3. What plans does the Welsh Government have to deal with a potential future increase in the number of positive COVID-19 cases in Caerphilly? OQ55803

Llywydd, I thank the Member for that question. The greatest contribution to dealing with potential future increases comes through doing everything we can in our own lives to prevent that from occurring. I thank the people of Caerphilly for all they have already done, and for everything I know they will want to do over the difficult weeks that lie ahead.

And I recognise as well, with the First Minister, that the people of Caerphilly have made enormous efforts over the past two months to get the rate under control, but he will be aware—as aware as anyone else—that Caerphilly has been under restrictions of some kind for longer than anyone else in Wales, since 8 September. With that in mind, we've learned some lessons in Caerphilly, and the borders that we have with county boroughs have caused problems for single households who, under the local restrictions, were only allowed to connect with people within the county boundaries. For many, that's a false border—people who wanted to connect further north in Rhymney, people who want to connect in Nantgarw—and it makes it very difficult. And there are a whole load of other associated issues with those county boundaries. So, should further restrictions be needed, would the First Minister please keep that in mind and perhaps think about how we can ensure that people who live alone particularly, but more people affected by restrictions, are able to connect beyond those county boundaries in local restrictions?

Llywydd, can I thank Hefin David for those important points? He will know that we made it clear yesterday that, in the post-firebreak period, where we will have a new, simpler set of national rules for Wales, people will not be confined to their own county borough areas where travel is concerned. And that is partly in recognition of the important points that Hefin David has made: both because of their impact on particular groups in society, but also because of the complexity that dealing with matters on an entirely county borough basis has inevitably engendered. So, people in Caerphilly will be able to travel beyond the county boundary when we get to 9 November, and that will be particularly helpful, I know, in those anomalous cases where people have the people they would most wish to be in contact with just a few miles across that border. I know how difficult it has been, both for people to follow the rules but sometimes to understand the rules, and I commend the Member very much for the efforts I know he has made—the enormous efforts he has made—in all sorts of ways to make sure that the people of Caerphilly have the very best advice and the most up-to-date information made available to them in the most accessible ways. 

First Minister—. Can you hear me?

Yes, carry on. 

Fine. I had some problems with my buttons then.

First Minister, so that people in Caerphilly and Wales can prepare, there appears to be some sort of confusion that I hope you can clarify for us this afternoon. One of your Ministers has spoken out saying that there'll be another firebreak in January and February—another firebreak lockdown. Could you confirm or clarify the Government's position on this, please?

Llywydd, provided we all do everything we can to make the most of this firebreak period, not to undermine it as so many Members of her party have spent the last 10 days trying to do, and provided we all do the right things in the period beyond the firebreak, then we have a path in Wales through to Christmas that will not require a further period of this sort to be imposed on people in Wales.

Beyond this calendar year, none of us is in a position to gaze into that crystal ball. Many things will change between now and then, including the course of the disease itself, but also other possibilities that will come our way in dealing with the disease. Later this week, my colleague Vaughan Gething will issue a statement on new developments in testing, led in many ways here in Wales. And if those possibilities are crystalised and those tests become available—tests that people can use for themselves, with rapid results being provided to them without having to go a centre or send them off for results—then that will give us a different set of actions that we might be able to take to combat the disease in the new year. Nobody sensible is in a position to say that any course of action should be ruled in or should be ruled out, but we have a pathway through the rest of the calendar year, provided every one of us does the things in our own lives that most protect ourselves and others, and that needs the support of every single elected Member in this Senedd.