Jeremy Miles: Formally.
Jeremy Miles: Formally.
Jeremy Miles: Formally.
Jeremy Miles: Yn ffurfiol.
Jeremy Miles: Formally.
Jeremy Miles: There continues to be good progress on frameworks, albeit slower than anticipated due to the impact of 'no deal' planning. We remain committed to frameworks as a long-term system for inter-governmental policy making, and I was pleased to share the first draft framework with the Assembly last week.
Jeremy Miles: I thank the Member for that further question. The fundamental premise behind the inter-governmental agreement, which is the source of the frameworks programme, was that our default position, if you like, is that frameworks should not be necessary, and so we have approached the task of identifying where frameworks may be necessary from that starting point. As he will know, we have concluded an...
Jeremy Miles: I thank the Member for that. His question acknowledges that the common framework shared to date is the first of what we hope is many frameworks that we can share. And they are absolutely—. You know, it is not a fait accompli. It is there for engagement with stakeholders. On that particular framework, there has been a pilot for engaging with stakeholders and we hope to learn from that as we...
Jeremy Miles: We are in regular dialogue with companies in the sector, the Welsh Automotive Forum and national sector bodies regarding the potential impact of a 'no deal' Brexit, which would be disastrous for the automotive and, indeed, other industries.
Jeremy Miles: Well, I thank the Member for her further question. She's right to highlight the significance of the automotive sector to the Welsh economy. It employs about 11 per cent of the manufacturing workforce, which is around 18,500 people in Wales, and brings in revenue of around £3 billion. So, it's a very, very significant contributor to the Welsh economy. She's right to highlight the damage that...
Jeremy Miles: No, he will not. I think if we are going to properly evaluate the impact of Brexit on our economies, it's important that our reflections have some connection with the realities of what is going on. And I think he has conveniently forgotten the statement made by senior executives at Ford at the end of last year, which were very clear about the damaging impact of a 'no deal' Brexit on the...
Jeremy Miles: Well, it's important, isn't it, to try and be clear-sighted about these things? It is absolutely our view that the overwhelming outcome of Brexit on Wales is negative. A 'no deal' Brexit, which he is happy to tolerate—and the candidate in the Conservative leadership that he supports is increasingly keen upon—would be particularly damaging for Wales. But there are aspects of the process...
Jeremy Miles: Well, on the question of legislation, I think he misunderstands the situation. The Portuguese intervention is part of a set of rights and processes that exist across the European Union, which underpin the legislative framework through which we've been operating, and continue to operate, as member states. And we are proud of the fact in this place, I think, that we operate within the framework...
Jeremy Miles: Well, I'm going to resist the temptation of the Pollyanna-like blandishments of the opposition spokesman in this regard. Can I just pick him up on one point? He talks about the shared prosperity fund and the commitments made in relation to that. Let's be clear: what Boris Johnson said last Friday was a constitutional outrage—the fact that those funds would be better deployed if there was a...
Jeremy Miles: I will tell you the extent to which the UK Government respect the devolution settlement in relation to that. When the Minister stood up in the House of Commons and told us we wouldn't be hearing about anything in relation to that fund until next year, that was the first we'd heard of that. There was no courtesy telling us what the plans were, despite pressing for that. So, that is the extent...
Jeremy Miles: Well, I think it's somewhat churlish, when one has been calling for a referendum, not to welcome the fact that a party then promises a referendum as a recognition of progress. But the Member knows very clearly what our position is here, as a Welsh Labour Government in Wales. We have advocated for a position as described in the joint paper that we had with Plaid Cymru. We have recognised that...
Jeremy Miles: Well, I echo the sentiments in the Member's question. As I mentioned a few moments ago, I think it would be outrageous for that to be what happens. The Prime Minister has made commitments, which she is not living up to. Boris Johnson, in making that statement, raises alarm bells, as her question implies. We are absolutely clear that we should not suffer a penny less of the funding that we...
Jeremy Miles: Well, our position, as a Government, is not that we should have a veto in relation to these matters, but that where the UK Government is formulating a negotiating position for international negotiations of whatever type, they should not normally proceed with that negotiating mandate unless they have secured the agreement of devolved administrations, where devolved competencies are directly...
Jeremy Miles: We have supported small and micro businesses through the Brexit resilience grant and are providing preparedness information with businesses and stakeholders, particularly through our websites. We are in constant dialogue with key organisations representing the interests and concerns of small businesses, several of whom are represented on the EU exit working group, a sub-committee of our...
Jeremy Miles: Well, the Member raises a very important point, if I may say, and I know that he brings a particular perspective to that. I was at an event on Friday of last week, in my region, run by the South Wales Chamber of Commerce, and these challenges were the sorts of things being discussed there. The question of how one disseminates information very widely is a challenge. We have provided online...
