Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:34 pm on 22 May 2018.
There are many, many sectors of the Welsh economy that depend very much on labour from outside the UK. If we look at the food and drink sector, there are many firms who'd simply not be able to survive, because there are other options available for local workers that are seen as more attractive. Our abattoirs, for example, would struggle hugely if they weren't able to recruit from other countries. So, no, I don't agree that it's a question of over-supply. If you look at unemployment in Wales, it's historically very, very low—4.5 per cent. That's, effectively, full employment in terms of economics, which is why, of course, there's a need to be able to recruit skilled workers, and workers who are semi-skilled, from other countries. Where would our NHS be, for example, without the doctors who we recruit from outside Wales? I prefer to have a situation where people have the treatment they need, rather than obsessing with where they're from.