North Wales Senedd Member Mark Isherwood has called on the Welsh Government to respond to findings by Consumer Champion ‘Which?’ that after more than six weeks in lockdown, thousands of very high risk or extremely vulnerable people across the UK were still struggling to access the food and basic supplies they desperately need amid the coronavirus pandemic.
While measures have been introduced by Governments and supermarkets that are designed to help high-risk and vulnerable people, Which? has reported that it continues to hear from people who are struggling to book supermarket delivery slots, are unable to find the help they need locally and in some cases find themselves forced to risk their health to get supplies.
Mr Isherwood raised the matter during yesterday’s virtual Plenary meeting of the Welsh Parliament and said Which? are calling for a coordinated approach from the Governments across the UK.
Speaking via ‘Zoom’ from his North Wales home, he said:
“Last week, more than six weeks into lockdown, Consumer Champion Which? published their findings that thousands of very high-risk or extremely vulnerable people across the UK are struggling to access the food and basic supplies they desperately need amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“Based on the huge number of reports they are seeing from vulnerable people struggling to get access to basic food and supplies, they state that although Governments in Wales, England and Scotland have provided the supermarkets with edited lists of those that fall in the extremely vulnerable category, ‘it’s clear that the current system is not working for those who need it the most’.
“How do you therefore respond to their evidence-based conclusion that “The Governments across the UK must now urgently coordinate their approach to make sure that no vulnerable person has to navigate confusing, long-winded and complicated systems in order to access food during the pandemic lockdown?”
Responding, the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths MS, insisted the scheme is working well in Wales.
She said: “ I don't think in Wales we've had a complex system. There were certainly teething difficulties, which were ironed out very quickly.
“A co-ordinated scheme across the UK was something that we looked at. The UK Government decided that they wanted an England scheme. It's very different to ours, but I think, in Wales now, we've got it right.”
Speaking after the meeting, Mr Isherwood added: “Contrary to the Minister’s statement, letters sent by the Secretary of State for Wales in the UK Government to the First Minister since the beginning of this pandemic have called for clarity and consistency across the UK, and for policy announcements to be part of a UK-wide plan that is clear to our citizens.”