Diolch, Llywydd. I should begin by thanking all Members for their contributions this afternoon and saying that I am proud of what the Welsh Government, working with social partners, with local government, with the Development Bank of Wales, has done to support businesses, to support communities and to support working people through these tremendously difficult times.

As Huw Irranca-Davies said, our £1.7 billion package of support for businesses and for jobs in Wales is the most comprehensive and generous package of support for businesses anywhere in the United Kingdom. Our economic resilience fund has so far helped more than 13,000 businesses, safeguarding more than 100,000 jobs—jobs that could have been lost if those businesses had been across the border in England, where such support does not exist.

We've also supported 2,000 start-ups in Wales—start-ups that would have gone to the wall potentially had they been located in England. And we've put in place a range of other measures, Llywydd, including repayment holidays to the Development Bank of Wales, protections against evictions for businesses, and support for creative professionals—all of this support unavailable across the border in England.

Now, Llywydd, the virus continues to pose a major threat. When it comes to restrictions on businesses, the evidence suggests that the later you act, the longer the restrictions then have to remain in place, and, consequently, the greater the damage to businesses, to the economy, to people's lives, with more deaths and more suffering. And I have to say today that comparing our actions as a democratically elected Government, responsible in saving lives, and comparing us to the behaviour of fascist dictatorships is about as ignorant as it is offensive. We will keep current measures under constant review and we will continue to work closely with our partners, as well as with public health experts, local authority leaders and the NHS to assess the latest position.

Let me just remind those Conservative Members in the north today that local authority leaders in the north agreed to those local restrictions. So, will they criticise those local authority leaders as they criticise Welsh Government? Will they criticise police leaders? Will they criticise health leaders who also agreed? I doubt it, but the invitation, Llywydd, is there for them to do so in their response.

Llywydd, we are continuing to prepare for next week's opening of the third phase of the Wales-only economic resilience fund. This includes £80 million for business development grants, as well as the £60 million local lockdown business fund. Let me stress, Llywydd, that, with regard to the business development grants, £20 million is being ring-fenced for tourism and hospitality businesses, with discretion for 100 per cent grant awards requiring no match funding. So, we are already doing what one of the points in the Conservatives' motion this afternoon calls for. Let's be absolutely clear again: this is grant funding that is unavailable to tourism and hospitality businesses across the border in England.

The local lockdown fund will open for applications in Caerphilly county borough by the end of this week. Unlike in England, businesses continuing to trade are able to receive support. I know that businesses in Wales have appreciated this extra support that is not available over the border in England, but it comes, of course, with responsibilities. This is taxpayers' money that is being used. This is working people's money that is being used to support businesses.

Every business receiving support from our economic resilience fund has signed up to the principles of the economic contract. That reflects our commitment to public investment with social purpose, even in the hardest of times; to promote fair work, which, I'm afraid, it seems that the Conservatives today so clearly oppose; as well as promoting better mental health, promoting skills, and promoting clean, green growth. We make no apology for this, or for our social partnership approach, which during the pandemic has been invaluable.

Llywydd, we've already had more than 18,000 inquiries for support from the third phase of the economic resilience fund, but I'd also like to highlight just how effective another of our institutions has been during this pandemic. Since the start of this crisis, the Development Bank of Wales has made 1,335 COVID-19 Wales business loans to firms in Wales. In comparison, all of the high-street banks in Wales—all of them; every single one of them combined—have administered, on behalf of the UK Government, 1,391 loans as at last week. It means that our Development Bank of Wales has been as important as all of the loan power offered by all of the high-street banks and the UK Government. So, I am incredibly proud of what the Development Bank of Wales has done through these last few months, by both the speed of their actions and their creativity.

But as I've repeatedly said, the UK Government must bring more support to the table in supporting businesses and jobs as we enter these difficult winter months. That's why I regret the decision of the UK Government to terminate the job retention scheme. Its replacement, the job support scheme, clearly offers insufficient incentive for employers in the most vulnerable sectors to retain employees through the crisis, including, crucially, businesses in the tourism and hospitality sector.

We also remain disappointed that the UK Government has not responded to our continued requests to provide the flexibility we need to respond and invest in Wales's recovery, specifically the switching of capital resources into revenue, thereby increasing the Wales reserve and our borrowing power to do as Helen Mary Jones outlined. And as for the shared prosperity fund, well, negligible progress has been made with that particular fund according to a leading Welsh Conservative Member of the UK Parliament, in spite of the obvious urgency to bring forward plans for replacement EU funding.

Llywydd, as I've said, this is a time like no other. Coronavirus and the increasing risk of the UK reaching the end of the European Union transition period without a deal have placed incredible pressure on everybody—businesses, individuals and families. We need UK Government and we need colleagues across the Chamber to support us, the Welsh Government, in providing the resources and the reassurance that our businesses and communities need at a time when they need it most.