The Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (No. 4) (Wales) Regulations 2020

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:37 pm on 8 December 2020.

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Photo of Mark Drakeford Mark Drakeford Labour 1:37, 8 December 2020

Well, Llywydd, I announced on a Friday that these changes would be coming into place on the following Friday. When a Government is provided with advice from its chief medical officer and others that action needs to be taken, and that the speed at which that action is taken will have a direct impact on the effectiveness of those measures, and the impact on people's lives, I think it is incumbent on Government to act as soon as reasonably can be on that evidence. And the longer you wait, the more lives are lost. So, it's a terribly difficult balancing act between giving businesses the time they need—and I recognise the points the Member made are absolutely fair in that regard—and allowing those businesses to prepare against the certain knowledge that every day without the restrictions is a day less to have an impact on the coronavirus pandemic that we face. Now, we provided a full week of advance notice. On the following Monday, we provided all the detail of what would be required. I don't deny for a minute that that is a short period of time for businesses to be able to react, but we did give them what I thought was the longest we could, consistent with the advice we received that action was needed, it was needed as soon as possible and that every day we delayed meant the coronavirus was going to get worse and the impact on our health service and on people's lives would be worse as well.