Part of 2. Questions to the Counsel General and Brexit Minister (in respect of his Brexit Minister responsibilities) – in the Senedd at 2:48 pm on 13 February 2019.
I agree with the characterisation of the threat that the Member describes. I know that the economy Secretary and the Minister for international relations have this as a key priority. The investment that the Government has made, for example, in further upskilling the workforce in some of these companies is a significant dimension to the attraction of businesses to Wales in these sectors, and also in further enabling these companies to compete within their own international networks for resources, which is a key dimension to some of the issues that we face here.
I know that, in terms of the outward-facing strategy of Wales in the future and identifying opportunities for further investment in these sectors, the Minister for international relations has that as a top priority, but I am bound to say that if we end up with the kind of relationship with the single market that it looks like the Prime Minister is prepared to contemplate, that will not strengthen the hand of the Welsh Government or indeed any of these companies in fighting for resources and fighting for opportunities for their workforces.