Diolch yn fawr, Dai Lloyd. You have given us an opportunity this afternoon, in your short debate, to provide an important picture of the historical achievements of influential figures and also progress in terms of what Wales has offered and delivered, not only to its own country, but to the world. That historical perspective is too often lost, and it’s important that you’ve reflected on that this afternoon.

From our perspective as a Welsh Labour Government, and, of course, during the times when we were in partnership as well, we have been standing up for Wales and Welsh interests for the last 18 years—in fact, of course, since the dawn of devolution, and we reflected on that yesterday in the tributes to Rhodri Morgan. We are now staging Wales in the world with impact and outcomes that I will reflect on. We will continue standing up for Wales and for our future generations in Wales through the policies and laws—and laws we can now, actually, put into effect—that we are putting into place today to respond to the emerging challenges we face. Our country continues to be a place of dynamic, generous and creative people, and also compassionate people, and people who are looking outwards as well as to the nation—people with massive potential. We want to nurture that potential, to create the conditions and the environments for that potential to flourish and grow.

Dirprwy Lywydd, this Welsh Labour Government has always acted, and will continue to act, in the best interests of Wales. Health outcomes are improving: cancer survival rates are improving, fewer people are dying from heart disease, and deaths from strokes are falling. Education outcomes are improving: GCSE results are the best on record, and the gap between children receiving free school meals and their classmates is closing. Our economy is performing better than ever: economic inactivity is down, employment is up, and we’ve had record inward investment. It’s important, as you said, that we see the progress at a local and regional level like the Swansea bay deal, which, of course, also, is very much linked to the expansion of the university, and I mentioned that all-important development we achieved so many years ago of the Swansea graduate medical school, and the second campus, which, of course, would not have come about without European funding.

I think Dai Lloyd is right to highlight that Wales, like other parts of the UK and the wider western world, faces challenges—challenges that will be faced by us and by the next generation. After seven years of austerity from a Conservative UK Government determined to slash public spending, including our own budget, by £1 billion, we are witnessing falling living standards, growing insecurity and a threat to our public services, but we strive to defend and improve our public services in Wales—free prescriptions, keeping our free prescriptions: that tax on health is so important. It is about choices and priorities: one way we can defend and protect those on low incomes in Wales who are working, to help address in-work poverty. We continue to invest in our public services in Wales despite those cuts to our budget from Westminster, in our NHS and social care, in our schools and in our local councils. We are building a better future for our children by reforming our education system, investing in skills and apprenticeships, in childcare and better public transport, and in 20,000 more affordable homes for the future.

The Welsh Labour Government was the architect of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. The United Nations said:

What Wales is doing today, the world will do tomorrow. Action, more than words, is the hope for our current and future generations.

No other nation has taken such bold steps to legislate for long-term well-being goals. Wales is at the forefront of an international dialogue that’s seeking to engage people across the world in a debate about the world that they want to see, now and in the future.

Dai Lloyd will have seen the changes—coming back to the Assembly—the maturing of this Assembly, of the Senedd, in terms of our opportunities to not only use our law-making powers, but actually now expand our fiscal powers. I do want to say a few words about the international stage. Yes, we live in an uncertain world. We face the very real and ongoing threat from international and home-grown terrorism, as we saw so tragically yesterday from Tuesday night. Despite our best efforts at diplomacy, many countries and states remain ravaged by war. New and life-threatening diseases are emerging all the time, to which we have few defences. And, of course, we face the uncertainty of a future outside the European Union. We’ve accepted the results of the EU referendum, but it’s no exaggeration to say that the next two years of negotiations will determine the future of not just our country, but of our children’s futures.

The Welsh Government is determined to protect this country’s vital interests and the future prosperity of Wales, which is why we published, with Plaid Cymru, the White Paper ‘Securing Wales’ Future’. It sets out our key strategic interests and priorities, as the UK prepares to leave the EU. We published the White Paper together, because we are clear that leaving the EU in no sense means that Wales will turn its back on Europe, a shared understanding between us, and, of course, continued full and unfettered access to the single market is fundamental to our future.

There are risks ahead, as the UK moves towards Brexit, and you’ve commented on the risk to our agricultural, our farming, sector and industry. These risks must be managed and mitigated—risks to environmental protection, workers’ rights—but, of course, there are opportunities that we must grasp. I spoke of Rhodri Morgan’s commitment to Wales and the wider world yesterday. He did reach out, and tomorrow, we’ll see the product and outcomes of the Wales for Africa programme, which he initiated, but also his commitment to opening up and sharing Wales in the world. I was very much taken forward by his commitment to stage Wales in the world on St David’s Day, not just in the States, which, of course, were very important in terms of trade and cultural links, but actually in European countries and capitals where we now have that very important annual event.

The Welsh Labour Government wants to build a country where we invest our wealth to give everyone the best chance. That means building the homes we need to rent and buy, keeping our communities safe, giving our children’s schools and our NHS the funding they need to thrive. We want a Wales—and I think we share this—where no-one is held back, a country where everybody is able to get on in life, has security at work and at home, is paid for the work they do, and lives life with the dignity they deserve. Diolch yn fawr.