THERE will be two “small but important” changes to lockdown rules permitted from this weekend, says the First Minster.

Mark Drakeford MS said that, from tomorrow (Saturday, January 30), two people will be allowed to meet up to exercise outdoors and families can switch their support bubbles.

The Labour MS explained: "For the last six weeks we've only been able to exercise with people we live with or in our support bubble. From tomorrow two people from different households will be able to exercise outdoors together.

"It is two adults from two different households. They will need to be local because the rule about starting and finishing exercise at your own front door has not gone away.

"Children under the age of 11 are not included in that, so it would be possible for an adult from a household to meet somebody from another household and for a child to be present as well.

"As ever, what I always ask people to do is not to ask yourself 'what can I do' but you ask yourself 'what should I do' and the fewer people who meet safer we all are."

When quizzed by the Leader, Mr Drakeford confirmed that the start and end at home rules would still apply so discouraged people from grouping up and driving to different locations together for exercise.

Mr Drakeford also outlined how people living in a single person household can switch their support bubble – but would have to isolate before making the swap.

"From now on people who are in a bubble will be able to dissolve the bubble they are in," he added.

"They will need to wait 10 days. They will then be able to reform a different bubble on the same basis as bubbles can be formed at the moment - a single person household can form a bubble with one other household.

"We are doing this because we understand that the bubbles that people will have formed originally may need to change - circumstances change, people move away, relationships alter.”