, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny - Minister for Economy
I think that it will have a material effect. Higher education in Wales think that there are about 1,000 imminent redundancies in this space. I know these are jobs that everyone, regardless of party, would want to see more of in Wales, so it plainly isn't good…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny - Minister for Economy
Thank you for the question.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny - Minister for Economy
Obviously, it's been recently published, and we'll need to have action plans in different sectors, but we can only do that having had an understanding of where the sector sees itself. There is some different knowledge about some of these things as well. One…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny - Minister for Economy
It's an ongoing area of consideration, because we still want to increase degree apprenticeships, and the commitment we've got will maintain that. Because, in protecting the money and investing more in this area, I want to be really clear that I wouldn't go…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny - Minister for Economy
Yes, I expect we will see an increase in completion rates. And obviously, this committee, and predecessor committees, have acknowledged that completion rates in Wales compared very well with other parts of the UK. So, we're confident that we can improve our…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny - Minister for Economy
That's correct. I've been upfront and public about the fact that it'll take six years, not five, to reach that. We still expect that we'll deliver more apprenticeships than the 100,000 we achieved in the last term, but we won't get to 125,000—that's even…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny - Minister for Economy
And of course, you have to balance that up against the loss we've definitely had on apprenticeship funding through European money changes. So, the overall amount we're getting for apprenticeships doesn't get us to where we need to. So, it's part of the reason…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny - Minister for Economy
I think, the last time we looked, it didn't add extra money to Wales, did it, the apprenticeship levy?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny - Minister for Economy
Well, I'll ask Jo if she disagrees with me, but the UK apprenticeship levy doesn't work for Wales. It doesn't work for lots of sectors of the economy. So, you take in money through the apprenticeship levy and it doesn't actually add to the extra resource that…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny - Minister for Economy
The statistical release on young people not in education, employment or training predates the young person's guarantee becoming active, so they're slightly misaligned in that sense. I don't think it's comparing the impact of the young person's guarantee…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny - Minister for Economy
We're having conversations with each of the growth deals. As you'll know, they're jointly funded by the UK and Welsh Governments. I met with the north Wales growth deal group this week. I've previously met the Swansea bay growth deal. It's now the junior…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny - Minister for Economy
So, obviously, there has been the report of the panel, and the panel's report isn't Government policy, but it has informed the discussions that we have had within the Government. You'll have heard the First Minister talk about this in the last two First…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny - Minister for Economy
Yes, happy to.
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Economy
Actually, when it comes to our apprenticeships programme, we're in a really positive position, compared to England, on the numbers comparatively, and also when it comes to completions as well, and, actually, we are expanding our programme. It's a regular…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Economy
The Welsh Government is committed to increasing the number of apprenticeships undertaken by raising awareness of the programme. We promote the benefits to both employers and learners through a range of marketing and communications activities throughout the…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Economy
Well, actually, I do maintain an interest, and I'm thinking about some of my own past, when it comes to wool. My mother used to knit our jumpers for going to school and my father was a rural vet, so I spent quite a long time seeing my father tend to sheep; it…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Economy
This Government is committed to backing Welsh businesses. As we emerge from the long shadow of the coronavirus pandemic, one of our priorities is to continue to support Wales’s economic recovery. We will take a team Wales approach to creating a fairer…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Economy
Well, of course the 20's Plenty campaign was predicated on an improvement to air quality and improvement to safety as well. I think pedestrians are five times more likely to lose their lives if they're struck at 30 mph compared to 20 mph. So, it's not just a…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Economy
I have regular meetings and conversations with the Minister for Climate Change. 'Llwybr Newydd', our national transport delivery plan, sets out a vision for a transport system that is good for society, the environment and the economy. That will further help…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Economy
I'm very proud of our record in the more than two decades of devolution in working with businesses. You've never heard a First Minister or an economy Minister here in Wales refer to disagreements with businesses by saying, as a previous, a former, Prime…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Economy
We have many programmes and initiatives for supporting our high streets, including business support, small business rates relief and non-domestic rates. Our Transforming Towns programme, which is providing £100 million over three years, aims to address some…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Economy
Well, look, I welcome money that is being spent in any part of Wales to secure a better economic future, but I think the Member needs to look again at the design of the shared prosperity fund and, indeed, the levelling-up fund. Half of local authorities in…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Economy
I'm deeply concerned still about the choices made by the UK Government, not just because they are a breach of successive manifesto promises, but because they leave Wales short of well over £1 billion over three years. In fact, Newsnight recently undertook an…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Economy
Yes. The unemployment rate for Clwyd South in the 12 months to September 2022 was 3.7 per cent. That is down 2.7 percentage points on the same period in 2013.
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Economy
Well, the end purpose for the use of that land is economic development. We're interested in how we secure an increase in economic activity within this part of Wales. It aligns with the ambitions that Powys County Council have for events, and the economic…
