3. Statement by the Minister for Health and Social Services: Update on Coronavirus

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:27 pm on 22 June 2021.

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Photo of Mark Isherwood Mark Isherwood Conservative 3:27, 22 June 2021

Diolch. I also wish to comment on your reference to residential outdoor education centres, some of whom contacted me yesterday, which was how I found out about the Welsh Government statement, as we hadn't been notified directly as Members. I first raised concerns expressed by residential outdoor education centres regarding Welsh Government coronavirus guidance with the Welsh Government here in March, after the sector had stated they had 'reached a critical point', unable to trade for 12 months, yet the Welsh Government, they said, had failed to provide the financial support and constructive dialogue they needed to survive. That was a letter, I think, sent to all Members. 

Last week, I received e-mails from residential outdoor education centres stating, for example, 'This industry is being permanently decimated. The result of this is creating a huge deficit in the local economy, both in the long and short term. Currently, outdoor education residentials are being managed safely in England, and money that should be coming into the Welsh economy is being lost. The rules are inconsistent, and, frankly, flawed. Put simply, Wales is about to lose one of the most joyful ways in which its heritage and culture is shared with young people'. And, a final quote: 'The loss of Welsh centres is a disaster for Wales from a financial and cultural perspective, but can be easily dealt with'.

Although you announced yesterday that overnight stays in residential outdoor education centres are now allowed for primary school children, centres have responded stating, for example, 'If only these advised changes had been just a few weeks back, the chances of some centres being saved would have been much improved' and, 'It seems to many of us who provide residential outdoor education that crisis has only been responded to with crisis'. How will you now engage in the constructive dialogue with them that they've long been calling for?