Will the First Minister liaise with the armed forces to establish whether they can assist with combatting the strain encountered by public services due to sickness absences?
The Welsh Government works very closely with the military in Wales via the Military Liaison Officer, as well as through a range of other official networks, for example the Joint Emergency Services Group. As part of our service planning we keep under review the need for military assistance and are prepared to call on it where there is a case for doing so.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, military support has been deployed in Wales to support specific tasks on a time-bound basis. For example, 98 personnel are deploying to support all seven Health Boards in Wales to deliver the roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccination programme. Additional military support has also been approved which will see a total of 313 military personnel supporting the Welsh Ambulance Services Trust until the end of March 2022.