These are deeply concerning times for the communities we represent, for businesses, for the country as a whole, and they're looking for this Government and other governments to plan our way through it. Now, in the welcome statement this afternoon, you've made—the Counsel General and Brexit Minister has made—very clear that should there be a defeat in the vote tonight, as most commentators, most politicians, most of the public, and old Uncle Tom Cobley and all are expecting, then depending on the scale of that defeat, depending on what the outcome of that defeat will be—and there are a number of different scenarios—the Welsh Government would hold a hand out for further discussions amongst other devolved administrations, on a cross-party basis, which would look at discussions based on the idea of a customs union, of a fair movement of workforce, on fair immigration and so on. But there are other possible scenarios as well, and depending on the scale of defeat tonight—if there is a defeat tonight, because we can't forecast it, but most are thinking that this is what's going to happen—we could be in negotiation again, we could be in a situation where we have Government collapse, we could be in a situation where we have a Prime Minister removed or a Government stepping down, it could be a general election, and we could be looking at scenarios including that of a further public vote.

Most people in this Chamber—not all, I appreciate that—but most people in this Chamber would want to avoid the situation of simply stepping out of the EU, whichever way you would call it, a hard Brexit, a 'no deal', crashing out of the EU—not a managed transition. But I'm struggling to see a way now in which we can avoid that in any of those scenarios without actually an extension of the article 50 deadline. Any of those discussions, negotiations, general election, public vote et cetera, et cetera, et cetera all seem to require an extension to article 50. So, I'd ask the Brexit Minister and Counsel General: am I missing something, or isn't that now an absolute prerogative, unless we accept that we are going to step right off that cliff edge?

But it is right that, meanwhile, we do continue planning in detail here in Wales and at a UK level for that 'no deal'. So, could I ask the Counsel General and Brexit Minister to expand on the work that he is doing in different ways, and fellow Ministers are doing in different ways, on those 'no deal' preparations right across the business of Government, but also with businesses and other stakeholders, on civil contingency planning and also on communications? Because the concern that the business community, residents and the people of Wales have at this moment—they need reassurance that that proper 'no deal' planning is taking place.

Finally, could I ask if he has more up-to-date detail for us on the use of the European transition fund to address pressing priorities in the case of a 'no deal' scenario? I know the Government has been thinking though this. He and other Ministers have been keen to address the top priorities in the case of a 'no deal' scenario. How is that European transition fund being used? It is right that we plan for a 'no deal', but I'm struggling to see a way now, frankly, in any managed transition or any eventuality that doesn't simply step off the cliff that does not need an extension of the article 50 deadline.