7. What opportunities has the Welsh Government identified for Wales as a result of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU? OAQ55122

The benefits of new opportunities will be outweighed by the downsides likely to result from the terms proposed by the UK Government for our relationship with the European Union. But the Welsh Government is committed to making use of opportunities in respect of supporting the rural economy, a new approach to regional development and our new international strategy, for example, in the best interests of Wales.

Last month's PwC chief executive survey found that European chief executives regard the UK as a key market for growth and investment, rated only behind the US, China and Germany internationally. On Brexit day, ITV Wales reported businesses that had spoken of the opportunities that could arise outside the EU, quoting companies in both the aerospace and agricultural sectors in Wales. Wales continues to have the lowest prosperity levels per head amongst the UK nations, and Brexit can provide an opportunity to help address this. However, growth in the Welsh food and beverage sector, for example, has excluded markets outside of the EU. What evidence have you got, therefore, to share with us of positive, practical action by the Welsh Government to increase the prosperity of Wales by taking us from a EU-dependant exporter to a global trading success, which includes the EU, but seeks growth globally with the new trading partners we all hope to have?

Well, I'd refer him to the international strategy and economic action plan as the Government's interventions in order to ensure the prosperity of Wales. I'm afraid he and I just disagree. I do not believe that membership of the European Union has been in any way an impediment to any of the opportunities that he describes in his question. There's no question that Welsh businesses are able to continue to export internationally as members of the European Union as well as in the period after membership. That is not the challenge. There is a myth that is grown up, I'm afraid, that membership of the European Union was in some way an impediment to that. That is not the case. But I do think that we need to be realistic and clear-sighted about this. Even on the UK Government's own figures, the contribution that the free trade strategy that they are pursuing with third countries—the contribution that that can make to the UK economy on current figures is absolutely marginal compared to maintaining the trading opportunities that we have with one of the largest trading blocks on the globe.

And finally, question 8, Joyce Watson.