Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services – in the Senedd at 1:59 pm on 24 March 2021.

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Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 1:59, 24 March 2021

I think it's a rather foolish attempt to try to rewrite history on what's happened with the health service and funding and public services. I remember as a young man growing up with 18 years of the Conservatives in Government in the UK. I remember the creation of devolution, I remember the significant injection of public funds into health and other public services that came about with the return of a Labour Government in 1997. This institution benefited from a very different approach to public expenditure and investing in public services because there was a Labour Government across the United Kingdom, and there's no point in trying to claim that wasn't the case—it's factual, and that's why we saw a significant investment in public services, just as it's factual that we've seen a decade of austerity with a Conservative Prime Minister and Chancellor. Those are just the facts.

When it comes to pandemic planning, our planning was geared up towards something more like a flu pandemic, which was in the top handful of risks to the United Kingdom. We then found something that didn't behave quite as the flu has done, so we've all had to learn—not just here, but right across Europe—and I think the attempt to try to have a uniquely critical view on pandemic planning here in Wales is somewhat misplaced, but there are views for the public to make their choices on within that. We have seen a tremendous response across public services and from the public themselves, and the private sector, who have supported our national health service. I think that the people do broadly trust and appreciate the leadership that this Government has provided for Wales through the pandemic, and, when it comes to who you trust to complete the unfinished task of seeing us through this pandemic, I'm confident the people of Wales will recognise the role Welsh Labour has had in doing that, and renew their faith and their trust in us to lead our country forward and to have real ambition for how we can rebuild a better Wales. 

I've enjoyed our conversations across this particular forum. I don't know if you have a supplementary question later on, but we have not always agreed, and I look forward to the people of Wales making their own judgment on who should serve in this role and others after the election in early May.