1. Will the First Minister make a statement about what support is available to businesses following the closure of the Menai bridge? OQ58854

Good afternoon, of course. On his visit to Menai Bridge on Wednesday of last week, the Deputy Minister for Climate Change announced a package of support to ease the transport pressures on people travelling to and from Anglesey. This included traffic flow solutions and access to active travel routes. 

Thank you for that response. There's no doubt that the closure of the bridge has had a negative impact on business. The current economic climate also impacts on how much people spend, but in speaking to business after business, when I hear of a fall of 35 or 40 per cent in trade, which is a figure that's commonly heard—for some it's even more—we obviously need to respond to this. 

I appreciate what was announced last week—free parking for example—but there is real doubt as to what impact that will have in reality, and we do need to find ways of supporting businesses directly. There are many options. One suggestion is that businesses could delay the repayment of bounce-back loans to the bank of Wales, and that's something that could be considered. But, certainly, we need some model of direct support. The county council is considering the results of a survey on the impact on business, but will the First Minister give a commitment to turning that data into action, and to do that as soon as possible, because there are some who fear that some businesses will not survive unless that happens?

Well, I thank Rhun ap Iorwerth for that supplementary question. Of course, we're thinking about local businesses that have seen an impact following the closure of the bridge. And when Lee Waters was in north Wales, he announced a number of things that we can do now. But we are still co-operating with the local councils, and data is being gathered. There will be an analysis of that data conducted by our officials, and by people who are working for Ynys Môn and Gwynedd, to see what else we can do to help businesses in the area who have seen a decline in the number of people who can come through the door, and the impact that that's having on everything that they're doing. 

Can I join the Member for Ynys Môn in highlighting some of the issues that businesses in Menai Bridge are seeing at the moment with the closure of Menai Bridge? I also agree with him on some of the positive steps that Welsh Government are making at the moment to support those businesses there. I was able to join a meeting on businesses in Menai Bridge with the Member for Parliament for Anglesey, Virginia Crosbie, as well as my colleague Mark Isherwood. And they highlighted to us some of the practical solutions that they would like to see on top of the announcements that have already been made. And one of those in Welsh Government's control is certainly around the signage along the A55 to Menai Bridge that highlights to people that, whilst the bridge itself may be closed, Menai Bridge is open for business as usual. So, First Minister, what I'd like to hear from you is a commitment to working with the north Wales trunk road agency to ensure signage is clear, and perhaps also to look at working with Visit Wales to ensure that, actually, Anglesey is being highlighted still as a great place to visit over the coming months, so that businesses there, whether they are high-street businesses or tourism businesses, are able to welcome visitors in the coming months. 

Well, Llywydd, I thank the Member for those further practical suggestions. As I said in my answer to the local Member for Ynys Môn, the Welsh Government continues to be open to discussions at official level, and with people on the ground, to make sure we have the best available data and can see whether further action could be taken. I do know that action has already been taken to make sure that there is additional signage, making it clear to people that businesses in Menai Bridge remain open. And some of the actions that were agreed last week will make it easier for people to be able to visit the town and, with parking charges in car parks lifted from the first of the month, to be able to stay there and do their shopping. But if there's more that can be done to make sure that people are aware that the town is open for businesses, and, indeed, in the longer run, that that part of Wales continues to be somewhere that is absolutely worth people visiting, then of course we'd be keen to be part of that effort.