Ports

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:55 pm on 7 March 2023.

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Photo of Joyce Watson Joyce Watson Labour 1:55, 7 March 2023

I welcome the progress on Northern Ireland, or the Windsor protocol, but I share your concerns that the deal agreed last week could have a negative impact on Welsh ports, and that includes Fishguard and Pembroke. Brexit has done a good job in boosting French ports at the expense of UK ports. It's far easier now, of course, to bypass Welsh ports, and we can't afford any further decline. The Prime Minister's excitement about Northern Ireland's privileged access to the UK and EU markets is particularly galling, given that he campaigned for the rest of Britain to give it up. Do you agree with me that the least that he can do is help Welsh ports to compete? What should that support look like, instead of the hypocrisy that we're currently seeing?