, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 5 - Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language
Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. Thank you, Chair.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 5 - Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language
Thank you. And one final question from me. Professor Dylan Jones-Evans has suggested that increasing the support to start-ups, which of course create jobs, develop innovation, disrupt markets and support communities, should be a key objective for the…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 5 - Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language
Thank you. We've taken some other evidence that suggested that the bank isn't big enough and that a lot of its £2 billion-worth of assets are tied up in real estate and aren't active in the Welsh economy. So, could I ask what your view is on the scale of…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 5 - Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language
Okay. Thank you. And how would you respond to the assertion from FinTech Wales who say that the development bank's 'overall approach is risk averse which stifles innovation and the true potential of Welsh startups'?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 5 - Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language
Thank you. That leads me really nicely into my second question, actually, Chair, which I think you've just started answering. So, we took some really interesting evidence from the Business Development Bank of Canada recently, and they told us in quite good…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 5 - Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language
Good morning, Minister. I've got some questions on the business support landscape quite generally. Firstly, I'd like to ask where you see the development bank's role within that business support landscape, and to what extent you might agree with the FSB's…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 4 - Development Bank of Wales
Thank you, Chair, and thank you, Rhian.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 4 - Development Bank of Wales
A final question from me, then. The FSB, when they came before the committee, told us that one of the challenges that they perceive for the development bank is that it sits within a massively fragmented landscape of business support, and there is now a need…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 4 - Development Bank of Wales
I'm really pleased to see that it's been extended. We referred earlier to the evidence we took from the Business Development Bank of Canada. One of the things that they raised with us is that they believe that businesses receiving advisory services alongside…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 4 - Development Bank of Wales
Thank you. I've been following the green business loan scheme, actually.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 4 - Development Bank of Wales
Thank you, Rhian, for that clarification. That was really helpful. Can I ask, then, if DBW could set out the relationship that you have with Business Wales, and in particular how the process operates for referring businesses between the two organisations?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry: Panel 4 - Development Bank of Wales
Thank you, Chair, and good morning to our panel. I've got some general questions around the business support landscape. Firstly, if I can quote FinTech Wales, they said that the development bank's 'overall approach is risk averse which stifles innovation and…
, Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language: Our economic future
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd, and thank you, Cabinet Secretary, for your statement today, which touches on many issues that are key to driving our economy forwards. I note your reference to the need to provide more opportunities for well-paid work, and this chimes…
, Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care: Creating a smoke-free generation and tackling youth vaping
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd, and thank you, Cabinet Secretary, for your statement today. I welcome your continued work to tackle the well-documented scourge of smoking and your work to address the newly developing health and societal issues associated with vaping…
, Plenary
Statement by the First Minister: Delivering Wales's priorities
Thank you, First Minister, for your statement here today. I welcome the tone that it sets for your Government—a tone of optimism, strength and ambition. I also welcome the policy ambitions that you've set out so clearly—in particular, your promise to focus on…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Green Economy - Panel 3 - Independent experts
Thank you. If I can turn to Dr Price now. The paper that you submitted from the Wales Centre for Public Policy notes that the economic geography of the transition to a green economy will be crucial, because it will offer more opportunities in some rural…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Green Economy - Panel 3 - Independent experts
Thank you. If I can ask a question directly to you now, Dr Parken. The 'An equal and just transition to Net Zero' report that you co-authored last year outlined an energy diversity gap in new and existing renewables jobs. What do you think the Welsh…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Green Economy - Panel 3 - Independent experts
I'm just checking if anyone else wants to come in on that, Chair.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Green Economy - Panel 3 - Independent experts
Thank you, Chair, and good afternoon to our panel. I'll start with an open question to anyone on the panel who wants to chip in. What are the key aspects that workers, communities and employers will need from a just transition?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry - Panel 4 - Global perspective
Thank you very much. Thank you, Chair.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry - Panel 4 - Global perspective
Thank you. One final question from me. BDC is required to be financially self-sustaining and offer commercial loans. How does this factor into BDC's appetite for risk?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry - Panel 4 - Global perspective
Thank you. Does BDC appoint representatives to sit on the board of directors of the companies in which it makes equity investments? And if so, how are these directors selected?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry - Panel 4 - Global perspective
Thank you. We're really interested in the model that you've got there with the advisory services, because it really is quite unique to have that, with the sales and marketing, financial management and HR advice. Could you maybe outline for us a little more…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Development Bank of Wales inquiry - Panel 4 - Global perspective
Thank you, Chair, and good afternoon to you, Karen. Could you set out for us the range of services offered by the Business Development Bank of Canada, including its approach to supporting female entrepreneurs and those from Indigenous communities?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inquiry: Green Economy - Panel 2 - Alternative Models of Ownership
Thank you, that's a really important point. One final question to both of you: I'm just wondering how alternative models of ownership, how you feel they can contribute to delivering a just transition, and what support they might need from Welsh Government to…
