Thank you, Paul Davies, for the series of questions, and I was very pleased to speak at the FUW breakfast this morning that Paul referred to, that he sponsored. Unfortunately, I didn't get any breakfast but that's quite often an issue when you go to these events and you're whizzed past all the food. But it was very good to see so many people there enjoying Welsh produce absolutely at its finest, and linking our agricultural sector with our food and drink, which I think unfortunately sometimes gets lost in translation. 

You're quite right that that very ambitious target—. I remember sitting in Cabinet when my predecessor's predecessor, Alun Davies, announced this target of increasing our food and drink industry to £7 billion by 2020 and thinking we would never achieve that, so to achieve—. I'm sure when the 2017 data comes out we will have certainly achieved that, but to get to £6.9 billion by 2016 is a tremendous accomplishment, and, as I say, it's down to the hard work of so many of our businesses. 

You referred to export support and, certainly, the challenges of Brexit mean that we need to look at new markets, and that's why we've put significant funding into export programmes, for instance, in encouraging our companies to look at it. I just wanted to give some recent figures around export, because it does show that Welsh food and drink exports have increased by almost 20 per cent, from £264 million in 2015 to £337 million in—. Sorry, 2015, and that's up to 2016-17. Seventy two per cent of exports go to the European Union, so you can see how much uncertainty is being created and why we need to look for new markets. That actually compares to a 9.5 per cent increase for the UK as a whole, so you can see how successful we are being in Wales. And I mentioned that I'd given further funding of £1.5 million to Hybu Cig Cymru, which I announced back in October at Anuga in Cologne to develop an enhanced export development programme. Certainly, my first discussion with HCC is that I've told them I want them to be as ambitious as possible to meet that, but it would be great if they could exceed it, and I hope that they will. 

You referred to Blas Cymru. That was a great success and, again, my predecessor, Carl Sargeant, that was his idea to bring the world to Wales, and I think it exceeded all our expectations. I know that, up to now, we've had an increase of £7 million extra business from it but, again, it's hoped that we could get up to possibly £22 million. I would have liked to have done one every year, but it is a huge event so we're going to do it now in March of next year. Again, it will be a much bigger event.

You talked about the value of Welshness and I think that's a really pertinent point. Certainly, I have had discussions with many supermarkets, and, if you go to somewhere like Morrisons for instance, you see the Blas Cymru from your own constituency, and you see people searching out that label. I think we need to look to all our supermarkets to make sure they increase it. And, as I say, I have had discussions with—I can't think of any supermarket that I haven't had a discussion with and they certainly feel more willing and able to take our produce.

Skills is obviously a very important issue and I mentioned the conference that the Food and Drink Wales industry board held here in Cardiff in October. The next one is in Llandudno, I think, next month—certainly up in north Wales. They told me about the gaps. It is a concern that, if we aren't able to have EU migrants working in the way that they're currently doing, those gaps won't be filled. So, it is absolutely right that we need to ensure that our businesses are fully equipped with the right skills and training support.

You asked me if I would publish job creation statistics. Certainly, if I have those, I'd be very happy to do that. It might be on a whole-Wales basis but I'll certainly look to doing that.FootnoteLink

Funding is very important and you're right, we can't just give different pockets of Wales the funding. But, certainly—you know, I travel all over Wales. I was up in north Wales—I visited two food companies last Thursday. One of them was Siwgr a Sbeis—many Members will be aware of their cakes, and they've had some funding from us. Then, yesterday, I was down in west Wales visiting companies. So, certainly I think it's there. Again, I'm not sure if we hold that information on a local authority basis but, certainly, if we hold it on a region basis, I'll be very happy to do that. 

Public health is obviously very important and you'll be aware that the Welsh Government is producing an obesity strategy. I think it's now going to be published next year, in 2019, and, clearly, if we can help our children eat healthily today, we obviously create healthy adults. So, I think it's very important that we link in with public health.

Food festivals, again, I think are a huge success and I've been very fortunate to attend many right across Wales. The last one I think I attended was in Llangollen in Ken Skates's constituency, but I know we have ensured again that funding is spread out right across Wales.