 Yd tradersiaf yn ysgoloddiad eraill mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei fod yn s reciprocal. Rwy'n bod yn rhoi clywed bryd cyfwysgol, mae'r oes yn oes at ffordd am fy wneud. Felly mae'r brif yn ni'n newid ar yblyg gyda i'r brif. Mae'r llweidiaeth yma yn rhoi'r rhaglaeth iddynt iawn ymrydau rhaglaeth ymrydau. Mae'r r parenth sy'n iawn i'r ddechrau i ysgoloddiad. Oherwydd, rydyn ni'n meddwl beth yw'r ddefnyddio mor hynny o'r ddull wealth o ddweud o'r 21-day review. Roeddwn ni'n meddwl ymlaen, rydyn ni'n meddwl ychydig o'r gweithio'r cyfrifol ifanc i'w wneud y byddai'r wych yn rhoi'r cyfnodig. Roeddwn ni'n meddwl â'r ddweud o'r slygu, ac iddynt yn ffordd i ni'n meddwl. The first slide shows cases in Wales based on the number of people who have had a positive PCR test. You can clearly see the large Omicron peak which rose rapidly and fell just as quickly over the Christmas and New Year period. Three weeks ago the trend was increasing very slightly as we saw a rise in infections when children and young people returned to school. But since then, infection levels have started to fall and on this measure are declining. But at around 400 cases per 100,000 they are still high. We can't only rely on these case rates because of the changes that we've made to the testing regime. These case rates are based on positive PCR tests. The many asymptomatic people who have tested positive using a lateral flow test alone will not be included in these figures. The figures though do help to give an indication of the trend in case numbers. But we also need to look at a wider range of measures to see how the pandemic is behaving here in Wales. The ONS coronavirus infection survey is a useful indicator and can show us what's happening across all four nations in the UK. So the second slide that is now up shows the very latest results in that survey. In Wales, which is shown by the red line, 4% or about 1 in 25 people were infected in the first week of February. Cases are folding in Wales once again. You can see higher levels and rising levels of infections in other parts of the UK, but particularly in Northern Ireland. It's not clear why levels of infection are so much higher in Northern Ireland at present. There have been some reports that the current surge there is being caused by a sub variant of Omicron called BA2. Cases of this even more transmissible form of Omicron have been identified in all parts of the UK and to date there have been 246 cases here in Wales. So we will of course continue to keep a very close eye on this emerging development. The pandemic pressures on our hospitals remain constant. There are just under 1,100 COVID-19 related patients in hospital at the moment and there are 16 people with COVID-19 in intensive care. Sickness and absence rates across the NHS have fallen from the peak last month, but workforce issues continue to have an impact on our health services contributing to wider winter pressures. Very sadly, almost every day, Public Health Wales continue to report the deaths of people with coronavirus. My thoughts continue to be with all the families who are grieving the loss of a loved one at this time. This week the Welsh Government has carried out the first three-week review of the coronavirus regulations since we moved to alert level zero at the end of January. We will remain at alert level zero for the next three weeks. We've looked carefully at all the protective measures that we have in place at the moment and whether they are still needed. Throughout the pandemic we've worked hard to ensure that protections and measures that we have put in place are proportionate to the public health risk that we face. The improving public health position in Wales, together with the ongoing success of our vaccination programme, means that we can now begin to gradually and carefully relax some of the protections that we have in place at alert level zero. We will not be removing all of the protective measures at once. While we can be confident that cases of coronavirus are falling, that doesn't mean that it's gone away. So we'll start this process next week by removing the requirement to show a COVID-19 pass to enter large indoor and outdoor events, nightclubs, cinemas, theatres and concert halls. That means on the 18th of February, next Friday, it will no longer be a legal requirement to show a COVID pass in Wales. But if venues and events want to continue using COVID passes, then they can. People like me who are going to Tomorrow's Wales with a Scotland game will still need to show a COVID pass. Please make sure you've downloaded or printed your pass before going to the Principality Stadium. The COVID pass will continue to be used for international travel. Please check the entry requirements for the country that you're travelling to before booking your travel arrangements. From the 28th of February, we will remove the requirement for face coverings to be worn in indoor public places, apart from retail, public transport and health and care settings. We've also updated our guidance to make it clear that adults can remove their face coverings when they're interacting with babies and small children at baby and toddler groups. If the public health position continues to improve, we hope to be able to remove the requirement to wear face coverings by the end of March. Schools should plan to return to operating in line with the local decisions framework immediately after half term. Face coverings will no longer routinely be required in classrooms, but they should continue to be worn in communal areas in secondary schools. We've also carefully considered the rules around self-isolation, and these will remain in place in Wales. Self-isolation is still an important way of breaking the chain of transmission of the virus and preventing more people from becoming infected. We're able to make these changes because cases of coronavirus are falling in Wales, and that's thanks to your help. You followed the rules, you followed the public health advice, and you protected yourself and your loved ones. As we look towards the future, let's keep working together to help keep Wales safe. Thank you all very much. I'll now take questions and journeys. As usual, all the answers will be broadcast live on our social media channels. The first question today is from Amelia Belly at BBC Wales. Good afternoon, Minister. We're looking ahead now to a situation where the law will say that you're no longer required to wear a mask, but will you still be advising people to wear masks, and what situations will you personally continue to wear a mask when it's no longer a legal requirement? When we remove the mask wearing requirements from the 28th of February from a range of places where it's still a legal requirement, there'll still be guidance recommending that people wear face coverings where they can do when they're indoors or around large crowds of people. For my own point of view, I'm at the moment going to a limited number of events. I occasionally have to do the shopping, so I'll continue to wear a face covering because it'll be required in retail in any event. When I'm out and about and going to the rugby this weekend, I'll continue to wear a face covering in communal areas unless and until we're outdoors or eating or drinking, so I'm going to continue to do what I think the right thing is, and it's not about protecting me, it's about protecting others in exactly the way the First Minister is isolating today to protect other people in exactly the way that I did when I didn't feel particularly on myself when I was isolating, but I knew it was important to protect other people, and that's exactly what people in Wales have done so consistently in the last two years. And you've always said that you, as a government, have a cautious approach to tackling COVID, so why then did you this morning in interviews say that you're contemplating scrapping the self-isolation law? What scientific advice are you getting on ending on the legal requirement to end self-isolation and why do you think coronavirus will be safe enough by that point to do this? Well, I think you've answered the question with your last point. The changes we've made today come on the back of the Welsh Government consulting our advisers, attack our scientific expert advisers, the chief medical officer and the advice we get from Public Health Wales, and that advice supports the gradual approach that we're outlining today. We're anticipating that by the next review at the start of March we may be in a position to remove the last remaining protective measures by the end of March. But that, of course, depends on the evidence at the time and on the expert public health advice that we get. So we'll consider those points at that review point and we'll only take that step if it's a proportionate thing to do and if you have public health advice to support doing so. And that's the approach we've always taken, of course. That stands in contrast with other approaches that are available in different parts of the UK. Thank you very much for your questions today, Amelia. The next question is from Bronwyn Weatherby from the Press Association. From now on, Prime Minister. I wanted to ask why wait until February 18 to end Covid pass rules and the 28th to lift the need for face masks in certain public spaces? What is the scientific basis for waiting until then rather than doing it now? And similarly to the previous question, do you think people will ditch masks completely as soon as they are no longer mandatory? OK, so on the Covid pass, we've again considered the evidence and advice we've had about the impact they've had. And of course there was a major European study showing that Covid passes have been an overall positive in terms of both vaccine take-up but also preventing transmission and keeping businesses open. But it's all about the balance and when it's proportionate to carry on with measures that we recognise are an intrusion into the normal liberties and the choices that we would make as ordinary citizens. So next week, we'll be able to lift those and it also gives businesses where the pass is in place now time to make sure that they're in good order to make sure they no longer have the pass requirements in place and to make sure their own systems are up to speed. When it comes to 28 February, again it's the same point. Lifting the restrictions around face coverings in a number of settings at that point comes in the back of reviewing the evidence and the balance of everything we're trying to do. And that's why you can expect to see the scientific advice published next week as we've done regularly throughout the pandemic. It's why I'll have a summary of the chief medical officer advice as well supporting the gradual approach that we expect to take. And on that approach, I think that deals with your final point which is do I think people will continue to wear face coverings? Well, I think lots of people still will even when the Lord doesn't require them to do so. We know from the polling evidence that not only is the gradual approach to the Welsh Government supported by people in Wales in overwhelming numbers but a majority of people in England prefer the Welsh approach too. And if anything, people are more concerned that we're moving too quickly. So this is about moving in time with the advice we get taking the public with us and being honest about the fact that this really is supported by the latest public health advice. Okay, thank you. And you said today that you're quite surprised by Boris Johnson's announcement that he plans to scrap self-isolation rules early. If the self-isolation rules do diverge and Wales keeps a requirement to self-isolate, if positive, an England scraps it. How do you think that could affect people and businesses, particularly those in border towns? And do you think the Welsh Government should be working closer with the UK Government to make sure regulations in Wales and England don't unnecessarily diverge and impact people who work and live across both nations? So we've had various points in the pandemic where there have been slightly different requirements between Wales and England. We, of course, regularly get asked what will happen as people cross the border. I think people have got used to the fact that there have been occasionally some differences between the two countries. On this, it's very clear, though, the laws of Wales apply when you're in Wales. So if you come across a border from England, then if you are tested positive, then you are required to self-isolate. Now, I don't know if that's difficult or complicated to understand. Actually, I would struggle to think of a single business that would want to say to someone, if you have recently tested positive for coronavirus and if you're likely to be infectious, that business would want you to come into the workplace alongside other workers and potentially the public as well. I don't know if it would be a particularly good advert for that business itself, but in any event, the law is very clear here in Wales. And when it comes to the two governments, or indeed the four governments of the UK working closer, we have always wanted to be able to work alongside all of the other governments. When we've had alignment on our rules in timing and content, I know it's easy for the public to understand and to do the right thing. But we can hardly align and work more closely together when we are ambushed by surprise changes. The Prime Minister didn't speak to the First Minister before going into the preamble for Prime Minister's questions and announcing a move that took many people by surprise. I was on question time with George Eustis last night, and it was pretty obvious that he didn't know about the change before the Prime Minister went into the House of Commons. When previous major changes have happened, there's normally been a conversation between the four health ministers across the UK. There's normally been some kind of conversation between the chief medical officers of the UK and the four chief medical officers didn't discuss and agree this in advance, and there's normally been some kind of advice from Sage rehearsing or running through the advice. Now, Sage themselves were surprised. So, when it comes to a surprise measure being made, the real issue is why is England doing this on their own? Why has the Prime Minister chosen to go it alone in a surprise announcement immediately before Prime Minister's questions? Well, you need to ask him why that is. I can be clear our changes in Wales come in the back of whole government discussion and the clear advice of our chief medical officer. Thanks for questions, Bronwyn. The next question is Adrian Masters from ITV Wales. Thank you, Minister, and picking up from your last answer, really, which is the political decision making, given everything that you've just said and also given your frustration of being surprised as you put it. Will you even so reconsider your own timetable in the light of what's happening, given that the majority of people on these islands are likely to be following different rules? Will you reconsider or is there a case that you, as a Welsh Government, are being different for the sake of being different? Now, England is different to the rest of the UK. That's what's happened here. England have chosen in a genuinely surprise move to signal something that might happen within a few weeks. Now, as I spoke earlier, the great majority of people in Wales are supported, the broad approach the Welsh Government has taken, and we've always published the evidence and advice that underpins the choices that we as Ministers have made. I don't think the public will continue to support the approach that we take if we decided to take the Prime Minister's surprise announcement without public health evidence being available to underpin that choice. Instead of the advice we get from our scientific advisers, Public Health Wales, and the Chief Medical Officer, I think people in Wales are much more comfortable knowing that this Government, at least, is taking seriously the advice of the Chief Medical Officer publishing that advice and allowing people to see the advice we get and how it underpins and supports the choices that the Welsh Government continues to make to help keep Wales safe. Thank you. You'll notice I'm not in the living room, this is not my usual backdrop anyway, I promise. But I am here at a nightclub because, as has been so often the case, we're talking about the impact on hospitality, the impact on those businesses, something that I know that you take a particular interest in it with your Economy Minister hat on. We have heard from some hospitality businesses that only a small proportion of the economic resilience funding has actually been distributed. They claim it could be as low as 10 million pounds out of 120 million pounds earmarked and they worry that it's because the threshold was too high, was set too high at something like, you had to show takings were down by at least 50%. So will you look again at the rules and can you guarantee that any of that end spent money will go to the hospitality industry? I met a range of businesses yesterday, Asian, including people from the hospitality sector and they were broadly positive about the changes that we've announced today and they're optimistic about people going out to use their business. Actually they were most concerned in many ways about the cost of living crisis, what will do for their businesses, but also potential customers. Now we've actually put out 45 million pounds between the relief that we provided through local authorities and indeed the economic resilience fund. There are applications in that are being processed and more money is going to go out and be paid. If there is money left over from the 120 million pounds we've made available, then we will of course consider how we can further support businesses and other Welsh government priorities, but you'll know we've got a range of pressures on our budgets and many businesses have been very clear with us. They want stability in their future trading period and they want to know for themselves and their customers that it's safe to come out and use their businesses and that's what I think we're providing today. There's caution but there's also real optimism about the future as well and I hope that helps businesses to plan and for people to enjoy those businesses safely and responsibly and I look forward to hearing what you are doing in a nightclub in the middle of the day. The next set of questions comes from Mark Smith at Wales Online. Thank you very much indeed Minister. There are reports that the UK government no longer wants to fund free lateral flow tests and may charge in future. Has the Welsh government and you as the economy minister looked in any detail at how much it would cost to continue providing them for free here? As the economy is, I haven't looked at that. I know that if we were to provide lateral flow tests without UK purchasing, without them being made available it would be a significant dent in our budget and that would have to come out of other priorities. We don't have a budget allocation to do that. We had questions earlier about whether governments can work more closely together. This is a good example that a government should be working closely together not having nameless anonymised briefings being made that these things may happen. Ending free lateral flow tests I think would be a really significant mistake. If you think about people who are less likely to afford to pay for their tests they are likely to get tests in any event. Those sectors are already affected and are likely to be hit harder. Because coronavirus is still in circulation that doesn't seem like the sensible thing to be doing at this point. If we do reach a point where we know the need for free lateral flow tests to be available it should come on the back of discussion between the governments but also properly informed public health advice to all four governments as well. It's better available to the public so they know this isn't simply being driven by a penny pinching chancellor and it's actually all about doing the right thing at that stage in coronavirus's journey across our islands. Thank you very much indeed. I understand Wales is now the only UK nation that doesn't count lateral flow tests in its reporting of daily infection rates. There are also reports that the UK government is considering putting the plug on funding for the ONS infection survey. With these two things in mind is the Welsh government concerned at all that it will not have enough data going forward to carry out proper surveillance of COVID rates here? On not counting lateral flow tests we are always really clear as I showed in the first graph today those are the PCR tests only. We do also make available the lateral flow test figures showing the number of people that get a lateral flow test. You'll understand this from your own role as a health reporter looking at data mark that we haven't been able to deduplicate the figures so that means some people have had a positive lateral flow test will then go on to get a PCR test as well. So we're potentially double counting and misrepresenting the figures. What the PCR tests do show though is they do show the trend of where we are and you'll see that also supported by the ONS infection survey. Again that shows cases are declining in Wales slightly rising in other parts of the UK. It would be a significant gap in our intelligence and understanding what is happening with coronavirus if the ONS survey was defunded by the UK government and again that should not be a conversation that takes place with anonymised briefing to the media there should be a proper conversation between the governments of the UK and understanding if there is a case to stop the survey if there is public health advice supporting doing that and we may well get to a point in time over the coming months where it is the right thing to do that certainly isn't the point now and I think it's very unhelpful for this kite to have been flown in the way it has been by whoever it is around the UK government doing so. We think the ONS survey is really important not just for us but for other governments in the UK to see what's happening and crucially for the public too to see the impact of coronavirus around the UK. Thank you Mark. I said a question to some Dan Bevan at LBC. Thank you Minister, good afternoon. The mask mandate has been in place pretty much since the beginning of the easing out of the first wave. Now you're signalling that it could come to an end next month. Is this the first sign that the Welsh Government policy is now moving to living with Covid and perhaps even a message to those who are unvaccinated that you've given them the opportunity now to have the jab to stand to all of us to make your own choices as exactly how to best protect yourself? Well I'd say to anyone who isn't vaccinated or is under vaccinated it's never too late. Please do come forward, gain protection for yourself and people around you. As I said earlier in the presentation unfortunately every week there are still people who lose their lives with Covid so the harm is still there and Covid hasn't gone away. The vaccination is a really significant protection and that's one of the reasons we're able to ease some of the public protection measures both today that we've announced but also the discussion we'll have at the start of March. So yes I do hope we can continue to look forward and that Covid will definitely be in the rear view mirror. I'm looking forward to having normal conversations with business groups about supporting the growth and recovery of the economy and not emergency measures that are necessary because of the public health situation but I do think the phrase living with Covid means different things to different people. Some people see that phrase as simply no kind of measures at all and we've had that urging from parties within the Senate to do so at a much earlier point and we can be confident that if we'd done that we'd have seen more harm. More harm in terms of the direct harm of Covid fewer staff able to staff our public services fewer staff able to work in the economy but for me, I think it living with Covid is as much of what we've had to do in the last two years the steps you've had to take at various points in time the freedoms we've been able to regain the freedoms I'm anxious to see return so the government doesn't have to take intrusive measures at all I hope that in the future living with Covid will be something that is much milder and better for all of us we can't yet anticipate exactly what that will look like we still need to learn to understand the evidence but I certainly do hope the next coming months will be much more positive and optimistic for all of us staff. Thank you and of course as we move out of one crisis with the pandemic we move into another with the cost of living just to clarify because of course there's been a to and fro between Welsh Government and UK Government on funding how much funding do you expect the Welsh Government to get in order to ease the pressure on families that are already struggling do you believe that it's enough and how much do you think that you will need? Okay so next week we'll set out our package of support we've committed to provide further support on top of the more than 50 million pounds package we've already announced to help families who we know are struggling with the cost of living crisis that went in so it will get worse, not better in eight before a number of reasons there isn't really much confusion down over the money the undeniable truth is there'll be no extra money for Wales the headline in the press release from the Treasury that there'd be £180 million extra simply isn't true there'll be no extra money what's happened is there's been a headline announcement of more money coming to Wales and at the same time by coincidence exactly the same amount of money isn't coming to Wales in other areas of devolved spend we've been given with one hand whilst our pocket has been pitched with the other and that's really disappointing and that isn't what the Treasury said was going to happen it isn't what our finance minister was told directly but if you believe that is a simple coincidence then I have a very fine bridge to sell you down thank you very much for the questions I've now got Rupert Evelin from ITV National thank you Minister can I just ask I know that most people recognise there's an awful lot of politics being played here by the Welsh Government in reference to what the minister said in terms of the removal of restrictions just putting that sort of aside for one minute do you actually envisage a time where the Welsh Government will be in a similar place and all restrictions will be set aside well I just reject your point that there's plenty of politics being played by the Welsh Government we're pointing out it was a surprise it was done immediately before Prime Minister's questions without any consultation with us as a Government with no consultation between the four chief medical officers of the UK with no kind of meeting or discussion between the four health ministers and I know of my own time as a health minister during the pandemic there were regular conversations between health ministers about major changes at various points in the pandemic accelerating this change has not happened with the benefit of advice from SAGE to do so and it's not happened with any of those normal measures taking place now about those the facts other people will judge of course why that's happening in different parts of the UK I can say to anyone and everyone the measures we are taking are on the back of expert scientific advice and public health advice from our chief medical officer and we'll continue to take that advice as we do look forward to a time when there could be no restrictions in place it's possible that will come at the end of March if the public health position remains positive so we're looking forward to that we'll have to undertake our review at the start of March to do so and at that point we'll be able to tell people what the confirmed choices will be for Wales we've been regular and predictable in the way we've made choices here in Wales and I think that is part of the reason why the public here are so overwhelmingly supportive of the approach that we have taken throughout the last two years okay thank you and if I may with your just with your economy minister hat on in May last year you said that all the due diligence had been done in terms of money given to Liberty Steel now we learn that HMRC wants to wind up Liberty Steel do you stand by that statement? Yes there's no reason for me to hold to the statement I made at the time the challenge is for Liberty Steel and its trading environment don't actually reflect on the due diligence for the support that we've provided to it in the past we want to see Steel have a healthy and positive future we want to see the jobs that are there the high quality jobs and the jobs that rely on Steel production at Liberty and elsewhere within Wales continue it's why we place such importance in the talks that are now finally taking place between the UK and the US on the Steel tariffs that are still in place in relation to UK Steel much of which is produced here in Wales so I'm still very keen and very clear on there being a positive future for Steel making here in Wales and we look to help support those companies to have a healthy future with their workforce Thank you Rupert The next set of questions is from Lily Huwtson from GB News Thank you Minister Firstly as Covid passes will soon no longer be required but businesses can implement them if they want to If a customer doesn't have a Covid pass or doesn't want to show one can they still be stopped from entering that vicinity? Yes just as the entry requirements for any business I do remember what it was like to be young and I remember going to places where there were dress code requirements you know you couldn't wear certain shoes or your code of dress so it's up to the venue itself if they have conditions on tickets and entry then they're entitled to do that and for some of them even before we introduced Covid passes as a legal requirement for a range of ticketed events the Covid pass was part of that business itself to decide to do so and I know a number of people may still opt to do that and that is up to that business and they will be entitled to do so And what is the science behind keeping masks in place in shops in particular but not having them in places like nightclubs and cinemas where you are close to people Well apart from anything else the business model is somewhere like a nightclub the whole point of it is you don't socially distance with people who can't keep a distance there aren't other controls you can have in place and also because it's essentially a hospitality venue as well and you'll be drinking at various points in a nightclub as well When you go into retail many of those settings they're not quite so discretionary people have to go into them and if you're someone who is immunosuppressed and concerned about what will happen if other people aren't wearing face coverings we know that you're more likely to meet those people in those venues and settings and again it's about taking a gradual approach to easing the mask wearing requirements so removing them in a range of settings and understanding if that has an impact on the spread of the virus with the other measures we've taken and if we do get to the point where we can see that we're still in a positive position we can look forward to a decision that we'll have to make then on whether mask wearing in those other parts of our life can also be safely removed so it's a positive forward look that we have and we'll continue to take appropriate public health advice and as I've said several times to make sure that's available to the public when we make our decisions Thank you Lily The next set of questions is from Alan Evans from Tlenetli Online Thank you Minister A lot of questions on the economy it would be good to have this kind of facility going forward as we sort of see the two cars passing Covid and the economy here The Howell Dda University Health Board Annual Report 2021 makes for miserable reading a summary of the risks identified as having the potential to impact delivery of essential services have been exasperated due to Covid-19. We hear of insufficient laboratory testing capacity available to meet the significant rising demand for Covid-19 tests the public being unable to book testing locally if at all and delays up to 10 days for test results serious implications for the TTP programme. We hear of an overwhelmed NHS and social care system and the impact on the quality of care provided significant clinical deterioration of patients, delays in care and poor outcomes, increased incidents of a serious nature relating to ambulance handover delays at the front door and delayed ambulance response to community emergency calls Obviously we understand from the report that some of the items mentioned in the risks have been resolved or mitigated but many remain. My question is, is the Welsh Government scrutinising these reports to see what lessons can be learnt and what can be done to help mitigate the existing high risks that still exist within our health service? Well so annual reports are helpful to both look backwards to understand the risks that we've had and how they've been managed but also to inform future planning but this time in the year I was a health minister for seven successive winters and I know it's a really challenging time but actually the report looks back through the Covid pandemic at some of our most difficult times when the health and care systems was under tremendous strain and you'll remember the requirements that we all had to live through the measures we had to take to keep each other safe but throughout that there were people in our health and care systems were going in every day to work under tremendous pressure so it's no surprise that it sets out some of those very real challenges and how our health service had to change and alter to be able to cope with the demand that was coming in. We're now seeing it have to cope with the demand that is coming in post the pandemic as we reach the end stage of it so that's why the health minister Alun Ed Morgan has set out the help that's already being invested to help deal with the backlog the further help and support for urgent and emergency care alongside health boards to understand what we can do to further support them now this is, I know that being the health minister is not an easy challenge it's not a straightforward challenge being a chief exec of one of our health boards either we need to be able to work together to support our staff and equally to support the public with a health care need that we know is coming towards us to try and manage that as best as possible and to address the backlog the health minister will of course be setting up more of those plans as we move into the future and of course the budget that we published and there were a budget debate this week does set out that we continue to invest heavily in the future of our health and care system exactly as I expect the people of Wales expect exactly as I suspect the little lovely online viewers and readers expect to with that in mind then the report also says that the health boards imaging equipment requires significant periods of urgent and planned maintenance creating downtime in use which puts significant pressures on all diagnostic resulting in delays for some patients in diagnosis and treatment the Welsh Government has agreed funding for one new CT scanner and one new MRI scanner in 2022 out of five scanners they require given the government is investing over 8 billion in green infrastructure my question is what is the cost of a scanner or five in comparison and will you be looking at making up the deficit for the board now on funding for individual health boards that is obviously a matter for the health minister and the budget choices that she has to make in managing the budget that the centre has agreed my understanding is we invested over 18 million pounds in additional replacement imaging capacity for how old are this financial year and next we can of course provide with a breakdown of that investment if that is helpful either from us or from the health boards you can understand the direct support we provided as a government and how the health board is managing its own resources to address the need for updated imaging equipment I recognise it's an essential part of health and care treatment for a range of conditions so I'm more than happy to make sure we can provide that information to you thank you Alan and our last question today is from Harry Hansen from That's TV south Wales thank you good afternoon minister Dr Simon Williams of Swansea University has today pointed out that over a third of a million children are currently missing school due to self-isolation and one in ten teachers are also absent he goes on to say that this is down to the government not being clear enough on the rules around vaccinating children do you agree with this no I think that the rules and the off-run vaccination is really very clear if you look at what we've done we've always followed the JCVI advice the JCVI the expert committee that advises every government in the UK on when to vaccinate and who to vaccinate and for COVID of course they're also going to advice on the order to vaccinate people to get to the people most likely to be harmed first now the really good news for children and young people is that they've been in the category of people least likely to suffer harm but there are some children of course who are more vulnerable children who are severely immunodepressed with particular conditions that make them vulnerable now when we got advice to vaccinate them they were offered vaccination and we're making good progress with that group of children and young people when it comes to vaccination there over 12 the offer is there there are people going through as well so I don't think the rules or the offer is difficult to understand at all we've got to work with children themselves and their parents so they understand the vaccination they're being offered and why we think it's the right thing to do and to make it as easily available as possible and that's certainly what we're trying to do here in Wales Thank you and moving on to a slightly different point as economy minister I wanted to turn your attention to some extremely staggering images of really really long cues at a Swansea food bank earlier this week the Trustal Trust have actually reported that there's been a 103% increase in food bank demand in Swansea city do you think the Welsh Government are doing enough to tackle this? Well I think we're doing all we can to help people the cost of living crisis it doesn't make me proud at all that food bank use has increased so very much over the last decade we're one of the wealthiest countries in the world across the UK and yet people who are in work still have to seek support from food banks at various points in time as well as people who aren't in work as well so this is a really big challenge getting worse not better and it's why the Welsh Government is so concerned about the cost of living crisis that is coming because more families will face more of those choices between heating and eating and it's exactly what should not happen in Wales or any other part of the UK I think that next week people will see how seriously this Government takes it when we announce our package of support to help deal with the cost of living crisis my concern though is more will need to be done and that will require the UK Government to invest more in supporting people in the greatest level of need who have not caused this cost of living crisis but are directly at the sharpest end of it and it's very hard to see the Prime Minister and Prime Minister's questions this week spend so much time and energy on defending oil and gas companies and making huge profits when they're saying that they're business like a cash machine and they don't know how they're going to be able to spend all the money and it's extraordinary to defend them and their businesses and not to take action that would help our most vulnerable citizens and families to deal with the crisis that is taking place on his watch Thanks for your time everyone I look forward to seeing you in the future but more than that I look forward to the First Minister returning to his duties at the end of his isolation period Many thanks to you all