Jeremy Miles: I thank the Member for those questions. There are three main questions that he asked. In terms of the first question, this will be a subject of debate with UK Government Ministers. I can confirm that that will be true. As I mentioned earlier, we have raised this question, but we will continue to do that and continue to press for specific action to be taken. This has been the subject of debate...
Jeremy Miles: I thank the Member for some of those questions. On the question of preparations, I thought we were off to a good start, then, until he asked me whether I was marking my own homework. Just to be clear, what we are doing is perfectly proper and appropriate for a Government in this situation. So, the Wales Audit Office has given the report that he is aware of and that Members all know about,...
Jeremy Miles: Formally.
Jeremy Miles: Llywydd, three years have passed since the result of the referendum, and it appears that we are further away than ever from coming to any sort of decision. The European elections demonstrate clearly that our nation is as divided as ever on the key issue of our relationship with the European Union. The Westminster Parliament has failed to agree, and now we will waste even more valuable time as...
Jeremy Miles: This Chamber, of course, knows that the outcome of the 2016 referendum was not what we wanted. But we have been consistent in seeking to find a way to deliver on that result and to do the best for Wales in the process. Unlike the UK Government, we recognised the deep divisions and sought to build a consensus, and unlike the UK Government, we also recognised from the start that no form of...
Jeremy Miles: Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. I made a statement to you last week about Brexit and the damaging impact the political stasis and ongoing uncertainty is having on the economy. I am keenly aware that the uncertainty will be particularly felt by European Union citizens who have made their homes in Wales. We have always been clear that we recognise the invaluable contribution that EU citizens make to...
Jeremy Miles: I know that the result of the 2016 referendum on the United Kingdom's membership of the European Union has created considerable uncertainty for EU citizens living in Wales. I would like to be clear that we want EU nationals who have made Wales their home to stay here. They will always be welcome here. Our message to them as a Government is, 'We value your contribution to Welsh life, our...
Jeremy Miles: When the UK Government published a White Paper in December last year, outlining its plans for immigration after we leave the European Union, there had been no prior engagement with the Welsh Government, despite previous assurances that this would happen. The plans in the White Paper ignore the weight of evidence presented to the Migration Advisory Committee about the negative impact on the...
Jeremy Miles: I thank Darren Millar for some of those questions. I accept that for some people, perhaps many people, the question of migration was a key factor in their decision to vote in the way that they did in 2016. And I also accept that it is important for us to address people's perceptions in relation to migration. But part of the process of addressing those perceptions surely is to tether those...
Jeremy Miles: I thank the Member for, in particular, the way in which she started her question with the welcome to migrants from the European Union. It's important, in difficult times such as these are, for that to be repeated as often as possible in this Chamber, so that people have the reassurance of our commitment to their well-being and their welcome in Wales. She asked what steps the Welsh...
Jeremy Miles: I thank the Member for those questions. I can give him a categorical response to his first question: that I will continue to and the Welsh Government will continue to press this case with UK Government. He's right to say that, in the publication of the White Paper, they have not listened to the position we were advocating—indeed, in relation to salary levels, but also in relation to that...
Jeremy Miles: I'll keep this brief, Dirprwy Lywydd. I suggest to the Member that, rather than spend his time preparing his dog-whistle rhetoric masquerading as a question, he might spend a little more time listening to the statement and the contributions in the Chamber before, which utterly refute the pejorative and discriminatory rhetoric that he's indulged in for the last five minutes.
Jeremy Miles: If the proposals in the UK Government’s immigration White Paper are implemented, our research shows that there would be a reduction in EU migration resulting in a 1 per cent to 1.5 per cent drop in GDP over 10 years. All the economic evidence suggests free movement within the EU has benefited the Welsh economy.
Jeremy Miles: The future of mutual recognition of professional qualifications and immigration controls is still unclear. However, officials are discussing with health boards, Health Education and Improvement Wales and UK counterparts how to address any recruitment and retention issues that currently exist or may arise after leaving the EU.
Jeremy Miles: I continue to take every opportunity to ensure Wales’s voice is heard. Last month, I met with the Secretary of State for Existing the EU and attended a meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee on EU negotiations. A future meeting of that committee is scheduled for later this month.
Jeremy Miles: I have regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on Wales’s future relationship with the EU and wider Brexit-related matters. Those discussions take place at weekly Cabinet meetings and in the Cabinet sub-committee on European transition.
Jeremy Miles: We said in 'Brexit and Devolution' that the JMC structures are not adequate for the new challenges we face as we leave the EU. We published 'Brexit and Devolution' two years ago, and our view remains unchanged.
Jeremy Miles: Well, I think the Member hits the nail on the head with his supplementary question, and I share his disappointment. It's now coming up to 15 months, actually, since the review of inter-governmental relations was commissioned. And the truth is that it's certainly not in the interest of Wales, but it's actually not in the interest of any part of the UK for the JMC structures to continue trying...
Jeremy Miles: I thank the Member for the question, and for the opportunity to respond to that specific point. It's not a matter of not favouring that—that would certainly be an advantage. What I'm saying is that that isn't a panacea for having a system that truly supports our work here in Wales and across the UK.
Jeremy Miles: I continue to have regular discussions with the UK Government on a number of Brexit-related issues. I met the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union most recently in Cardiff on 16 May, and a meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee on EU negotiations is scheduled for the end of this month.
