6. Statement by the Minister for Economy: Border Controls

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:04 pm on 28 June 2022.

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Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 5:04, 28 June 2022

Well, you'll recall, as I do, that the Welsh Government had a jointly authored White Paper with Plaid Cymru on what a least harmful Brexit could look like in economic terms. And we also had our position on wanting to make sure that there was an engagement with and membership of the customs union and the single market, and it would undoubtedly have avoided all the challenges that we are talking about today, the way we're spending public money and the need to have border control posts. But that was a deliberate choice by the current UK Government to have a form of Brexit that meant that all of those difficulties have been created, and now there is an attempt to act as if there is no need to confront the realities of trade with the island of Ireland or indeed trade with any other part of the European Union. So, yes, it's an undeniable fact that if we had customs union and single market membership, this statement would not be necessary, because we would have other arrangements in place. And that would be economically more beneficial for all of the constituents that you, I and every other Member in this place represent. But that has not been the choice of the UK Government; it's why I have the happy task of continuing to undertake these responsibilities on behalf of the Welsh Government, knowing all the time that I believe that our time could be better spent on the use of public money to support our economic prospects.