. A holistic framework for next steps must have this at its heart, together with a better understanding of what makes people follow rules and what we now know about unintended consequences.

And just finally, Dirprwy Lywydd, on Cardiff Airport testing, the website doesn't even mention basic temperature testing, and I can tell you it's in place, with no invasion of privacy, at Manchester and Catania airports. The press had money on Cardiff probably leading the way on testing just a few weeks ago, but it just looks like it's turned out to be another case of 'catch up, Cymru', I'm afraid. Diolch.

Thank you. Rhianon Passmore.

Thank you, Deputy Llywydd. I wish to thank the Welsh Conservatives for bringing today's debate to the Senedd, and, if I may, I will take this opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks to the residents of Islwyn within Caerphilly County Borough Council for their compliance and the very real sacrifices being made. I also wish to thank and pay tribute to Councillor Philippa Marsden and her leadership team during this ongoing crisis.

Deputy Llywydd, answering the leader of Plaid Cymru yesterday, the First Minister expressed the Welsh Government's willingness to listen to any constructive comments on how we can best prevent the spread of the C-19 virus, and I would like to strongly welcome these comments. This pandemic is undoubtedly, notwithstanding impacts of a 'no deal' exit, the greatest threat we have collectively faced in generations, and constructive contributions around how we can respond best should be listened to.

However, it has been obvious since the start of this crisis that the Welsh Conservative policy is simply a carbon copy of their Conservative bosses' in Westminster, and, while the shambles caused by Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings is plain for most of us to see, the leader of the opposition has called for Wales to have 'a dose of Dom'. I'm not sure what our Tories opposite have been watching, but perhaps an eye test at Barnard Castle is in order.

I would like to strongly welcome these comments from the Welsh Government, and I, for one, am glad that this Welsh Labour Government does believe in devolution and has been unafraid to take a different path. Indeed, just a matter of days ago, despite all their resources, the Tory UK Government was calling for people to return to their offices and go back to normal. Indeed, the Prime Minister also promised us a world-beating test and trace system, but figures from earlier this month show that our system here in Wales is reaching more people and working significantly better than England's. Indeed, when Wales added Portugal and several Greek islands to the quarantine list, the Tories were quick to criticise this, and I've heard no outcry when the UK Government made a similar decision a few days later.

At every moment when policy here in Wales has diverged from England, this has drawn criticism from the Welsh Conservatives. After 21 years, now, of devolution, you would have thought they'd be used to that by now, but we know from the very recent comments of Alun Cairns that devolution and the attempted withdrawal of the Senedd jurisdiction as proposed in the internal markets Bill is their true belief, mindset and agenda.

We must continue with the agile, as-needed local interventions, and we must do everything possible to avoid a second national lockdown. And as we continue to learn more about this virus, we must continue to adapt flexibly in preventing its spread. Deputy Llywydd, it is right that the Welsh Government uses all its devolved functionality to meet the needs of its people, do what is best for Wales and not Whitehall, and what is best for the Welsh people, not Westminster. Welsh Government and the Welsh people should be praised, not persecuted, by Boris and Dominic for the very sensible, pragmatic, evidence-based approach that we as a proud devolved nation have chosen to take. Thank you.

Well, I was going to start this contribution by welcoming the consensus that was breaking out across the Chamber, but I'm not sure that's appropriate now. But, as Paul Davies said in his comments earlier—his opening comments—we're all like-minded here in wanting to see this pandemic dealt with as swiftly and as safely as possible, and the lockdowns eased as swiftly as is safely possible.

Many of the points I was going to make have been made, and I'm reminded of that old adage that the horse has already bolted, and, clearly, events have overtaken the first part, at least, of this motion. However, the sentiments behind the motion remain, and I'm pleased that there has, until hitherto—. A consensus has been developed in terms of the new requirement to wear face coverings in indoor public places and, indeed, to do all we can to take precautions to restrict the spread of COVID-19.

Our motion is split into three parts, each designed to deal with the problem before us and to provide positive action to deal with this pandemic. I don't think there's any doubt now that there will be a second spike in cases. It's already happening sporadically across Wales. We've already had a local lockdown in Caerphilly, and today we have the news of the lockdown in Rhondda Cynon Taf. The question is, and always has been: how great will that second spike be, and will the number of cases translate into hospital admissions and mortality? The jury is, clearly, still out on this. Anyway, whilst I think that there were some arguments in the very early days—the very early days—for not bringing in face coverings too soon—i.e., as has been mentioned, the need to weigh up the benefits of masks against the possible problems, such as people being lulled into a false sense of security—the pendulum has now clearly swung in favour of face coverings some time ago, and we on these benches are delighted that the Welsh Government have now taken this action. They aren't the whole answer, but they are part of it, and this is progress.

The fact is we are in a public health emergency, and this has ongoing implications for our economy and people's livelihoods. I've always recognised along the way that the Welsh Government doesn't just have a responsibility to release the lockdown as quickly as it can, but also to put people's health first, and it seems to me that, through this debate and actions being taken, that is being honoured.

The second part of our motion recognises that a national lockdown has massive implications for the economy and businesses, so, if we can avoid that and instead have local lockdowns, then that's clearly a good thing. Of course, in an ideal world, we wouldn't have to have any lockdowns at all, but we're not living there at the moment, and haven't been for some time. The Welsh Conservatives welcome efforts to reopen the economy, though in some cases there have been inconsistencies. The tourism sector could have been opened quicker with more support earlier on. In my area, there are numerous businesses alongside the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal and related businesses who are still fearing for their livelihoods because of the seasonal element of their businesses, but we are where we are.

The third part of our motion calls on the Welsh Government to introduce COVID testing for all travellers entering Wales from overseas. We think this is eminently sensible. The health Minister has himself said that the recent rise in cases in Caerphilly is partly linked to people returning from holiday, which has seen the virus recirculating in the community. We know that some of the passengers who'd been on board the flight from Zante had socialised with others. A recent study by Oxford and Edinburgh Universities showed that a substantial number of cases were being brought into the UK from Europe. This may well be something that the Welsh Government will want to look into further; we think that that would be a good idea. We need a robust testing mechanism to deal with all of this, so why doesn't the Government's coronavirus control plan include a strategy for airport testing? Many Members have already made the case for that today, and I reinforce the case for that. We need to get our testing capacity up.

This is, basically, a motion calling on the Welsh Government to provide confidence to the people of Wales, to protect lives and livelihoods by taking urgent steps to reduce the scale of any second peak, and to implement measures that will allow the economy to be opened up safely.

Thank you. Mandy Jones.

Diolch, Llywydd—Deputy Llywydd, sorry. I'd like to thank—well, I think I'd like to thank—the Conservative group for tabling this debate, and for the opportunity to speak. I will keep it short. I say 'I think' because, finally, any pretence at the Conservative Party being the party of personal responsibility and pro business has been stripped away. I've watched with dismay over the summer as they heralded their petition to call for compulsory masks, so, clearly, they support the mask shaming that is now a thing, the potential for the loss of inhibition as people think that they are invincible if they are wearing a mask, the increase in skin conditions due to mask wearing and the potential for respiratory issues due to breathing your own stale air. To them, and the Welsh Government, I ask: if our own chief medical officer thought that the evidence for mandatory mask wearing was weak and that hand hygiene was more important, when did the science or that evidence change? When was that exact moment, and where is the evidence?

Two other points: I saw an epic mask fail over the weekend when a very, very senior politician removed his mask to cough into his hand and then put it back on again. So, will the Welsh Government please commit to a public information drive to show people what they should be doing? Lastly, I'm informed that it came as a surprise to the hospitality industry on Monday that masks were not actually required. So, as a matter of basic courtesy, can the Welsh Government please make sure that businesses are aware of changed requirements in good time?

I take no issue with any other elements of the motion today, but I do express my concern that people on flights, as has been said before, into Cardiff Airport, have never been tested or checked in any way, especially since that airport is, obviously, owned by Welsh Government. Thank you. 

Obviously, things have moved on since this was tabled, but it's clear in the events of the last few days that Wales continues to face an unprecedented health crisis. And I, of course, welcome this debate coming about, because it is—it might be a bit behind now, but it is important that we have this opportunity to raise our questions and our concerns on what is a worldwide health crisis. 

Many aspects of our economy have opened up, and we need to ensure that we do everything we can so that businesses can continue to trade safely so as many workers as possible can provide for their families. It is vital that businesses and others adapt to the new normal to minimise risk to as safe a level as possible in order to eliminate risk—it's impossible to eliminate risk, sorry—otherwise we'll never leave our homes, never drive anywhere, but risks need to be managed effectively. 

The local lockdown in Caerphilly, in my electoral region, with another now being imposed in Rhondda Cynon Taf, clearly demonstrates that the threat still remains, and I'm sure the situation in Merthyr Tydfil and Newport is being monitored closely by Ministers' officials. In fact, the rate of positive cases in Caerphilly per 100,000 is now higher than it was in the first wave, back in the spring. Our local authorities across my region in south-east Wales that I know of have done such great work in adapting and reacting to this crisis, and they deserve our credit and thanks for all that they've done, but maybe now, Minister, we need to work closely with our local authorities—more closely with our local authorities—and police to make sure that they are able to enforce these Government rules in a better way and prevent further lockdowns.

We all accept that local lockdowns may be necessary to deal with spikes of COVID-19, but measures should be proportionate. Preservation of life has to be the No. 1 priority, but we can't neglect the impact that prolonged periods of lockdown has on people's mental health, children's well-being and people's livelihoods. I do, therefore, welcome the education Minister, in her statement yesterday, being so determined that our schools will keep open throughout these localised lockdowns.

My concern is that Welsh Government's approach has been confused by mixed messages and a lack of clarity. As our leader, Paul Davies, earlier pointed out, in May, the finance Minister stated that the Welsh Government was not considering local lockdowns, as differing rules could cause a great deal of confusion, and then went on to claim that one of the strengths of the Welsh Government message, as was said, was that a very clear message applies equally across Wales. Indeed, when Wrexham saw a spike in coronavirus cases in July—incidentally, the second-largest increase in the UK at that time—a local lockdown was not even considered. This, I believe, is indicative of the Welsh Government's inconsistency of approach in controlling the virus. 

The confusion over wearing face coverings has exemplified the Welsh Government's approach. I, of course, welcome now the change in policy. It's very important that we wear face coverings, and I approve that the Government now has extended the mandatory wearing of them. Face coverings have been mandatory in England for months and, given that the Ministers have access to the same expert scientific and medical advice as Ministers in other parts of the UK, I don't understand why a different decision was arrived at. Was this just another example of Welsh Government trying to be different from England for the sake of it? Surely this crisis demands that party politics be put to one side.

The Welsh Government has a duty to improve its communications of local restrictions. Following the lack of clarity and some confusion over the rules recently imposed in Caerphilly and now pending in RCT, local residents and businesses have sought clarity on the new rules. Exactly what constitutes a 'reasonable excuse' to leave and enter the county? It is confusing. Even Caerphilly council had to wait for more detailed guidance from the Welsh Labour-led Government, implying a need for better communication between central and local government. Concerns were raised that some people in Caerphilly were unable to access COVID-19 tests, with the queues at the pop-up centre described by the chairman of the British Medical Association as 'horrific'. In his statement earlier today—. I do commend the health Minister for the positive steps that he is taking, but please can he keep us updated on any progress that he is making in increasing the testing capacity in Wales, because it's so important, with cases still rising across my region and across Wales?

The fact that we're now seeing more localised lockdowns begs the question as to whether there was a failure to properly communicate and enforce the previous iteration of COVID measures and precautions. What lessons has the Welsh Government learnt, and how would you act differently in the future to prevent more localised lockdowns? Some businesses in my area have complained that some businesses are not bothered with track and trace. It is clear that local authorities and police forces need more support and guidance to better enforce current rules to prevent the need for more local restrictions. 

I welcome the steps the Minister is now taking after his statement today, but perhaps the Minister in his reply can explain what actions the Government will be taking to improve messaging, and the speeding up of guidance that follows and consequently public compliance. I very much welcome Andrew R.T. Davies's suggestion earlier today that we break down the information given out into wards. I think that's a really good idea and it will make sure that we get the right information to the right people more quickly.

Are you winding up, please?

Yes, I am. Lastly, could he tell us on our airport, our one and only airport in Wales, Minister, please can you after—? We've had case after case of people coming back from abroad bringing coronavirus. Can you please tell us what action you're actually taking? Thank you. [Interruption.] Commercial, sorry.

As communicated to Members, I will now call those Members who've requested to make an intervention of up to one minute. Jenny Rathbone. 

Thank you. I think it's perfectly clear from listening to the debate that nobody's actually grasped the nettle, which is the role of the airlines in spreading disease. Why is it that we have not expected airline travel to be subject to the same restrictions as bus and train travel, not only to wear masks when they're travelling but also to maintain 2m distance? Therefore, I'd like to ask the proposer of the motion what conversations, if any, he has had with the UK Government about imposing the same restrictions on the airlines as we expect of the trains and the buses, as it is a far more dangerous form of travel than travelling on a bus.

Thank you. And Andrew R.T. Davies for one minute.

Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer, and I just wanted to ask the Minister if he could reply in his summing up to this particular point, because the second point is about local lockdowns and this afternoon we've had the RCT lockdown announced, or restrictions, should I say, announced. Are there any implications for the University of South Wales because, obviously, in the next two weeks there will be a huge number of students entering the RCT area if, as under normal circumstances, the start of the academic year at university was to be allowed? I'd just like to understand clearly: are there any implications for students given that, as I understand it, the University of South Wales has 22,000 students and, obviously, the main campus is in the RCT area?

Thank you. Can I now call on the Minister for Health and Social Services, Vaughan Gething? 

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'd like to thank all Members who've taken part in the debate. Given the significant number of questions and the time I have to respond, I won't be able to deal with each and every single point. I'll start, though, with just addressing Andrew R.T. Davies's final point, and that is about travel in and out of areas. So, for the University of South Wales, people would be able to attend their university with the restrictions in place. They need to observe those restrictions once they're there. And as I say, some university students commute from a home address to go to university—they stay local—and others, of course, are used to moving away. So, it would be permissible for people to move into that area and to stay there for their study, but, as I say, the restrictions will change the way many of us will have to behave in both RCT and Caerphilly, and it's a warning about the potential for that to need to take place right across the country. 

This debate shows the fast-moving nature of the COVID threat and how a week really is a long time in politics at this particular point in time with a global public health emergency. Now, on face masks, previous Welsh Government advice, supported by the chief medical officer, was for members of the public to wear face coverings indoors wherever it was not possible to observe social distancing. Since Monday last week, it has been compulsory for people over 11 to wear a face covering in indoor public spaces, so that part of the motion has already been addressed. While face coverings make a small contribution, the use of a face covering is not a substitute for observing effective infection control measures, such as observing self-isolation, hand washing and social distancing. 

It's also worth reminding ourselves that significant reductions in coronavirus in Wales took place throughout this summer without mandatory face coverings, where we had high adherence to the basic challenges of social distancing and, indeed, following the rules on hand hygiene.

Safe mask wearing is an important factor. That includes the taking on and taking off of masks as well, and there is a real challenge, not just in what sort of covering to wear, but to remind ourselves that when you take off the face covering, if you have COVID, you're likely to shed it around you. When you put it on, there's also a potential for that to take place as well. This is difficult, but it's really important for all of us, and I think elected Members will need to set the sort of example we want the public to follow.

In schools, we've published clear advice from our technical advisory group, and that has allowed local authorities and schools to already make decisions about face coverings in areas of their schools where it is not possible for social distancing to be enforced. We know different school estates have different challenges.

Our approach to the use of local coronavirus restrictions to contain the spread of COVID-19 is set out in the 'Coronavirus Control Plan for Wales'. And I would gently say to Welsh Conservative Members that they risk making themselves look rather foolish in going back to comments made by the finance Minister at the end of May, when we were exiting lockdown, as opposed to the fact that more than three months later we've published a coronavirus control plan, setting out clear criteria for us to take local action, exactly as we have done already in two local authority areas.

In Wales, we have a well-established system for bringing together all relevant local agencies through our incident management teams and outbreak control teams. We also have a high-performing test, trace, protect service to support that process. That has enabled us to identify and understand clusters of cases quickly and to take targeted and specific action, for example, around a particular workplace or setting. So, that acts as a smart lockdown process, and I remind Members again that when we saw significant increases in Anglesey, in Wrexham, in Merthyr, significant testing in areas of Blaenau Gwent and around the country, that was because of the intelligence we had and our ability to rapidly deploy testing resources where they were needed to understand the coronavirus spread that was taking place, and not to then have to take more significant community-wide action. That is still the way that we want to act. But where we're seeing wider community transmission within areas, we've introduced measures to address areas specific.

None of us want to see a return to the lockdown position that we faced in March. We're all doing all we can to avoid more extreme actions across the whole of Wales, but we do need to understand the context. Other UK nations are seeing a rise again in coronavirus, and similarly other nations across Europe. The reality is it may not be possible to avoid national measures. That is why I say again, the Government and our health service will do our part; it is important the public all recognise that we each have a contribution to make.

On Friday last week, the technical advisory group provided advice on the testing of travellers and it was published. That recommends that we work across the UK between all four nations to enable access to testing for people travelling from countries with a higher prevalence of COVID-19. It of course recognises that most people travelling internationally from Wales will do so through routes other than Cardiff. As the First Minister said yesterday, and I've said previously before, there are practical questions to resolve about testing in Cardiff Airport. It's my clear preference to be able to do so. However, we need to make sure that we don't bunch passengers together and that we have clear expectations about how long people may need to stay within the airport setting; that we don't mix passenger groups from different flights—many of us are used to being in the same area to collect baggage as people from different flights—and that we have clear segregation of flights that we may want to test; and that there is space within the airport estate for testing itself.

In practice, we have already regularly tested people once they are at home from flights from Zante, with very high levels of compliance, and that has enabled us to understand the spread of coronavirus on those flights and in those locations. Even when foreign travel does bring cases into Wales, it is largely the behaviour of people whilst they've been on holiday that has put others at risk, including fellow passengers on aeroplanes. Testing at day 1 and day 8 is not an alternative to quarantine. We will continue to review and refine our approach to reflect the changes in the way the virus spreads in Wales; our understanding of which interventions work best; how we as individuals, families and communities respond; and any developments in scientific evidence. So, we must be prepared to shift our position if the evidence suggests there are different courses of action that we should take.

We're acutely aware of the challenges posed by delays in testing from lighthouse labs. We've been pressing the UK Government to resolve the issues as soon as possible. I've written to and spoken with the UK health Secretary on this directly, and it's also clear to me that challenges and questions about prioritising capacity for Wales should be made with us, not to us. Welsh laboratory capacity is already being used for rapid deployment to outbreaks and incidents and for NHS Wales. We're working urgently with Public Health Wales and our NHS on using and prioritising the use of Welsh lab capacity as we see pressure and demand rising both here and across the UK.

I recently announced added funding of £32 million to speed up turnaround times for Public Health Wales laboratories and to provide extra capacity. This will pay for extra staff and equipment and for Public Health Wales to run regional laboratories at the University Hospital of Wales, Singleton and Ysbyty Glan Clwyd. They will then operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and those operations are expected from October. It will also enable the creation of six hot labs at acute hospital sites across Wales with under-four-hour testing equipment. They will operate seven days a week from November.

In concluding, Deputy Presiding Officer, we will continue to take the advice of our scientists and play an active part in discussions with colleagues across the UK to implement solutions that provide the best opportunity to suppress the virus across Wales and to save as many lives as possible. All of us have a role and it's up to all of us to work together to keep Wales safe.

Thank you. Can I call on Andrew R.T. Davies to reply to the debate?

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and I thank everyone who's contributed to the debate this afternoon and in particular that last point that the Minister touched on. This is about saving lives, because ultimately, in the worst-case scenario, from this virus, you will lose your life, regrettably, and it is the most vulnerable in society who will suffer those consequences, those with underlying health concerns, and if we all play our part we can make a difference in suppressing this virus until we get into that territory where we either have a vaccine or we have wider based solutions that will allow us as a society to deal with it. I echo those comments that the Minister touched on in his closing remarks.

I'd also like to thank everyone who's contributed to what has been an informative debate, to say the least. Although a debate that, on paper, looks relatively simple and I'd hope would find agreement with virtually every section of the Chamber, it has elicited some eight amendments, I think it has. As the leader of the Conservatives in the Assembly here touched on when he opened his opening remarks, obviously time has moved on and it is welcoming to see that the Welsh Government has now moved on face coverings. I myself was a little cautious, to be honest with you, at the start of the pandemic when people were talking about face coverings, but it has become clearer to me and to many others that they do have a role to play in settings where obviously people find themselves vulnerable to infection and it is welcome to see that the Welsh Government have moved on that, as the leader of the opposition touched on in his remarks.

But he did press the case about schools and colleges and in particular the deployment of face coverings in those settings, and I don't think the Minister fully addressed that point in his remarks. I think this will be a point that will have to be revisited because as we now get universities back into the academic cycle, as well as obviously colleges and schools, they are going to be huge centres of congregations of people, and ultimately, if we're trying to suppress the spread of the virus, then obviously educational settings will become more of an important area of concern, shall we say, and I do think that the Welsh Government will end up having to readdress that.

Rhun ap Iorwerth obviously touched on welcoming the motion this afternoon and welcoming the opportunity to debate it and then launched into a tirade against the UK Government and the actions of the UK Government. I get the political knock-around, but let's face it, if it wasn't for the union of the United Kingdom, then frankly I would suggest to you that Wales would be in a far worse place when you look at the whole overall package that's been put in place to support the economy, support the health measures that are being taken, and basically all parts of the United Kingdom doing their bit in the fight against the coronavirus. Because, actually, if you look at the whole of the United Kingdom, indeed, if you look at Europe, virtually every country is in virtually the same place give or take a week or two, to be honest with you, with a second wave imminently either in the process of unfolding before us or ultimately, with many countries in southern Europe in particular, and I would suggest that it is the strength of the union that has made sure that Wales has been able to put many of the measures in place that have stood us in good stead in the first six months of the pandemic, and hopefully will carry on putting us to the right side of this virus and making sure that we come out the other side of it. But I appreciate that from the nationalist point of view you would want to make that argument of separation, and that is an argument and debate that I'm sure will gain traction and ultimately more debating points in this Chamber, but I certainly will fight the cause of the union because I do believe passionately that we're in a stronger, better place when all four parts of this country pull together in the face of such adversity. I can hear the First Minister talking about Europe—I'll gladly have a debate with him on Europe as well. I'll certainly have a debate with him on that.

But the one thing I think also came out loud and clear was the point that Suzy Davies referred to in her contribution, from Mark Reckless yesterday—I appreciate Mark wasn't contributing in the debate—about virus fatigue, or COVID fatigue she touched on. We can talk all we want in this Chamber, but the fact of the matter is there's a lot of people who really do need to be able to hang onto something and have some good news, and some news that there is some light at the end of the tunnel. Sadly, the last 10 days certainly have closed a lot of options down for people and I think we're all aware through our postbags and our e-mails that there are a lot of people in difficult places, and we do need to measure what we are saying about the restrictions, about what personal responsibilities people need to take, with some good and positive news that people can hang onto to take us through this winter, which will be a challenge for all of us. I think that was a very salient point to make in this debate, about COVID fatigue. It might only be that we're six months into it, and there are deaths at the end of this, as I said in my opening remarks, but we have to be realistic about what holds the human spirit together and carries the human spirit forward.

And then, obviously, we had Rhianon Passmore, which started off so well, thanking the Welsh Conservatives for putting the debate down, but it wouldn't be a debate without Rhianon then having a good old ding-dong about Conservative policies and Conservative measures, and touching on the testing regime at the moment, as the First Minister touched on yesterday. Three weeks ago, the testing regime was in full flight and, whilst there were glitches in the system, ultimately it was delivering for people who were going into that regime. Now regrettably, obviously, it is under pressure because we are testing more people than any other country in Europe, and then she went on to praise the Welsh Government. Well, you know, the Welsh Government, at the end of the day, ditched its own targets for testing capacity early on in the pandemic and ultimately signed up to the UK lighthouse lab service. But it also has its own capacity, and its capacity of the last recorded week, which was the information that came out today, was capacity of 106,000 tests, but only 58,000 of those tests were used, so 50,000 tests went unused. So, start facing the fact that all areas of the United Kingdom are facing pressure on testing. It does no-one to try and start an arms race of who's better than who in this. It's about rectifying the problem so we can ultimately get on top of it.

I am pointing out exactly the point that we're at at the moment and pointing out exactly where we're at of the moment, and, ultimately, when Rhianon Passmore says that the UK system is failing Wales, actually, standing and working with the UK system, we're delivering a safety net that ultimately will succeed in getting on top of the pandemic. And so I would suggest that a week where 18,000 people's personal data has been released into the public domain and the First Minister saying he didn't know anything about it till 2 o'clock isn't a good time to start having a knockabout politically about who's better than who in this whole debate.

So, I thank everybody who contributed. Certainly from these benches, we want to welcome the Welsh Government's agreement and success in adopting the policy about face coverings here in Wales, but it is about local lockdowns and managing local lockdowns—the second point—and I've pressed the Minister on this this afternoon, and I'll continue to press him about that data and the ability to identify on a ward-level basis, which happens in the other parts of the United Kingdom at the moment, the prevalence of the virus on a ward-by-ward, local-authority-by-local-authority basis across Wales. That will inform people of how severe it is in their local community, rather than think on a glorious sunny day here in Cardiff, 'We ain't got a problem; it's just RCT and Caerphilly.' It won't take long to jump those borders and it won't take long to come into a community near you unless you bear in mind the advice that's put on the table and you adhere to that advice.

So, I'd like to think this motion would pass unamended, but I've been here 13 years—I fully expect some of the amendments to pass, and there will be some changes. In particular, when it comes to Cardiff Airport I do think that the Minister could have been far more open-minded in his response to the request about testing at Cardiff Airport. Instead of playing catch-up Cymru, we could be leading the field. So, Minister, start the rethink when it comes to Cardiff Airport, and adopt this motion this afternoon and we can move forward on one agenda, and that's suppressing the virus in our communities here in Wales.

The proposal is to agree the motion without amendment. Does any Member object? [Objection.] Objection. Therefore, we defer voting under this item until voting time.

Voting deferred until voting time.

We're now going to have a short break to allow for change of personnel and for cleaning. So, if you don't need to leave the Chamber, please don't, and then we can move on much quicker. So, there's now a break. Thank you.

Plenary was suspended at 18:04.

The Senedd reconvened at 18:12, with the Llywydd in the Chair.