4. Will the First Minister provide an update on discussions the Welsh Government has held regarding the Ford plant in Bridgend? OAQ(5)0638(FM)

Those discussions are ongoing. I met with the chief executive officer of Ford Europe before Christmas. We are aware of the plans for the facility and we’re working closely with all stakeholders to guarantee the future of the site and its workforce.

Thank you for that answer, First Minister. In March, your Cabinet Secretary told us that Ford management had told him that employment numbers would remain broadly the same until 2021. He also said that he thought that Ford management could communicate better with its employees and its members regarding the long-term objectives for the plant. Since then, can you tell us whether Ford has kept you informed of whether there have actually been any falls in order numbers, and if there have been any falls, how the guaranteed number of workers is being deployed at the plant—bearing in mind, of course, that they’ll have individual expertise—and, of course, whether they’ve been getting regular updates on that long-term objective and achievement against that?

Yes, they have. There are a number of possibilities that are being explored at the Ford plant. We shouldn’t forget that, in September last year, Ford did announce that it would invest £100 million in the site from late 2018. I think it’s fair to say that the biggest challenge that the plant faces is Brexit. Every single engine that leaves that plant is exported into the European market and so the terms that surround the exporting of those engines will be important as far as the plant is concerned. But we are working very closely with the company. I’ve met, in my capacity as an Assembly Member, several times with them and with the works council, and as First Minister, of course, I have taken an interest in ensuring that the plant continues to operate in the future and continues to employ similar numbers in the future.

Further to that response, First Minister, last month, the European chief of Ford warned that the future of the company in the UK depended on the ability of the Government in London to ensure transitional agreements with the European Union if the UK leaves that economic bloc before a new trade deal is signed. Have you met with Ford and the Government in London to discuss this issue further since that time?

I've met with the Ford CEO and also Ford Europe, and there are discussions taking place between the Minister and officials. It is true to say that there are concerns about what will happen following the United Kingdom’s departure from Europe. Nobody believes that there will be any kind of complete agreement in March 2019, and so the transitional arrangements will be crucial for Ford, as with other manufacturers. This is something that Ford is discussing. They’ve been talking to us about it, and, of course, our standpoint is this: that it is vital for Ford and a number of other companies in Wales that they have unfettered access to the European market.