First Minister, not so long ago you described it as odd that Wales doesn't have its own—

You need to ask the question on the order paper. 

Excuse me; I do apologise. It's not on the order paper. Ah, here you go. Sorry.

Don't blame the order paper, Mr McEvoy. [Laughter.]

1. Will the First Minister make a statement on Welsh Government support for cricket in Wales? OAQ52353

Via Sport Wales, we have provided £537,000 this year to Cricket Wales to support the development of the game across Wales.

Diolch, and thank you for your patience there. Not so long ago, you described it as odd that Wales doesn't have its own national cricket team. And it seems more odd now that Ireland is a full test member of the International Cricket Council, and Scotland is beating England in one-day internationals. So, where is Wales? I think many people here find it bizarre that a team called England, with no Welsh players, playing under the English flag, three lions on the shirt, can be described as Welsh. Now, Glamorgan, who have had reservations about the Welsh team, are calling for someone to produce a business plan to explore how to have a successful county side and national side. So, will your Government support Glamorgan's suggestion by commissioning a feasibility study into a Welsh national cricket team, or will you let Welsh cricketers and fans continue to be so badly represented by England?

Well, ultimately, it's a matter for Cricket Wales and for Glamorgan Cricket Club, and not for the Government. There is no doubt that there would be a severe financial impact if we were suddenly to compete in our own names. There's a question mark as to whether Glamorgan would survive, whether the stadium would be viable, and, indeed, what would happen in terms of the financial support that Welsh cricket receives. I understand that there will be many who, in their hearts, would like to see a Welsh cricket team, but, of course, there are financial realities here that have to be observed and, for me, I think it's best left to the cricketing authorities. 

First Minister, like many sports across Wales, cricket at grass-roots and amateur level is coming under significant pressure, both financially and from a participation perspective. Now, on the weekend, you may have seen that the Welsh Rugby Union announced a pilot that would see junior rugby moved to the summer season. Now, whilst I certainly acknowledge that some of the reasons put forward by the WRU are understandable, can I ask what discussions your Government has had, or will be having over the coming weeks, to ensure that the game of cricket in Wales is not significantly squeezed or harmed by this decision, as it is surely in everyone's interest that all sports in Wales, including cricket and rugby, have their own space to thrive?

It was an issue that was raised with me over the course of the weekend. There is significant overlap already between the sports. There was a time when people would happily play rugby in the winter and cricket in the summer, and the overlap wasn't there; it certainly wasn't there when I was in school, when we played on sloping pitches with a dull ball and one pad—that was the way to learn cricket, if I remember. But the serious point is this: it's important that cricket is able to appeal to young people, as young as possible. The situation has improved. I know, when my son was younger, he could play football at six, rugby at seven, but cricket not until 11. That did change very quickly and he did take part in some cricket. What's important is that cricket continues to appeal to children at the youngest age possible, and, in fairness, that is something that's happening now. So, cricket should be able, to my mind, to hold its own. 

One of the most powerful tools, surely, for encouraging youth cricket in Wales would be to have a national cricket team that young people the length and breadth of the country could aspire to and find role models in. You say that this is not a matter for Government. Let's perhaps explore what might be a matter for Government. You have a major events unit, for example, that funds a host of events in order to put Wales on the map, in order to market Wales, in order to bring economic benefit to Wales. Would Welsh Government look at the possibility of even using major events funding to get the ball rolling on a national cricket team for Wales, as, if you like, a permanent major event that could bring real national benefits? 

The major events funding is there for one-off events, not for continuous revenue funding. But he is right to say, of course, that it's a good way of showcasing Wales. But we don't just attract events to have Welsh teams in them, if I can put it that way. We've just had the Volvo Ocean Race. There was Welsh participation, but there wasn't a Welsh team. The point was to bring the attention of the world to Cardiff Bay, and to Wales, and to see what we could host. The same with the Champions League—yes, there was Welsh participation, clearly, but there were no Welsh teams in it. So, I think it's hugely important that we are able to showcase ourselves as a nation that can host major events. We've done that incredibly successfully. We are by far the smallest nation, for example, to host the Champions League, and Cardiff is the smallest city to host the Champions League. We've done it, and there's no reason why we can't do it again. It shouldn't just be tied to whether or not there's a Welsh team in the event as to whether we then support that event.