Part of 3. Topical Questions – in the Senedd at 3:17 pm on 15 May 2019.
Can I just say thank you for reassuring us that we're not back in the same position that we were in in 2016? I think the investment in the blast furnace and, actually, the company's interest in producing more of its own energy are a good sign that that's actually the case. I just had a couple of questions, because my colleague Russell has some as well. I suppose I'd like to repeat some of the questions that I asked when the merger or the joint venture was looking as if it was very probable. One of the things that I asked at the time then was: what's likely to be happening with R&D? I think you might have answered that in response to David Rees. At the time—I think it was in response to an emergency question or a topical question from Helen Mary—you said that you would be circulating a note of the conditionality of the terms that have been offered to Tata already. At the time, we were asking, 'Well, will they apply to a merged venture?' But, I don't think we've had that note yet, and I think that it would be useful, not least because it will stop us asking this same question over and over.
On the principle that I'm asking the same questions that I would have asked if there had been a merger, you did say at the time that you were hoping that the employment pact would be extended to 2026 with the joint venture. If that doesn't happen, would you still be seeking that extension from Tata as it is—on the same terms, probably? You also mentioned the competitiveness of Welsh steel—that what we're looking for is something that's efficient and productive. I suppose that what I'm asking is, is there a plan B here? Say this merger doesn't go ahead, I think that what I'm seeking is that there has been some sort of reassurance about what would happen if it doesn't go ahead, in the sense of, are there any escrow agreements drawn up about an extension to an employability pact? Was there anything else that was done in draft, if you like, so that, should the merger not go ahead, we weren't immediately just thrown back into a position where we were all asking, 'What next?' Now, I appreciate that it is a bit too early to be asking that question, but I would have liked to be certain that there was a back-up plan. I suppose that's what I'm asking. I think that that's all I want to ask at this moment. I will be listening to what other Members say as well—particularly, I suspect that Trostre might come up in other people's questions as well.