Questions Without Notice from the Party Leaders

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:44 pm on 23 March 2021.

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Photo of Mark Drakeford Mark Drakeford Labour 1:44, 23 March 2021

I beg your pardon. Thank you for that. Llywydd, could I also just echo the first points that Mr Davies made? We'll have a chance later this afternoon, in a statement that I will give, to reflect on the extraordinary last 12 months and those who have lost loved ones. It's a very important day for us to do that.

I wanted, as well, to take the opportunity, as the leader of the opposition did, just to reflect on the cruelty of the last five years as far as Senedd Members are concerned. We've never experienced a term like it, when we've experienced the loss of Members of the Senedd from all parts of the Chamber—talented, committed people. Their loss has been very profoundly felt across the Chamber. In the last five years, we also lost my own great friend, mentor and predecessor in this post, Rhodri Morgan. Going in, as we are, to an election, I find it odd every day to think of us having an election here in a devolved Wales without the person who was probably personally the most significant figure in establishing devolution as we have it today. 

As far as the travel issue is concerned, Llywydd, international travel to and from Wales is bound by the same set of rules in Wales as it is across our border and, indeed, in Scotland. Some air travel is permitted in very narrow circumstances, where the four Governments have agreed together that it is necessary for work purposes, education purposes, or where people are returning home elsewhere in the world. At the moment, the 'stay local' arrangements remain necessary in Wales because of the state of the public health emergency. I remain optimistic that, given the current figures that we continue to see in Wales and with the improvements that we are seeing, by the end of the next week, we may be able to move from 'stay local' to people being able to travel more widely across Wales.