Support for Businesses

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:15 pm on 23 March 2021.

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Photo of Angela Burns Angela Burns Conservative 2:15, 23 March 2021

Thank you for that, First Minister. As you are very aware, the tourism and hospitality sectors are incredibly important in my constituency of Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, and last week I held a virtual roundtable with representatives of the sector, from the most upmarket of hotels to pubs and clubs trying to survive this pandemic. I heard the gratitude that they offered for the UK Government's furlough scheme and the Welsh Government's many different schemes of financial support, and they are very grateful to both Governments for that. However, the other message I heard was a need for clarity on when and how businesses are to be brought out of hibernation, and they raised the challenge of staff. It's the recruitment and training of skilled staff such as chefs, such as the person who runs the front end of the restaurant, such as the sommeliers and all these other people. You can't just get them off the street; they need to be brought on and trained. The point they were making is that if they are given very little warning of when lockdowns will stop, then they don't know how long they have to go out there and get them. They also raised the concerns that actually the resource isn't there, because people have moved on; people are looking at other, alternative forms of employment where they might be able to have a more secure tenure going forward. So, can I ask you, First Minister, as my last request of you as a Member of this Senedd, to really bear in mind these more fragile sectors where a lot of casual work is required, a lot of casual labour, but where you still need good standards and the time to train the people who can support those businesses, and to give them all of the warning you possibly can as to when they might be able to open up and carry on?