Coronavirus: National Assembly endorses lockdown in a vote
- Published
An overwhelming majority of the assembly has endorsed the coronavirus lockdown, with all but one of its political groups backing it.
Labour, Plaid Cymru, and the Welsh Conservatives voted for the curbs on everyday life, along with the Welsh National Party AM Neil McEvoy.
The Brexit Party, Neil Hamilton and Gareth Bennett opposed them.
The system, in force since March, requires the public to stay at home except for limited exceptions.
Because the assembly is meeting online many AMs were in attendance, with nominated politicians voting on behalf of their entire groups.
In effect, the vote tallied at 51 AMs for, six against.
It was the final meeting of the National Assembly for Wales before the legislature changes its name to Senedd Cymru - the Welsh Parliament.
Police can enforce the regulations through the use of fines
Although ministers made the restrictions law in March, which have since been amended, they had to be approved by the assembly to stay in force.
Brexit Party assembly group leader Mark Reckless was the only dissenting voice during the short debate.
He said his party was "unhappy with Welsh Government regulating differently from England simply for the sake of it" - objecting to the Welsh variations stipulating that people should leave home only once a day for exercise, while the English version does not.
Mr Reckless said "the restriction on liberty and the damage to the economy, and the damage frankly to people's well being that we can justify is less" when coronavirus cases are on a "firmly declining trajectory".
Health Minister Vaughan Gething told AMs "measures are temporary and proportionate to the threat that we face".
"These are sensible restrictions introduced to deal with a national health emergency.
"This is still a once in a century event and there will be many more difficult days ahead of us."
- Published23 March 2020
