No, it’s my understanding that Excalibur are still proposing what they were offering last year. But even for Excalibur, the steel pensions issue was a live one and a very serious one that they would have to contend with. There is not one single party that was interested in the steel operation that did not admit that the steel issue was a major problem to overcome.

I think it’s worth pointing out at this point that—. I’d like to repeat the pleas made by the trade unions that the ballot needs to be undertaken in a way that is free from political interference. Nobody can be in any doubt of the commitment of this Welsh Government in terms of securing a sustainable future for steel in Wales. Now, keeping jobs and production at all of the Tata Steel plants in Wales remains this Government’s No. 1 priority in terms of industry. And throughout this process, we’ve worked closely with Tata and responded swiftly to the changes over the past year, and we will continue to do so. We’ll work in this manner on an ongoing basis, but there are significant challenges ahead.

Discussions around a potential joint venture with ThyssenKrupp are a commercial matter, but the Welsh Government will continue to take a very close interest in any future deal. As I’ve said, the support we have provided through Welsh Government is conditional and that conditionality will apply to any joint venture. Both the First Minister and I have said in our meeting with Tata this week that protecting workers’ rights is absolutely vital, and whatever the outcome of the ballot, our commitment to protecting those rights will continue.

There’s been much said about the role of UK Government and it’s my belief that there is still time for the UK Government to make a very significant contribution. The ask that the First Minister has consistently made of the UK Government to put in place a package of support for energy-intensive industries remains valid, because energy prices are too high. And this, again, was reflected to us just this week.

In the context of the hard-Brexit option that the Prime Minister outlined just this week, it’s even more important for our steel industry to be genuinely competitive, given that it will, very soon, sit outside the single market. We want to secure the long-term future for our steel industry and action on this is now imperative.

Deputy Presiding Officer, whilst decisions regarding the future of the plants are not ours to make, I will continue to ensure that we fully engage with all parties to ensure that messages regarding jobs, investment and protection for workers are heard by Tata’s most senior representatives. But as Dai Rees, as Lee Waters and as others have said, this is no time for politicking, no time for grandstanding—