Vaccine Misinformation

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:23 pm on 24 November 2020.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Helen Mary Jones Helen Mary Jones Plaid Cymru 2:23, 24 November 2020

I'm grateful to Joyce for tabling this very important question. First Minister, it's not only online that misinformation about COVID is being shared. It was drawn to my attention last week, a particularly pernicious leaflet being put through people's doors. It was in Pembrokeshire, but I was also made aware that it was happening in Caerphilly. It had an official look about it—you could have mistaken it for an official Government communication. Misinformation, I think, First Minister, online is bad enough, but at least people have got some sort of choice about what Facebook groups they join and what Twitter feeds they follow. This leaflet was coming through everybody's doors without them having any right to reject it. I think that we all in this Chamber support freedom of speech, but freedom of speech needs to be exercised responsibly. Is there anything further the Welsh Government can do, working with the police service in the areas that have been affected by this leaflet and with local authorities, to try and counteract this message? And is there any legal redress against people who are deliberately sharing information that could be very frightening to people and very, very damaging, as we've already touched on around areas like persuading people to take up the vaccination?