I attended the weekly Welsh Conservative virtual Shadow Cabinet meeting, at which Conwy Council’s Leader provided a Covid19 update, including the North Wales Economic Ambition Board’s focus on supporting our tourism sector and wider North Wales economy.
During Wednesday’s virtual Welsh Parliament Plenary meeting, I raised concerns with the Finance Minister that while the Top-up Business Grant scheme announced by the UK Government for England includes grants to Bed and Breakfast businesses that pay domestic rates rather than business rates, the Welsh Government omitted this when it extended its Covid-19 grants scheme. These businesses are a mainstay of the North Wales economy, but owners have warned they will cease trading without this grant.
With the Welsh Government receiving £35 million of the £750m charity support announced by the UK Government, including £1.7 million from the extra to support survivors of domestic abuse, sexual violence and modern slavery, and help vulnerable children and young people, and £12 million in consequence of the £200 million for hospices in England, I also challenged the Finance Minister over how much of this the charities providing these specialist services in Wales will receive.
I called on the Welsh Government to respond to the call by Consumer Champion ‘Which?’ for the Governments across the UK to urgently coordinate their approach after finding that 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 during lockdown.
Taking part in the Coronavirus scrutiny session with the Welsh Government’s Deputy Minister and Chief Whip during the virtual meeting of the Welsh Parliament’s Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee, I questioned her about the increased barriers being encountered by disabled people - including blind and partially sighted people struggling to shop and Autistic pupils denied access to school Hubs – and about funding for charities providing domestic and elder abuse support services across Wales.
Following the Welsh Government’s amendments to its Covid-19 “Staying at home and away from others” guidance, I attended a ‘Zoom’ briefing by the North Wales Police Chief Constable on how these will affect North Wales.
I had a video meeting with representatives of holiday park businesses to discuss their proposals for easing the economic and social impact of Covid-19 by enabling Holiday Parks to reopen in a phased approach, helping to protect local jobs and the economy.
Other virtual meetings included Bangor University’s Vice-Chancellor and ‘Fair Vote UK’.
Stay safe, and if you need my help, email Mark.Isherwood@senedd.wales or call 0300 200 7219.