Can I also begin by saying that I'm very pleased to support today's motion? And thank you to David Rees, my colleague, for bringing forward this debate but not only bringing forward today's debate, but your continuous commitment towards the Welsh steel industry through your work both in the Chamber and the cross-party group. I'm very pleased to speak in this debate today and to stand up for the steel industry as a whole, but particularly steel making in Shotton in my constituency, which produces many quality steel products, such as galvanised, metallic and pre-finished steels.

Deputy Llywydd, I must say that when I saw that this debate was tabled, it took me back to the date it was tabled and my by-election campaign last year, during which I made a commitment to standing up for steel, for the steel industry. So, I think it's pleasing to say, one year on, I can come here and stand up for our Welsh steel industry. It also took me back to the Save Our Steel campaign and the work that my dad did at the time to stand up for the industry and the workers, particularly in that site in Shotton. Developments in the steel industry were rightly one of the most high-profile political issues of 2016, and I vividly remember him working day and night, contacting the trade union officials and lobbying hard to both the Welsh and UK Governments to support the very important industry. Everyone who supported that campaign knows how important the industry is to Shotton, but to Wales and the UK as a whole, as David Rees has rightly highlighted on many, many occasions.

As we all know, Deeside's darkest day occurred in March 1980, when British Steel, after a decade of battering union and political pressure, axed 6,500 jobs at Shotton steel. It was the biggest industrial redundancy on a single day in western Europe, and entire families faced redundancy; communities were ruined. The impact on the industry for our area and the whole of Wales is massive. The Welsh economy research unit at Cardiff University found that the total economic impact of Tata was £3.2 billion in Wales per year, which supported a gross value added of £1.6 billion. Tata contributes £200 million in wages to the Welsh economy each year, and each job at Tata supports an additional 1.22 jobs throughout the Welsh economy.

Deputy Llywydd, let's not forget that steel is either in every single product or in every single process in our current world, so the steel industry rightly deserves all the support it can get. And I'm proud of the Welsh Government, and I think the Welsh Government has a great track record of backing the steel industry, and I know that, under the guidance of Mark and Ken, it will continue to do so. But it's clear to me that support shouldn't just happen when crisis hits, and the UK Government, as many Members have said from across this Chamber, can learn and should learn from lessons of the past.

In closing, Deputy Llywydd, I do want to take time to mention the workers in the steel industry, especially those working at Shotton. I've had the pleasure to visit the site on quite a few occasions, and I know that, just last year, we took many Members from my party up to the site as well. And it's clear to me that the workers are extremely proud of what they are doing and what they're achieving day in, day out, and I'm proud of the contribution the industry makes to my community and to the whole of Wales. So, in closing, my final message is a message to the workers within the steel industry: we will in this Chamber keep fighting for you in this difficult time, and we thank you for everything you do to improve our Welsh economy. Diolch.