Ken Skates: The overriding objective of this Government is to make sure that every person in Wales has an opportunity to work, ensuring that there is a job in every household. That's the best way out of poverty and that's the best way to avoid poverty. But, Dirprwy Lywydd, as Rhianon Passmore clearly said, there is one important actor in this debate that needs to step up to the plate. For nearly a...
Ken Skates: Are you therefore ignoring the responsibility—the clear responsibility—that the UK Government has had and continues to have for poverty rates in Wales? Four billion pounds more to invest; that's how much we should have had. That's how much we would have had had there been a Government of a different composition in Westminster. The tax and welfare regime that the current UK Government...
Ken Skates: Yes. Can I thank the Member for his emergency question? This is obviously very distressing and devastating for those who will be affected by the announcement. It could be the largest loss of jobs in a generation, and the single biggest loss of jobs since devolution. I have begun the process of establishing a taskforce to work with partners over the weeks and months ahead to help find a...
Ken Skates: Can I thank Carwyn Jones for his questions? I agree with everything that he's said about the way that Ford have treated the workforce. Of course, this facility has been at the very heart of the south Wales economy since the late 1970s, built in 1978 with taxpayers' support to house what was then called 'project Erika', the components that would feed into that particular vehicle. A hundred and...
Ken Skates: Can I thank Bethan for her questions and say how much I share her anger and the anger of workers? And I won't apologise for the veracity of my immediate response last week on hearing of this news. Workers do feel betrayed, do feel incredibly badly let down and, yes, the irony of the timing of the announcement was certainly not lost on many people. I think it's fair to say that Ford need to...
Ken Skates: I thank Suzy Davies for her contribution and her questions. I must say, it's simply not possible to ignore the impact that Brexit is having on the economy of Wales and will continue to have on the economy, and the dire consequences of a 'no deal' Brexit that Ford and many others have repeatedly issued. There are two challenges facing the automotive sector in the UK; one is Brexit, the other...
Ken Skates: Can I thank Huw Irranca-Davies for his comments and for his questions and say that we took leadership immediately? We gripped the steering wheel of this challenge immediately because we have great experience in successfully intervening through our tried-and-tested taskforce approach, as we did in Cardiff when Tesco made its announcement of closure, when Virgin in Swansea made its...
Ken Skates: There's a line in Jaws where the mayor is told by Chief Brody that he's going to ignore this problem until it comes up and bites him on the derrière, and that, I'm afraid, is what the Brexiteers of Wales are going to do: keep ignoring the problems that a 'no deal' Brexit will cause for the people of this country and our economy until it comes up and takes their jobs from them. That's when...
Ken Skates: Can I thank the Member for his question? We're currently working on the precise figures about the conditionality attached to the support that we've offered, and calculating how many of the jobs are still going to be in condition come September 2020. Actually, it was remiss of me not to answer one specific point that was made by Suzy Davies about the transition towards hybridised and electric...
Ken Skates: Can I thank David Rees for his questions and the important points that he makes about the mental health and well-being of those who are going to be affected by this decision, not just the workers, but their families, and people employed in different businesses that rely on the contribution that Ford makes to the local economy? I can assure the Member that the health board will be part of the...
Ken Skates: I thank Andrew R.T. Davies for his questions. He raises a very important point about Brocastle. That is a strategic employment site—a major site that is being developed. It's adjacent to the Ford engine plant, for those who are unfamiliar with its location. It is owned by the Welsh Government and I'm pleased to say that work has commenced on a £10 million investment in site infrastructure....
Ken Skates: Universities have an important contribution to make to the successful and effective implementation of the economic action plan. We have asked HEFCW to work with regional skills partnerships to identify opportunities to support the needs of regions aligned to business clusters, regional infrastructure opportunities and high-value priority sectors.
Ken Skates: On 14 February, I officially opened the £95 million Newtown bypass. We are also planning further investments in the region that will improve connectivity and road safety.
Ken Skates: Traffic signs and road markings are provided on the motorway and trunk road network to control and guide traffic and to promote road safety.
Ken Skates: Transport links are vital to our economy and we are committed to ensuring a robust and well-maintained road network. Our priorities for improving the network are outlined in our national transport finance plan, which has been recently updated.
Ken Skates: Yes, of course. Transport links are vital to our economy, and we are committed to ensuring a modern and integrated transport system with improved links to key services across the whole of Wales, including, of course, Blaenau Gwent.
Ken Skates: Alun Davies makes an incredibly important point—that social infrastructure and transport infrastructure, and the services provided by the NHS, education, and services provided through transport providers, are integrated and planned together. And I am aware of the concern that the local Member has outlined this afternoon. I am already in discussions with the health Minister concerning public...
Ken Skates: Well, Mohammad Asghar raises an incredibly important point about the value of community transport, particularly in rural areas. And we're very clear with local authorities, when we issue the bus services support grant, that a degree of that grant should be retained and utilised to support community transport. Mohammad Asghar will also be aware of the package of reforms that we've been...
Ken Skates: Can I thank the Member for the question and say that I am acutely aware of the tension that exists across various communities insofar as rail links are concerned on the Ebbw line? And that's why we are committed to taking forward plans to introduce four trains per hour as soon as we possibly can do on the Ebbw Vale line. And it's something that I've been working very closely with the local...
Ken Skates: Yes, of course. As well as commitments made through the new rail franchise and the development of integrated transport interchanges, we are working with the Secretary of State for Wales to push for additional services to west Wales and investment from UK Government in the rail infrastructure that will, in turn, lead to additional capacity, faster journey times, and, of course, new stations.
