6. Statement by the Minister for Economy: Border Controls

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:03 pm on 28 June 2022.

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Photo of Alun Davies Alun Davies Labour 5:03, 28 June 2022

I'm grateful to you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'm grateful to you, Minister, for your statement this afternoon, although I have to say I do fear that it's a Titanic waste of your and our time. You've talked about the checks that had been delayed in April, well, of course, those same checks were also delayed in June 2020, March 2021 and again in September 2021. The ludicrously titled Minister for Brexit Opportunities described introducing such checks as an act of self-harm. Now, he's second only to the so-called Lord Frost in this cast of comic characters who are responsible for the impact on trade and human contact through Brexit and through border controls. My question to you, Minister, is this: would your time, our resources and our money better be used campaigning for and arguing for membership of the single market and customs union, which will restore all the difficulties that are being created by, or most of the difficulties created by Brexit, and particularly the Brexit that has been conjured up by this UK Government, rather than building control posts and border posts that we hope will never be used?