, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel
And in terms of the national grid as well, good connections will be very important.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel
Yes, no doubt.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel
Diolch, Cadeirydd. If I can just look at the energy side of stuff now, because, obviously, moving to green steel and decarbonisation methods tend to swallow a lot of electricity. With some of those low-carbon approaches now, like electric arc furnaces, are…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel
I don't disagree on that point at all, in terms of using scrap steel more efficiently in the country. But again—I won't labour the point, Chair; I am conscious there are other questions—I think this whole argument around not being commercially viable is just…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel
What I'm saying is that statement, I think, speaks to a lack of ambition. We talk about, again, words like 'not commercially viable' when we talk about hydrogen. We all know that, in the early stages of technology, none of it is commercially viable, but the…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel
I don't think I've suggested that.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel
But we know, of course, getting to net zero is going to be a substantial task and require a lot of investment.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel
But wouldn't you say that that statement speaks to a potential lack of ambition for green steel more generally, if it's looking to offer the lowest amount possible?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel
The Secretary of State for Business and Trade's official told the Business and Trade Committee that the UK Government 'were trying to do the smallest number that they'— being Tata— 'would accept but would also mean that the business would be sustainable into…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel
But then, at some point in the future, we'd have already missed the boat then, wouldn't we?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel
Well, there's no doubt, obviously, that hydrogen steel would be more expensive at the moment, but investment in it can make it cheaper. We've seen KfW, the German development bank, they invested heavily in hydrogen I think it might have been about 12 years…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Future of Welsh Steel
Yes. You've already predicted some of my questions there. I'm particularly keen to understand what considerations were given to alternative technologies. Electric arc furnaces, we've heard time and time again now, don't produce the greatest steel that we…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Cost of living pressures and the Young Person's Guarantee - Panel 2
Great. Jason, final word.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Cost of living pressures and the Young Person's Guarantee - Panel 2
Barry.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Cost of living pressures and the Young Person's Guarantee - Panel 2
We had data in the last one—
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Cost of living pressures and the Young Person's Guarantee - Panel 2
So, if we want to fully deliver the young person's guarantee, we're going to have to address some of those challenges, aren't we? So, if I was to turn around to you now and say, 'Here's a blank cheque', what's the priority challenge that you'd want addressed?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Cost of living pressures and the Young Person's Guarantee - Panel 2
Do you think that the schemes are effectively doing that at the moment?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Cost of living pressures and the Young Person's Guarantee - Panel 2
Diolch, Cadeirydd. So, in terms of the schemes under that umbrella of the young person's guarantee, how effective would you say they are at meeting some of those workforce demands? So, filling some of those gaps in certain sectors or addressing some of the…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Cost of living pressures and the Young Person's Guarantee - Panel 2
Okay, great. Diolch.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Cost of living pressures and the Young Person's Guarantee - Panel 2
I agree on the data point as well. I think that's vital to get right. So, I think, based on some of the stuff that has been said there around the programmes being well equipped to reach some of those harder-to-reach students, that you would say, by and large…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Cost of living pressures and the Young Person's Guarantee - Panel 2
Okay. Did Jason want to come in at all?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Cost of living pressures and the Young Person's Guarantee - Panel 2
So, to pick up on that, then, in terms of—. I take the point as well, I think it's more about the programmes under that umbrella of the young person's guarantee, but, thinking about those students that are harder to reach, those from low-income backgrounds…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Cost of living pressures and the Young Person's Guarantee - Panel 2
Diolch, Cadeirydd. I'd like to understand where you think young people are with the young person's guarantee.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Cost of living pressures and the Young Person's Guarantee - Panel 2
Yes, just more of a point for clarity, maybe. Maybe a bit of a silly question on my part, but you mentioned the increasing number of full-time students and Jobs Growth Wales students; those figures wouldn't reflect attendance, though, would they? That would…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Cost of living pressures and the Young Person's Guarantee - Panel 1
Great. Diolch.
