North Wales MS Mark Isherwood has warned that the Welsh Government’s delay in re-opening the economy has been damaging to the fragile Welsh economy.
Mr Isherwood made the comments when closing yesterday’s Welsh Conservative ‘COVID-19 Economy’ Debate in the Welsh Parliament, in which Welsh Conservative members called on the Welsh Parliament to recognise that the coronavirus pandemic is both a public health and an economic emergency, and on the Welsh Government to establish a Covid Community Recovery Fund to provide targeted economic support for those communities most adversely affected by the pandemic.
The debate had been opened by the Leader of the Opposition in the Welsh Parliament , Paul Davies MS, who emphasised the high numbers of employees furloughed in Wales, the threat to jobs and the need to understand the challenges facing businesses, especially small and medium businesses. He also talked about the structural inequalities in Wales that haven't been tackled by the Welsh Government over more than two decades and the lack of clarity in support for the tourism sector, and called for a recovery plan to be agreed with the tourism sector and with public transport providers.
Speaking via ‘Zoom’ from his home in North Wales, Mr Isherwood said:
“The Welsh Government’s delay in re-opening the economy has been damaging to the fragile Welsh economy.
“Take Passenger Transport. Through the Confederation of Passenger Transport, the industry presented a proposal to the Welsh Government on 15th May which would enable operators to ramp up bus services, with full costings. They have still not received a considered official response.
“Wales is now the only country in the United Kingdom that has not agreed funding for transport operators to begin to ‘ramp up’ services to cover costs for additional services.
“Take our vital Bed and Breakfast sector. In England and Scotland, Grants are available to Bed and Breakfast operators who did not qualify for any other COVID-19 grant support schemes. In Wales, legitimate Bed and Breakfast businesses have been denied access to equivalent Grants.
“Take our crucial Housing Market. The Welsh Government has failed to open the housing market in Wales alongside the rest of the UK. Within Wales, viewings can only take place in vacant properties and house moves are only allowed where a sale has been agreed but not yet completed.
“Within England, people are allowed to sensibly view properties that are occupied, provided that initial viewings are done online, and that physical viewings only take place with serious buyers and are done by appointment only.
“Take Dental Practitioners. Dental practices in England have reopened with strict rules, but Dental Practitioners in Wales have told me that the Health Minister’s written response to me last week ‘can only be described as spin’ and that most of the Welsh Government’s statements from last week were undone rapidly over the weekend by further back tracking statements and a change of process.
“Take Holiday let businesses. The Welsh Government has announced that ‘self-catering businesses could reopen on 13 July as long as they adhere to the government guidelines. ….A decision will be taken about this at the next review of the regulations on 9 July’, and the Economy Minister, Ken Skates, told North Wales media that ‘comprehensive guidance has been put in place for the tourism and hospitality sector to ensure that…the sector can be restarted in a safe way’.
“However, self-catering businesses are telling me ‘I have just spoken to our Council and they don’t have the guidance’ and asking ‘What are the guidelines and where do I find them?’.
“Take our Town Centres. The ‘Centre for Towns’ found that Wales is the worst performing area of the UK with regards to its economic well-being, and that specific communities, including ex-industrial towns in parts of Wales, will need an effective support mechanism at a local level to support businesses plan their recovery strategies.”
The Welsh Conservative’s motion also called on the Welsh Parliament to note with concern the Centre for Towns report ‘Covid and our Towns’, which suggests that the economies of towns in the Valleys and on the North Wales coast will be among those hardest hit by the pandemic, and to welcome the economic benefits afforded to Wales as a result of being part of the United Kingdom during the pandemic, including funding for: the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, which is protecting 316,500 livelihoods in Wales, and the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme, which is helping 102,000 people in Wales.