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Welsh Finance Minister Ken Skates gave a briefing on the coronavirus outbreak in Wales today (Wednesday 13 May).
Here is a summary of what he had to say:
Returned nations must be “significantly” included in licensing plan discussions
Speaking at the Welsh government press conference this afternoon, Skates said the magnitude of the economic challenge Wales faced in moving forward was “enormous at best.”
Wales has the highest proportion of companies applying for the license plan without permission at 74%, compared to 67% in England, he said.
Skates praised the scheme that was “essential to allow large parts of the economy to hibernate during the crisis,” adding that “none of the delegated governments had the fiscal firepower to provide the support provided by the job retention scheme.” .
(Image: Ian Cooper / North Wales Live)
If Chancellor Rishi Sunak had not announced a four-month extension, “it would have had devastating consequences for the Welsh economy,” he said.
“Now we must ensure that the scheme, particularly the phase between August and October, works for Welsh companies.”
Mr Skates said the Welsh government’s message to Westminster was to involve Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland at this time so that “we can all plan and move forward together with confidence.”
Social distancing is “absolutely vital” to resume public transport services.
The minister also said that while people in England had been advised to avoid public transport, “that was certainly not our message here in Wales,” as it “raises social justice issues,” noting that one in five people does not own a car.
But Skates said public transportation capacity would be about 15% of what it was before the pandemic and that measures would be required to manage demand.
He said there had to be a “fundamental look at how we shape our economy” with a focus on “blocking generational changes” that could make more people work from home to reduce the amount of nonessential travel.
Failure to use public transportation would make “modal change and decarbonization” necessary to tackle climate change “more difficult in the long term,” he added.
“Social distancing will be absolutely vital to resume more public transport services. While we would never tell people to avoid public transport, it will be necessary to ensure that we manage demand.”
He said the government was seeking to prioritize public transportation for key workers, encouraging greater advance booking of travel, staggering patterns of change in the public sector and encouraging companies to do so, and encouraging more remote work.
“If you cannot comply with social distancing, you must not carry out [property] visualizations “
When asked if people could now move into their home in Wales, as residents of England do, Skates said that people should continue to follow current regulations and guidance.
He said much of the legal sector was operating, “so that exchanges can take place,” but added that it was difficult to see properties where space in flats and houses was confined.
“It stands to reason that if you cannot comply with social distancing, you should not make visits,” he said.
He said these regulations would be reviewed on a “regular” basis.
The next Welsh Government press conference will be held at 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday May 13.
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