Questions Without Notice from the Party Leaders

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:01 pm on 22 September 2020.

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Photo of Suzy Davies Suzy Davies Conservative 2:01, 22 September 2020

Well, First Minister, that didn't sound to me like an explanation of what that 11-day gap was all about, and there's no point saying that is all down to Public Health Wales, when we've had data issues three times in a row now. Once, obviously, that would be misfortune. Twice would be carelessness. But a third time suggests to me we've got a Welsh Government here that's not that keen on taking responsibility for something that has really shocked a lot of people here. We are relying on track and trace to be the answer to keeping this pandemic under control and to avoid the kind of national lockdowns that Adam Price was, hopefully, trying to avoid as well when he spoke earlier on.

On the issue of trust, though, there is something pretty serious, I think, we need to discuss here today, as you've invited me to do that. And yesterday, in an interview on ITV Wales's Sharp End, the health Minister said that he would not rule out making it compulsory for people to have a COVID-19 vaccine, if and when one becomes available. Now, that's compulsory vaccines, First Minister. Did you know that he was going to say this, or was that another piece of information that the health Minister's kept from you? And what is there in such a statement? It's a completely Orwellian statement, a real attack on personal freedoms, which makes you think that anyone should dare trust a future Labour Government.