7. Will the First Minister provide an update on the priorities of the Welsh Government's taskforce on the Ford Bridgend plant? OAQ54247

May I thank Dai Lloyd for the question? The taskforce priorities focus on people, potential and place—supporting workers and their families, identifying new economic opportunities and building the economic and social resilience of the Bridgend community in particular.

I thank the First Minister for that answer. In terms of the Bridgend taskforce, obviously, as I mentioned on Friday in the Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister, the mood music seems one of resignation, partially, to the fact that Ford is not going to play a part on the Bridgend site in future. You suggested in one of your answers on Friday that the Government is pursuing 17 other opportunities for the site, involving Ineos and Aston Martin investing in the area. Understandably, there continues to be uncertainty and worry locally in Bridgend—and the whole of south Wales, actually; it's not just a Bridgend issue here, as I know people in Swansea who work at that Ford plant. Therefore, when do you expect to be providing any updates or announcements on future plans for the area, and with the summer recess upon us, will you commit to keeping us informed of developments as Assembly Members?  

I thank the Member for that question, and for the discussion that we had at the scrutiny committee in Wrexham on Friday. I understand the point that he made then and today about a sense of resignation, but just to be completely clear, Llywydd, that is not the position of the Welsh Government. Ford had a highly skilled, dedicated and loyal workforce in Bridgend. The Bridgend community has been loyal to Ford for 40 years. Welsh citizens and UK citizens have been loyal to Ford in buying their products and making them the most successful products on the car market. And the taxpayer has been loyal to Ford over that period in giving it over £140 million. We say to the company: it's time to repay that loyalty. And we have not given up—certainly not given up—on the belief that Ford should be persuaded, in whole or in part, to remain in Bridgend, and that remains at the top of our agenda. But we have to prepare, as the Member recognised in the discussion that we had on Friday, against other eventualities. The other expressions of interest from 17 other sources in bringing work to that site in Bridgend are part of the effort that we are making to make sure that Bridgend is promoted and understood as an excellent place to come and do business. I'm very pleased to give the Member an assurance that, as things develop, and particularly if they develop during the recess period, of course we will make sure through written statements and other means that Members here are kept thoroughly informed. Because Dr Lloyd is completely right, Llywydd, that there are many constituencies across south Wales, my own included, where there are people who work at the Ford factory in Bridgend, and there is a shared interest in making sure that we all do whatever we can to retain an interest in the developments and support the efforts that are being made to find successful futures for those families.

And finally, question 8, Andrew R.T. Davies.