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, 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. 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: I launched the international strategy in Brussels and Paris, and further details are contained in my written statement.
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: 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: 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, 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: 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, before I respond, I wanted to first take up this opportunity to pay tribute to Swansea councillor Sybil Crouch, who recently passed away. I know many friends and colleagues in this place and across the country held her in great esteem. Sybil was the first, and so far the only, woman to chair the Arts Council of Wales. She was a person who could easily be described as the vanguard of...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you. Well, I hope you will have seen that, in the strategy, sustainable adventure tourism, which I very much associate with north Wales, as well as there being some great opportunities in south Wales, is something that we are specifically focused on. So, the key thing with these international strategies is how do you grab attention in the first place. And I think that's what we've been...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you. Well, I hope that the fact that the First Minister and the Minister for the economy visited with you in Shotton was testament to the fact that they very much underline the importance of this sector. I think this is an area where in Wales we do have, really, something to sell the world. We are doing some very, very innovative work, and I think there is scope for us to be promoting...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: The international strategy sets out the importance of having a strong offer to attract inward investment and tourism to Wales and grow our economy. North Wales, of course, including Alyn and Deeside, is a part of that offer.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you. Well, I'm very interested in particular in linking up with the Polish community, because it's one of our biggest diaspora communities in Wales. I certainly underlined that to the Polish ambassador when I met him in London recently. So, rather than waiting for them to come to Wales now, part of what I'm trying to do is to go to London, invite them to come to us, so that we can give...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: International engagement takes many forms. Since taking up post, I have met with foreign ambassadors in Cardiff and in London, many of whom have large numbers of citizens in Wales. Last week, I hosted an event to celebrate the Chinese new year with the deputy ambassador and the Chinese community here in Wales.
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you very much. As it happens, this morning, I have had a meeting, along with my colleague, to talk about how we can bind the cultural and sporting assets that we have in Wales and we can use those to promote Wales internationally. So, that was an important meeting. Part of what we're trying to do is to see how we can really work as team Wales and to build and work from each other....
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: I think the important thing in relation to diaspora, first of all, is we've commissioned some work on this, because there are a lot of people who are active in this space already, and the challenge for us is how to get them co-operating and working together so that they're not competing and that it's easy for people in Wales and abroad to understand where is the best platform. So, we've...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Diolch. We have 21 offices around the world. They have targets that are set out. I don't think they all need strategies, but we have somebody managing those offices centrally from here in Wales. And of course, every office is going to be slightly different, because what we do in China may be very different from what we need to be doing in Germany. So, all of the offices need to be tweaked and...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you. Just to finish the previous point, I do think that we're likely to reach the targets in terms of the primary sector. I do hope that this annual census of the workforce will perhaps allow us to see whether it’s possible to move people perhaps who aren't teaching through the medium of Welsh into areas where they can teach through the medium of Welsh. We'll have to see what that...
Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan: Thank you. Clearly, this is something that is a challenge for us. And I think it's important that we acknowledge that. I will be interested to read the strategy that the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol has launched this lunchtime to see what they foresee as the best way forward. But I do think that what's important is that we do what we can to increase the numbers in this field, and we are taking...
