Following Tuesday’s weekly ‘Zoom’ meeting of the Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet, I attended Wednesday’s ‘hybrid’ Plenary Meeting of the Welsh Parliament.
Questioning the Economy Minister, Ken Skates MS, I urged him to support wedding venues in North Wales which have warned they will not survive unless an announcement on reopening is provided urgently. Indoor wedding celebrations are now allowed in Northern Ireland and throughout most of Europe, and wedding receptions for up to 30 people restart in England from 1st August, subject to safety measures.
After raising concerns with the Health Minister six weeks previously that Nursing Care Homes in North Wales had not received an uplift in healthcare funding to deal with the pandemic, I challenged him over why this was still the case.
Having been contacted by equestrian businesses in North Wales suffering because they are still unable to reopen their indoor schools, despite indoor riding arenas in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland having already reopened, I have called on the Welsh Government to allow them to reopen in Wales. As British Dressage Wales states, “Due to excellent ventilation, stringent biosecurity in approved facilities and the sheer size of arenas, covered arenas are a very low risk environment for the transmission of Covid”.
I attended two online meetings of the Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee, taking evidence on homelessness, housing and local government for our Inquiry into ‘Covid-19 and its impact’, and the virtual meeting of the Cross Party Group on Looked After Children.
As Chair of the Cross Party Autism Group, I attended a ‘Together for Children & Young People Programme’ webinar to discuss their vision for support of children and young people in Wales with neurodevelopmental conditions, including Autism and ADHD. I queried the extent to which Autistic people, families and organisations have been involved.
As Chair of the Cross Party Group on Neurological Conditions, I attended an online meeting with the Neuro Therapy Centre, Saltney, and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, to discuss how the charity’s healthcare professionals can help the Health Board deliver its service.
As Patron of the FDF Centre for Independent Living (formerly Flintshire Disability Forum) and Chair of the Cross Party Group on Disability, I attended their Zoom meeting to discuss the impact of COVID-19 upon the disabled community of North Wales, and, as President of North Wales-based NWAMI, ‘Networking for World Awareness of Multicultural Integration’, I attended a Zoom Meeting on forming NWAMI International Group.
Stay safe. If you need my help, email Mark.Isherwood@senedd.wales or call 0300 200 7219.