And the pubs and restaurants have spent thousands and thousands of pounds on trying to make their businesses COVID compliant, and now all that money has been wasted. And if they have to wait for months in order to get any kind of financial compensation, then that is going to maximise the number that will go out of business.

Pubs on the border, or within reasonable distance of the border between England and Wales, are clearly at a maximum disadvantage and what is the benefit in north-east Wales or all the way down the border areas—right the way down to Chepstow—of closing all establishments on one side of the border when they're still open on the other? It's plainly a nonsensical idea that we have to have one policy that applies equally all around the country despite the various and disparate differences between the way in which the disease is transmitted and indeed the places in which it's transmitted. 

Due to the little notice that has been given by the Welsh Government, it's impossible for businesses to plan ahead in order to try to mitigate the effects of the lockdown. It's been impossible for businesses to plan in the hospitality area because beer goes off and, therefore, if you can't sell it, then you have to pour it away, and we've seen that. The Glamorgan Brewing Company, based in Llantrisant, have reportedly poured 40,000 pints of beer down the drain last week, and there are many others in exactly the same position. The chairman of the Campaign for Real Ale has said there is simply no evidence that a draconian alcohol ban will stop the spread of COVID-19. What is clear is that our pub culture is being used as a convenient scapegoat for the spread of the pandemic. 

And, of course, Welsh Labour seem to have the perfect record in destroying local businesses in favour of large multinationals. The one person in the world who's made the most out of COVID is Mr Jeff Bezos, because Amazon has vastly increased its business as a result of the pandemic. The alcohol ban on local pubs and restaurants and bars will only benefit the supermarkets to the detriment of independent Welsh businesses. It's little wonder that our First Minister's been banned from over 100 pubs across Wales and, no doubt, there'll be many more to come. 

The First Minister has changed the goalposts for the pubs that have spent a lot of time and thousands of pounds on making their premises COVID secure. Welsh Government told pubs they could open if they made their premises COVID secure, but no sooner were they allowed to open than they were shut again for the two-week firebreak lockdown. And after this was lifted, Welsh Government closed pubs by stealth, imposing measures with no evidence, which made it unviable for many pubs to open. So, I will have no hesitation in voting against these measures once again today, because I do believe that there should be—