15. Statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services: Update on Local Coronavirus Restrictions

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:54 pm on 29 September 2020.

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Photo of Darren Millar Darren Millar Conservative 6:54, 29 September 2020

Thank you, Minister, for your statement. Many people in north Wales will obviously be quite concerned about the new restrictions that they will now face. Reference has already been made to the need for more localised data, and, of course, this information is published on a ward-by-ward basis in England, but, unfortunately, not so here in terms of the number of cases in immediate localities. And, of course, it's our job to make sure that we scrutinise the Welsh Government's actions, and one of the things that you have consistently said is something that you have to abide by is that the measures that you take have to be proportionate. Well, how do we know whether countywide lockdowns are proportionate if we can't see the data on which you're basing your decisions? I think it's incumbent upon you to publish that information, because I fail to understand and fail to see how, if infection rates are high in one part of a county, the whole of the county and all of those people who live there should face additional restrictions as a result. In Conwy and Denbighshire, there are urban coasts with very rural hinterlands, and we know that the evidence seems to suggest that where there is significant rural sparsity, the infection rates are lower.

The other thing that is very different in north Wales versus those parts of south Wales that currently face these additional restrictions is the fact that north Wales relies heavily on the visitor economy. Around one in seven jobs in my own constituency is reliant on the tourism industry, and they are not just businesses in the tourism industry that employ, but, of course, those other businesses that are non-directly tourism related that also rely on the visitors who come and spend money. The tourism businesses have only had two months' worth of visitors this year, and, generally speaking, it's the fat of the summer months that keeps many of these businesses alive in town centres like Colwyn Bay, Towyn, Kinmel Bay and Ruthin. So, can I ask what additional support you might be able to ensure is available to those businesses, given that they have been particularly hard hit? I heard the statement from the economy Minister earlier, but I don't think that that goes far enough for those businesses that are being hit very hard by the pandemic.

One final question, if I may—