2. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:26 pm on 26 January 2021.

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Photo of Darren Millar Darren Millar Conservative 2:26, 26 January 2021

Apologies for that. Trefnydd, north Wales was hit very hard last week, as were other communities across the country, by storm Christoph. Included in those communities that were hit was Ruthin in my own constituency. Can I call for a statement from the Welsh Government on the impact of those storms and what support is now going to be made available to communities like Ruthin and others across Wales that have really been hit hard by this? These floods couldn't have come at a worse time, given the impact of the COVID pandemic. 

Can I also call for a statement from the Minister for Health and Social Services regarding the compensation available for third-year student nurse placements? I was contacted by a student nurse this week who tells me that student nurses in England are being paid for the placement hours that they complete under the new emergency standard measures that have now been introduced during the pandemic. But she and her colleagues in Wales have been told in a letter from the Chief Nursing Officer for Wales that students here will not be paid for their placements. This obviously seems to be quite unfair for those students here in Wales who feel that they are now disadvantaged compared to their peers. Can I ask for a statement on this particular issue in order that the student nurse workforce that we are going to be so reliant on during the pandemic and, indeed, in the future, is given proper compensation for the work that it's putting in? Thank you.