, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Motion under Standing Order 17.42(ix) to resolve to exclude the public for the remainder of the meeting
We'll move on now to item 6 on our agenda, and I propose, under Standing Order 17.42, to resolve to exclude the public from the remainder of the meeting. Is everyone content? Yes, I see that everyone is content, so we'll move to our private session.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Ministerial Scrutiny - Minister for Economy
Thank you.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Ministerial Scrutiny - Minister for Economy
Okay. Thank you for that. Are there any other questions for the Minister? No. Our session has, therefore, come to an end. Can I take this opportunity on behalf of the committee to thank you and your team for being with us today? It's been a very useful and…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Ministerial Scrutiny - Minister for Economy
Thank you very much indeed. Now, during this session, Minister, you've made it absolutely clear that your main priority is to achieve more jobs and better jobs. And in response to Sarah Murphy, you did say that, obviously, you don't know what the economy is…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Ministerial Scrutiny - Minister for Economy
Thank you for that information, Minister. I'll now bring in Sam Kurtz. Sam.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Ministerial Scrutiny - Minister for Economy
Thank you, Luke. Now, obviously, I appreciate that you've just said that there are real pressures on budgets, but are we seeing more and more people being paid the real living wage?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Ministerial Scrutiny - Minister for Economy
Thank you, Hefin. I'll now bring in Luke Fletcher. Luke.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Ministerial Scrutiny - Minister for Economy
Yes, that information will be very useful to us as a committee. Thank you. I'll now bring in Hefin David. Hefin.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Ministerial Scrutiny - Minister for Economy
Thank you, Sarah. Before I bring in Hefin David, on that very point, you said, obviously, at this stage you don't know how much unspent money is actually going back to the Treasury. Can you tell us when you will have those figures available, and, when you…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Ministerial Scrutiny - Minister for Economy
Thank you, Vikki. I now bring in Sarah Murphy. Sarah.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Ministerial Scrutiny - Minister for Economy
Thank you, Hefin. I'll now bring in Vikki Howells. Vikki.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Ministerial Scrutiny - Minister for Economy
And I know that Hefin David wants to come in on this point as well. Hefin.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Ministerial Scrutiny - Minister for Economy
Now, you've mentioned that the funding windows have changed since the Reid review, but how will you as a Government support researchers here in Wales to be more successful at getting funds out of UK research?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Ministerial Scrutiny - Minister for Economy
You've referred to the innovation strategy. Can you give us an update on your time frame for this new strategy?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Ministerial Scrutiny - Minister for Economy
Thank you very much indeed for those introductions, and perhaps I can just kick off this session to ask you some questions around research and innovation. You'll be aware, Minister, that I take a very keen interest in this matter. Now, it's quite clear to me…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Ministerial Scrutiny - Minister for Economy
Welcome back to this committee meeting of the Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee. We'll move on now to item 5 on our agenda, which is ministerial scrutiny. And in this session we have the Minister for Economy; it is a scrutiny session with the…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Ministerial Scrutiny - Minister for Rural Affairs, North Wales & Trefnydd
Thank you. We'll now take a short break to prepare for the next session. Thank you.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Ministerial Scrutiny - Minister for Rural Affairs, North Wales & Trefnydd
Okay. Thank you very much indeed for that. Are there any other questions for the Minister at all? No. Our session has therefore come to an end, Minister. Thank you to you and your team for your time this morning; it's been a very useful session. Of course, a…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Ministerial Scrutiny - Minister for Rural Affairs, North Wales & Trefnydd
And is that something, Minister, that you'd want to make representations on?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Ministerial Scrutiny - Minister for Rural Affairs, North Wales & Trefnydd
Okay, thank you very much for that. Can I just come back on one other issue, which you were discussing with Sarah Murphy? I know that some politicians are actually asking the UK Government to extend the rural fuel duty relief scheme to Wales. Can you tell us…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Ministerial Scrutiny - Minister for Rural Affairs, North Wales & Trefnydd
Thank you, Sam. You'll be aware of Professor Mark Shucksmith's 'Rural Lives' report, which was actually published, I believe, back in 2021. There were a range of important issues in that report, including housing, employment, business, social care and…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Ministerial Scrutiny - Minister for Rural Affairs, North Wales & Trefnydd
Diolch yn fawr iawn, Luke. I'll bring back Sam Kurtz, who's got another couple of questions.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Ministerial Scrutiny - Minister for Rural Affairs, North Wales & Trefnydd
Thank you, Sam. I'll now bring in Luke Fletcher.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Ministerial Scrutiny - Minister for Rural Affairs, North Wales & Trefnydd
Okay. Thank you, Hefin. I'll now bring in Sam Kurtz. Sam.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Ministerial Scrutiny - Minister for Rural Affairs, North Wales & Trefnydd
Thank you, Sarah. I'll now bring in Hefin David. Hefin.
