Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and I’d like to begin by thanking the Welsh Conservatives for bringing forward this debate in the Chamber today. Today, the gap in the employment rate between Wales and the rest of the UK stands at approximately 1.5 per cent. Before the recession it was 3 per cent. At the start of devolution, it was 6 per cent. It has halved and halved again, and, looking back over the last few years, against the backdrop of the recession and years of austerity budgets, it’s clear that the Welsh economy has performed well—not for the few, but for the many. The Welsh Government has a marked success—a marked success and record of delivery over the last Assembly term. And, since devolution, Wales has had the fifth biggest increase in GVA of all UK nations and regions since devolution.

When, at the time of the economic crash, confidence in the economy dipped and firms began laying off people, it was the leadership shown by this Welsh Government, alongside business, unions, and other partners, that put together the ProAct and ReAct programmes. It was the work that we did that prevented more than 15,000 young people from experiencing unemployment, because we introduced Jobs Growth Wales. And, in the last Assembly term, nearly 150,000 jobs were supported through direct Welsh Government help, with many more in local supply chain networks. To continue to deliver on this success, we’ve set out our priorities in our programme for government. ‘Taking Wales Forward’ sets out a vision of prosperity for all, through delivering a Wales that is more prosperous and secure, a Wales that is more united and connected, more active, more ambitious and learning, and more connected.

Deputy Presiding Officer, austerity imposed by the UK Government has continued now for seven years, and yet the Tories borrowed—