I welcome particularly your comments at the end that this is a precautionary measure and that your civil contingency planning,

'is no way signalling that we expect an emergency, but rather that we want to work effectively with our public services...to ensure they are prepared', and that your aim is to minimise the likely need for a civil contingency response. I'm sure that that is an approach that we would all wish to very much share with you.

We've heard today and many times previously—admittedly, you didn't include this in your statement personally—that the Welsh Government respected the result of the 2016 referendum. But, of course, the subsequent White Paper with Plaid Cymru then proposed measures that would've ensured that it was Brexit in name only, with no control over borders, money, laws, trade, or what have you. So, be honest, tell people that's the case and then let them decide, but let's not pretend that it's a Brexit alternative.

In that context, what consideration have you given to the potential impact on civil order were there to be a second referendum, or, for example, were your White Paper commitment to remain in the customs union to bare fruit and result in us not being able to make independent—by 'us' I mean the UK and Wales, hopefully, within the team—trade deals with other states or economic regions across the world, because, of course, many other parts of the world have their own regional economic arrangements?

On the day when we heard that the UK unemployment total has reached a record high, we should remember that the Prime Minister has consistently stated that she wants a customs arrangement; she does not want a 'no deal'. In fact, the deal she's negotiated includes a 21-month implementation period, giving time for businesses to prepare for the future UK-EU arrangements and to ensure a smooth and orderly Brexit process, and the transition period is part of the UK Government withdrawal agreement but will only exist if a deal is agreed. So, those who seem to think, in Westminster, that voting down any deal will then enable them to use a transition period to negotiate, perhaps need reminding that that's not the case.

The UK Government's draft deal also secured good access to the single market but not staying in the single market, because that would have meant large amounts of money continuing to go to the EU in perpetuity, with no control over borders, and regulations in which we would have no hand in creating. Now, whatever people's individual views are about that, that's not respecting the referendum.

The Welsh Local Government Association website enables you to download a Brexit 'no deal' briefing for councils, produced by the UK, or England, Local Government Association. This refers to the Cabinet Office's civil contingency secretariat and the communities and local government's resilience and emergencies division having had discussions with local resilience forums to ensure preparedness for key issues, with councils, local authorities contributing and doing their own scenario planning at an organisational level to ensure preparedness. What, if any, role have you or the Welsh Government had in that process, given that, as we've heard this afternoon, many of these services that could be impacted are devolved but many are not, and there would need to be mutual support and co-ordinated delivery were the worst-case scenario to arise?

You do refer to a response at a national level and Wales through your emergency co-ordination centre in Wales, involving fire and rescue authorities and the fire chiefs, but how would you go beyond that to involve, potentially, police or even soldiers? Because we know that the UK Government has drawn up contingency plans with the National Police Coordination Centre, with the Home Secretary saying that the public shouldn't worry—the departments, like you say, just have to prepare for all possible outcomes.

The National Police Coordination Centre is saying,

'The police are planning for all scenarios that may require a police response...we have no intelligence to suggest there will be an increase in crime or disorder.'

Nonetheless, aspects of policing, particularly community safety, are devolved and we also know in terms of emergency planning that the Welsh Government routinely engages in such matters. Similarly, we know that the Ministry of Defence has announced, I think, 3,500 soldiers, with 10 per cent of those being reservists, to ensure that welfare, health and the security of UK citizens and the economic stability of the UK are not damaged in a worst-case scenario. We know that there are many reservists in Wales, and no doubt, were there to be a problem, we would also be reliant on planning joined up on that basis. So, I would be grateful if you could address that.

From a civil contingencies viewpoint, we know that the Secretary of State for Wales wrote to the First Minister a couple of weeks ago, inviting him to attend the new EU Exit and Trade (Preparedness) Committee, a Cabinet sub-committee in Westminster that's brought together all their 'no deal' Brexit planning committees when shared issues are on the agenda. They're also asking whether the UK Government could sit on the committee, or the regular planning meetings, that they know the Welsh Government are also taking forward. Are you able to tell us whether there's been a positive response to that so that both sides are seen to be working together on preparedness to help ensure a co-ordinated approach on any challenges that might be shared in future?

Again, we heard references earlier in the day to ports. I know that ports are not in your brief, but, potentially, civil contingency issues could arise, so the same letter asked the Welsh Government to share with the UK Government conclusions around work on Holyhead and Pembrokeshire ports, replicating their trials around Kent and whether, again, that has been shared with the UK Government to ensure a joined-up approach, because we know that north Wales is used as a land bridge by Ireland and is a well-used route, but again the wider points were addressed earlier.

What plans does the Welsh Government have to put in place to enable local authorities to hit the ground running in relation to the procurement of essential goods and services in the immediate aftermath of a 'no deal' scenario, God forbid there were one?

And, actually, I think I'll stop there, because I've gone on long enough, and give you time to answer. [Laughter.]