10. & 11. The Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (No. 4) (Wales) Regulations 2020 and The Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel and Restrictions) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2020

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 7:20 pm on 17 November 2020.

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Photo of Mark Reckless Mark Reckless Conservative 7:20, 17 November 2020

Minister, you said that one single set of national regulations was easier for people to understand and increased compliance. How much more that would be true if it were a single national UK set of regulations, rather than one specifically for Wales intended to divide Wales from England. You exploit devolution, described by the Prime Minister as one of his predecessor’s worst mistakes, to state build. The most obvious example of that in these regulations, set four, is the imposition of a border, and enforcement of that, between Wales and England without reference to public health considerations or the level of prevalence of the virus. Constituents from Merthyr can go to Monmouth without any restrictions, despite the very high, still, I’m afraid, level of prevalence of the virus within Merthyr. However, people from Ross-on-Wye cannot go to Monmouth, despite the far lower level of prevalence there. Similarly, people from Monmouth cannot go to Hereford or Ross-on-Wye, because they’re in England and we’re in Wales and because these regulations use that to try to enforce difference, to try to state build and to try to separate more and more Wales from England by using—[Interruption.] Because I believe in the United Kingdom.

Having said that, may I say, for the international travel regulations, I would like to congratulate Ministers on this one, because there seems to be a huge improvement in how these have been set out? There used to be different announcements on the same day or the following day from three or four different administrations with very, very slightly different rules for different countries around the world, all inspected, judged and assessed independently and in a conflicting way, and then announced through the media, confusing everyone and reducing compliance. That has greatly improved with this new process of a 28-day review and all countries deciding together, such that the nations decide on a UK basis, which I think is a great improvement. Similarly, I trust you’re able to deliver a similar approach to Christmas regulations in the way that’s been suggested. Thank you.