Today’s update on the Brexit negotiations reflects some of the messages coming from the Welsh Government following the recent JMC(EN) and touches on some of the issues that I raised with the First Minister last week. There’s mention that the UK Government, and I quote,

‘realises it needs to work far more closely with the devolved administrations’, and that the Welsh Government—and again I quote, appears—

‘to have seen a significant shift in the UK Government’s position’.

Now, I accept that those meetings may have become more positive, and the reason for this is that the UK Government has been on the ropes in terms of public opinion, in particular when it comes to leaving the EU without a deal. UK Ministers are desperate to avoid a row within the UK on how Brexit is carried out. Although we don’t know what a constitutional crisis would look like, we do know that the implications for the future of Scotland and, possibly, for the future of the peace process in Ireland could be significant. So, this largely explains why more positive signals may have been transmitted by the UK Government to the devolved administrations. But the problems remain, and, in our view, the power-grab risk remains.

Now, the issues over the negotiations with the EU-27 are of importance to Wales. Citizens’ rights are an issue where common sense has to prevail. Plaid Cymru’s view is that all EU citizens in Wales should be able to stay and, as part of that, we note the contribution that EU workers make to our tax take, our public services, and to our private sector. Also, the matter of the border in Ireland is critical to the prosperity and future of our ports, not least at Holyhead, and I would urge the First Minister to press that point home to even greater effect.

Turning to the impacts on this Assembly, the fact that a more constructive set of meetings has taken place does not change the overall nature of the negotiations. Plaid Cymru is very clear that the EU (Withdrawal) Bill enables a Westminster power grab, and last week we published a legal opinion to that effect. Our analysis is that we are heading for a situation where power in the British state will be concentrated at Westminster under the guise of operating a UK single market. Unlike the EU single market, where the rules are co-decided by EU member states, the devolved administrations will be treated as only consultees. Plaid Cymru believes that such arrangements inside the UK could be dealt with on the basis of equality between the nations, their Governments and their legislatures.

There are several procedural problems with the EU (Withdrawal) Bill, which means that Plaid Cymru cannot accept it. We want to prevent Ministers of the Crown from being able to use regulations to modify the devolved settlements. We want to remove the restrictions on Welsh Government Ministers to be able to correct deficiencies arising from withdrawal. And Plaid Cymru also believes that clause 11 of the Bill waters down our devolved powers in the most fundamental way. More than ever, we believe that a continuity Bill would be a unique way to address this.

So, turning to my questions, First Minister, first of all, do you now regret that Labour in Westminster voted to trigger article 50, given that there were no guarantees for EU citizens living in Wales? I asked you last week if you agreed with Damian Green that the talk of power grab was behind us, and you indicated in your answer that you believed a power grab was still a risk, although the meeting had been positive. Can I ask you today: are you content with being a consultee? Are you satisfied that being consulted on the future UK frameworks is sufficient, or do you support Plaid Cymru’s view that frameworks should be co-decided? In considering the future of political power in this state and where it lies, are we any closer to a UK council of Ministers being a reality?

Given all that you’ve said about the dangers of there being no deal, do you now accept that you should plan for that eventuality? All of us are agreed that that would be a bad outcome, but we’re also agreed that it could happen. So what are you going to do about it? You can’t deny that it could happen.

Finally, do you believe that the delay in the EU withdrawal Bill provides us with an opportunity for us to now go ahead with a continuity Bill?