'Social care staff in Wrexham and across Wales will be paid the real living wage from April'

MS for Wrexham

Readers will be aware Wales is set to remain at Alert Level 0 after the latest review of the coronavirus regulations. Certain protective measures are being gradually relaxed over the course of this month and if the public health situation continues to improve, the Welsh Government hopes to be in a position to remove the legal requirement to wear face coverings by the end of March. Thankfully, with increasing numbers of people vaccinated and boosted, rates have fallen and the situation is much brighter than what it was just a month or two ago. Coronavirus, however, has not disappeared and I firmly believe this cautious, step-by-step relaxation of the measures is welcomed by the majority of constituents I speak to. The next three-weekly review of the regulations will take place on 3 March.

I am pleased the Welsh Government will continue to provide free personal protective equipment (PPE) to health and social care organisations until spring 2023. This formal arrangement was originally set up in September 2020 and renewing the agreement will provide reassurance to the sectors.

As I have previously highlighted in this column, social care staff in Wrexham and across Wales will be paid the real living wage from April. On top of the pay rise, the Welsh Government has now announced the tens of thousands of eligible workers will also receive an extra £1,000 payment. Social care workers play a crucial role in society. These past two years have been extremely challenging but I hope the introduction of the real living wage, coupled with the £1,000 payment, helps demonstrate just how valued they are.

Since declaring a climate emergency back in 2019, the Welsh Government has invested millions of pounds across a wide range of areas, leading the collective effort to cut emissions and be a greener nation. The latest step in this long journey was announced last week as the Welsh Government launched a new commission tasked with developing and improving transport schemes across North Wales. The year-long review will develop recommendations for road, rail, bus and active travel across the whole of our region. As we look towards the future, its clear investing in public transport is key and this commission will focus on what can be done to give people in Wrexham and North Wales genuine alternatives to using their cars for most journeys. Improving our regional public transport network will give people real choice and I will do all I can to support the commission and ensure Wrexham residents benefit.