The next item on our agenda is a statement by the First Minister on the review of the Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (No. 5) (Wales) Regulations 2020. I call on the First Minister to make that statement. Mark Drakeford.

Thank you very much, Llywydd. In the last but one meeting of the fifth Senedd, which was the last time Members came together to discuss these coronavirus regulations, we had just marked a year since the beginning of the pandemic. That was a day of deep reflection, remembering not only those who had lost their lives to this terrible virus, but the bravery and strength shown by so many people the length and breadth of Wales.

As the situation regarding public health improved, we took the first steps out of the travel restrictions, moving from 'stay home' to 'stay local'. Hairdressers and barber shops had been open for a little over a week, and we were at the first stage of reopening businesses selling non-essential goods. Outdoor sporting facilities were also open for the first time.

Today, Llywydd, as we start this sixth Senedd, the public health position in Wales has moved significantly forward, and we are now at alert level 2. The hard work of everyone across Wales, combined with our successful vaccination programme, means we continue to have the lowest coronavirus rates in the United Kingdom, at around 10 cases per 100,000 of the population, and a positivity rate that today stands at 1 per cent.

At the same time, the number of people in hospital with COVID is at its lowest level since the start of the pandemic more than 15 months ago, and there are three people only with COVID in a critical care bed in Wales. Our NHS is returning to more normal levels of activity for this time of year, treating more people with a wider range of illnesses, injuries and health conditions. Thankfully, far fewer deaths are being reported, although I know that everyone in this Chamber, and participating virtually, will continue to think of all of those who have lost a loved one here in Wales to this awful virus.

This weekend, we passed the 2 million first dose vaccine milestone in Wales—that's 2 million people in Wales who have now said 'yes' to vaccination. More than 80 per cent of all adults in Wales have now had a first dose of the vaccine, as a minimum. In figures published earlier today, 80 per cent of people in their 40s, 62 per cent of people in their 30s, and 43 per cent of people aged between 18 and 29 have now had a first vaccine here in Wales. In the coming weeks, we hope to pass the milestone of a million people completing the two-dose course of vaccination—and all of this has happened in just six months.

I know that every Member of the Senedd will want to thank those involved with the vaccination programme, from all those who work behind the scenes to plan and co-ordinate what is a complex roll-out, to the thousands of people—the NHS staff, the military personnel, and the many volunteers—for this incredible achievement. It is their efforts that are making a real difference to the course of this pandemic.

Over the coming weeks, we will be focusing our energies on providing first doses, to make sure we vaccinate as many people as possible. Younger age groups will be offered the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, in line with the latest advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. And, Llywydd, it is because we have such low levels of coronavirus and high levels of vaccination that we have been able to move to alert level 2 in one step—one step further towards normality.

The results of the review of the regulations we are considering today are that indoor hospitality is able to reopen for groups of six people from up to six households, holiday accommodation can reopen fully, indoor entertainment and visitor attractions can reopen, and up to 30 people can take part in organised activities indoors and up to 50 people in organised outdoor activities, including wedding receptions. International travel has also resumed. We will follow the same red, amber, green traffic lights system in use in England and Scotland, but with some extra safeguards to do all we can to prevent coronavirus from being re-imported into Wales from overseas. And, Llywydd, because something is allowed, it certainly doesn't mean it's compulsory and it doesn't even necessarily mean that it is advisable. I repeat the view of the Welsh Government that this is the year to holiday at home and to enjoy everything that Wales has to offer. 

As part of the three-week review, as of Monday of next week, we will also lift restrictions on the overall number of visitors able to visit people living in care homes. That will complete the decisions from this three-week review, and the next three-week review cycle will culminate at the start of June. Then, if the public health position remains positive, we will consider whether we can move to alert level 1. That would mean relaxing the rules further around people meeting in their own homes, increasing the number of people able to attend wedding receptions, and restarting larger events, building on the experience of our pilot programme, which is now under way.

Llywydd, while all of this is undoubtedly positive, I have to sound a note of caution. Once again, the pandemic has taken an unexpected and worrying turn. At the end of last week, there were more than 1,600 cases of the so-called India variant in the United Kingdom, and that number in England is doubling every five to seven days. The majority of those cases are to be found in north-west England, London and in the Bedford area. Here in Wales, we have some 25 cases linked to the India variant of concern. All of those are being investigated and all contacts of those individuals are, of course, being traced and tested.

The emerging evidence suggests that this new variant may be more transmissible than the current dominant form of the virus—the Kent variant—which was responsible for the surge in cases in Wales at the start of the winter last year. As of today, there is still not yet enough evidence about the impact of the India variant on the vaccination efficiency or whether it causes more serious illnesses. We all hope, of course, that the vaccine will be protective against this new variant and others that may arise, and the science continues to investigate the position, and we will receive advice from our scientific advisers as that evidence becomes clearer. 

In the meantime, it is really important that we continue to do everything we can to keep levels of the virus as low as possible in Wales as we continue to relax restrictions in a careful and cautious way. It is all those individual efforts that add up to the best and most effective way of responding to the emergence of new variants. Of course, we will continue to be guided by the latest scientific advice, as we have throughout the pandemic, and to put that advice into the public domain for Members to see. I ask Members to approve the changes set out in this review of the coronavirus restrictions regulations when they are brought forward for debate.

Thank you, First Minister, for that update, and I agree with the sentiments in your statement. Whilst we are moving into more sunny climes, it is worth reflecting that there are many families, regrettably, around Wales who have lost loved ones and those loved ones are dearly missed by many and their loss is felt every single day of the week and every month that passes, and also the bravery and the strength of everyone who's been involved in the national effort to face down the virus, and the journey we still have to undertake to obviously get on top of this virus, as you indicated in your statement, with new variants coming before us. Virtually on a monthly basis now, it does seem as if there are variants of concern. 

You touched on the Indian variant, and I think you did give us some numbers of the rates in Wales. I think you used the number 25 as being the number of concern in Wales. Are there any other variants that are starting to be fed into the Government's advice that potentially could provide significant problems as we go further into the summer months? Because, with a virus, we fully understand it will mutate and really we will have to start to come to live with the new variants that come before us as and when they present themselves. But the Indian variant seems to have gripped the country at the moment, over the weekend, with the coverage that it received, and I think it's important to consider how that has impacted on some of the thinking around these regulations that the Government is working on with its advisers to bring before the Assembly for approval.

I'd also like to highlight the failure of the Government to actually backdate its business support. Whilst the £66 million that has been made available is very welcome, First Minister, you will be aware, obviously, that during the election campaign there was a window when financial support was not available to businesses. And I know you've indicated that £200 million in total is available for businesses. Once it's finally allocated, will there be an opportunity for the Government to look at requests and claims for backdated support and compensation to businesses that fell in that window when business support dried up on 31 March, because I think that's a very important window to fund because those businesses were affected by the restrictions? And, of course, in Wales, business support hasn't had bounce-back start-up grants made available like in other parts of the United Kingdom. So, if you could give us some more information on the business support where these regulations have stopped businesses trading, it would be helpful. 

On testing in particular, in other parts of the United Kingdom it is far easier for testing and test kits to be made available at request or on demand virtually, whereas it's more prescriptive here in Wales. Are there any measures that the Welsh Government are looking to bring forward to make testing kits more available here in Wales, which will facilitate the easing of restrictions in a more timely manner, and that normality that you alluded to in your statement and which we all crave? You're on the record, First Minister, as stating that masks and social distancing most probably, in Wales, would be required until the end of this year. Is it still your assessment that that is still very much the case, as other parts of the United Kingdom are talking about taking measures, obviously, that would relax social distancing and masks, or will we be—[Interruption.] I hear comments. I think it's a perfectly sensible question to ask, in fairness, because obviously people will want to understand the rules that will relate to their lives here in Wales.

And also, on international travel, I've just had an e-mail from a constituent who appreciates that it's merely advice that is available at the moment, which doesn't help them on insurance claims to travel companies. And people do want to adhere to the advice that the Government is giving, but that's no recourse to compensation when they go to the travel companies. So, is the Government in a position to offer any more advice and support to those individuals who find themselves locked into travel commitments but still want to adhere to the advice that the Government is giving, but, financially, they would be severely out of pocket?

And finally, if I could ask, you highlighted the success of the vaccination programme, which I think is a great UK success and has led to an unlocking at a faster rate than in other parts of the world, but there is talk of booster vaccines being required in the autumn. Have you any information that you could put on the Plenary record this afternoon around booster vaccinations that might be required late summer/early autumn, that, again, would hold back the restrictions that might have been imposed on our everyday lives if the vaccination programme hadn't been so successful? Thank you, First Minister.

I thank the leader of the opposition for those questions and I agree very much with what he said at the start. For those families who have lost loved ones as a result of coronavirus, the pandemic will never be over, because that loss will be with them for the rest of their lives, and I'm glad we've had an opportunity to pause even briefly this afternoon just to remember that and to make sure those people are still in our thoughts.

In terms of variants beyond the Indian variant, we still have examples of the South African variant here in Wales, and we remain alert to the Brazilian variant—

I'm sorry, but I'm going to need to cut across you. I don't think your microphone is working, First Minister. I don't think you can probably do anything to sort it out, but, because Members are on Zoom, they can't hear you at this point. So, we'll take a technical break. 

Plenary was suspended at 14:55.

The Senedd reconvened at 15:08, with the Llywydd in the Chair.

We will recommence following that technical break. I call on the First Minister to respond to the comments made by the leader of the opposition. First Minister.

Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. I was replying to the leader of the opposition's question about variants beyond the Indian variant that are present in Wales. I just explained that we have examples of the South African variant in Wales. We are watching carefully the Brazilian variant, with a particular eye on Portugal and travel in and out of that country. In relation to the Indian variant itself, as well as the variant of concern, there are two other Indian variants under investigation, and we have a number of examples of that in Wales as well. So, the leader of the opposition is absolutely right, Llywydd, that while attention in the last few days has been on the Indian variant, it's only one example of the vigilance that has to go on all the time to make sure that we don't end up re-importing danger back into Wales.

As to what Andrew R.T. Davies said about business support, I don't accept that help dried up in April; many, many payments were made in April and where there are claims businesses have that can be pursued, of course they are able to do that. Nor, I think, do I recognise the position that I think he was describing in relation to testing. We have tens of thousands of tests each week in Wales that are not being taken up, because the current state of coronavirus is at such a low ebb in Wales. Whereas, at the height of it, we were doing 120,000 PCR tests in a week, we did 67,000 tests last week. So, there is ample capacity in the system for PCR tests, and we are using hundreds of thousands of lateral flow tests in Wales to make sure that schools continue to be protected, that care home workers are protected, and, indeed, that businesses are able to use them as well.

We are involved in the social distancing review that the UK Government is carrying out in the sense that officials are involved in it, and we will wait to see the outcome of it. I think it, too, is having to take account of the India variant and whether it would change any of the analysis that they've carried out so far.

As to international travel, it is advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office that is decisive where insurance is concerned, and the FCO, I believe, issued advice yesterday saying to people that they shouldn't holiday in amber-list countries, and people will be able to use that to take to their insurance companies where they are deciding now not to go ahead and need to claim on their insurance.

And finally, the important question about booster vaccinations. I entirely agree, as I have throughout, that the UK Government has made a success of securing the supply of vaccination—50 million additional doses have been secured for a potential booster programme in the autumn. We have agreed a population share of that for Wales. Those booster vaccines will have been calibrated to take account of the emerging variants and we are planning already in Wales as to how we could run a booster programme during the autumn, should that be necessary.

In relation to the Indian variant, the primary Indian variant of concern, you said that there are a number of areas where we still do not have definitive evidence in relation to its effect in terms of vaccination efficacy and also whether it causes a more serious form of the disease. Could you say a little bit about those areas where we do have some understanding? So, particularly, I've read in some of the scientific advisory group for emergencies papers, for example, the conclusion that this variant could be 50 per cent more transmissible—is that your understanding? And, following the logic through, therefore, they argue that there's a realistic possibility that this could lead to a resurgence—a significant resurgence—of cases, partly because even with the very high level of vaccination that we have in Wales—I don't know whether we are now No. 2, still, in the first jab league table, and that's a huge credit, I think, to the fantastic team effort—but even with that, that does not give a sufficient level of protection in the community. Under those circumstances, if you follow the logic through, therefore, is there a risk that further easing of restrictions without continuing or non-pharmaceutical interventions could actually lead to higher hospitalisations and even higher deaths?

Are the Welsh Government confident that our health services have the capacity to cope with this scenario, based on those elements where we do have some evidence currently? And what contingency plans are being made on that basis, particularly for targeted measures in dealing with the spread of this new variant? So, I think you've talked previously about the possibility of surge vaccinations or even local lockdowns. I think that it would be particularly useful to hear your understanding, in terms of the geography of Wales, in relation to the concentration of the virus and its potential spill-over, effectively, into the north-east and the north-west of Wales. What's the thinking of the Welsh Government in relation to that?

Also, I saw your comments yesterday, First Minister, in relation to the vaccination of under-18s. Does that become more urgent in the context of a more transmissible virus? What is your latest advice on that? And, in that context as well, what's your response to the comments from the WHO today, urging the Welsh Government not to vaccinate under-18-year-olds and actually to prioritise sharing vaccination with higher risk adults in lower income countries?

In relation to schools as well, I was wondering if you could say a little bit more about your current state of thinking in relation to the wearing of masks in classrooms, and indeed how does what I've just I've referred to now, in terms of the new variant of concern, affect that consideration. There has been concern expressed in schools in a different context, which is about the pressure in relation to moderating assessments that schools and teachers are feeling, and that this, in turn, is causing anxiety for students. How is the Welsh Government supporting students and teachers in seeking to mitigate this?

Finally, in relation to financial support, if I understand you, First Minister, you said that people in the sector supported your effectively holding back some of the £200 million for more targeted support later. I have just had somebody from the Welsh Independent Restaurant Collective saying that they argued the very opposite of that. Others in UKHospitality said that, yes, they do support a targeted approach, but that the money that is provided now is not sufficient. The level—. I think, if you are under 10 employees, it's about £5,000. It does seem that this is much lower than the immediate support, the restart grants, that are being provided in England and Scotland. So, can I urge the First Minister to discuss this with officials? Because it may be that you have been given an impression that doesn't actually reflect what is going on on the ground in the sector, which is in an incredibly difficult position. 

Llywydd, I thank Adam Price for those questions. The greatest area of understanding, in the advice that I have had, is in the likelihood that the India variant is 50 per cent more transmissible than the Kent variant, and therefore is likely to supplant it if it moves into genuine community spread. Now, we're not in that position here in Wales at the moment by any means, and the examples that we know of are all identified already by local public health teams, and all the individuals that we know of are contacted by name, and their individual circumstances are known.

Were we to see a resurgence, then, of course, what Adam Price said is right. Even with 80 per cent of the population having had a first dose of vaccination in Wales, that still means that 20 per cent have not, and this is a virus that seeks out the people who are most vulnerable. So, that still is a significant vulnerability, although every week that goes by thousands more people are vaccinated. I said in my statement that we will be focusing on making sure that we accelerate as fast as we can the first vaccination of people lower down the age ranges, because there is also some evidence that the India variant has been more found in younger populations, possibly because they are not vaccinated in the same numbers.

As far as hospitalisation is concerned, we are still seeing falls in the number of people in Welsh hospitals with coronavirus of any sort—suspected, confirmed, recovering. And the number of people with confirmed coronavirus—active coronavirus—is lower still. We are watching very carefully what is happening in Bolton, in particular, and the system is already talking and preparing, should we find ourselves with more people needing hospital care because of the impact of the India variant. We are going to have some targeted measures in relation to vaccination. Because we have such low numbers in Wales, we are able to focus additional vaccines in that way, and the discussions with the health boards are already happening so that they can use greater discretion to make sure that they bring forward for vaccination people in the areas most affected.

For under-18s, there is no vaccine as yet licensed, and we won't be vaccinating people under 18 until there is a licence for it. That may be available in the autumn, and then we will need to weigh up the case for doing so. We've talked a lot on the floor of the Senedd in the previous term about the need to make sure that our children, teaching staff and other staff members are properly protected against the virus, and there will undoubtedly be a strong case to consider for vaccinating children from the age of 12 upwards, when there is a vaccine licensed to do so, and that would then have an impact upon other non-pharmaceutical measures that are being taken in school at the moment. I've seen the WHO advice, and of course we will think that through as well.

I understand the points that are made about the pressures that schools and teachers and students are under, whether that's assessment or whether it's conventional exams. These are often difficult times in the academic year for students and staff. We will have a system in Wales where there is more flexibility at school level, and they'll be able to use that to mitigate some of those pressures. And, because we were the first country in the United Kingdom to acknowledge that conventional examinations would not be possible this year, we have had the longest period to put in place an alternative system, negotiated with the WJEC, with Qualifications Wales, with headteachers and other representatives, to make sure that the system is fair for young people but credible as well in the eyes of those people who will rely on the certification that follows from those assessments, and that those young people will not be disadvantaged in other ways.

As for financial support and industry, there's often more than one voice in any industry, and you'll find people who agree with what's happening and you'll find people who disagree with what's happening. I do know that it is a priority for the incoming Minister in the economy portfolio to have those discussions with those industries, as we heard earlier from Sam Rowlands, who are able to be back in business but not fully back in business, so that we use the inevitably finite resources we have to the greatest effect.

Huw Irranca-Davies.

Thank you, Llywydd. Congratulations to you, Llywydd, the First Minister, and to everyone else in the Chamber and on our screens.

Congratulations to you all. It's good to be back, it is.

First Minister, I'm delighted to tell you I'll be heeding your advice: if you can arrange the weather, I will indeed be holidaying in Wales, in a tent in Cardigan bay and then in the Llŷn peninsula. So, if Welsh Government can organise the weather, please, I'd be delighted.

I've got one specific question, and, if you need to write to me, I'll fully understand that. But I've been trying desperately to get to the bottom of this question, for, as has been mentioned in the Chamber, we are a musical nation, a singing nation. I've had performers approach me, because there is good advice now and guidance on how you can sing, and choirs are starting to go back to rehearsal indoors and so on. But it's the question of singing in bars and cafes as part of background ambience, not overdoing it and so on—not a rock-and-roll night and so on—because the advice seems to suggest it can. In fact, the really good advice I had from special advisers goes through a list of how to do it and says, 'Complete a specific risk assessment if performing in social settings such as bars and restaurants.' But I can tell you that local authorities through the land, and shared regulatory services, are, perhaps understandably, being a lot more cautious. The man from the council and the woman from the council, they say 'no'. So, could you just clarify for us, either today or in writing separately, whether or not performers—sole performers playing quiet music in the background—are able to perform in licensed settings, not with alcohol themselves? Are they able to do it or—? Is it a 'yes' or a 'no' or is it a 'maybe'?

I think probably it is a letter—[Laughter.]—that I will provide to the Member to make sure that I give him the best advice. If he's planning a rock-and-roll night in his tent in Cardigan bay or on the Llŷn peninsula, he'll be fully within the rules by the time he gets there.

Peter Fox.

Llywydd, can I congratulate you on your reappointment? It's very much a privilege for me to join the Welsh Parliament, and I hope I can add some value to the work of the Senedd and the people of Wales. First Minister, can I congratulate you also on being returned as First Minister? I look forward to working with you and your colleagues here, as I have for many, many months, but, obviously, in the role as a council leader. It's been an extremely challenging period in all of our lives, and I'm hopeful we are heading to some normality, and the steps we are taking are welcome.

I'm sure, First Minister, you would agree that Wales's economic recovery is fundamental to this country and the people of Wales, and our businesses have been through the most awful of times and need our continued support like never before. I'm sorry to labour this financial support question again, but, First Minister, the March NDR-linked grants package was designed to support businesses through to the election on 6 May, so as to ensure Ministers did not have to make announcements of further grants during the pre-election period, and many businesses now are very much dismayed and probably angry that the Government has said that the financial support they were expecting for April will not be honoured. Can I ask you, First Minister, that you review the Government's position in regard to that so that the businesses can perhaps get the support they were hoping to have? Thank you very much, First Minister.

Llywydd, it's very good to be able to respond to a question from a new Member, and someone who we've worked very closely with in the Welsh Government for many years, and successfully as well. I'm not recognising the picture that is emerging from the Conservative benches of help not being available to businesses. This Government has provided the most generous package of support for businesses anywhere in the United Kingdom. That is a deliberate decision by this Government in recognition of the torrid time that businesses in Wales have had. It has been an economic crisis as well as a clinical crisis. That's why we've taken the steps we have, and there'll be no reason at all for us not to wish to continue to do exactly that. As I've said, the nature of that help will now need to be calibrated with the new circumstances, where far more businesses are beginning to reopen, and where economic conditions mean that they will be able to do what I know they want to do, which is not to rely on the next grant from the Welsh Government, but to earn the living and the success of the business that they've often invested so much in, and we will go on supporting them to do just that.

According to Steffan Lewis, the first appearance in the Chamber is the worst, and it gets easier after that first time, and, given the fact that many of the questions I wanted to ask have already been asked, I do hope that the future sessions will be far easier than this one. So, this is me talking for the first time as a representative for South Wales East, and I do want to take the opportunity to thank all constituents for putting me here, and I look forward to asking you, First Minister, a number of questions over the next few years, and I'm sure that by the end of this you'll have had more than enough of me.

I just want to emphasise a point actually that Adam has made, and Peter as well. As we emerge from the pandemic, the restart grants are going to become more important. For example, pubs in Scotland are eligible for restart grants of up to £18,000, whilst most pubs in Wales will be eligible for £7,500 at the absolute most, with many small community pubs only eligible for £2,500. I would welcome some further information from the First Minister or the economy Minister on what the timetable will be for support, as I'm sure the First Minister is aware that the hospitality sector is going to be a very important sector for our economic recovery as we emerge from the pandemic. Diolch yn fawr.

Thank you very much for that question and for what Luke Fletcher said about Steffan Lewis. Many of us remember Steffan, of course, and I had an opportunity to collaborate with him when he was the spokesperson for Plaid Cymru on Brexit, when I worked on that within Government.

I've answered a number of questions on the economy, Llywydd. I don't think there's much more for me to add. Of course, the new Minister will be considering all of these points. We'll be looking to see how we can use the significant sums of money we still have to support businesses and to make sure that that is done in a way that suits us here in Wales, responding to Welsh circumstances and Welsh needs, and making that money as effective as it can be in supporting Welsh businesses.

It's really fantastic that the people of Wales have responded to the regulations and that is why we are in the good position we're in, and particularly the sacrifices made by children on our behalf need to be recognised, as well as the fantastic work done by our NHS and social care staff in keeping people safe or looking after them when they become sick.

As we're now in level 2, I wondered whether your excellent new health Minister or yourself have had the opportunity to look at whether the regulations around out-patient appointments could be amended to make them less restrictive, given the importance of having somebody with you when you're being told what may be difficult news or complicated news to ensure that you've fully understood what you've been told. I think this is a particular concern for those who are pregnant and who wish to have their partners with them, and that isn't always the case, and particularly where the pregnancy isn't going that well or according to plan, it seems to me rather important. At the moment, it's absolutely down to the discretion of individual health boards and individual colleges, so I wondered if you could say anything about how the guidance on how the health service operates, interfaces with individuals could be amended to be a little bit less restrictive given that, obviously, people socially are able to meet in groups of six indoors these days.

Llywydd, I thank Jenny Rathbone for that question, which we've debated a number of times during the whole of the pandemic, and it is one of the hardest areas of all, isn't it, when a couple are expecting a child and are unable to receive the normal sorts of appointments and joint involvement in the birth of a child that we would all want to see. The guidance in Wales encourages the system to be as welcoming as possible, but the reason for discretion is real. Maternity units across Wales vary enormously in terms of the size of the premises, the nature of the layout of buildings and so on, and, obviously, individuals come with different levels of risk themselves. Coronavirus has not gone away; people who are ill with it find themselves in hospital, and it has to be, in the end, a clinical decision made by the team of people looking after the woman and her partner as to how safe it is for other people to be involved directly in appointments. Now, the policy is that wherever it is safe to do so, that is what should happen, but I don't think we are in a position in the Senedd to make those individual clinical judgments in the different physical circumstances and individual circumstances that people face. 

Natasha Asghar.

Thank so much, Presiding Officer. I'd like to begin by congratulating you and our First Minister on returning and resuming your roles in the new session here of 2021.

Now, as I'm sure you can all appreciate, we are all aware of the great debt that we owe to front-line workers of the national health service in Wales, who've had to cope with the tremendous pressure they've been subjected to down to the pandemic. Last year, the Royal College of Nursing ran a survey looking at the impact of the pandemic on front-line staff. It found that more than three quarters of Welsh members who took part reported increased stress, and more than half were worried about their mental health. Sadly, this pressure on NHS staff is unlikely to reduce in the short term as there are now more than 0.5 million people in Wales who are waiting for treatment on NHS waiting lists—a rise of 19 per cent in a year. Of these, 218,000 people have been waiting for more than nine months for treatment. I'd like to ask you, First Minister, what positive action is your Government taking to relieve the pressure on front-line NHS staff as restrictions are lifted. And I know you and many of my honourable colleagues have mentioned the Indian variant, the Brazilian variant and the South African variant, but I'd like to know, as deaths from COVID are rising here in Wales, as per the statement you kindly shared with us today, the Indian variant is actually on the rise. So, what study is being done by the Welsh Government of the potential impact of this new variant and other subsequent variants too? Thank you.

Well, I thank Natasha Asghar for her first contribution on the floor of the Senedd as well, and welcome her, of course, as a Member. And her question points to some very significant issues. The stresses and strains on our front-line staff in the health service have been enormous, and we've relied on them hugely to keep us safe during the pandemic, and we're going to have to go on relying on them for many other things we've talked about this afternoon. When the leader of the opposition rightly asks me about a booster programme in the autumn, it will be those same workers that we will be relying on to do that for us. When we talk about the need to be able to get the NHS working on the things that it has to do for everybody else, it will be the same people we will be relying on. So, it's a very important point about making sure that, when we make that ask of them, we are looking after them as well so that their health and well-being can also be considered. 

In terms of what we are doing on making sure we've got the best information on new variants, well, we rely on the advice of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, the UK committee, but we have our own technical advisory group, and we publish its evidence to Government regularly. We are very fortunate to have one of the most advanced capacities in the world of genome sequencing here. So, part of the effort that's made across the United Kingdom to identify new variants relies on the Welsh capacity that we have, and UK capacity is amongst the very best in the world, partly as a result of that. So, we are very fortunate in having that early-warning system that we're able to deploy here in Wales, and that, alongside the interpretation of that evidence by the scientists who advise us, will be part of our contribution to that wider effort to make sure that new variants are identified as quickly as possible, that we understand the scale and scope of them, and then we're able to take whatever actions we can to go on keeping people in Wales safe.  

First Minister, the people of Blaenau Gwent trusted you and the Welsh Government in the handling of this pandemic, and they trusted the decisions that you've been taking over this past year. And you will know, from your visits to Blaenau Gwent, that people wanted to thank you very much for the way in which you've led the Government's response on this, and I certainly want to convey those feelings here this afternoon. 

In terms of how we move forward, there's clearly a discussion and a debate taking place about the sort of support that has been and is currently being provided to different business sectors. And there's clearly a disconnect between what we are hearing and what businesses are telling us about the support they are receiving. Would it be possible, First Minister, for you or the economy Minister to publish a breakdown of the business support that's being provided, either on a sectoral basis or on a more general basis, for us to understand how this disconnect has taken place? There was a debate on this matter on the last day of the last Senedd, in Petitions Committee, but clearly there wasn't an opportunity for the Government to respond at that time. But it may well be that this new Senedd now provides the Government with an opportunity to respond more fully to those businesses who do not feel that they are receiving the support that they require and which they feel they have a right to expect.

I thank Alun Davies for that. I very much enjoyed my visit to Blaenau Gwent during the election campaign. It's probably a rare enough experience in political life to find people crossing the road wanting to speak to you, rather than crossing the road to make sure they don't have to speak to you, but that certainly was the case during the time that you and I were campaigning together there.

There is a huge wealth of information in the Welsh Government about business support that has been provided—by sector, by geography, by strand within the economic recovery programme. So, I'll certainly ask the economy Minister to see if there are better ways in which we can make that information available to Members, so that Members can see more easily the enormous scale of help that's been provided to businesses in Wales, the purposes for which that has been provided, and where that money has ended up supporting businesses to survive through these incredibly difficult months.

I would like to start by paying tribute to my predecessor, Angela Burns, for her tireless work and dedication, not only in this place, but also for the people and constituency of Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire.

First Minister, spectators and participants have begun returning to sporting and cultural events as part of the trials that you mentioned as coronavirus regulations are eased. However, the majority of these trials have so far been limited to the south Wales urban area. With the Iron Man competition scheduled to take place in September in Tenby in my constituency, can I ask what plans the Welsh Government has to extend the reach of these trial events over the coming months to ensure that elite events such as this are able to accommodate spectators and bring a much-needed boost to the local economy?

Once again, welcome to the new Member to the Chamber. He's got a big act to follow in Angela Burns, who was a very significant voice in this Chamber over a number of years, and I'm sure that he will be seeking to emulate the contribution that she made here.

The purpose of the pilot events is exactly to answer the question that has been posed: it is to find ways in which we can open up more of that sector safely. So, the different events that we are piloting are taking different approaches to it to try and make sure that we have a formula that will allow us to reopen more events in Wales, and in all parts of Wales, in a way that will make people who participate in them, and people who are responsible for running them, feel confident that their health is not being put at risk as a result. We will learn a lot through our own pilots. We have Welsh senior civil servants as part of the oversight group of the pilots that are happening across our border, and then, as we bring all that learning together, and of course depending upon the public health context at the time, we'll then be able to apply that learning so that events elsewhere can reopen and do so with confidence.

Finally, Mark Isherwood.

Diolch, Llywydd. Well, your Government stated last Friday, I quote, that

'organised activities, including wedding receptions can be arranged for up to 30 people indoors and 50 people outdoors', but added that

'Outdoor receptions cannot take place in private gardens'.

Your written statement on these coronavirus regulations last Friday said that these could only take place in regulated premises. How do you therefore respond to the constituents who contacted me stating, 'The UK Government are to allow responsibly organised outdoor receptions in private gardens to go ahead from 17 May. Please let us in Wales do the same', adding, 'We've already lost a lot of money having to rearrange, as COVID is not covered by insurance, and I fear for mine and my daughter's mental health if we have to rearrange yet again'?

Finally, your written statement last Friday also referred to your vaccination programme. You stated yesterday that it's likely the Welsh Government would want to roll out jabs for children if licences are granted. What plans do you therefore have to offer the COVID-19 vaccine to those under 16 years old as rates of the Indian variant increase across the UK, and in particular to prioritise clinically extremely vulnerable young people?

Llywydd, children who are extremely clinically vulnerable are already receiving vaccination in Wales down to the age of 12. We won't be offering vaccination to children until there is a licensed vaccine to do so.

As far as weddings are concerned, I have huge sympathy for those many families who have arranged and rearranged wedding receptions. That must be a really difficult thing to have to do in your lives. But I make no apologies at all for having those receptions in regulated premises. That is for a reason. It is because regulated premises are able to take all the necessary actions to safeguard the health of people who mingle together in those circumstances. That is why we have retained in Wales the obligation, if you're having a wedding reception, to have it in such a place, because that keeps you safe and it keeps other people safe as well. That has always been our top priority as a Government. 

Thank you, First Minister, and thank you all. That brings today's proceedings to a close. 

The meeting ended at 15:46.