Who would have thought last summer that for Christmas 2020 the citizens of the UK would be getting Government permission to gather in family groups? And here in Wales, who would have thought that we'd be told what we could buy, where, and that we can't stay in a pub or restaurant after 6 p.m. and have an alcoholic drink with our early meal? These latest restrictions are the subject of this debate.

The dismay felt by business owners who have bent over backwards to be COVID secure, who have hung on by their fingernails and yet have been given, again, a massive smack in the teeth by this Government. The strength of feeling in north Wales is such that a group of businesses have banned the First Minister from their establishments, and I can’t blame them. Many more will too. While I note the emphasis in yesterday’s motion on the financial support available, people in the sector want the dignity of earning their own living and not going through the further stress of having to justify themselves, their incomes and their outgoings, and using a chaotic portal that may shut down in hours due to oversubscription.

And the public: the reaction is there to see on any Welsh Government post or tweet. Contrary to what some in this Chamber think, the Welsh public is not continually out on the lash, and does not need babysitting. Minister, you've created a climate of fear in Wales. The focus on the daily death toll is a matter of regret, yes, for every loved one lost, but also the emphasis on COVID deaths: people pass away in their thousands every single week and most do not die of COVID. In fact, most people who have COVID actually recover. Why don't you focus on those numbers instead?

I listened with dismay to the language used by the health Minister in the press conference yesterday, who essentially told us that we need to behave ourselves, or Granny won't be able to see in the new year because she will be dead. The Conservative motion talks about proportionality and targeted interventions; it is certainly not proportionate to shut the places that have the lowest occurrences of COVID. You are more likely to contract the virus in a supermarket or a hospital than in a pub or a restaurant, unless of course the Government can point out this evidence to the contrary.

In October—here's some evidence for you, Minister, if you want to take notice of some—the World Health Organization special envoy for COVID made a plea to Governments to stop using lockdowns as a means of seeking to control the virus. We had a firebreak; it clearly didn't work. So why is this Government doing, effectively, the same thing and expecting any kind of different outcome? It really is time to trust our citizens to do what's right for them, their loved ones, and their unique circumstances. It's time to protect the vulnerable, if they want that protection. And it's time to allow responsible businesses to open up and thrive once more. Thank you.