National Assembly for Wales

All of Wales is at alert level 4 and the general rules are that people must stay at home except for very limited purposes and they must not visit other households or meet other people they do not live with.

People can leave home if they have a “reasonable excuse”. This means leaving home only for a purpose that is reasonably necessary and where there is no reasonably practicable alternative. Examples of these purposes are listed in the legislation, but the list is not exhaustive. The right to travel to vote in an election is one of the listed purposes.

To be able to exercise the democratic right to vote, the electorate should be able to make an informed decision. I recognise that the distribution of leaflets is an established means by which relevant information is traditionally provided to the electorate to inform their decisions about how to vote.

However, in the current circumstances, distributing election leaflets door-to-door is not a reasonable excuse to leave home.

Leaflets can of course be distributed safely by post, as mail delivery services continue to operate during the pandemic. I encourage all parties to consider the full range of means, including social media, available to them to provide information to the electorate about the election.

Whilst schools are currently closed to most learners, local authorities must offer on-site provision for two groups of learners:

• vulnerable learners
• the children of critical workers.

Schools are also open for learners who need to complete essential exams or assessments.

Rather than using the age of learners to determine who can access this provision, guidance has been provided to schools and local authorities to support the process of identifying who can access on-site provision. Further details are provided below.

Vulnerable learners

Schools must identify learners who should attend on-site provision due to their vulnerability. Schools should take account of the following principles in identifying these children.

• All children and young people must be safe, seen, heard, nurtured and developing.
• In these circumstances schools should work together with local authorities to identify those vulnerable learners who should attend school.
• The decision should consider the impact of any restrictions on the child or young person’s emotional, mental and physical health, and educational development.
• The decision should consider how risks of not attending school could be mitigated through the most appropriate support for the child or young person.
• The decision should consider those who may have difficulty engaging with remote education at home (for example due to a lack of devices or quiet space to study).
• The decision should take account of the views of the child or young person and their parents/carers, so their needs can be understood and delivered through the most appropriate support.
• Children and young people should be prioritised for support according to decisions about their risks and benefits.
• Parents and carers should be informed of the decision.
• The risks to children and young people should be regularly reviewed and monitored on a multi-agency basis.

Children of critical workers

Guidance to help local authorities identify children of critical workers is provided at https://gov.wales/identifying-children-critical-workers-guidance. The law only requires one parent to be a critical worker in order for local authorities to be required to make arrangements to offer on-site provision for the child.

Local authorities must have regard to this guidance when deciding who is a critical worker. In deciding who is a critical worker, local authorities will also want to reflect on types of employment and associated impacts in their area.

The Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (No. 5) (Wales) Regulations 2020 make provision for schools to allow access to their premises for those learners they consider should attend school by reason of their vulnerability. During this period, vulnerable learners should be offered education provision in school, if required; it is not our expectation that learners attend hubs.

To support schools in identifying these learners, I have published updated operational guidance that widens the scope and  range of children that are caught by the definition of vulnerable children. This allows schools and local authorities greater flexibility to be able to identify and help children in their area that need additional help and support (on the basis they are best placed to know who most needs support).  

This clearly confirms that schools must identify children who should attend school due to their vulnerability. This includes those who may have difficulty engaging with remote education at home for example due to a lack of devices or quiet space to study.

In identifying children, schools/proprietors should take account of the following principles:

• All children and young people must be safe, seen, heard, nurtured and developing;
• In these circumstances, schools should work together with local authorities to identify those vulnerable learners who should attend school;
• The decision should consider the impact of any restrictions on the child or young person’s emotional, mental and physical health, and educational development;
• The decision should consider how risks of not attending school could be mitigated through the most appropriate support for the child or young person;
• The decision should consider those who may have difficulty engaging with remote education at home (for example due to a lack of devices or quiet space to study);
• The decision should take account of the views of the child or young person and their parents/carers, so their needs can be understood and delivered through the most appropriate support;
• Children and young people should be prioritised for support according to decisions about their risks and benefits;
• Parents and carers should be informed of the decision;
• The risks to children and young people should be regularly reviewed and monitored on a multi-agency basis. 

It is vital that schools continue to actively engage with learners remotely if they are not accessing the school premises and Learning guidance is available to support schools and settings in doing so.

Access to high quality childcare provision, particularly in the early years, plays a key role in supporting child development. In the early years opportunities to socialise and learn through play are important in helping children develop physically and emotionally.

While the rates of coronavirus in Wales remain high, cases in young children and those in their early years continue to be relatively low. Childcare and play settings have put a number of measures in place to ensure they can remain open, including limiting who can come on site, ensuring that contact groups are kept consistent and increased cleaning. Settings are also increasing the amount of outdoor play and ventilating spaces regularly.

We appreciate the efforts of childcare and play providers who have worked hard to ensure their settings are safe. We are keeping things under constant review and basing our decisions on current evidence and data.

We have announced regular asymptomatic testing of health and social care workers; in education, and daily contact testing in South Wales Police. A pilot started at the TATA Port Talbot site in December. We are also exploring other opportunities for regular testing to support critical services across both the public and private sector during the lockdown.

A community testing pilot involving whole area asymptomatic testing was carried out in Merthyr Tydfil and Lower Cynon from 21 November to 22 December.  The learning and findings from this and other pilots are informing our future testing strategy. 

Whilst schools are currently closed to most learners, local authorities must offer on-site provision for vulnerable learners as well as the children of critical workers.

However, the advice to learners who are Clinically Extremely Vulnerable, previously known as ‘shielding’, has changed. These learners are advised that they should no longer attend school outside the home. Extremely vulnerable refers to people in Wales who have one of a very specific list of pre-existing and long-term serious health conditions. New guidance has been developed on protecting people defined on medical grounds as Clinically Extremely Vulnerable from coronavirus (COVID-19). This includes guidance on what we mean by extremely vulnerable.

Further details can be found at https://gov.wales/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-people-defined-on-medical-grounds-as-extremely-vulnerable-from-coronavirus-covid-19-html.

Other children and young people in the household who are not clinically extremely vulnerable may access on-site provision if one parent is a critical worker or if the child is identified as vulnerable.

The Outline Business Cases for the new Velindre Cancer Centre and its enabling works were considered by the Welsh Government’s NHS Infrastructure Investment Board on 9 and 16 December. This included consideration of the Nuffield Trust advice to Velindre University NHS Trust. I am due to receive formal advice from the Infrastructure Investment Board in the coming weeks so that I can make a decision on whether or not to approve the business cases. Depending on the outcome of this process, the next steps will be determined.

No test is perfect and 100% accurate. Notwithstanding this, the RT-PCR remains as close to a ‘gold standard’ as currently exists, with published estimates of analytical sensitivity and specificity in excess of 95%. The diagnostic (or operational) sensitivity and specificity of the test is likely to be lower than the analytical performance because they are affected by additional factors, such as variation in sample quality, that are not captured in analytical sensitivity and specificity.

The predictive value of any test will be influenced by the prevalence of the pathogen being detected in the sample population as well as the performance characteristics of that test. As the prevalence of infection falls, the probability that a positive test result correctly indicates true infection also falls. It follows that the use of any given test, and the interpretation of the results that it yields, needs to consider the performance characteristics of that test, the prevalence of infection in the population being tested, and the purpose of that testing including the actions that it will inform.

The RT-PCR and core principles for its use including discussion of analytical and diagnostic sensitivity and specificity are the subject of a published statement from the Welsh Government Technical Advisory Group, available at https://gov.wales/technical-advisory-cell-principles-using-rt-pcr-test-detect-sars-cov-2.

Substantive response

Substantive response

Substantive response

Substantive response

Substantive response

The emergency authorisation was approved by the UK government and allows limited use of a pesticide containing the neonicotinoid thiamethoxam on sugar beet in those counties in eastern England where it is grown. As this is a devolved matter, the authorisation has no effect in Wales. No application has been made for use in Wales.

The Welsh Government has published comprehensive guidance on the restrictions, and the measures which must be followed under current alert level 4. This can be found at https://gov.wales/alert-level-4

The Minister for Education intends to release the modelling by the end of January 2021. A document will be laid in the Senedd library where it can be viewed by Members.

Given the large volume of applications, we recognise the need for a pragmatic approach and my officias maintain a close dialogue with Local Authorities to assist them in managing budgets as flexibly as possible.

My officials are having regular discussions with DVSA.  Whilst we appreciate the frustration of those who are affected by paused services, we must also recognise that the fewer points of transmission that occur, the more effective the restrictions will be. 

Driving lessons and tests may continue for emergency services only, with the DVSA delivering tests for the ambulance service whilst the fire service and police undertake their own training. However, we encourage all lessons and tests to be postponed unless it is absolutely necessary. The DVSA are not currently offering a critical worker service but are keeping this under review.

The DVSA has emailed all affected candidates to let them know their tests will be rescheduled for the first available date, free of charge. A new time and date will be sent via email as soon as possible once the restrictions have been lifted. If the new time and date isn’t suitable for the candidate they can choose a different time and date on GOV.UK.

I would encourage your constituents to keep updated on current guidance by visiting our website at https://gov.wales/alert-level-4 and the DVSA’s website at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-driving-tests-and-theory-tests.

My officials are having regular discussions with DVSA.  Whilst we appreciate the frustration of those who are affected by paused services, we must also recognise that the fewer points of transmission that occur, the more effective the restrictions will be. 

Driving lessons and tests may continue for emergency services only, with the DVSA delivering tests for the ambulance service whilst the fire service and police undertake their own training. However, we encourage all lessons and tests to be postponed unless it is absolutely necessary. The DVSA are not currently offering a critical worker service but are keeping this under review.

The DVSA has emailed all affected candidates to let them know their tests will be rescheduled for the first available date, free of charge. A new time and date will be sent via email as soon as possible once the restrictions have been lifted. If the new time and date isn’t suitable for the candidate they can choose a different time and date on GOV.UK.

I would encourage your constituents to keep updated on current guidance by visiting our website at https://gov.wales/alert-level-4 and the DVSA’s website at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-driving-tests-and-theory-tests.

My officials are having regular discussions with DVSA.  Whilst we appreciate the frustration of those who are affected by paused services, we must also recognise that the fewer points of transmission that occur, the more effective the restrictions will be. 

Driving lessons and tests may continue for emergency services only, with the DVSA delivering tests for the ambulance service whilst the fire service and police undertake their own training. However, we encourage all lessons and tests to be postponed unless it is absolutely necessary. The DVSA are not currently offering a critical worker service but are keeping this under review.

The DVSA has emailed all affected candidates to let them know their tests will be rescheduled for the first available date, free of charge. A new time and date will be sent via email as soon as possible once the restrictions have been lifted. If the new time and date isn’t suitable for the candidate they can choose a different time and date on GOV.UK.

I would encourage your constituents to keep updated on current guidance by visiting our website at https://gov.wales/alert-level-4 and the DVSA’s website at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-driving-tests-and-theory-tests.