Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:32 pm on 23 January 2018.
I thank Simon Thomas for his list of questions and for welcoming the significant progress that we've made. I think you raise a very important point about team Wales, brand Wales and ensuring that people understand where the food is coming from. Certainly, I'm having discussions around labelling. You'll be aware that, even in a product, you could have some imported ingredients also, so I think it is very important that labelling is very clear and that people understand what they did. I saw a really disturbing example at one of the summer fairs last year when a lady thought she'd bought bacon that was Welsh, but it actually wasn't. You know, it had the dragon, but underneath it said that part of it wasn't all from Wales, and she was incredibly annoyed about it and came up to me and told me of her annoyance. So, I think it is vital that we get it right. And maybe that's one of the opportunities that we can have coming out of Europe.
You spoke about protected food names, and I mentioned in my opening remarks that the PFN family is growing rapidly. I've been very pleased that even the ones that were in the pipeline—the EU are treating them just as they would have done if we weren't exiting the EU, so I think it's very good. They're great selling points. Certainly producers that I've spoken to think it's an advantage and a very unique selling point. Again, I think it's very important that, after we exit the EU, we aim to work with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to ensure the EU honour any schemes that are in the pipeline to their completion. Also, companies and food producers who have PFN at the moment, I think they want to retain it. Certainly, there are examples of countries outside the EU having registered products, so I don't see that that's necessarily a barrier. So, I think there is a strong precedent to negotiate our continued part in the scheme, and those are discussions that are ongoing.
You too mentioned about supermarkets ensuring that they continue to have Welsh produce. One big success, I think, has been Asda selling Welsh lamb. Again, they piloted it in a few supermarkets, but they are looking to increase that number, and I think that will be, obviously, very beneficial for Welsh lamb.
BlasCymru certainly was very successful. I know a few people have said to me that they weren't happy that the True Taste awards went. I have to say that most of the companies that I talk to really like the UK Great Taste awards, but it's something that I'm very happy to consider going forward—having our own awards.
You asked about Project Helix. That's delivered by the three food centres of excellence, as you know, the ZERO2FIVE food industry centre, which is based at Cardiff Met, the Food Centre Wales at Horeb in Ceredigion, and the Food Technology Centre, which is based at Coleg Menai up in Llangefni. What Helix's mission is is to stimulate that innovation and support new product development that benefits, obviously, all our food and drink companies, working together to meet their needs. So, that work is ongoing. It was launched at BlasCymru back in March and it had RDP funding of £21.2 million. What it's doing is it's working with companies that engage with over 400 food and drink businesses, and that figure is growing daily. I'd be very happy to write to the Member if he wants a specific example of what it's doing, but it is expected, over the lifetime of the scheme, to generate about £100 million for the Welsh economy and also safeguard thousands of jobs.
You mentioned the funding that was announced by the First Minister—the EU transition fund to help out our businesses. At our Brexit round-table meeting yesterday in Aberystwyth, it was certainly welcomed. Many of our companies are very concerned about making sure that they're sustainable and, certainly, the £50 million—and I'm looking at the Cabinet Secretary for Finance—that's the initial funding, and we are hoping there'll be more. You ask if I've got enough funding. Obviously you've never got enough funding, have you? But I'm sure the Cabinet Secretary for Finance has heard my plea. But, certainly, I think that that funding will really help companies prepare for Brexit, and they are telling us that that's what they want. So, we'll wait to see, obviously, at the end, if we require some more.
You asked about Hybu Cig Cymru, and I mentioned the extra funding that I announced for them. They're going to develop and deliver an enhanced export development programme for Welsh red meat. I think it's very important that we seek to increase sales. Export sales will obviously be a key component of that, and I mentioned that I told them to be as ambitious as possible in meeting that, and if they could exceed it, that would be, obviously, beneficial for everybody.
I can't see a time when we won't be bringing forward school milk, and, certainly, the farmers are telling me that it's very important that we continue to do that. I haven't had specific discussions, but I will make sure that I put that on the agenda.