Plaid Cymru has launched a major new campaign to help boost the Welsh food and drink industry.

The 'I'm buying local" campaign encourages party member and supporters to buy more locally produced food and drink with the aim of helping those businesses cope with the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic as well as building resilience for the future.

Launched by Llyr Gruffydd MS, Plaid's shadow rural affairs minister, and Ben Lake MP, Plaid's Westminster spokesperson on rural affairs, it highlights how the pandemic could, with the right leadership, provide an opportunity to re-set the economy.

The Welsh Government announced on the 1^st of May that all social care workers will get a cash bonus of £500 each at a cost of £32.2m.

However, the care the 370,000 unpaid carers in Wales provide is worth an estimated £8.1bn to the Welsh economy, but because they aren’t registered as social carers they will not receive the same cash payment as paid carers.

Plaid Cymru has questioned what recognition there will be for unpaid carers who aren’t eligible for the scheme.

The UK’s new Agriculture Bill was put before MPs on Wednesday (13 May) for the final time as it reached the Report Stage and Third Reading.

Alongside farming unions and campaign groups, Ben Lake MP has lobbied for the Bill to include a number of important amendments. One of the amendments sought to introduce a legal requirement that agricultural or food products imported into the UK under future trade agreements would need to be produced or processed according to equivalent animal health, welfare and environmental standards as those required of UK prodcuers.

Ceredigion must still stay home in order to save lives and protect the NHS.

Ceredigion’s representatives at the Senedd and in Westminster, Elin Jones MS and Ben Lake MP, have made a message of support for people in Ceredigion, highlighting that the lockdown rules in Wales will remain in place for at least another three weeks.

Governments in London and Cardiff will be reviewing lockdown measures this week as they are legally obliged to do every three weeks. Speaking in advance of any regulation changes, the MS for Ceredigion has urged a cautionary approach for Ceredigion and all areas.

Elin Jones, Assembly Member for Ceredigion has called on businesses in Ceredigion who have not yet been aided by previously announced COVID-19 business support schemes to make themselves known.

Ahead of further expected announcements by the Welsh Government, Elin Jones and fellow Plaid Cymru politicians are bringing together a list of scenarios and types of businesses that have currently found themselves ineligible for support.

Ben Lake MP has today urged the UK Government to give full consideration to places such as Ceredigion as part of its lockdown exit strategy.

During virtual Urgent Questions today, Mr Lake recognised that widespread testing and contact tracing “will be essential” in the fight to contain future covid-19 outbreaks, and that such a system would need to be “fully operational” before the UK moves from full lockdown. 

Ceredigion’s Assembly Member, Elin Jones, has highlighted how important the digital connectivity in Ceredigion has been during the Coronavirus lockdown.

Elin Jones AM recently held an online meeting with Mobile UK, the UK body representing the four major mobile phone companies in the UK – EE, Three, Vodafone and O2.

Ben Lake, MP for Ceredigion, has tabled an Early Day Motion at parliament commending hundreds of volunteers across Ceredigion for responding so positively to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Hundreds of volunteers across Ceredigion have been supporting their local communities during the Covid-19 outbreak. Tens of community support networks have been set up by local residents in recent weeks, and volunteers have been supporting residents by delivering essential groceries, collecting prescriptions, walking dogs and making phone calls to the most vulnerable.

Ben Lake, MP for Ceredigion, has tabled an Early Day Motion at parliament commending Young Farmers’ Clubs across Wales for responding so positively to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Young Farmers’ Clubs across Ceredigion and Wales have been supporting their local rural communities during the Covid-19 outbreak. From delivering essential groceries and collecting prescriptions to walking dogs and checking in on the most vulnerable, YFC members have stepped up.