Diolch, Llywydd. Can I begin by thanking Members for bringing this very important debate forward today, and for sharing their contributions, and also for giving me this opportunity to contribute on behalf of the Welsh Government? It's really clear, from today's debate and the passionate and principled contributions of Members this afternoon, the depth and strength of feeling that exists in the Chamber on this issue. I think it's only fair to begin by making the very obvious and important point that it would not be for the Governments of Spain or Catalonia to try and influence the political structures we choose to develop for ourselves here in Wales. And in that vein, I do not believe it is for myself or the Welsh Government to express a view on whether Catalonia should or should not be an independent nation. That is not a matter for us to decide. But it is legitimate, I believe, for this Assembly to remind ourselves and others of the principles that underpin democratic institutions like ours, which has really been properly pointed out by a number of contributors to today's debate. 

Twenty years or so ago, Wales voted to establish a National Assembly for Wales. It was a passionate and impassioned referendum campaign, two sides putting forward very different visions of the Wales they wanted to see in the future. I very much took part in that debate, and was one of the very impassioned campaigners, and I took a very clear side. But what actually united all sides in the campaign was a fundamental acceptance that it would be for the people of Wales to take the decision about their future and that result would be both respected and implemented, and of course it was. 

The constitutional and democratic will of the people of Wales expressed in that referendum was to set up a National Assembly and to take greater responsibility for the decisions and policies that affect us and our communities. So, too, did those principles underpin the referendum vote on Scottish independence in 2014, and, again, it was a sometimes rough, sometimes tough, very impassioned campaign, but also founded on the core democratic principle that it was for the people of Scotland to decide their own future, and that the result of the referendum would be honoured. As it was, Scotland remained a member of the United Kingdom, but I do not doubt for one second that, had Scotland decided to vote for independence, the UK Government would have carried that through.

Whilst both of these examples in their own ways are very different to the Catalan one we're discussing, there are many similarities as well. Popular sovereignty is the foundation stone upon which democratic politics is based. The principle of self-determination is one clearly set out in the UN charter. So, too, is democratic politics based on respect, non-violence and intolerance of intimidation.