MARK Drakeford has said there are "legitimate public interest questions" for Matt Hancock to answer.

Mr Hancock, the UK Government's health secretary, has been captured in images appearing to show him in an embrace with his aide, Gina Coladangelo, on May 6 when Government guidance said two people from different households should not hug.

The Sun released pictures that appear to show him kissing his government aide.

The pictures appear to be captured via CCTV outside of the married, father of three’s office, just after 3pm on May 6.

Asked about the issue at today's Welsh Government coronavirus briefing, the first minister said there were "distinctions" to be made between people's private lives and their public lives.

However he added that Mr Hancock had "legitimate public interest questions" to answer.

Mr Drakeford said: "I am not trying to make points about what people do in an entirely private matter, but in the case of Mr Hancock it does seem to me that there are some issues that are of genuine public interest.

"I do think there are questions that need to be answered about whether those social distancing rules were broken.

"Mr Hancock himself was very quick to condemn a senior academic from Imperial College when he was found breaking those rules so I think there are questions there.

"And I think there are legitimate public interest questions about how individuals are appointed if they turn out to be in a different sort of relationship with the minster who is responsible for their appointment.

"Certainly, here in Wales we always expect the whole of our ministerial team to observe the rules we expect others to observe.

"You cannot make laws for other people and then not be found to be observing them yourself."

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The health secretary broke his silence on the matter this afternoon, saying he was “very sorry” for breaching social distancing rules.

Mr Hancock said: “I accept that I breached the social distancing guidance in these circumstances.

“I have let people down and am very sorry.

“I remain focused on working to get the country out of this pandemic, and would be grateful for privacy for my family on this personal matter.”