 Yr unig iawn, ac rwy'n cael eu bod yn bwysig am gyda'r unig i chi i chi'n gwybod, nid i'ch sy'n gwybod gyda'r unig. Rwy'n cael ei wneud eu gwbl ydych chi'n cymdeithasio i gydag o'r byddwyr yng ngyreithio weithgawr i fynd i chi'r ymarfer y byddwyr ar y pandemig, ac yn ymwysig i'r byd, o'r llunau dechrau. Byddwch chi'n gweithio'r gweithio yw'r bydd yng Nghymru yn ymwyaf i'r Gweithio Unidol, mae'r byddwch yn ymylion 1.7 bilion ymddangos gyda'r cyflwyng ymddangos ym Ysgrifod ym Mhwysoedd UK yn ymwyaf. Efallai'n meddwl iawn gyda'r gweithio cyllidol ymddangos ymddangos yn ymweld o'r 13,000 ymddangos ymddangos ymddangos yma, ac yn ystafodio i gael bod hwnnw hwnnw 100,000 ysgol, sydd wedi gael ei ddweud y cwm yw'r cyfrifod. Rwyf yn ystafod, oedd y byd yma, rwyf wedi gweithio cyfle cyflos o ffas three o'r fund o'r rhesunwch cyflosol. Yr rhaid y ffordd rhaid, mae'n ddod am 300 miliwn, i gweithio ar gyfer yng Nghymru, yn ymddangos i ddeallu ar gyfer y ffyrwyr y ddod am ychydig gan hynny i gael i'n dweud i gael eisiau cyfrifod sy'n bwysig o'r rhan o'r Brexit transisiwn o'r cyffredin. Ond yw'r bobl sy'n gweithio o'r resulio arlau 3 os ymweld y ddweud yn dw i'r ffwrdd nifer. First, mae'n gwneud 200 miliwn pwysig o'r bobl cyffredin o'r gweithio ar gyfer mwylo'r gweithio, byddai gweithio'r bwysig o'r cyffredin o'r gweithio yn ei ddweud o'r gweithio ar gyfer mwylo'n cwilio yn gwneud. Celιο hwn yn fan, yn dweud datblygu'r 60,000 micro cyfnodwch iawn yn anhygoel gyda wirshol sy'n helpu gyda gael fod yn gwasanaeth gwasanaeth gweithreig i gydig i'r gwneud eu ceisio ar gyfer y gorffod yma. Rydym yn ffordd i sicrhau portau os ymddir ymddemol gwahanol yma. Yn yma, mae ym 100 miliwn cyfrannu perfyniad am yr ymddirdd ym eich sydd Hynny, y dylai'r llwyddon yw'r lluniau sy'n fawr yn ddechrau sydd hwnnw'n hynny. Mae hynny, wrth gyrfa wnaeth yma, yn ddiweddol ar gyfer y cwrthod argyn iawn o bainfod ar gyfer gyfanyddol, ond o'r gyrfa'r projeg sydd ffosfyrdd yma ymlaen o'r cyfansodd ac o'r brexitu hyffordd. Y cwrthod ar gyfansodd yma, mae'r cwrthod ar gyfer gyfansodd ar gyfansodd, dyfansodd ar y cyfansodd a'r cyfansodd ar gyfer y cyfansodd. Felly, we have therefore paused this part of the fund last Thursday as we have reached the indicative limit. But I want to be clear, this pause does not affect the larger element of the fund. The £200 million of lockdown business grants which remain available and are designed to provide the emergency support to get businesses through this immediate fire break. So, retail, leisure and hospitality businesses with rateable values between £12,000 and £51,000 are eligible for a £5,000 grant. Every business eligible for small business rates relief is eligible for a £1,000 grant combined with a discretionary £2,000 grant being available for those businesses forced to close by the fire break lockdown and with a rateable value of £12,000 or less. And there's a further £1,000 grant available to those businesses affected by local lockdown restrictions prior to the start of the fire break. All of this, some two thirds of the fund remains available to businesses in Wales and I'd encourage all businesses to take advantage of this help. In addition, we also have available a £25 million lockdown discretionary grant for businesses that are closed or material impacted but crucially which do not pay business rates. As well as of course £5 million additional help for individuals not protected by the UK government's job retention scheme. Now I'm pleased to announce that through the lockdown business funds so far more than £11 million has already been paid to businesses since the fire break was introduced supporting 7,500 people in work and this is only the beginning. We also continue to work with our partners in local authorities to expand the discretionary package of the lockdown funds being which are beginning to come under pressure in some areas. I should also make clear that this support is in addition to that on offer from the UK government. The job retention scheme and the self-employed income support scheme have both been enhanced in recent days and while I remain deeply concerned that these things were not done sooner and in a more equitable way for the devolved nations, they are nonetheless very welcome indeed. I note the commitment as well by the Prime Minister on November 2 that the furlough scheme will continue to be available wherever and whenever other parts of the UK decide to go into future lockdown measures and I look forward to considering the Chancellor's Statement later today. Now in regard to business grant payments we are working as hard and as quickly as we possibly can are, collective aim on both phases of support, the business development grants and the lockdown business grants is to process applications as soon as possible. Assessment of the business development grants has already commenced and the first payments will be made in the coming 10 days. In regard to the lockdown business grants and local discretionary support we have been clear that we want payments to be made within 30 days of the registration or application but again our aim is for payments to be processed as quickly as possible. Now I realise there are some who have been frustrated by our pause on business development grants but the eligibility checker for funds was open since October 9 on the Business Wales website and businesses were preparing to apply for some weeks. However it is clear the demand for these forward looking grants has been exceptionally high and we are also aware some may have perceived the fund as being for emergency support rather than preparing for the longer term. Applications I can assure you will be assessed on the basis of quality, not on the basis of first come, first served. I have seen some of the quality applications that have come through. A wedding business wanting to develop their premises to expand the number of people that they can host to increase their turnover and protect jobs. A tourism business able to renovate their property in a sustainable way to increase footfall and lower their energy bills. It's shown that despite the challenges of Covid many businesses have strong and creative ideas about how to position their firms coming out of this pandemic and to future proof their businesses for tomorrow and we want to support them in this work. I can tell you today that we are actively considering the economic position and how future packages of support can support our Covid response and the end of the transition period and I'm pleased to confirm my colleague finance minister has set aside funding for a fourth phase of the economic resilience fund to support businesses and employees. We are currently developing a mechanism for businesses to express interest in that fund in the coming weeks and we will keep businesses updated through Business Wales online. This will ensure that those businesses who have not yet been able to successfully apply for business development grants can continue to make plans for the future. But I want to be clear, this should also indicate to the UK government the scale of the challenge that we face. The greatest risk to the economy is in not doing enough, soon enough to support businesses, which is why we immediately mobilise Business Wales, the Development Bank of Wales and partners in local government at the outset of this pandemic, armed with the United Kingdom's most generous and comprehensive package of support here in Wales. We are doing everything we can as a devolved government to help businesses through these difficult times and to position it well for the future, but there is more the UK government can do to help in that task. Now I am sorry to have to report that I have been made aware of a number of instances over the past week where Business Wales helpline staff have not been subjected to verbal abuse and aggressive behaviour. This is utterly unacceptable and this repugnant behaviour I am afraid of people abusing people is apparent elsewhere as well in the health service for example, in shops and online. We are fighting this virus together, showing others a little courtesy and respect makes a big difference to people's emotional and mental resilience. Whether you are in the private sector, the public sector, the third sector, whether you are a nurse, you are a shop worker, a railway worker, a call centre worker, you deserve to be treated with respect and compassion, which brings me to the final matter I would like to share with you today. Coronavirus is causing many harms to our health, to our economy and to our mental health. The economic scars will take a concerted effort to heal, so too the emotional and mental scarring that so many people are experiencing. But before this crisis, we in Welsh government wanted better mental health to be a bigger consideration of employers and through the economic contract we encourage businesses to do as much as possible to support better mental and emotional health in the workforce. And we are now at the point of refreshing that economic contract and given the many harms caused by coronavirus we will ensure that improving mental health becomes an even more significant component of our something for something relationship with employers. Thank you and I'm happy to take questions beginning with Adrian Masters from ITB Wales. Good afternoon Adrian. Good afternoon Minister and thank you. I realise that you've been talking while the Chancellor's been speaking but you'll have some idea of what he's been announcing, which is that the furlough scheme will be extended until the end of March and will be available across the UK. Also that the UK government is increasing the Barnett guarantee to the devolved nations from 14 billion to 16 billion. The figure I understand for Wales is 600 million which would bring the extra Covid funding to 5 billion for this year. So I wonder whether you would like to add to your welcome from earlier on and acknowledge that the UK government has moved to meet your concerns and related to that. Is it enough to support companies who mainly do business with companies in England who will now be shut for a month and if not what extra support they need. Well thank you Adrian. Unfortunately the media appears briefed ahead of Welsh government ministers on the further support from UK government but I do welcome what appears to be an announcement that meets what the Welsh government has been calling for for some time and of course there is a necessity to support people for as long as it takes to get through the pandemic. So I would welcome the Chancellor's announcement today. Of course I'll be digesting the detail of the announcement and the implications for Wales but as I said in my statement the greatest risk to the economy to our well-being, our economic well-being is in doing too little and too late. So it's absolutely essential that the UK government if further support is needed brings it forward as soon as possible and I think it also shows the value today of a union of Great Britain and Northern Ireland working together to overcome the economic crisis of coronavirus. Now in regards to the support for businesses in Wales, the businesses that might rely on supply chains within England, of course through business Wales we are able to offer advice and support but our business grants are designed specifically for the purpose of supporting businesses during our firebreak period but also in the longer term those business development grants are designed to future proof businesses to get them through the longer term and to become more resilient and more efficient. And to be able to thrive in the future, not merely survive. Thank you and thank you for responding to the Chancellor's literally just finished announcing that so much appreciated. I'd like as a second question to get some clarification please on the rules of the number of people that can meet up in the setting such as a pub, cafe or restaurant. The guidelines which have published today say that they just have to be distanced. Does that mean two metres because not many places have tables that could accommodate for people with a two metre distance in a distance between them and that would make it unviable for them to open? Yeah we recognise the challenges in many venues Adrian but I can tell you that the frequently asked questions for hospitality have just gone online on Welsh Government pages. That will include all of the guidance necessary for hospitality businesses to be able to operate in the safest way including their responsibilities in regard to safe social distancing. And I'll now move to Sarah Dickens from BBC Wales. Good afternoon Sarah. Good afternoon Minister and it's good to be here. You've acknowledged that there was like a huge huge interest in the business development grants and they were paused because of that. You say it wasn't a first come first serve but you know you don't know the quality of the applications that didn't get through before this pause. In the light of clearly real demand for help you say you're pleased that the fourth phase of the grant is going to be funded. How are you going to make sure that it works better for people next time and that we don't have the frustrations we saw last week? Well first of all Sarah it would appear that a number of businesses were trying to access support through the business grants fund for emergency cash. That's not what the fund was designed for it was abundantly clear on the website that the grants available for development are for the longer term. It's for business resilience in a post COVID post Brexit era. With the economic resilience fund moving to phase four and the finance minister has already set aside £300 million for that next phase. We will be opening up a register of interest for businesses. Those businesses that have put together quality proposals for grant support will be able to register their interest. I would urge them to keep all of the documentation that they have gathered together so that when that register goes on we can start scrutinising at the earliest possible time all of the decent applications that are submitted. And I think it's absolutely right that we take the time to be able to do that before then hitting go on the actual fund opening. That we are able to ascertain all information in order to shape that fourth phase of the economic resilience fund so that it best meets business demand. And returning to furlough many people were welcome that it's been extended to March. Of course for workers that's only 80% of their pay. That's a 20% pay cut. We're reminded by the resolution foundation again today just how many people in Wales are on very low wages. What more can you do to cushion those people because a 20% cut in your pay for a couple of months is one thing. But for a year that will mean a lot of Welsh families struggling if anything goes wrong like the washing machine breaking down. Well there are a number of important points there I think you've touched on. First of all I think the report from the resolution foundation from locking down to levelling up. It's a superb report. What it demonstrates first and foremost is that whilst many are now talking about levelling up the Welsh government has been levelling up within Wales. The report finds that geographical gaps within Wales have shrunk including crucially in productivity terms and that's whilst the UK as a whole has seen gaps growing. Of course there is more that can be done. There is more that must be done and especially in terms of the role that the UK government has whilst they've been talking about levelling up. It can't just be about a sprinkling of new investment in terms of infrastructure here and there. What is required is a concerted effort to decentralise and deconcentrate power and wealth from the south east to the rest of the UK. Both in terms of infrastructure spend yes but also in other areas of investment for example I think possibly just as important in terms of research and development and innovation funding. Now only the UK government has the fiscal firepower to be able to put together a scheme such as a job retention scheme. It's a matter for the UK government as to what level the intervention rate should fall out. I believe that it's absolutely vital as a minimum that it should be 80%. But of course even with 80% as you've identified Sarah there will be people who will struggle. People who will struggle. And that's why we have increased the level of support that's available through the discretionary assistance fund. But the beauty of the union of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is that we can redistribute wealth when and where necessary. Now is the time for a major redistribution of wealth and power from the south east of England to the rest of the UK. And I'm pleased that we are doing just that levelling up within Wales as shown by the resolution foundation. It's now over to the UK government to do it to work with us because we share that aspiration and ambition to level up. And I'll now move to Abby Whitwick from Wales online. Oh no I won't. I'll move to Dan Bevan. Sorry. Sorry Dan. It's good to see you. LBC. Thank you very much minister. I want to stick with furlough if that's all right. I wondered if because there are other developed nations across Europe but also in other parts of the world who have got more generous packages and had them announced several months ago. Similar to furlough that extend far beyond March whether you feel like this announcement from the Chancellor might have come a bit late. Thank you Dan. I said a little earlier that I think it has come quite late. I welcome it nonetheless but it's absolutely vital when responding to a crisis that you are swiftly with sufficient resource. My personal view is that there are very successful models that have operated for many years not just during the course of the pandemic in Europe. And add flag up first and foremost the German model and the French model as being exemplars. And I think UK could learn from those models in implementing longer term strategies for overcoming crises of this nature. Because in all likelihood we will we will experience future events future recessions that will require a significant intervention by the UK government. Learning from others our European partners is absolutely essential in shaping the best possible packages of support. Dan. Thank you for that answer Minister. And also if I could touch on your polio from being the Minister for North Wales as well as the economy. Will there be any further support for businesses who are in communities that are very near the border particularly in North Wales that have those shared communities with England? And because clearly they're going to be hit a lot harder when Wales comes out of the firebreak on Monday whilst England is still in a month long lockdown. Well Dan you make a really interesting point on the flip side of course. Those businesses will have a very captive audience in the people in Wales will not be able to access non essential retail across the border in Chester or in Oswestry. They will not need to cross the border because it will be open here in Wales. So hospitality businesses non essential retail in Wales will have a captive market. And that's something surely that they will be able to celebrate for four weeks during which their equivalents in England are in lockdown. And I'll now move on to Abby. Abby Whitwick Wales online. Let me just go back to that point at what effect will England's lockdown have on Wales's tourism and hospitality sector? And would it not have been better for everybody to have coordinated the dates of the lockdowns? And what work has been done to avoid that if there are further lockdowns further down the line earlier in the new year will you be talking more closely with Westminster and why has that not been coordinated up to now? Abby, you've raised a number of questions here. I'll try to get through them as quickly and concisely as I possibly can. First of all, coordinated dates obviously would have been desirable. We were pushing for a concerted UK wide programme of restrictions, but we could not wait on the UK government any longer. And as a result of us initiating the firebreak when we did we were able to introduce a two week firebreak. Whereas in England, because there's that delay, that delay, they now have to endure four weeks of lockdown. Now, of course, in the future, if any further measures, if any further measures were needed, I would prefer and the government would prefer a four nations approach. And the First Minister, Mark Rathford, has very regularly said that a regular rhythm of dialogue is needed across the four nations to achieve that consistent approach. And I'm pleased that certainly all of the messages are there in terms of Christmas, a UK wide approach will be negotiated, discussed and agreed. And I think that's absolutely vital. And in terms of business support, we have here in Wales the most generous package of support anywhere in the United Kingdom. On top of that, we are enduring a lockdown for just four more days, whereas England today going to a lockdown for four weeks. And for businesses in tourism and hospitality, of course, there will be challenges for those who rely on English visitors. They are able to take advantage of UK government schemes like the furlough scheme. That's going to be absolutely vital in helping them to hibernate through the winter periods in many instances. But we have made available above and beyond what UK government have been able to offer Wales support specifically for those sectors. So we ring-fenced in ERF tens of millions of pounds for tourism and hospitality, recognising the unique challenges that those sectors are going to experience. Thank you. My second question is about young people. People under 25 are, some reports, say three times more likely to be working in sectors that have been shut down. And that also applies to people over 25 who are paid lower. What specific help can you offer and what assurance can you offer those people, specifically young people under 25? Abby, thank you for that question. You know, we know from previous recessions that those who are most disadvantaged during the course of a recession immediately after the recession in the early parts of a recovery are young people. And we will not allow this to happen again during this pandemic or after this pandemic. Later this month I'll be publishing a recovery and reconstruction plan for the economy. And we are prioritising support for young people. We will ensure that through our skills and employability programmes we incentivise employers to take on young people and to take on as well other individuals who are often in recessions from history we have learnt it, often the most marginalised, disadvantaged. Now I add to the list disabled people, people from background backgrounds and also women as well. We will do all that we can as a Welsh Government to invest in those people and support those businesses that wish to recruit those individuals. But of course as part of the leveling up agenda that the UK government is taking forward we want to work with UK government ministers to ensure that inequalities within society, within our nations, within our regions are ironed out. They're shrunk that we give opportunities to all. I'll now move to Gareth Wyn-Williams from the local democracy reporting service. Gareth, good afternoon. The First Minister has outlined already that police bosses on both sides of the border have a role to play. But after the firebreak and covering what remains of the English lockdown can you clarify if penalties will be imposed for non-essential cross border travel? To just visiting a shopping park just over the border for non-essential items and if so what will the level be? Well first and foremost Gareth I should just remind people who may be watching today that for four weeks from today non-essential retail in England will be closed. So that kind of removes any prospect of people travelling across the border into England for non-essential retail. And I also want to say at the outset that we are encouraging people to be as responsible as possible not to look at what we can and cannot do but instead to look at what we should and should not do. We know that in order to disrupt the flow of transmission of coronavirus the best things that we can do and minimise contact with other people to stay as local as we possibly can to stay at home and to ensure that we're doing the obvious when we're out. That we're regularly cleaning our hands that we wear face coverings through personal responsible behaviour and enforcement regime will not need to go to the nth degree of issuing fines. And our approach in Wales has always been one of the what we call the four E's to first of all engage to educate to encourage and then as a last resort to enforce and to issue fixed penalty fines as a last resort. And whilst I'm in no doubt that we'll continue to see on social media examples of poor personal behaviour I believe that the vast majority of people in Wales during the entire pandemic have behaved impeccably impeccably and I hope that people will go on behaving in that way. So obviously with English non essential retail being closed whilst on essential retail will be open so will the Welsh government impose any penalties on people travelling from England into Wales. Well actually there are English regulations regarding the movement of people who live in England anywhere within England and then cross into Wales. So the rules are actually going to be enforced by English police forces. People shouldn't actually in England be moving beyond their local area. They shouldn't be crossing county borders never mind national borders. This is a matter and a responsibility for the UK government in England and for English police forces. And I'll now move on to Rob Taylor at rexham.com. Good morning Rob how are you? Good afternoon Minister. Good afternoon. You've pointed to the Welsh government website for the hospitality guidance FAQ. That guidance page says under who can I go to cafes restaurants and pubs with that you are allowed to go to these venues with people outside your household as long as you maintain physical distancing from them. And later it notes that's outside too. As one owner of a local hospitality business is pondering live right now as he's reading through the guidance to maintain a standard physical distancing inside his venue you'd need a huge table for all four people. Is that how you envisage that rule working? And they also wondered if the new rules meant that they need to take addresses for all customers rather than just the lead group of booking. It's absolutely essential particularly during the four week lockdown period in England that we are able to verify where patrons are coming from and therefore adults who are accessing pubs and cafes and restaurants must be able to show where they are from. And this isn't for some sort of control this is of people. This is about controlling a virus and we know that the transmission of the virus is conducted most effectively when people come into close proximity with one another. And therefore the gathering of information is to ensure that we are dealing with the virus. And then in terms of social distancing of course it's going to be a challenge in many venues. And that's why we've outlined in the FAQs the measures that need to be taken to ensure as best as social distancing regime is possible. Of course two metres is always though the most desirable social distance to maintain. Thank you. And you've mentioned that an ERF4 is probable. Are there any timeframes for that? Will it include further business rates grants and will that only come in if there's further fire breaks or lockdowns? Well Rob, we're currently assessing the options for ERF4. It's not a question I think it's fair to say of if but when given that we face huge challenges in the months to come not just concerning coronavirus but also the end of the transition period. And indeed the third phase of the economic resilience fund those business development grants were designed to help businesses make plans for the future, future proof themselves in light of the end of the transition period, not just in order to deal with coronavirus. And so the fourth phase of the economic resilience fund we will envil it envisage supporting businesses in those dual challenges of overcoming the transition period and whatever happens next. And of course dealing with coronavirus. And I'll finally go to Josh Sirle from South Wales Argos. Afternoon. You highlighted earlier the abuse that's been suffered by Ms Wales staff and obviously we've seen it in the health service and in shops as well at various points throughout the pandemic. How frustrating is it and what can be done to stamp it out do you think? Josh first of all it's not just in the last few months that we've seen increasing levels of abuse intolerance aggressive behaviour and it's against pretty much all people in private sector, the public sector, the third sector, generally in society and particularly on social media. And I'm afraid that in the past few years we've seen levels on social media in particular rise quite terribly. Now perhaps it's got something to do with figures, key figures, people with responsibility encouraging such terrible behaviour. But you know Donald Trump is on his way out now and so too the sort of behaviour that he's encouraged will go with him. And it's absolutely vital that as we look to the future we encourage people to care about one another more, that we create a more decent society, a more respectful society and a more compassionate society. And it's absolutely vital that we all play a part in that role and call out abusive behaviour whenever and wherever we see it. Thank you. And you mentioned incentivising employers to recruit young people and others traditionally hit hardest by recessions in the future. What would or could that involve do you think? Well we're already looking with the £40 million employability and skills fund at how we can ensure that the COVID commitment applies to every single young person that's looking for an opportunity to train, get employment or to remain in education or to get a work experience placement. The COVID commitment is going to be vitally important in avoiding long-term youth unemployment. We've already got proven programmes in Wales as well. For example Jobs Growth Wales that supported almost 23,000 young people in avoiding long-term unemployment. The UK government has announced the Kickstart programme as well and whilst I have some concerns about the criteria, the eligibility criteria of the Kickstart programme it will nonetheless reflect in many ways the way that the Jobs Growth Wales programme has been operating for several years. And that's an incredibly successful programme. What we call the positive outcomes, those young people who stay in employment, move into an apprenticeship have amounted to about 70 plus percent. That's a huge proportion of young people who are successfully transitioning beyond their six month job growth Wales opportunity and we hope that there will be a similar measure and a similar set of targets put in place for Kickstart and that we'll see a similar degree of success for that programme as well. That brings me to the end of the questions. Thanks again for joining us today. Keep well, stay safe.