I thank David Rees, the Chair of the committee for the way he—well, he always conducts the committee in exemplary fashion. This was a very important inquiry, and I'm happy to support the motion and the report today.

I think David has covered the main points that struck us, but let me amplify them. I don't think they're reduced in any way by repeating. The salary threshold at £30,000 was clearly the major issue we faced and, as has been pointed out, that's considerably above the average wage level in Wales, and I too am pleased to see that this is now undergoing some review. And I think we were quite right to recommend some variation being allowed in Wales should it remain at £30,000, so that at least we could adjust it. But around the whole scheme, we did hear from employers the higher recruitment cost they may be facing, the particular difficulty in vulnerable sectors where, even if the threshold reduced a bit, they may still not be captured, such as those in social care—especially if they're part time, for instance—agri-food, hospitality. These are all vital areas to the Welsh economy.

I too noted the lower rate amongst EU citizens in Wales applying for the settled status scheme, and it's quite significantly below the other parts of the UK. And I have to say, to some extent, this does reflect my own experiences over the last year or 18 months with the Greek community in south Wales. They've raised these concerns about information and how they go about it, and many of them have been here for decades, some of them Greek Cypriots here since the 1970s. I think there was a large amount of uncertainty and anxiety, some of it misplaced, no doubt, but that lack of clarity was a real issue.

And if I could make a plug to fellow Members, Presiding Officer, that a week today, in conference room C and D, there will be a presentation on the contribution of the Greek community over the last 150 years to Cardiff in particular, so I urge Members to come along. It would certainly make, in very vivid tones, the point that David concluded on about our need to welcome immigrants as they brings us so many gifts and enrich our own cultural heritage, as well as the Greeks have in Cardiff and south Wales and, indeed, other parts of Wales in all probability.

Can I say that a points scheme, if that's where we end up, possibly would allow for more regional variation? I understand the Welsh Government is reluctant to go down the sort of scheme that would give it a lot of variation over something like the threshold, which may be difficult to administer, whereas allowing more points for immigrants coming in looking for work, and being able to settle in Wales and in particular jobs, perhaps, may be a way forward, and I think that should be considered very carefully. I appreciate the thought that's gone into that from the Welsh Government.

And also, the need for a shortage occupation list, as they will have in Scotland, I think could combine with this and start to allow us the maximum flexibility, because our economy is very different from the ones quite close to us around Bristol, and certainly around London and the Thames valley. So, I think these things are justifiably points to raise and to consider, because we're about to have a big shift in practice in terms of people from the rest of Europe that will seek to live and work in Britain and, in our case especially, in Wales. These changes have to be managed very, very carefully. They affect a lot of people, potentially—those that are already settled; their relatives have a higher propensity to come and work where they've got family connections. So, these are profoundly important points.

Whilst we are now about to go through all the realities of Brexit and the big changes, there's still a lot of scope to respond to these very justified concerns that we're getting, even at this stage, through the consultations and the inquiries. And I do welcome that the Welsh Government does respond in the correct, I would say constructive, spirit to take these points and to make suggestions, and promote some of the ones that we have that really could enhance the scheme and don't, at their heart, have any intention to undermine the practicalities of what will face us in the post-Brexit world. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer.