5. Will the First Minister make a statement on the impact of the review of the Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (No. 4) (Wales) Regulations 2020 on Conwy county? OQ56007

Llywydd, the impact of the revised regulations will be to allow continued travel between Conwy county and other parts of Wales. The regulations will help save the lives of Conwy citizens that would otherwise be lost, whilst safeguarding the local health services. The regulations will next be reviewed on 17 December.

Thank you, First Minister. Now, of course, I have had to raise concerns on this, because between 28 November and 4 December, Conwy had 62.3 cases per 100,000; obviously, compare that with Neath Port Talbot with 621.7—10 times more severe than Conwy county. Now, according to the latest COVID-19 biweekly local authority review report, published last week, the rate per 100,000 amongst those aged 60 or older in Conwy was 26.9. Now, if we had had a tiered system in place, as in England, Conwy would be in tier 1. So, how do you address and will you act on the hundreds of calls from both constituents and those in business for a Welsh tiered system? And can you explain how it is even considered balanced or proportionate for Conwy to be subjected to the same regs as Neath Port Talbot?

My final point is that lots of those in the hospitality industry are very concerned now about the restrictions between 17 December and over the Christmas period, as to whether they will be able to trade as normal and serve alcohol with their food. So, did I hear you correctly earlier that these restrictions will be lifted on the seventeenth, allowing the hospitality businesses, and pubs and restaurants and things, to be able to go back to business as normal? Thank you.

Llywydd, the Member certainly did not hear me say that the restrictions will be lifted on 17 December. I said that they would be reviewed on 17 December and that review will have to take into account that the figure in Conwy today is 73.4 people for every 100,000, and that will absolutely certainly not put Conwy in tier 1 in anybody's system. And that figure, not only is it 73.4, Llywydd, but it is rising every day. Over 120 people have lost their lives in the Member's constituency as a result of coronavirus. The positivity rate in her local authority area is over 5 per cent today. This Government will be focused on the public health emergency and why the actions we are taking will save lives in Conwy and every other part of Wales. I won't be focused, as the Member is, on other—and in that context more peripheral—issues.

The Conservative Party needs—. The leader of the opposition seemed to imply that this is already where the Conservative Party was, but in fact, today, all the questions I've received from his backbenchers have not been about coronavirus at all, they've been about the hospitality industry as though that were the more important of the two issues. And it happened again in the supplementary question from Janet Finch-Saunders. The position in her constituency—in her constituency—is getting worse by the day. That's what she needs to recognise and it would be very good indeed to have her support, on behalf of her constituents, for the measures that are necessary to protect their lives.