Ken Skates: Public procurement is integral to economic well-being in Wales. New approaches are being developed, in collaboration with stakeholders, to identify opportunities to further grow the economic and overall well-being impact of procurement across Wales. A meeting is being arranged with the Minister for Finance, and procurement is one of the topics.
Ken Skates: The A465 was closed on 3 and 6 March due to the recent heavy rainfall from both storm Freya and a further wet weather event that was the subject of a yellow weather warning. The build-up of water was compounded by a defective culvert, on the A465 at Rhigos roundabout.
Ken Skates: We are supporting businesses to improve productivity and investing in the skills of our people, recognising the link between productivity, skills and wages. Alongside this, we have established the Fair Work Commission to provide recommendations on making Wales a fair work nation.
Ken Skates: Yes, of course. The environment has been a critical consideration in the development of the economic action plan. Key objectives of the plan include the drive towards sustainable growth, the need to combat climate change and the promotion of a transition to a cleaner, low-carbon economy. Achieving this will be vital in meeting our obligations under the Environment (Wales) Act 2016.
Ken Skates: Well, the green new deal as a project title has gained, I think, a lot of traction not just in the UK, but around the world. But, here in Wales, we're already delivering against ambitious plans for sustainable growth, and the economic action plan is very much a new green deal. We are delivering, and I think it's worth the Member recognising some of the detail that's contained within the...
Ken Skates: Well, can I assure the Member who also supports the M4 relief road, a vital programme the Government is currently considering—that the First Minister is currently considering—? And I should just say that all roads must be assessed. All builds, Llywydd, must be assessed against the latest Welsh transport appraisal guidance process, a process that is supported by the well-being of future...
Ken Skates: Absolutely not. If I could just remind the Member that I've not been responsible for Trade and Investment Wales since the reshuffle in December, but I can say to the Member that no Ministers approved that tweet. It was unacceptable. It does not represent Ministers' thinking. Indeed, the economic action plan has been designed to drive salary growth and the quality of jobs across Wales, and...
Ken Skates: And can I say that that's precisely why we introduced the economic contract as an integral part of the economic action plan, ensuring that fair work is a key consideration in any decision that's made as to whether a business should secure Welsh Government funding? Of the four criteria in that economic contract, fair work is a key component. The Fair Work Commission is concluding its work at...
Ken Skates: I should say, I don't think the Member and I have a difference of view on wage rates: they need to improve, there is no doubt about that. The way that we're going to go about doing it is by rolling out more widely the economic contract as a principle and in practice as a means of driving up the quality of work and remuneration. Now, the Member identified some vehicles elsewhere that drive the...
Ken Skates: Yes. In terms of the overall Tech Valleys initiative, the Deputy Minister and I are working very closely together to ensure that the national digital exploitation centre is developed as quickly as possible, that we attract more particularly automotive tech companies into the area, and that we utilise the £100 million that was allocated for the Tech Valleys initiative for the best interests...
Ken Skates: Well, we've already approved the Rhyd-y-Blew site development. We have approved additional business and light industrial units at The Works in Ebbw Vale. The Techboard refit will begin this year. And I'm pleased to be able to say today that we are ahead of the spending profile for the £100 million Tech Valleys initiative, largely because of the investment in the national digital exploitation...
Ken Skates: Yes. I'm pleased to say that TVR are making very great progress in terms of seeking capital support for their project. And in terms of physical infrastructure, the Member is absolutely right: JLL and many others have identified a very urgent need—not just within Ebbw Vale and Blaenau Gwent as a whole, but right across Wales—for industrial units, partly as a consequence of so many of the...
Ken Skates: Well, we take every opportunity to promote the Welsh automotive sector, both across the UK and abroad, particularly at this challenging time for the industry, as it is vital for the Welsh economy to see it sustained, and indeed in the future, to grow.
Ken Skates: Can I thank Rhianon Passmore for her question and recognise her keen interest in the automotive sector as well? I issued a written statement to Members at the start of March that described the ongoing activity in support of the Welsh automotive sector. Together with the Welsh automotive forum, we are taking forward a number of actions to support car manufacturers across Wales, and, indeed,...
Ken Skates: Well, we’ve got a duty to ensure that the public purse only invests in areas where there is not market failure in this regard and that we invest in proper infrastructure. Now, it’s highly likely in the years to come that we will see the roll-out of induction charging, which would, of course, provide the solution for many streets where there are terraced houses. Therefore, it’s essential...
Ken Skates: I'm pleased to be able to tell the Member that we have used mobile phone data to inform transport modelling. We've commissioned Transport for Wales to procure an update to the previous data, supplementing other sources, such as congestion data, traffic flows and public transport passenger counts, and this will help us to understand travel patterns and to develop multimodal interventions...
Ken Skates: Can I thank the Member for her question? I should just say that the mobile phone data is just one source of information that we’ve used to inform our transport modelling work, and not just transport modelling work with regard to road investments and rail, but also with regard to bus services. Other data that we use comes from roadside interviews and, as I said earlier, from public transport...
Ken Skates: In conjunction with the development of the metro and in ensuring that we also have adequate parkways that can serve both. I think that the investment that we are making at Llanwern and, indeed, on the Cardiff parkway shows that we are determined to meet the needs of motorists and of people who use public transport, and to encourage, wherever and whenever possible, a modal shift.
Ken Skates: Our broad approach to economic development in the Afan valley and across Wales is set out in the economic action plan, but can I just say that I very much welcome the news yesterday concerning planning permission for the Afan valley adventure resort?
Ken Skates: I believe that discussions are ongoing. Indeed, they are involving my friend and colleague's officials—the Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism. I think, with regard to both the Afan valley adventure resort and the Rhondda tunnel, they both have great potential to be sustainable business opportunities. But, in addition, I am pleased to be able to say to the Member that, since...
