4. What engagement has the Minister had with organisations in Ogmore on the Welsh Government’s international trade priorities? OAQ54535

Promoting exports and international trade is a priority in the international strategy, and we've enhanced our support for Welsh exporters and we're working with a number of businesses across Ogmore to help them export.

That’s really good to hear, and, with eight days to go to close on the draft international strategy for Wales, I just wanted to make sure that all businesses, big and small, and education and training providers, within the Bridgend and Ogmore area have been fully engaged in the process, so that companies like the multi-award-winning Wales Interactive digital games developer and publisher, Airborne Systems of Blackmill, which are a global leader in parachute design, manufacture and training, Sony Bridgend and others, and the double 'excellent' Bridgend College, have all been involved in terms of putting their two-penn'orth into this strategy.

Can I invite the Minister, with my help and support, to come and visit us as soon as she can to discuss the international stagey, when it is signed off, to draw on the experience and knowledge in the Ogmore and Bridgend area? And I’m sure that the Bridgend Business Forum would be very happy to help facilitate a visit and a discussion, because the experience and the knowledge we have in what is still one of the biggest manufacturing areas in the whole of Wales, if not the UK, I think would be helpful to the Welsh Government.

Well, thank you very much for that invitation; I’ll certainly take you up on that. I think that there’s a huge amount of activity already being undertaken in Bridgend. You’ll be aware that, earlier this week, the Cabinet met in Bridgend, in solidarity partly with the workers in Ford. But one of the key sectors that we're hoping to promote in the international strategy is quality tv and films, and you’ll be aware that the studio in Llanharan will be a major sales point for us. I know that there’s been great activity going on there with the filming of Brave New World. Also, on a recent visit to Germany, I met with a German company that has already invested in Bridgend and is interested in expanding that investment. So, there are real opportunities, I think, for Bridgend, and I’d be delighted to take up the Member on that invitation.