Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I move the motion before us. The most recent review of the coronavirus restriction regulations was completed on 11 March. Since the new year, the public health situation has been steadily improving. Thanks to the efforts of everyone in Wales, we have been in a position to make cautious step-by-step changes to the current restrictions. Those changes are provided for by the amendment regulations before us today, which are referred to as the No. 5 regulations.

We have been clear that our top priority is to enable children to return to face-to-face learning as soon as possible. All primary school pupils and those in qualification years returned on 15 March; all pupils will return to face-to-face teaching and learning after the Easter break on Monday, 12 April. From 13 March, the stay-at-home restrictions were replaced with the new interim 'stay local' rule. This means people can leave their homes and travel within their local area. That's usually within five miles, although, as I've explained previously, there is flexibility, especially taking into account the realities for people who live in more rural parts of the country. Also from that date, four people from two households have been able to meet outdoors, including in gardens, but there must still be no indoor mixing, and social distancing measures should still be taken.

Outdoor facilities for sport can reopen, including golf courses. They can be used locally by up to four people from two households. Indoor care home visits have also been able to restart for single, designated visitors. And, from 15 March, hairdressers and barbers have been able to reopen for haircuts by appointment. If the public health position remains positive, all close-contact services will open from 12 April.

Yesterday, the first steps towards reopening non-essential retail began. Restrictions on the sale of non-essential items were lifted for shops that are already open. Garden centres have also been able to reopen, and, again, if the public health situation remains positive, all shops will be able to open from 12 April, as they are likely to be in England.

Other changes made include removing the need for Ministers to authorise individual elite sporting events. Theatres and concert halls can now be used for rehearsals, irrespective of whether they are linked to a broadcast, and, finally, the expiry date for these regulations was amended to 31 May this year.

This week, we'll take stock of the latest evidence before confirming further changes for the Easter holidays. If the public health situation continues to be at this improved level, we will lift 'stay local' restrictions on 27 March and begin the process of opening up part of our tourism sector, starting with self-contained accommodation. Outdoor children's activities will also restart in time for the Easter holidays, and libraries can reopen too. This package marks the first significant step towards unlocking the alert level 4 restrictions that we have all had to live with since the middle of December.

Members will be aware that last week we published an updated coronavirus control plan. This takes account of the progress in vaccinations and the highly infectious new variants, in particular the Kent variant. It refreshes both interventions at each level and the range of indicators that the Welsh Government will analyse. Our purpose and approach is to go on lifting restrictions, provided the virus remains effectively suppressed.

I was therefore disappointed to hear the leader of the Welsh Conservatives yesterday claim that there are politicians in Wales who want to keep lockdown in place because it serves their power ego. Unfortunately, he then doubled down by claiming that it is ridiculous for politicians on the left who want to continue these restrictions unnecessarily. I hope that the leader of the opposition will reflect and, I hope, retract those comments. A senior figure in public life angrily claiming that the restrictions we're living with are ideologically driven and unnecessary will be taken by some as licence not to follow the rules, and that has consequences, I'm afraid. The comments were and are untrue, and, more than that, they're outrageously irresponsible. It is, of course, a matter of fact that, as we speak, there are more restrictions in place in England, and that's nothing to do with restrictions being driven unnecessarily by politicians on the right or the left; it's because we are living through an unfinished public health crisis.

We're reflecting today on the anniversary of the first lockdown. The past year has been incredibility challenging for us all—the pressure on health and care services, the economic harm, long COVID, the mental health impact, the extraordinary interventions and, of course, the loss of life. I have made choices, Deputy Presiding Officer—difficult choices—to try to keep my country safe in this last year. I've been driven by the scientific evidence and the public health advice and the inescapable responsibility. The choices in keeping restrictions in place are not driven by ego; the restrictions are being lifted, in fact, as quickly and as safely as we can. And we will continue to be open and transparent with the people of Wales. We will continue to publish papers from our technical advisory group and the advice of our chief medical officer. We are now entering the next critical phase in this unfinished pandemic. We really can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but this is not over yet.