The UK Government Minister for Brexit Opportunities, Jacob Rees-Mogg, stated in his written statement to the UK Parliament on 28 April that the introduction of border controls threatened to increase pressure on already hard-pressed businesses and consumers, who are dealing with the rising cost of living and increased energy prices. It also risked causing disruption at our ports and to supply chains, increasing food and commodity prices for consumers and businesses even further, at the very worst possible time.

Whilst I agree these changes will go some way to easing those pressures, I am sure the majority of Members will agree with me that the UK Government should be doing far more to deal with the cost-of-living crisis. I repeat our calls from the Welsh Government for the UK Government to bring forward practical measures without delay to support people, businesses and communities.

Deputy Llywydd, I've made it clear to UK Ministers that the Welsh Government would need time to consider the full implications of the UK Government’s very recent decision and its impact upon Wales. Specifically, we need to understand the UK Government's detailed proposals on how to treat goods from the island of Ireland. Just as importantly, we need to work together on how to ensure biosecurity. We know, of course, of the dreadful consequences of an outbreak of animal or plant disease. 

In addition, the Welsh Government needs urgent sight of draft legislation that the UK Government plan to bring forward, which must come into force before 30 June. This is key to determining whether we will need to introduce our own legislation for Wales, and there is now very little time left in order to do so. I call again on the UK Government to work with us urgently to end this uncertainty. This is essential for the Welsh Government and this Senedd to discharge our responsibilities in line with our established democratic procedures.

Until we understand more detailed proposals, I am unable to comment on the impact of the announcement on our work programme, expenditure or other commitments for the future. I have already set out to Members that this Government believes that any expenditure on border controls, following our exit from the European Union, should be funded by the UK Treasury. If anything, this new announcement adds to the strength of our position. UK Government decisions have determined the form of our departure from the European Union. UK Government decisions continue to directly affect devolved responsibilities with cost consequences. I am afraid that we do not yet know whether this latest policy shift will affect the UK Government's existing commitment to fund the necessary costs of building border control posts. 

Dirprwy Lywydd, the last few months has been incredibly frustrating for the Welsh Government, for our ports and for Welsh businesses. I'm afraid to say that whilst we have been planning for the introduction of border controls, we've been hampered throughout due to a vacuum of information. There have been repeated postponements of joint meetings with the UK Government and the other devolved Governments in this area, whilst UK Ministers have still failed to respond to my most recent letter, from March this year.

I remind Members that the Welsh Government inherited the UK Government's policy commitment to develop inland border control posts where ports could not accommodate them, and we were getting on with the job of trying to be ready by 1 July. This has taken up hundreds of hours of civil servants' time and a great deal of ministerial time. It doesn't just involve me; it involves Ministers across the board, including, in particular, the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and, indeed, the Minister for Finance and Local Government. And we have spent £6 million of public money on this programme of work so far.

The UK Government's engagement with the devolved Governments in terms of decision making has been completely unacceptable. It is wholly at odds with the ways of working envisaged in the inter-governmental relations review and the common frameworks. Dirprwy Lywydd, this is, frankly, disrespectful to a devolved Government, and to this Senedd that needs to scrutinise us and hold us to account.

Moving forward, I do want to work collaboratively with the UK Government to ensure we have the right system in place for importing goods—a system that is safe, secure and efficient. To do that requires a genuine change in attitude and engagement. If a safe, secure and efficient import system can be achieved through harnessing innovative new technologies to streamline processes and reduce friction, then this is something that the Welsh Government can, of course, support. But equally, we will want to be assured that our long‑term strategic responsibilities to protect the health of people, animals and plants in this country are given proper and sufficient weight.

And finally, I want to apologise in advance to Members that I'm unlikely to be able to respond to requests for detailed additional information at this stage, as we simply do not know the answers to some very obvious questions. Nevertheless, it is important that Members have the opportunity to comment and to ask questions, and I will take on board the comments and questions from Members in my follow-up correspondence with the UK Government, and what I hope will be a good deal more regular and useful engagement with them. As I say, I'll be writing to UK Ministers shortly to make some of these points, and I will, of course, keep Members updated on developments.