, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Economy: Economic Priorities and UK Government Relations
I should perhaps note in response that I am also a member of the Co-operative Party. However, in answering the points by the Member, I think it's fair to say this: employee ownership enjoys an important status in the Welsh Government, with a clear programme…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Economy: Economic Priorities and UK Government Relations
I'll try.
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Economy: Economic Priorities and UK Government Relations
On the first substantive point that he asked about, I'd be grateful if he'd write to me about the detail of the scheme he's suggesting, rather than looking to give a three-word answer in the Chamber today. On the challenges of reduced support around energy…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Economy: Economic Priorities and UK Government Relations
Thank you for the questions. As the Member knows, we're developing our net zero skills plan. There are some statements due to be made by the Office for National Statistics and others later in the spring, but I'm interested in how we are able to close the…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Economy: Economic Priorities and UK Government Relations
Our long-term plan remains delivering a prosperous, green economic future for Wales and investing in the skills of the future. Our vision for the Welsh economy is clearly aligned with independent thought leaders, such as the Resolution Foundation, and their…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Economy: Economic Priorities and UK Government Relations
Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. I come to Plenary this afternoon having earlier on today had the first inter-ministerial group for business and industry meeting of this year. It was the first such meeting since spring last year. The Welsh Government is firmly…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget - Minister for Economy
Good to speak to you, as always.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget - Minister for Economy
No problem.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget - Minister for Economy
It's one of the potential answers to do more of this digitally, but that's why the apparent movement on information sharing is important in practical terms. To be able to do that digitally, you have to share information on what's coming. You also need to have…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget - Minister for Economy
It is positive that the UK Treasury have provided money for the work that we're already doing around Holyhead. I won't say that we have no idea, because we've made progress on [Inaudible.] contractors and some of the broad points around the model, but it's…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget - Minister for Economy
So, we have had some money come across from the UK Treasury for money that we'd spent at risk on getting ready to create border control posts. And as we've discussed, both in the Chamber and in this committee, Holyhead is further advanced than the south-west…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget - Minister for Economy
Well, we do have figures on foreign direct investment, but that in itself I don't think covers the full picture—Sioned may want to come in here—but we do have figures that come out on an annual basis around Wales and other parts of the UK on where direct…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget - Minister for Economy
It's not quite as simple as that. Our export action plan is designed to do exactly that—to help Welsh businesses to export successfully and to grow their businesses, it's a key part of, actually, businesses becoming more profitable, successful exporters and…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget - Minister for Economy
In this area, some of that comes from the direct engagement with our trade and invest team. I meet with them. I look at the programme that they propose putting forward. I discuss where and why we have opportunities that we can take up in different markets…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget - Minister for Economy
It really means that I don't think we'll be able to expand the support that we have into different markets. We were looking at some expansion in the programme. That is going to be much more challenging. We'll still have a significant programme of support…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget - Minister for Economy
As you know, the shared prosperity fund isn't really a multi-year programme because of the way that the money has to be spent on an annual basis. And because, when we were developing our budget, not all of the decisions had been made—. I think, when Dehenna…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget - Minister for Economy
This is about how we try and persuade people across the economy to shift into decarbonisation. When it comes to the south Wales cluster, they've already got a significant programme looking at decarbonisation for the south Wales industrial sector, and so we're…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget - Minister for Economy
So, the allocation came from conversations that we have had. I say 'we' in the global sense, because my officials have lots of the detail of those conversations with the development bank around what we could do. It actually comes from proposals that are being…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget - Minister for Economy
I think, actually, if you look at the—. Part of the reason why we shifted and did so much around the men's football world cup was because it was Wales on a giant, global scale, and to get a profile that we wouldn't otherwise have had. Last year, I put money…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget - Minister for Economy
So, obviously it means that we're going to have a reduction in what we would otherwise have been able to do. That goes back to the opening questions and exchange with the Chair and others. When you have not just whole-Government priorities, but priorities…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget - Minister for Economy
Well, actually, we heard some really interesting—. In a session that I attended together with the Deputy Minister for Social Partnership, we had a presentation from the main retail association themselves on some of the unevenness in what it means in terms of…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget - Minister for Economy
So, the retail delivery plan is a piece of joint work between us, businesses and trade unions. The Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers are the main trade union in the sector, and they've been really clear that they don't want a hard deadline of…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget - Minister for Economy
I watched a lot of Yes Minister when I was younger, so I always get worried when civil servants say, 'The Minister's being brave.' [Laughter.] Some of you might be too young to remember Yes Minister, but—
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget - Minister for Economy
Yes. Those things were certainly in my mind, and in the advice I get in having to balance that and then make choices, when the choice was made to maintain the Business Wales offer. Because, as I said, that comes at a cost to other parts of the department…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget - Minister for Economy
The core offer is a significant one in any event. Sioned may want to come in after me if I've forgotten anything or get this wrong, but Business Wales provides advice for start-ups, microbusinesses and SMEs. It helps to provide work, together with others, for…
