Welsh Conservatives are today (April 20) calling on the Welsh Labour administration to ensure that local authorities prioritise children of mobilised Armed Forces personnel as key workers during the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.
Suzy Davies AM - the Shadow Minister for Education – said:
“I have been contacted by members of the Armed Forces who have been given notice of mobilisation to take part in the response against Coronavirus.
“Families of the personnel have, on inquiry to their local authority, been told that being deployed in the struggle will not see them being prioritised as key workers.
“Consequently, their children will not be pushed to the top of the list for key workers’ childcare provision.
“Put simply, the Armed Forces are not deployed lightly. For them to be included in the response to Coronavirus – such as delivering PPE or driving oxygen tankers – by definition classes them as keyworkers.”
The Welsh Government has followed the UK Government’s line on the classification of key workers, which includes public safety and national security workers.
Mrs Davies concluded:
“Local authorities must therefore be consistent in prioritising their children as is done for our nurses, medical staff, police, and others during this pandemic.”
Image by Shane Wilkinson. MoD/Crown copyright 2016.