Welsh election: Leaders go head-to-head in live TV debate
Published
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image captionLabour s Mark Drakeford, Plaid Cymru s Adam Price, Conservative Andrew RT Davies, Liberal Democrat Jane Dodds and Richard Suchorzewski from the Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party
Wales political party leaders will face each other in a 90-minute live television debate on Thursday, with a week to go to the Senedd election.
The BBC Wales Leaders Debate will host Labour, the Conservatives, Plaid Cymru, the Liberal Democrats and Abolish the Welsh Assembly in the first hour.
Reform UK, the Green Party and UKIP will take part in the second, 30-minute, part of the programme.
Welsh government tender-free contract award criticised
By Gwyn Loader
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image captionThe contract was awarded to a firm which offers a service to connect GPs to specialist consultants for treatment advice
A £650,000 per year contract awarded by the Welsh government without an open tender process has been criticised by opposition parties in Wales.
Consultant Connect, which offers a service where GPs can talk directly to specialist consultants for advice, was awarded the contract last April.
The Welsh government said the award was fully compliant with rules and Covid s impact had justified the direct award.
Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats have called for an open tender process.
BBC News
Published
image captionDr Eilir Hughes wants healthcare staff to be given better face masks
For one north Wales GP, his vote in the upcoming Senedd/Welsh Parliament election rests on what many healthcare workers wear everyday - face masks.
Dr Eilir Hughes is calling for all health staff caring for Covid patients to be offered high-quality face masks, called filtering face pieces (FFP3).
Some staff working with Covid patients are only offered surgical masks.
Currently, FFP3 masks are only offered to health workers carrying out certain medical procedures.
The Labour Welsh government said it is following official UK guidance.
BBC News
Published
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image captionMark Drakeford is expected to reveal if pubs can reopen indoors in Wales on 17 May
Mark Drakeford has been criticised for saying he will tell a government press conference how, if he wins May s election, he will ease Covid rules.
The Welsh Labour first minister said he would say on Friday if pubs and cafes could reopen indoors on 17 May.
Plaid Cymru said it was completely inappropriate for the conference to be used for party political announcements.
The Welsh government said a senior civil servant would respond to a written complaint from Plaid s leader.