Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and thank you to Mike Hedges for his choice of short debates, together with his opening remarks. Fascinating—I'm really interested in what Mike has had to say, and in particular the areas he's highlighted—it highlights some areas of continuing strength to build on, as well as potential new areas to look at in the future as well. And Mike has got a consistent interest in life science, the role of the university, and, of course, in not just ICT but the broader digital transformation of the economy. And I think all those things are consistent with what the Welsh Government wants to set out in our economic action plan and our deliberate approach to have more regional economic developments. And since the appointment of chief regional officers by my predecessor, Ken Skates, we've sought to foster closer and more effective collaboration with regional partners and stakeholders. And I believe that's bearing dividends, with collaboration being the key, and, actually, the growth deals have helped to bring together partners—the Welsh Government, the UK Government, and, crucially, local authorities as partners with businesses, universities and others.

We do, of course, face real challenges with both COVID and Brexit having a real impact on the economy of Wales and, indeed, the Swansea bay region. Now, up until a few weeks ago, we'd have been talking about the broad recovery following COVID—that's much more at risk now. What we do know is that with supply chains and staffing issues, they're hampering up the recovery, together with the increase in inflation, and today's figures are another reminder of that. But the OBR—the Office for Budget Responsibility, created by the Conservative Government—recognises, in its forecasts, that Brexit will double the long-running scarring effect the pandemic is likely to have on the economy. So, our changed relationship with Europe is a bigger challenge for us, and the links that Mike Hedges has highlighted, with European friends and partners, will become more important, not less. And I also think that, specifically, our links with the island of Ireland should provide real benefits to the Swansea bay region, in particular the exploitation of the economic potential, not just the renewable energy potential, of the Celtic sea.