UK-wide Christmas coronavirus restrictions to be discussed by leaders this week
The four governments of the UK will meet later this week to discuss agreeing a UK-wide set of coronavirus restrictions for the Christmas period.
At today's Welsh Government press conference, Mark Drakeford said that a meeting had been arranged with the UK Government minister Michael Gove to try to draw up a common set of rules.
The governments of Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland are responsible for the rules in each of their countries.
They introduced the same lockdown restrictions at the beginning of the pandemic but have since diverged in the rules they have applied.
Mark Drakeford on discussions for UK-wide Christmas coronavirus rules:
Mr Drakeford said today: "My office has been contacted today by the office of Michael Gove, the minister in charge of the Cabinet office, to get a date in the diary this week. The topic of that meeting will be a common approach to Christmas."
He added: "I very firmly believe that this is one of those areas where having an approach that is adopted across the United Kingdom is the right way to be able to offer hope to people here in Wales and elsewhere; that we are able to plan purposefully together for the season."
Political leaders across the UK, including Mr Drakeford, have been warned their governments must "accept the inevitability" that people will travel at Christmas.
The First Minister said this week's meeting is also intended to be the first of a new weekly conversation between the governments.
He welcomed that move as representing the start of a 'regular, reliable rhythm' of contact that he'd been calling for since the summer.
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