Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Well, of course, you will be aware that the Government has announced that 12 business officials across Wales are now going around small businesses, providing them with ideas on how they can use the Welsh language in the workplace. And also, of course, there is the Cymraeg Gwaith scheme, which is run by the National Centre for Learning Welsh. Thousands and thousands of people have already used...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you very much, Mike, and thank you for posing the question in Welsh. I’m pleased to see that you will be one of the million by 2050. The Welsh Language Commissioner works with the banking sector to encourage them to treat Welsh and English on the basis of equality, and recently I wrote to the commissioner offering my officials' support and assistance in developing appropriate...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Well, I have had a meeting with the banks and the language commissioner, and, of course, this is the commissioner’s responsibility. But I do recognise, and I do think it’s important that we should all recognise, that correspondence is a key part of the service provided by banks. The commissioner has recently presented a seminar in London, because, very often, that’s where decisions...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: As I’ve previously stated, Cymraeg 2050 is an ambitious long-term strategy. Our initial efforts have concentrated on laying firm foundations for the future, building from the ground up to secure enough learners through the education system. We’re on track to reach our 2021 targets regarding early years and the WESPs.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: The Welsh Government recognises the importance of international trade to the economy and is committed to continuing to support businesses to export their goods and services across the world. Support is available for all stages of their export journey, from first steps through to new market entry and beyond.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: I propose to adopt a closer working relationship with the UK Government, and its departments, to ensure Wales’s interests are being represented and in helping them to understand Welsh expectations and delivery. I have already met with the Permanent Under-Secretary of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and the Secretary of State for Wales.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: The primary focus of the Welsh Government network of overseas offices is to identify and secure inward investment and export opportunities for Wales. They also support the promotion of a range of Welsh interests internationally in a number of areas, including education and culture.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: In 2019-20, the Welsh Government has allocated £603,000 to the National Eisteddfod through the Welsh language promotion grant scheme.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: The Welsh Government has a wide range of policies that derive from Cymraeg 2050. Some are directly implemented by the Welsh language division and others are mainstreamed through the work and policies of other Government departments.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: In January, I announced my intention to produce a new strategy outlining our international vision. We are still in the drafting stages and I expect to submit a draft to Cabinet in early May, with the final document ready for publication before the summer.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Llywydd, let me end by quoting Alexandre Dumas from The Three Musketeers, who might have been writing about our own slightly less dashing UKIP three musketeers with their fanatical obsession with fighting shadows and keeping the tarnished faith of the pure Brexit: 'In all times and all countries, especially in those countries which are divided within by religious faith, there are always...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Now, in turning to the other amendments, it’s worth saying about the Conservatives that they are just like the party in Westminster, because they have nothing new to add. Of course, in terms of Plaid Cymru, whilst the path that they propose is one that we as a Government can support—and I hope that they’ve noted that Labour has confirmed today that they will support a public vote as one...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Yes.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: What he did in that speech was to make it clear that he was willing to work with the members of the Commonwealth, and I'm more than happy to make it clear that he said that they can't commit this country to entering the European Union without the agreement of other members of the British Commonwealth. And he said, 'no time must be lost in discussing the question with the Dominions and seeking...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: It will give me great pleasure in this debate to highlight the contradictions, the half-truths, the misrepresentations that UKIP has constantly told about the EU and that are contained in this resolution. Let me start by looking at the fear that UKIP expressed about an ever-closer union in their resolution. Now, I think it's worth reminding ourselves that the European Union was forged...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Llywydd, thank you to UKIP for the opportunity to respond to this debate. What's interesting about the motion before us today is that, rather than discussing the disorder surrounding Brexit at the moment, the motion focuses on history and basic principles of the European Union, and that gives me an opportunity to contradict the inconsistencies, the untruths and the misleading by UKIP about...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Formally.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: I think, when it comes to reserved matters, we have to honour the agreement that we have, and this is an area that is specifically reserved. Foreign affairs is specifically reserved. That’s why, as the Welsh Government, we are treating this motion as we would a backbench Members' debate, and we are granting a free vote to Labour Members. Now, I’d like to encourage Members in future to...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: I'm happy to do that.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you very much. May I start by saying, as Minister for international affairs, that we as a Government take a great interest in safeguarding human rights across the globe, and that is why many of us became active in politics in the first place? We in Wales have a long tradition of standing shoulder to shoulder with political, progressive organisations throughout the world.
