Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you. Well, you'll be aware that the new tourism strategy has now been launched, and I know that major events is a part of that strategy. We're currently undertaking a review of major events and I'm hoping that we'll look at some of these issues in that context, because I think one of the things that's happened in the past is that we're just constantly waiting for people to come and...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Well, I think, in relation to the tourism strategy, it's best directed to my colleague. I know that there is some additional capital expenditure that's going in this year, and I'm hoping that that will generate some opportunities. But, certainly, in terms of the digital arena and other projects in that area, one of the things you'll find in the international strategy is a list in the annex of...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Growing our economy through international trade is one of the core ambitions in the international strategy. The challenges and opportunities that are faced by exporters during this period of transition from the EU and beyond mean that Welsh Government support is more important than ever.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Well, I think we've got to be extremely careful in this area. We've got to remember that 60 per cent of our trade in goods is with the EU, and that's why, as the Welsh Government, we have been absolutely clear that our priority would be to see a trade deal with the EU as a priority. Those rules and regulations we have already—if we go away from them, the barriers go up in terms of access to...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: I think you're absolutely right, and I was very concerned when I saw the drop in those figures, although, on the whole, we're doing quite well in terms of exports. But I was very concerned to see that drop from Germany, and that's one of the reasons why we are very much courting Germany as our key international partner. That's why we've invited the ambassador down here, and he will be...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: I launched the international strategy in Brussels and Paris, and further details are contained in my written statement.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you. When we were trying to work out which sectors we should be promoting, we actually looked for ones that would be relatively Brexit proof, and the sectors that we chose were ones where we thought there would be a lesser impact as a result of us leaving the EU. So, we've deliberately thought through that as an approach. But I think what we have got to watch out for is what that will...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Scheduled monuments are afforded protection through designation. Cadw’s field monument wardens regularly monitor their condition and provide management advice to owners. Grant schemes can provide financial support for their upkeep and repair. Cof Cymru, Cadw’s online record of historic assets, gives the public information about these nationally important monuments.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: The Welsh Government recognises that more needs to be done to close the participation gaps in sport. Good progress is being made with Sport Wales and its partners delivering a range of programmes across a number of sports, which are focused on encouraging more women and girls to take part.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. The first words that most of us speak usually come as a result of listening to our families and copying them. By speaking Welsh with their children, parents can create language practices that last a lifetime. The use of language between parents and their children, or the transmission of language, as it’s called, is one of the most important...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you very much, and you are right, what we're not trying to do here is to control behaviour within the family. We do understand that we're in a sensitive area here. So, what we're trying to do is to motivate, to help people to make their own decisions, and ensure the resources and the evaluation in terms of what works is available to them, and that we help in that area. There is a lot of...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you very much, Siân. Can I say I would have a great interest in seeing a copy of that report, and seeing how that can be interwoven or what we can learn from that? I think that setting targets is important but difficult, so we have to do that in the right context, but certainly in terms of reaching 1 million Welsh speakers, transmission is vital in terms of what our expectations are....
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. I want to start by thanking members of the committee for their work in helping us to shape our international strategy. Along with other stakeholders across Wales and worldwide, the committee has helped us to develop the strategy. Now, I am aware that the committee won't be content to wait for five years to see what will be achieved, and I am also...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: That's right, which is why one of the priorities we've said is to strengthen our relationship with the European Union. So, that is absolutely clearly in the strategy, along with the fact that we want to raise our profile internationally. We want to grow the economy by exporting and by getting inward investment, and we want to establish Wales as a globally responsible nation. Now, a clear...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Yes.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Well, Wales and Africa is certainly a key part of our programme, and so there will be opportunities for Love Zimbabwe to get involved in that programme through that mechanism. Certainly, we're hoping that that platform, that diaspora platform that we'll be creating, will be a place where we can talk about some of those great characters in the past that so many of you talked about—about Evan...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Some people will remember that we discussed the Birmingham Commonwealth Games Bill in a Plenary meeting on 8 October last year, and that we passed the motion in the Senedd. But we had to reintroduce the Bill to the Westminster Parliament on 7 January because it didn't finish its parliamentary passage before that Parliament was dissolved on 6 November, in...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: This is a developing situation. I want to reassure the sector that we're continually monitoring the impact of coronavirus on tourism and working with colleagues across the Welsh Government and the UK Government to take appropriate measures in response to the unfolding situation.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you, Caroline Jones. I think you're absolutely right to underline the seriousness of the situation for this particular sector. We know that there are about 11,700 tourism enterprises in Wales, and they employ about 135,000 people. So, this is huge, and we are taking it very, very seriously. Certainly, we hope that some of the measures that we've already put in place will help some of...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you. Certainly, we are extremely aware that the people who are significantly under threat here are the SMEs, and they may be averse to borrowing. There are opportunities for them to borrow through the Development Bank of Wales, but obviously some of those are averse to taking that out. So, what we do know now is that we will have consequential funding as a result of the Chancellor's...
