Inter-governmental Discussions

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services – in the Senedd at 2:04 pm on 2 December 2020.

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Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 2:04, 2 December 2020

We've sought to have more UK-wide responses than not, and it's not in our gift to convene COBRA meetings, I'm afraid. I know Mr Reckless regularly tries to claim that the real problem with not having a more four-nation approach is somehow that the Welsh Government is deliberately running away from an agreement that is there if only we would take it. It's actually about the engagement across all four countries. So, health Ministers have met regularly, but the leadership meetings between First Minister and the Prime Minister: that is the choice that the Prime Minister has made, not to convene those meetings. Michael Gove has chaired most of the COBRA meetings that we've had in the recent past. I think it's for the Prime Minister to explain why he's chosen not to take part in that process, which I think is unusual, given the impact of the pandemic that we are all living through, but we look forward to a grown-up and continuing four-nation conversation, as we believe that there are many strengths in the union if we are prepared to learn from each other.