A view from Clwyd South’s Member of the Senedd

Wrexham.com has invited Wrexham & Clwyd South Members of Parliament and Members of the Senedd to write a monthly article with updates on their work in Parliament and the Senedd, and closer to home. (You can view an archive here).

Clwyd South MS Ken Skates writes…

All non-essential retail businesses in Wales can now open as part of new steps announced by the First Minister which come into force today. It was the main change at the heart of the package of measures to further unlock coronavirus restrictions, get Wales moving and begin to move daily life into the amber zone on the Welsh Government’s traffic light system.

We plan to lift ‘stay local’ rules by July 6 as long as the number of new cases continues to fall over the next two weeks.

I am acutely aware of the pressure on businesses during this crisis, which is why I was particularly pleased to see the First Minister put parts of our crucial tourism sector on standby to reopen after the next review of restrictions on July 9.

The reason the Welsh Government has not set arbitrary dates throughout this crisis is to avoid what we have seen in England, where the UK Government has repeatedly been forced into U-turns by making announcements and then not being able to implement them. We put non-essential retail businesses on standby to reopen several weeks ago, as we did with parts of the tourism sector on Friday. But we have a duty to ensure it is safe to do so, as – apart from the risk to public health – reopening businesses and then being forced to close them again because of a new peak would inflict further, even more severe, damage on our economy.

As a result of the cautious approach the Welsh Government has taken, the R rate is now below England and Scotland and the mortality rate owing to Covid-19 is also lower in North Wales than England. That enables us to restart sectors of the economy with the clear message to consumers and customers that Wales is the UK’s safe place, which will be significant in stimulating economic activity.

Other changes from this week include restarting the housing market, restrictions being lifted on some outdoor sports and hairdressers planning to reopen by appointment in three weeks. You can find an updated Q&A on the changes here: https://gov.wales/coronavirus-regulations-changes-monday-22-june

The Welsh Government is continuing discussions with the UK Treasury and will continue to make the case for every penny of our £500 payment to carers to go to people who have made such a vital contribution during the pandemic.

The First Minister recently said the payment would be extended to help more people in recognition of their work on the frontline of the coronavirus crisis. It now applies to staff such as cooks and cleaners, as well as nursing staff employed by care homes.

Sadly, the UK Government decided not to waive the tax. We continue to push for them to do the right thing.

Our social care workers are providing an exceptional service – an exception should be made. If you agree, you can sign our petition here: https://www.welshlabour.wales/let-our-carers-keep-every-penny/

More locally, I am continuing to work with councillor David Bithell with regard to Hafod Quarry.

I called for urgent talks with Natural Resources Wales after my previous plea for the site not to reopen until an investigation had been carried out and concluded fell on deaf ears. We subsequently held a virtual meeting earlier this month.

As well as the fire service investigation, we were told there is an ongoing NRW investigation which is looking into Enovert’s adherence to their permit and whether conditions have been breached.

I look forward to the results being made public as soon as possible. In the meantime, Cllr Bithell and I will continue to ensure local voices are heard.

My constituency office remains closed, but I am still here to help. If you need advice or support, please email [email protected] and include your full home address and contact number.

You can find useful information about coronavirus support on my website: http://www.kenskates.co.uk/en/update-on-covid-19/ and regular updates on my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/KenSkatesMS

To stay up to date with Welsh Government coronavirus news and my work in Clwyd South, you can also subscribe to my e-newsletters and get them emailed direct to your inbox: www.kenskates.co.uk/en/newsletter-signup/

Wrexham.com has invited Wrexham & Clwyd South Members of Parliament and Members of the Senedd to write a monthly article with updates on their work in Parliament and the Senedd, and closer to home. (You can view an archive here).