, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry - Panel 4 - Global perspective
Okay. So, I suppose, then, it all depends on, essentially, what that mandate sets out, doesn't it? You talk about 1995, and the flexibility, of course, is the key part there, isn't it, because times change.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry - Panel 4 - Global perspective
Would you say there have been any downsides at all?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry - Panel 4 - Global perspective
Diolch, Gadeirydd. Thank you for your time, Karen. One of the things we're talking about in Wales now in the context of the Welsh development bank is putting it on a legislative footing. That's been part of the evidence we've received so far in this inquiry…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Green Economy - Panel 2 - Alternative Models of Ownership
—I'll hand back to the Chair. Diolch yn fawr. Diolch.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Green Economy - Panel 2 - Alternative Models of Ownership
Great. Unless Benedict wants to add to that—
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Green Economy - Panel 2 - Alternative Models of Ownership
So, Cwmpas has been really clear that the Welsh Government has a real key role to play here in supporting Welsh supply chains and helping develop them. So, what actions specifically would you like to see the Welsh Government take in supporting those supply…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Green Economy - Panel 2 - Alternative Models of Ownership
If I could just touch on supply chains very briefly, and I'll come to Cwmpas, if that's okay.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Green Economy - Panel 2 - Alternative Models of Ownership
Yes, of course.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Green Economy - Panel 2 - Alternative Models of Ownership
I suppose it touches a lot on some of Vikki's questions previously on alternative models of ownership and trying to get that into the education system as well. I just think back to when I was in school and you'd have business as a subject. It was always…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Green Economy - Panel 2 - Alternative Models of Ownership
I suppose a lot of that's quite similar for Cwmpas as well, isn't it?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Green Economy - Panel 2 - Alternative Models of Ownership
Diolch, Cadeirydd. In our last session, we asked questions around skills, and it seems like it has been a very long time of us discussing the shortages in the wider economy of skills across all sectors, really, and that's something I think Community Energy…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Green Economy - Panel 1 - Business and Renewables
Jess and then, finally, Tom.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Green Economy - Panel 1 - Business and Renewables
Felix.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Green Economy - Panel 1 - Business and Renewables
It would be remiss of me not to mention that, obviously, we have a new First Minister now, and in his manifesto he pledged to support that shift to net zero and to support that green economy. So, if I could just go to each of you and ask what you think should…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Green Economy - Panel 1 - Business and Renewables
Great. Thanks, Tom. I'm looking at the time, Chair, as I have just one final question.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Green Economy - Panel 1 - Business and Renewables
I'll come to Ben, and then I'll come to Tom, as I can see that Tom wants to come in. Ben.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Green Economy - Panel 1 - Business and Renewables
Great. Diolch. If I can—I'm just conscious of time—move to thinking about priorities for investment now within the wider green skills agenda, both RenewableUK Cymru and Net Zero Industry Wales have called on the Welsh Government to establish clean growth…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Green Economy - Panel 1 - Business and Renewables
So, all this means, essentially, long-term commitment to consistency in Government policy, doesn't it, because if there's a change in direction suddenly, colleges are going to find that very difficult to react to? Businesses will—. Ben.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Green Economy - Panel 1 - Business and Renewables
So, if you think of it as a triangle, we'd be talking about Government, business and then, say, FE colleges or the education sector, or both.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Green Economy - Panel 1 - Business and Renewables
So, in essence, we're talking about a system where constituent parts of that system simply aren't communicating regularly enough with each other.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Green Economy - Panel 1 - Business and Renewables
Diolch, Gadeirydd. If I can focus on skills for a moment, I think, since my election in 2021, we've been talking about that sort of skills gap, skills shortage, not just within that particular transition in the net-zero area, but across all sectors. There's…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 3 - Global perspective
Great. Diolch yn fawr. Thank you.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 3 - Global perspective
That's really helpful. Thank you. Just one final question, Chair. In the instance where a director has been appointed and represents the bank on that business's board, if there's a difference of opinion or a breakdown in relationship between that business and…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 3 - Global perspective
Just for clarity on my end, then, it's optional for that business whether they take on that director on their board. Say, now, they didn't take that director on, does that mean that the equity investment wouldn't go ahead, or is it just completely optional…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 3 - Global perspective
Thinking about those directors, then, I think part of the investment strategy set out by the bank is that, if there was an equity investment taken out, there could be an expectation that an investment director would then sit on the board of that business. Am…
