4. Statement by the First Minister: Review of the Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (No. 5) (Wales) Regulations 2020

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:08 pm on 19 May 2021.

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Photo of Mark Drakeford Mark Drakeford Labour 3:08, 19 May 2021

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.