8. & 9. The Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel and Restrictions) (Amendment) (No. 2) (Wales) Regulations 2021 and The Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (No. 5) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2021

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:51 pm on 26 January 2021.

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Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 4:51, 26 January 2021

Thank you. I'd like to thank the Chair of the legislation and justice committee for his report on the committee's scrutiny, and as ever, we will address, as he indicated, each of the areas, to ensure that the law is correctly stated. As I said, I think it's always a useful function, especially given that we're having to legislate at pace on a regular basis throughout the pandemic.

I'd like to welcome Angela Burns back to her role as the shadow Minister for health and social care. I'll deal with her questions on—. I'll start with international travel, because each week we review international travel arrangements on a four-nation basis. Ministers from each of the devolved national Governments, together with UK Ministers, officials and the chief medical officer, look at the evidence on where we are, and the changing picture of not just the position relative to other countries, but in particular on new variants, has led to significant change in international travel arrangements. I'd like to be able to provide her with more advanced notice of what is likely to come up, but I'm not in a position to do that because this is still an incredibly dynamic position. We meet every week. We almost always end up having to make decisions with the paperwork that's provided and the conversations that take place in a very short space of time. So, whilst I understand the request for information in advance, I just don't think, practically, I could do that, and I don't think any other Minister, whether in the UK Government, the Scottish, or Northern Irish administrations will be in a position to do so either. We're making choices. We're making them as quickly as possible. There are regular statements then provided, and we'll keep on coming back, as long as we're having to amend the regulations on such a frequent basis. 

As for the broader question she asked about the speculation over travel bans and quarantine hotels and the like, I'm afraid I can't be responsible for briefing from other Governments within the UK. I've seen press stories and I've heard commentary from other Ministers in other Governments that aren't matters that there's been a discussion with me about, and aren't matters where officials have been properly briefed either. I've made it clear that I want to have that done properly, as it should be, between our officials, and for the conversation that then takes place at ministerial level to be informed by a proper exchange of information between officials. On the one hand, because of the position that we are in and other parts of the world are in, international travel isn't significant at present anyway. However, it would only take a small amount of travel for variants of concern to enter the country. We've seen that, for example, with the relatively small number of people with the South African variant across the UK, but that in itself is a problem, and it does reiterate why we do need to keep on talking and working as far as possible on a four-nation basis, and why we need to have proper and constructive relationships with the Government of the Republic of Ireland as well.

On Rhun ap Iorwerth's broader points, in terms of remote education provision, I think that the Senedd has just had an opportunity to question and have some answers to questions with the education Minister, and broader questions about the provision of remote learning, because I'm afraid that we're unlikely to see the disruption of face-to-face learning coming to an end at the end of this review period. We've made that very clear in advance, but we of course will continue to look at what it's possible to do in terms of remote education provision, whilst looking for a period of time when there can be a return to some face-to-face learning, and there are ongoing talks we hope to conclude with the WLGA and teaching union leaders and other education unions in that regard.

On your broader point about the broader restrictions, which I don't think are subject to the votes today, but, of course, the First Minister will confirm those on Friday this week once the Cabinet has concluded those. We always look at opportunities to think about where we might safely make changes, but I have already indicated that no-one should expect any significant change, given the level of concern, both in terms of the amount of pressure that our NHS is under, with 140 per cent capacity in critical care today, but also, despite the very good news that every single local authority area in Wales saw a fall in coronavirus cases in the report today, we're still at about 216 cases per 100,000, which is still relatively high. So, we're moving in the right direction but need further progress for us all before we can make more significant choices about a much more significant unlocking in the future. With that, I ask Members to support the regulations that are before us today.