I thank Paul Davies for his questions and comments, and I, too, very much look forward to working with him in this very important area. You asked about the procurement of Welsh produce and products in the public sector, and, as I said, we’ve been working very closely with the National Procurement Service, which, you’ll be aware, was established back in 2013, I think it was, and that brought together the procurement of common and repetitive spend right across the public sector on a once-for-Wales basis. The NPS set up a food category forum to develop a food strategy, and that will inform the process of bringing the procurement of food within its scope throughout 2016. The food division sits on the NPS food category forum, and we are actively working with the NPS and key stakeholders.

We’ve now got several new lots that are being procured during this year: prepared sandwiches, sandwich fillings and buffet provision, for instance, and frozen plated meals. We’re making sure that we work—the health service with local authorities—to make sure that we are best placed to use Welsh products.

What the NPS is aiming, initially, for is to let contracts for a two-year period, then there’s the option to have a one-year extension, and we are now beginning to develop the tender documentation. The food category forum will be developing this documentation as we are going forward, and my officials are fully engaged in this process and working with NPS to identify suitable Welsh suppliers to provide them with the opportunity to bid for the frameworks.

You raised the point about education, training, skills and innovation, and that’s incredibly important. I think what we need to make sure is that we have a very skilled and capable workforce going forward, and that’s all about developing key partnerships within the skill supply chain. That means engaging with both secondary and higher education, and I’ve had some informal discussions with the Minister for education. I’m very keen to see young people brought in to show them what can be offered as a career within the food and drink sector, and you mentioned the work that has been done within the revised Welsh baccalaureate, where we’ve identified ways to introduce food modules, for instance. We’ve also worked with the sector skills councils to support the development of career ambassadors in the food industry, so that we can champion the wealth of opportunities that—as I said, it’s Wales’s biggest employer: 222,000 people if you include retail and restaurants and all aspects of food and drink. So, it’s the biggest employer we have across Wales. What the sector skills councils have done is they’ve developed industrial skill panels in the dairy sector, in technical skills and manufacturing skills, and that then will inform the development of the industrial skills that will be required within education and training.

You raised a question regarding food tourism, and, obviously, we have the food tourism action plan. That focuses on the importance of Welsh food and drink in terms of the visitor experience, and food and drink, I think, should be emblematic of the Welsh culture and have an international reputation for quality and authenticity that really reflects and enhances the very positive values of Welsh provenance. I think some excellent examples I can give you of collaboration between tourism and the food industry across Wales include businesses such as Dylan’s Restaurant in Menai Bridge, which has been very successful in winning the bronze award at the recent national tourism awards in the ‘eating out’ category.

Food and tourism, I think, are particularly important in Wales due to the economic importance of both of the sectors. It really does provide an essential part of the tourism offer that I think we have here in Wales, because it offers, I think, probably the most common point of contact with visitors.

In relation to exports, you mentioned the Hybu Cig Cymru enhanced export programme. What we want here, and we set that out within the Welsh red meat strategic action plan, is we want the industry to seek to increase sales. Export sales will obviously be a key component to that. I just had some conversations earlier today with someone who owns an abattoir, regarding red meat sales and the red meat sector specifically, because we know that exports are absolutely vital to farming and the processing industry in Wales. They account, approximately, for one third of all production. So, increasing returns to industry by maximising exports is really important in Wales. I’m very pleased to see that the Welsh Government’s three-year investment programme in supporting exports and developing new markets for quality Welsh lamb and beef has already produced an excellent return.

In relation to food festivals, I agree that there should be some flexibility about them. I’ve got a very rigid budget, unfortunately. I’d like to have more money, but I think you’re right: it’s about ensuring that it’s not just large food festivals that receive money; it’s about those small farmers’ markets. I remember, when I first got elected, back in 2007, somebody coming to me to try and get a farmers’ market up and running and there was just no funding available. So, it’s something that I have said to officials I’d be very keen to see, even if it’s just a small pot of money, to give them that sort of start going forward, because we know that a farmers’ market could really enhance a town centre experience and we’re looking into how we can regenerate our town centres. So, I think it is important to have that flexibility.