8. What measures is the Welsh Government taking to ensure the efficient movement of people and goods at Welsh ports once the Brexit transition ends? OQ55447

Our priority remains delivering the UK's border commitments in a way that has as little impact as possible on the flow through our ports and on their local communities and economies. We are seeking to work closely with UK authorities to ensure that any new border arrangements can be delivered effectively in Wales.  

Thank you for that answer, Minister. I note that the latest assessment is that freight should not be impaired too greatly and that there is capacity for whether queuing is required, and no doubt you'll want to keep that to a minimum. But we hear little about passenger movements in terms of whether that experience will be made as smooth as possible. We've seen a steady decline for 20 years in the number of passengers taking these routes. Although that's plateaued recently, we do not want to see that decline continue. 

I thank David Melding for that supplementary question. He will have seen the publication on Monday of the border operating model, which is a draft document into which we've had some input, but I think the point from now on is to get much closer alignment between the Governments in relation to this. We've got no time to lose between now and the end of this year, and the impact in some of these areas can be very, very significant. And there's a very complex blend of reserved and devolved competence at play here. So, I hope that, having seen the publication on Monday, we'll see a bit of a step change in terms of how we can work together in relation to resolving some of these very practical challenges. 

Finally, question 9, Mike Hedges.