Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:35 pm on 7 February 2017.
Diolch, Lywydd. Although we agree that any final deal must be developed with the best interests of the Welsh economy and society at heart, this Welsh Government motion has been overtaken by events. I therefore move amendment 1 to replace this with a motion recognising the result of the referendum about the UK’s membership of the EU; welcoming the UK Government’s 12 negotiating objectives for our withdrawal from the EU and the publication of its White Paper; noting the publication of the Welsh Government’s White Paper; noting the UK Government’s intention to seek to trigger article 50 by the end of March; recognising the Joint Ministerial Committee meeting held in Cardiff and welcoming the Prime Minister’s continued commitment to engage with the devolved administrations and secure the right deal for Wales and the United Kingdom.
The message from the public before and during the referendum campaign was clear: Brexit must mean control of the number of EU citizens who come to the UK. We will continue to attract the brightest and the best, allowing a sovereign UK to determine and meet the workforce needs of our economy and society, be they engineers, scientists, health professionals, carers or farm workers. But the voice of the people was clear; there must be control. [Interruption.] I’ll take one intervention.