5. Will the Minister make a statement on how the Welsh Government is promoting Alyn and Deeside to the world? OAQ55031

The international strategy sets out the importance of having a strong offer to attract inward investment and tourism to Wales and grow our economy. North Wales, of course, including Alyn and Deeside, is a part of that offer. 

Thank you for your answer, Minister. I was very pleased to welcome the First Minister and the Minister for economy to Tata Steel in my constituency last week, and it was great to hear the commitment that those at the very top of the Welsh Government have towards the steel industry, and it has to be said that that is unlike the Westminster Government—the Westminster Tory Government. Now, Tata Steel is leading the way in innovation and developing the next generation of steel products, especially in the Shotton site, and the expertise at the plant means they are the only producer in Europe who can provide an advanced three-layer product in a single pass. The guarantee that comes with this product enables them to sell it to all corners of the world, including India, Chile, Peru, Australia and right across Europe. Minister, what can the international strategy do to promote the work being done at Shotton steel, and also to promote Welsh steel for what it is—the very best? 

Thank you. Well, I hope that the fact that the First Minister and the Minister for the economy visited with you in Shotton was testament to the fact that they very much underline the importance of this sector. I think this is an area where in Wales we do have, really, something to sell the world. We are doing some very, very innovative work, and I think there is scope for us to be promoting that. So, one of the things I'm trying to instigate is a monthly message to embassies around the world to say, 'This is the theme that we would like you to promote this year or this month', and I think it would be really useful, perhaps, for us to look at how we could do that in the context of steel, so that's certainly—. But I think it's probably also worth emphasising that, in fact, Alyn and Deeside is home to the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, and that is specifically mentioned in the strategy as one of the magnet projects to attract people to come to north Wales to invest.

Well, from Caergwrle castle to Gladstone's Library, from the Enbarr Shotton Point project to the wonderful work of the North East Wales Heritage Forum, which includes the Buckley Society, Quay Watermen's Association, Deeside and District Local History Society, Saltney and Saltney Ferry History Group and much more, Alyn and Deeside has very much to offer visitors from across the world. What engagement are you having or do you propose to have with the incredible North Wales Tourism group and its Go North Wales brand, which is perhaps leading the way in working to promote not only Alyn and Deeside but the region within which it sits to the world around us?

Thank you. Well, I hope you will have seen that, in the strategy, sustainable adventure tourism, which I very much associate with north Wales, as well as there being some great opportunities in south Wales, is something that we are specifically focused on. So, the key thing with these international strategies is how do you grab attention in the first place. And I think that's what we've been trying to say: look, actually, when it comes to sustainable, adventure tourism, Wales is the place to be. And, once they're there, then we can direct them to Gladstone's Library or whatever else. I mean, it may not be the same kind of people who want to go to Gladstone's Library and jump off a cliff, but I think the key thing is how we grab attention for ourselves initially, and that's what we're trying to do. So, there may be an opportunity for me to meet up with tourism people, but that is very much something that my colleague Dafydd Elis-Thomas leads on.