Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:09 pm on 20 October 2020.
Thank you, Trefnydd. Trefnydd, can I call for a statement on the evidence on which the Welsh Government took the decision to close places of worship during the firebreak lockdown that will soon be upon us? Many church leaders have been in touch with me to express concerns that they're going to be required to close for a further period from this Friday, and, of course, this follows a period where churches, chapels, mosques, temples were closed for a significant period earlier in the year, a period, which I hasten to add, was longer than in any other part of the UK. There's an ongoing ban, of course, on congregational singing, a ban on church and cathedral choirs, unlike other parts of the UK, and we recently, of course, will have seen reports in the media that people were being chastised for reciting the Lord's prayer at a funeral.
In the absence of any evidence that suggests that churches and chapels in Wales pose a significant threat of transmission of the coronavirus, closure does not seem to be a proportionate or necessary act. I'm sure that you would agree with me, Trefnydd, that spiritual health is just as important as people's physical and mental health and well-being, and houses of God should be a place of refuge in times of crisis and, therefore, there is a very good case to keep them open. Can we have a statement on this important issue as soon as possible, please?