2. How does the Commission promote the Welsh Parliament to the world? OQ59007

The Commission supports opportunities to promote and showcase our Parliament and its innovative work on the international stage. This includes supporting Members to participate in international networks and facilitating programmes for visiting parliamentary delegations, such as the Canadian federal Parliament last week, and welcoming diplomats to this place, such as the representation from Catalonia this morning. Our international framework was recently agreed in a Commission meeting. It sets out the objective of raising the Senedd’s profile and the value of building our reputation through engagement and collaboration, whether that work is led by Members or committees, or whether it happens at an official level or between parliaments. 

Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. It's clear that significant work is done to promote the work of our national Parliament, and this could be done through the large acts, such as you mentioned, with the engagement with all the parliaments, or perhaps even smaller acts. Now, Cymru, as a nation, is a  generous and welcoming place, and so is our Senedd, and I'm sure that Members, like myself, have received correspondence from people around the globe asking a range of questions. Most recently, I was written to by Oliver from France, asking me for one of my ties. Now, I know that Sarah Murphy often says that I have the nicest ties in this Parliament, and Oliver clearly agrees—[Laughter.]—but in all seriousness, Llywydd, it is clear that the work of our Senedd is reaching far and wide across the globe, and I wondered what further resources could be made available to allow Members to promote the work of Cymru's national Parliament, our Senedd. 

Well, I'm pleased to hear that your ties are a matter of international interest [Laughter.] I'd like to reinforce, in my response to you, and urge Members here to look at the opportunities they have as individual Members, as members of committees, to travel and to engage with parliaments and with projects right around the world, so that we can enrich our work here in terms of policy development, in terms of legislation, from the experiences in all parts of the world. I think COVID has restricted some of that international work; it opened up some additional opportunities through the use of Zoom and other technology. But there's nothing really to replace the direct experience of visiting and meeting with people from around the world to learn from where interesting ideas are happening on the ground, and for other people as well to learn from some of the good work that we're doing here in Wales. So, I urge you all, as Members of this Senedd, to look for opportunities, where the Commission can support you in any international work that you want to do on behalf of the people of Wales. 

I thank the Llywydd. 

A point of order by Jack Sargeant. 

I'm grateful, Presiding Officer, for allowing me the opportunity to correct the record. In questions to the Counsel General, it was not done lightly, but I forgot to remind Members of my interest as a proud trade union member, when asking a question about the strike. So, I'm grateful for the opportunity to remind Members that that is available online, but also for the opportunity to say, in the Chamber in front of yourself and in the presence of the Llywydd, that I am a proud member of both Community and Unite unions. 

Thank you. I'm not always convinced it's a point of order, but it's important to put it on the record, and that you've done so. Diolch yn fawr.