Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:48 pm on 2 February 2021.
I'd agree with your assessment, First Minister; there is some light at the end of the tunnel with some of the numbers that are moving in the right direction now, but we still have a very long, long way to go with this pandemic, and it is right that we adhere to the restrictions and we do all we can as we go into the spring.
What concerns me greatly is when Government Ministers make commitments during this pandemic, such as those the environment Minister has made throughout the pandemic—on seven occasions in the Plenary. Back to 7 May last year, when talking about nitrate vulnerable zones, she said she would not be bringing them forward while we're in the current pandemic period. On 16 September, she said:
'What I have committed to is not bringing them forward whilst we're in the middle of a COVID-19 pandemic.'
On seven occasions she said that she would not bring the NVZ regulations forward for adoption here in Wales, and last week she issued a statement where she contradicted herself and said she was implementing these NVZ regulations as of 1 April. Would you personally intervene, First Minister, remind the Minister of the commitments that she's made to farmers and the rural economy and to the people of Wales by her comments on the floor of the Plenary, and withhold introducing these regulations until the pandemic is clearly confirmed as being at an end and preparations can be in place to adopt these regulations, if they are approved by the Assembly?