, Plenary
Debate on a Member's Legislative Proposal: A Bill to strengthen food security
Professor Tim Lang is one of the foremost experts on food in this country, and that is why he's been invited to prepare a report for the UK National Preparedness Commission, and he calls on us to prepare for the unavoidable food shocks from an unstable global…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice
I welcome you very much to being the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice. In the final contribution of Frank Field in the House of Lords, he spoke about the work of the community that is feeding the people of Birkenhead who cannot feed…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 5 - Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language
Great. Thank you.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 5 - Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language
The Montreal Group.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 5 - Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language
Very good. And just lastly, the Montreal Group, which the Development Bank of Wales has had some dealings with, but isn't, if you like, completely wedded into it—is this something that you'd be keen to explore?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 5 - Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language
Okay. And what about Germany and France? Because we know that Germany has much stronger regional banks that are more invested in their regions.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 5 - Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language
So, in the context of trying to strengthen our foundational economy, to what extent does the Welsh Government seek to learn from other Governments that own a development bank or similar institution, such as Scotland or Canada?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 5 - Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language
Yes, in the mainstream market, and there's nobody to speak to, because they've all left the high street. So, how could we engage a wider audience available for filling that gap, particularly in the context of our need to grow our renewable energy sector…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 5 - Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language
Okay. We heard earlier from the development bank that there really is a gap in funding anything that's under £0.5 million, that traditional lenders—
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 5 - Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language
Yes.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 5 - Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language
Okay. Thank you. Just turning to—. There are, obviously, successes in the Development Bank of Wales, and we've heard that a lot of organisations are looking at what the development bank is doing, which is all very interesting, because what we're trying to do…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 5 - Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language
Okay. Fine. Thank you. So, I think we've probably come as far as we can on this, unless there's anything further you want to add, because it seems to me that you're keen to understand the bank's current processes and then you'll take a view as to whether or…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 5 - Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language
Okay. Some of the evidence that we had in writing was from a Mr Andrew Ling, who was given £500,000 on the basis that he would have, then, somebody independently appointed to the board, and his remuneration was £150,000—I don't know if it's a 'he' or a 'her'…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 5 - Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language
Fine. Thank you very much. So, I just want to move on, really, to how the bank handles complaints. Professor Dylan Jones-Evans has said that he thought it would be beneficial if there was a more independent panel to handle complaints. This was dismissed by…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 5 - Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language
If you were the housing Minister, you'd obviously be thinking, 'I don't want these people to be ending up in homelessness services; there's an alternative way of doing it.' So, I can see, from that policy objective, there's a clear remit, but it is taking the…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 5 - Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language
Okay. So, that gave you the confidence to ask them to do what is a service.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 5 - Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language
Is that an appropriate place, initiative, for the development bank to be involved in, given that this is not—? This is important socially for individuals, but it's not really about developing the economy as such.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 5 - Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language
Thank you. Just to follow on from that, latterly, the development bank has got involved in sort of mortgage lending for—you know, in the context of COVID and the cost of living and people who are at risk of losing their homes.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 4 - Development Bank of Wales
Thank you.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 4 - Development Bank of Wales
It is. We haven't got time for that today.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 4 - Development Bank of Wales
But it's also a way, surely, of counteracting the dominant culture of short-termist investment decision making that dominates the City of London, which is why the British economy is in such a fragile state. Do you not see these sorts of links as a way of…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 4 - Development Bank of Wales
Finally, I just wanted to go back to the comparator organisations. Could you just set out the development bank's links with the Montreal Group, who seem to be the best game in town?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 4 - Development Bank of Wales
Obviously, the number of complaints that you have received is, I acknowledge, quite small, but, clearly, Professor Jones-Evans asserted that some founders were afraid to come forward to complain about their treatment, in case they're blacklisted for future…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 4 - Development Bank of Wales
I'll have to rephrase my questions, really. It's really about—. I mean, we all, in our constituencies, get people who are not happy with the outcome of a particular body who has decided against them, and it's out job to ensure that they have been treated…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 4 - Development Bank of Wales
Okay. Fine. I've only recently joined the committee, so I didn't know that.
