3. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:57 pm on 22 September 2020.

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Photo of Rebecca Evans Rebecca Evans Labour 2:57, 22 September 2020

Thank you to Lynne Neagle for raising both of those important issues, and I know that she has been a strong voice, really, in terms of ensuring that supermarkets play their important role in terms of helping to keep people safe. I can provide reassurance that, during the regular meetings that the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs has with the food industry and the supermarkets, she does continue to impress upon them how important it is. I think that there has been recently a much greater effort and a much greater focus on enforcement, and local authorities will issue improvement notices to individual stores and other premises not meeting the required standard. I know that Members of the Senedd are often asked by their constituents to alert the local authorities to stores where they have had those concerns, and the local authorities will undertake inspections and actions where those shortcomings have been identified. But I just want to provide that reassurance that this is a strong topic of conversation between the Welsh Government and the supermarkets.

The second issue again is very important, in terms of support for mothers both before and after giving birth, and I do know that the arrangements are kept constantly under review because we recognise the important role of having the partner there in terms of supporting the individuals. But if they are feeling anxious about anything, the first advice is to speak to the midwife, because the health boards will always take individual circumstances into account, particularly where there might be mental health needs or learning disability or other kinds of support the individual might need. But, as I say, we do keep this under constant review.