Vaughan Gething: We continue to help businesses grow beyond the impact of COVID-19 and Brexit. This includes £45 million for small and medium-sized enterprises across Wales and training support to thousands of people in key sectors. Our business productivity enhancement programme in south Wales is supporting SMEs in Islwyn to improve their productivity, efficiency and growth.
Vaughan Gething: Working from home remains crucial to controlling the spread of COVID-19, and that is why we continue to ask people to do so where possible. Our guidance to employers is that there should be no pressure to return to a workplace if there is not a clearly demonstrated business need.
Vaughan Gething: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I am happy to move the legislative consent motion before the Senedd today. I had previously advised the Senedd not to give its consent to the motion before us, because the Bill as originally drafted contained a reservation from devolved powers. Regrettably, it was introduced in March this year, with little consultation with the Welsh Government at the...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you. Taking the point that Alun Davies has made on behalf of the legislation and justice committee, that was a concern that the Government had as well, but we do believe that, with the amendments that have now been inserted, it does limit the ability of UK Ministers to use Henry VIII powers to amend the competence and legislative measures of this particular Parliament. It was part of...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. The UK has one of the least diverse retail banking systems in Europe. It is dominated by a small number of very large banks. These banks operate according to a traditional shareholder value business model that seeks to maximise profits for their owners. Retail high street banks, as we know, are retreating from many of our high streets at an ever-increasing and...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the extensive series of questions. If I can start off by saying that I think today is a really big and important day: to have an established financial institution confirming in public that it is looking to develop the proposal in partnership and will be the established institution to take matters forward is a really positive step forward. And as I said in my opening, no...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the questions and comments. I agree with your points about the challenge of it's not just about branch services, but about access to cash services as well—not just ATMs but, in particular, free-to-use ATMS as well. Part of the drive behind this is a recognition that the flight of traditional branches and cash services does mean that there is an increasing divide between those...
Vaughan Gething: Well, I'm sure the good people at Banc Cambria will have heard you before today, as well as today, and I know that they’ll be taking an interest in today’s debate across the Senedd. Look, we expect to receive an investment proposal over the next calendar year, so during 2022, and we’ll then need to go through our due diligence exercise, as I’ve indicated before. So, I can’t give you...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you, and thank you again for the broad welcome. And the point about consultation and the potential for new branches to be a real catalyst for high-street regeneration as well as community wealth, that's a point that I know Members across the Chamber are really interested in, and how to do that in a way that we understand and that Banc Cambria, when they're developing a proposal,...
Vaughan Gething: That's a fair question, and, look, what we're looking at is, we're looking at something that would be a proper investment proposal on a commercial basis. So, it's not as if we're looking to provide preferential lines of credit; it's about finding a partner who can provide a proper detailed commercial investment proposal, provide a return on an investment that the Welsh Government would make....
Vaughan Gething: Thank you. What we're doing in Wales with the community bank is a novel policy approach that's not been successful anywhere else. Banking hubs are piloting what they might do, and the Member is right to highlight them as part of the answer for the future. So, we're expecting there to be a pilot report on shared banking hubs imminently, and my understanding is that there are two banking hub...
Vaughan Gething: Indeed, I do understand that there are people who don't live in the Member's constituency, but I praise him for mentioning a number of his constituency towns. Look, there is a real challenge, and the Member highlights it again, about town-centre reinvigoration having a real successful future forward look for our local high streets, and it really does matter for a sense of place in those towns...
Vaughan Gething: Well, if Banc Cambria were in any doubt about Members keenness for there to be a successful community bank for Wales with a proper presence in each constituency and communities within those constituencies, they can be in no doubt after the contributions of Members today. I recognise that the passion from Members is genuine because of the constituencies and regions you serve, where you're...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and thank you to Mike Hedges for his choice of short debates, together with his opening remarks. Fascinating—I'm really interested in what Mike has had to say, and in particular the areas he's highlighted—it highlights some areas of continuing strength to build on, as well as potential new areas to look at in the future as well. And Mike has got a...
Vaughan Gething: We've been looking to maintain and protect businesses right across Wales, of course, including within this region. The £2.5 billion and more we've provided to support Welsh businesses during the pandemic has meant that in Swansea, over £127 million has been provided, in Neath Port Talbot, over £60 million, in Carmarthen, over £109 million and in Pembrokeshire, over £111 million from the...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you, Llywydd. I'm pleased to provide Members with an update today on the progress that this Government has made with partners to help build stronger regional economies across Wales. As part of my statement I will reflect on the challenges that we continue to face, particularly in light of the impact of leaving the European Union and the absence of UK Government plans to date for...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the series of comments and questions within those. I'll take on board what the Deputy Llywydd asked. In terms of the broad sweep of what the Member has been saying, I think there's a bit of a misunderstanding about the regional economic frameworks. That helps us to define a vision for the future of each region, with a common set of priorities for economic development. They go...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the series of questions. On your starting point, I believe there is a strong and progressive case to be made for the future of the union, but it won't be made by the sort of attempts to centralise and hijack powers and money away from devolved national Governments that people have voted for in more than one referenda in Wales, Scotland and elsewhere. The Member may of course...
Vaughan Gething: Okay, I'll take them in reverse order. On higher education, actually, one of our challenges is, and has always been, ever since I've been a Member—I'd like to think that higher education has got better at this as well—about the research and the excellence they produce and how that gets applied into the economy. So, the difference between research, development, innovation and application...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the questions and comments. On your starting point about local services and what it means for rural economies, I recognise that the point is well made, both in the previous debate around Banc Cambria and your consistent interest in this area. I actually think that our growth deals do show that there are real opportunities to develop a successful future economy in mid Wales. We...
