9. What assessment has the Minister made of the implications for the food and farming sector in Wales of the UK Government not being able to secure an EU trade deal? OQ55483

Thank you. Since the announcement of the referendum result in June 2016, I've been working with members of my round-table stakeholder group to consider all possible scenarios, including leaving on World Trade Organization terms. We continue to examine the options for supporting these key sectors should we leave the EU without a free trade agreement.

Thank you, Minister. I've got absolutely no doubt that you're working every hour of the day to make sure that we do have, and we do put the pressure on the UK Government to secure, a good trade deal for the benefit of Wales as well as for the rest of the UK, but, during a visit to a farm in mid Wales last week, a UK Government Minister, Mr Jayawardena, was reported as saying he was confident that trade will indeed continue with the EU, we weren't to worry, and optimistically added that good deals—good deals—would be struck worldwide with other countries, including with the USA.

So, bearing in mind that we now know the UK Government is making preparations for an Australian-style trade deal with the EU—in other words a no trade deal on WTO terms—which will utterly devastate our sheep and lamb farmers and other sectors in Ogmore and across Wales, and that the same Government's reckless threat to break international law means that not only smaller countries but the US itself may put the untrustworthy UK Government to the back of the queue in trade deals, was Boris Johnson's Minister talking sense on his day trip to mid Wales or was he talking through his hat?

You will have heard me say in earlier answers that myself and my Scottish counterpart were accused of having a 'glass half empty' attitude towards this, but, clearly, it is a matter of huge concern, as we're now only 15 weeks away from the end of the EU transition period. But, while there's still the chance of a deal with the EU, my officials will continue to work very closely with the UK Government. We made that very clear at the meeting on Monday with the DEFRA Secretary of State and other Ministers. It's really important that they share all the information they can with us so that we know exactly what talks are being undertaken. Obviously, my colleague Eluned Morgan leads on the trade talks for Welsh Government, and I know that, while the negotiations with the rest of the world might offer some opportunities, it's the EU that is still our most significant market by some margin. So, for me and for all my ministerial colleagues, we've made it very clear that that should be the UK Government's immediate focus.

I thank the Minister.