Meetings

NDM7480 Sian Gwenllian (Arfon)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes the continued high prevalence of COVID-19 infection rates within the south Wales valleys, with areas of the Cwm Taf Morgannwg and Aneurin Bevan health boards experiencing some of the highest rates in the UK.

2. Notes the research conducted in England showing that the effects of the pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on post-industrial communities in northern England and exacerbated the longstanding regional disparities of the British state.

3. Calls on the Welsh Government to designate areas experiencing higher prevalence of COVID-19 infection rates as COVID special support areas to qualify for additional support measures which would include:

a) additional support for those who are clinically vulnerable and cannot work from home;

b) a top up of the self-isolation grant to £800;

c) additional resources for test-and-trace teams and local authorities;

d) additional voluntary accommodation for those unable to self-isolate safely at home;

e) greater testing to identify asymptomatic cases;

f) priority for mass testing programmes and early roll out of any vaccine;

g) strengthened local public communication campaigns to facilitate adherence with public health guidelines:

h) additional resources for local COVID wardens for local authorities and COVID community champions to reiterate national COVID prevention messages;

i) additional protective measures in schools and on school transport, including mask wearing in classrooms;

j) additional resources for safe, affordable childcare;

k) additional measures to mitigate the digital divide and the disruption to education;

l) greater support for business and self-employed people opting to cease trading voluntarily on a temporary basis;

m) dispersal orders in town centres after pub closures.

Northern Health Science Alliance - COVID-19 and the Northern Powerhouse: Tackling inequalities for UK health and productivity

The following amendments have been tabled:

Amendment 1 Gareth Bennett (South Wales Central)

Delete all and replace with:

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes that areas that continue to have a high prevalence of COVID-19 have benefitted from the £5 billion financial support given to Wales during the COVID-19 pandemic from the UK Government.

2. Regrets that the Welsh Government has consistently taken a different COVID-19 strategy from the UK Government and that this has not helped the continued high infection rates prevalent within the south Wales valleys.

3. Believes that the best response to assist the areas most affected by COVID-19 in Wales is by having a united, UK response, led by the UK Government.

Co-submitter

Mark Reckless

[If amendment 1 is agreed, amendments 2, 3 and 4 will be de-selected.]

Amendment 2 Rebecca Evans (Gower)

Delete point 1 and replace with:

Notes that Welsh Government continues to actively review the prevalence of COVID-19 infection rates across Wales, given the high prevalence of COVID-19 infection rates in some areas.

Amendment 3 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

Delete all after point 1 and replace with:

Welcomes the historic levels of funding by Her Majesty’s Government to all regions and nations of the UK, including those areas with high infection rates, to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, especially the £5 billion of additional funding provided to the Welsh Government.

Believes that additional support measures should be put in place in the Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board area in light of media reports that at least 9,000 patients have been waiting for more than a year for NHS treatment in September in that area, with waiting times due to increase further following the impact of COVID-19.

Calls upon the Welsh Government to provide the following in relation to areas with high prevalence of COVID-19, as well as other areas throughout Wales:

a) directly target areas experiencing higher prevalence of COVID-19 infection rates in Wales, including smart, targeted restrictions where appropriate;

b) increase the activation of COVID-free hospitals and temporary hospital facilities to ease pressures on the healthcare system and tackle waiting lists;

c) target testing at hot-spot areas and roll-out twice-weekly asymptomatic screening for all patient-facing staff in the Welsh NHS and social care sector;

d) commission an urgent inquiry into deaths and infections linked to hospital outbreaks;

e) introduce a compassionate support package for those most vulnerable to harm from coronavirus in Wales;

f) backdate self-isolation payments in Wales to 28 September to ensure a level playing field with other parts of the UK;

g) allocate the remaining unspent funds made available from Her Majesty’s Government to tackle the coronavirus.

[If amendment 3 is agreed, amendment 4 will be de-selected.]

Amendment 4 Rebecca Evans (Gower)

Delete point 3 and replace with:

Notes that the Welsh Government has put a broad range of national support measures in place to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, which aim to assist those areas with high prevalence of COVID-19 infection rates as well as other areas across Wales, including:

a) building the testing and contact tracing capacity and introducing new testing options;

b) additional funding and support to local authorities;

c) significant public information campaigns across media and social media channels;

d) support for the safe reopening of schools and other education institutes;

e) funding for economic recovery and business in Wales;

f) £500 self-isolation payment.

The item started at 17.00

Voting on the motion and amendments under this item was deferred until Voting Time.

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

NDM7480 Sian Gwenllian (Arfon)

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes the continued high prevalence of COVID-19 infection rates within the south Wales valleys, with areas of the Cwm Taf Morgannwg and Aneurin Bevan health boards experiencing some of the highest rates in the UK.

2. Notes the research conducted in England showing that the effects of the pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on post-industrial communities in northern England and exacerbated the longstanding regional disparities of the British state.

3. Calls on the Welsh Government to designate areas experiencing higher prevalence of COVID-19 infection rates as COVID special support areas to qualify for additional support measures which would include:

a) additional support for those who are clinically vulnerable and cannot work from home;

b) a top up of the self-isolation grant to £800;

c) additional resources for test-and-trace teams and local authorities;

d) additional voluntary accommodation for those unable to self-isolate safely at home;

e) greater testing to identify asymptomatic cases;

f) priority for mass testing programmes and early roll out of any vaccine;

g) strengthened local public communication campaigns to facilitate adherence with public health guidelines:

h) additional resources for local COVID wardens for local authorities and COVID community champions to reiterate national COVID prevention messages;

i) additional protective measures in schools and on school transport, including mask wearing in classrooms;

j) additional resources for safe, affordable childcare;

k) additional measures to mitigate the digital divide and the disruption to education;

l) greater support for business and self-employed people opting to cease trading voluntarily on a temporary basis;

m) dispersal orders in town centres after pub closures.

Northern Health Science Alliance - COVID-19 and the Northern Powerhouse: Tackling inequalities for UK health and productivity

For	Abstain	Against	Total
12	4	39	55

The motion without amendment was not agreed.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 Gareth Bennett (South Wales Central)

Delete all and replace with:

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes that areas that continue to have a high prevalence of COVID-19 have benefitted from the £5 billion financial support given to Wales during the COVID-19 pandemic from the UK Government.

2. Regrets that the Welsh Government has consistently taken a different COVID-19 strategy from the UK Government and that this has not helped the continued high infection rates prevalent within the south Wales valleys.

3. Believes that the best response to assist the areas most affected by COVID-19 in Wales is by having a united, UK response, led by the UK Government.

Co-submitter

Mark Reckless

A vote was taken on amendment 1:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
6	10	39	55

Amendment 1 was not agreed.

Amendment 2 Rebecca Evans (Gower)

Delete point 1 and replace with:

Notes that Welsh Government continues to actively review the prevalence of COVID-19 infection rates across Wales, given the high prevalence of COVID-19 infection rates in some areas.

A vote was taken on amendment 2:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
32	0	23	55

Amendment 2 was agreed.

Amendment 3 Darren Millar (Clwyd West)

Delete all after point 1 and replace with:

Welcomes the historic levels of funding by Her Majesty’s Government to all regions and nations of the UK, including those areas with high infection rates, to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, especially the £5 billion of additional funding provided to the Welsh Government.

Believes that additional support measures should be put in place in the Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board area in light of media reports that at least 9,000 patients have been waiting for more than a year for NHS treatment in September in that area, with waiting times due to increase further following the impact of COVID-19.

Calls upon the Welsh Government to provide the following in relation to areas with high prevalence of COVID-19, as well as other areas throughout Wales:

a) directly target areas experiencing higher prevalence of COVID-19 infection rates in Wales, including smart, targeted restrictions where appropriate;

b) increase the activation of COVID-free hospitals and temporary hospital facilities to ease pressures on the healthcare system and tackle waiting lists;

c) target testing at hot-spot areas and roll-out twice-weekly asymptomatic screening for all patient-facing staff in the Welsh NHS and social care sector;

d) commission an urgent inquiry into deaths and infections linked to hospital outbreaks;

e) introduce a compassionate support package for those most vulnerable to harm from coronavirus in Wales;

f) backdate self-isolation payments in Wales to 28 September to ensure a level playing field with other parts of the UK;

g) allocate the remaining unspent funds made available from Her Majesty’s Government to tackle the coronavirus.

[If amendment 3 is agreed, amendment 4 will be de-selected.]

A vote was taken on amendment 3:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
13	2	40	55

Amendment 3 was not agreed.

Amendment 4 Rebecca Evans (Gower)

Delete point 3 and replace with:

Notes that the Welsh Government has put a broad range of national support measures in place to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, which aim to assist those areas with high prevalence of COVID-19 infection rates as well as other areas across Wales, including:

a) building the testing and contact tracing capacity and introducing new testing options;

b) additional funding and support to local authorities;

c) significant public information campaigns across media and social media channels;

d) support for the safe reopening of schools and other education institutes;

e) funding for economic recovery and business in Wales;

f) £500 self-isolation payment.

A vote was taken on amendment 4:

For	Abstain	Against	Total
29	0	26	55

Amendment 4 was agreed.

A vote was taken on the motion as amended:

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes that Welsh Government continues to actively review the prevalence of COVID-19 infection rates across Wales, given the high prevalence of COVID-19 infection rates in some areas.

2. Notes the research conducted in England showing that the effects of the pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on post-industrial communities in northern England and exacerbated the longstanding regional disparities of the British state.

3. Notes that the Welsh Government has put a broad range of national support measures in place to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, which aim to assist those areas with high prevalence of COVID-19 infection rates as well as other areas across Wales, including:

a) building the testing and contact tracing capacity and introducing new testing options;

b) additional funding and support to local authorities;

c) significant public information campaigns across media and social media channels;

d) support for the safe reopening of schools and other education institutes;

e) funding for economic recovery and business in Wales;

f) £500 self-isolation payment.

For	Abstain	Against	Total
29	2	24	55

The motion as amended was agreed.