Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Before I move on to dealing with the motion itself, I have to place on record my disappointment at the way this institution has been treated. This Senedd was elected to legislate in the best interest of the people of Wales, but because of the contempt shown by the Welsh Government, we are once again being called upon to rubber-stamp decisions that have already been made. We were elected to represent our constituents, who are losing their jobs and businesses as a result of the decisions made by Welsh Ministers, and yet, we did not get to vote on the restrictions before they came into effect. Instead, we get to vote on an anodyne motion. This is not democracy; this has become an elected dictatorship, and it's no wonder that the wider public and business sector are losing faith in this institution.

Moving on to my amendment—which I formally move—we do not support the Welsh Government's decisions, but previously, I placed on record that the First Minister has had my support regarding regulations, but now, regrettably, the First Minister has set us on a path that will greatly impact our hospitality sector, and will have very little impact on the pandemic here in Wales. And this course of action, which may or may not have a limited impact on the spread of COVID-19, will, without any shadow of doubt, decimate the hospitality sector in Wales. Many pubs closed their doors on Friday evening for the last time ever, and far too many staff ended their final shift facing Christmas without a job, and some businesses have told me that they are still waiting for the first lockdown financial support. And I fear Wales is witnessing the slow death of our economy in a futile effort to stem the pandemic. So, despite measures that have devastated large parts of our tourism and hospitality sectors, as well as non-food retailers, we have the worst infection rates in the UK. I don't subscribe to the 'let it run its course' philosophy, because this virus can and does destroy lives. Yet, at the same time, we can't shut everything down until we have sufficient supplies of the vaccine.

The long-term impact could now be much worse than the direct impact of COVID-19. How many life chances have been ruined as a result of these actions? How many people will be condemned to a life of poverty because our economy will take decades to recover? Infections aren't being spread in hospitality establishments, establishments that have spent millions of pounds to make their venues COVID-safe and secure the safety of the public. It's being spread in large indoor gatherings by people who think the rules aren't for them, large gatherings of 20 people and more, playing in supermarket car parks; no masks, no social distancing, and yet, later, going home to their families.

Many people are complaining about the mixed messages that they don't understand; people are confused by the rules and then decide to totally ignore the rules altogether. They say, 'If it's okay to meet up with four friends down the pub, why not at home?' We need more clarity and less confusion, because some people are inadvertently breaking the rules. We should be sending a clear message that until we have sufficient stocks of vaccine, people should avoid all contact with those not in their household. We need a test, trace and protect system that is conducting regular population-wide testing and isolating those who are infected. Why are we not dealing with people who deliberately break the rules, and using the hospitality sector as scapegoats along with the people who are law-abiding? And I urge Members to support my amendment. Diolch yn fawr. Thank you.