Thank you, Presiding Officer, and I’m pleased to speak in today’s debate and recognise the contributions made by other Members on the invaluable contribution that our NHS workforce makes to the health of our nation. Staff are at the heart of our NHS, and our priority is to ensure that the Welsh NHS has the right workforce it needs for the longer term. We will not discriminate against those born or trained elsewhere, but welcome them as the valued assets to our NHS workforce and wider communities they have always proved to be. I am particularly pleased to recognise the points made by Rhun ap Iorwerth and Dawn Bowden about the wider social care workforce as well.

Now, we’ve heard many times before that consultant, GP, nurse and overall staff numbers in NHS Wales are at their highest levels ever. We do, though, still face recruitment challenges, competing to attract doctors at a time when other countries also face shortages in particular medical specialities, but also across a wide range of other specialities within the health service too. I believe, however, that the debate around the NHS workforce, training and recruitment should only be about how we can continue to provide the best possible care for people in the face of rising demand and increasing complexity of care.

More than £350 million a year is invested in the education and training of health professionals, supporting more than 15,000 students, trainees and staff. We will continue to invest in education and training opportunities for a wide range of healthcare professionals. This September, for example, saw the highest level of nurse training places commissioned in Wales since devolution—a 10 per cent increase in the number of nurse training places commissioned last year, which is in addition to the 22 per cent increase in 2015-16. We do not want to see controls introduced that would harm the Welsh economy or Welsh public services, including the NHS. We will participate constructively in discussions with the UK Government and other devolved Governments on this subject, as well as engaging widely with stakeholders and people across Wales.

At the same time, we make no apology for saying yet again we will not stand for any form of racism or xenophobia in the NHS, in Wales, or in wider public life or private life. We will tackle any unacceptable behaviour and comments head on. It is essential for us as a Government that we remain outward-looking, internationalist, open for business and proud of our public service values and ethos. Our commitment to fairness and opportunity for all is clear and undiminished.

Part of what has bound us together in the four different countries that make up the NHS family since 1948 is a collective understanding that people from different parts of the world working in the NHS make a huge contribution. This is in stark contrast to the current approach being taken by the Conservative UK Government, who believe that foreign doctors and NHS staff are only welcome here whilst they’re needed. That approach is damaging to the reputation and functioning of the NHS in all four countries at a critical time, and I’m happy to recognise the very different tone and approach struck by Angela Burns in this Chamber compared to the approach taken in the UK Government.

Just to deal with Neil Hamilton’s point about India and Pakistan and different visa controls that exist, well, those visa controls do not help the national health service in Wales or any other part of the United Kingdom. Those controls have nothing to do with looking after the best interests of the NHS and the public that it serves. Protecting the rights of citizens of other EU countries and beyond who currently live and work in Wales is a critical issue, and we have seen a rise in intolerance since the Brexit debate. Regardless of what side you were on in the Brexit vote, we should not ignore or try to minimise the real harm and damage being done to Welsh citizens since that particular vote. This Government will not treat valued members of our NHS as bargaining chips in the fallout of the EU referendum.

So, this Welsh Government makes it clear that we remain committed to exploring all options to facilitate recruitment and retention of the NHS workforce from the EU and beyond the UK, and those who leave the EU. However, we do move our amendment as there are no specific arrangements in place for leaving the EU, particularly not known by the Government—they don’t appear to know where they are going—so we want to have a more open arrangement as opposed to tying ourselves into a specific mechanism for achieving our objectives. It should of course be no surprise that we oppose the UKIP amendments. This Government is proud of our NHS staff and will continue to value them, wherever they have come from, for the contribution that they will continue to make to life within and outside our national health service.