Jeremy Miles: If I may say, the Member does no service to the complexity of the debate in relation to Brexit. And we are, bluntly, in the position that we are in because for too long people have been promised things that they weren't able to deliver and people have not had politicians describing to them the difficult choices involved in navigating these choppy waters. He attacks Members of Parliament for...
Jeremy Miles: Well, I know that the Member has been one of the advocates in our party of this position for some time and I know that she and others were there on Saturday. I also saw the First Minister's message on Saturday, which was clear that the Welsh Government' position is, as it has been, that if Parliament concludes that a second referendum is needed in order for us to get out of this crisis, that...
Jeremy Miles: Well, I thank the Member for that series of questions. In relation firstly to the point about article 50 and the revocation of article 50, she misrepresents the position, I'm sure unintentionally. The European Court of Justice has been very clear that it is not available to the UK Government to revoke article 50 in order to seek another referendum. It is clear that the only basis on which...
Jeremy Miles: The Member has about as much support in this Chamber for his position as the Prime Minister has in the House of Commons for hers. [Interruption.] It is quite extraordinary, the day after we see resignations galore from the UK Government in order to vote against the whip, that at least the Prime Minister can count on the unswerving loyalty of Darren Millar. [Interruption.]
Jeremy Miles: The reason we are in this pickle is entirely the Prime Minister's fault. Had she realised early on that the narrow coalition between the Brexiteers and the DUP and her party was going to get us to this position—one which was completely obvious from the very start—we would not be in this chaotic situation three days before we were intended to leave. The Prime Minister now must do what she...
Jeremy Miles: Well, I couldn't agree more with the Member when he says that this is a disaster of the Prime Minister's making. What is astounding to me, and I'm sure to Members generally, is that, three days away from the day that was intended to be exit day, we see this level of chaos in Parliament, with Government Ministers resigning last night, and Parliament wresting back control. It's incumbent now on...
Jeremy Miles: It is some comfort that the EU 27 have given a narrow window to avoid the catastrophe of a 'no deal' Brexit. I strongly welcome Parliament's vote to take back control at this time of crisis. The Prime Minister must abandon her disastrous red lines and listen. The extra time must be used wisely, to break the deadlock and find a majority in Parliament for a soft form of Brexit, as we set out in...
Jeremy Miles: Well, the Member invites me to say, 'Don't worry, it'll be fine on the day', and I'm not going to say that, because that's not the position of level of reassurance that we can give. In relation to preparedness generally, we've been careful to be specific about what we think the situations are in relation to different levels of preparedness, because I think that's the most helpful way of...
Jeremy Miles: Whilst the effects of leaving without a deal cannot be completely mitigated, we are doing all that we can to prepare for this eventuality. Staff across the organisation have been told to prioritise this work, and we have filled 127 additional Brexit-related posts, with a further 53 in train.
Jeremy Miles: I thank the Member for that question. It’s obviously a very important point. In relation to the social care workforce generally, obviously the make-up of that workforce has been one of the issues that the Minister for Health and Social Services has been very focused on. We've undertaken a piece of research to identify what the likely levels of employment are within the sector from the...
Jeremy Miles: I know that the Minister for Economy and Transport is engaged in this issue already in relation to the concerns the Member has raised.
Jeremy Miles: Regular discussions have taken place on all aspects of planning for a potential 'no deal' Brexit, involving Ministers, Welsh Government officials, and health and social care organisation leads. There has also been regular engagement with key partners and Governments across the UK.
Jeremy Miles: Well, underlying the question is the question of uncertainty about what happens next, and plainly that is the overarching context for all that reflection and discussions. I was in Holyhead a few weeks ago, talking to the port authorities there. Obviously, one of the biggest variables in what happens to them after we leave the European Union is the response in Dublin, in the port there, in...
Jeremy Miles: I am not, I'm afraid, but I will write to the Member in relation to that.
Jeremy Miles: I have discussed the importance of maintaining frictionless trade between Wales and Ireland with Ministers from the Republic, including at the last meeting of the British-Irish Council, and I hope very much to be meeting my counterpart in the Irish Government to build upon the existing close relationships between Wales and Ireland.
Jeremy Miles: Well, that's a very good question. Of course, the Wales Audit Office indicated that the work that they had done at the back end of last year indicated a degree of variability between local authorities. I must say, I'm not sure that that is the picture now, so I'm concerned to hear that one response that the Member referred to there. There are a number of challenges here. We have funded,...
Jeremy Miles: The First Minister, other Ministers and I met with local government leaders in January to consider how local authorities were preparing for all EU exit scenarios. Ministers and leaders have met again this week. Local authorities must also assess their own preparations. The Wales Audit Office, as the Member will know, has assessed the public sector overall.
Jeremy Miles: Thank you for that further question. I know that the Member has written to me regarding that specific question. Officials are looking into the detail of that situation, and I will write back to you shortly about that specifically. But, in more general terms, in the context of leaving without a deal, the UK Government has offered a guarantee in terms of funding projects that have been...
Jeremy Miles: The delivery period for projects funded through the current EU structural funds programmes ends, as you know, in 2023, so we are around the halfway point in delivering the programmes. As a result, the majority of projects are still under way.
Jeremy Miles: Thanks to the Member for that question and the acknowledgement that communities across Wales have taken advantage of European funding during our time as Members. The contribution made by these funds to our economy and our society and sectors across Wales has been very important. In terms of what's going to happen in the future, there is a question at the moment regarding the decisions an...
