Ken Skates: Can I thank the Member for his question? It’s crucially important for the Welsh economy that we create 100,000 quality apprenticeships. Each apprenticeship is estimated to be worth something in the region of, on average, £130,000 during the course of a career, so it has considerable economic benefits for the economy of Wales. The Minister for Skills and Science will be responsible for...
Ken Skates: Can I thank the Member for his kind comments and his question? Well, of course, the £61 million Business Wales service continues to offer that one port of call for small businesses. The latest phase of Business Wales was launched in January with the aim of creating 10,000 new businesses and 28,300 new jobs and providing support to help inspire the next generation of young entrepreneurs and...
Ken Skates: We are a pro-business Government and one of my first priorities will be talking to businesses large and small, as well as key partners, about their views on developing the right approach to grow prosperity and deliver greater financial security for businesses and individuals, right across Wales.
Ken Skates: I thank the Member for his question regarding business rates. Of course, the reason that we made one of our top pledges a reduction in tax on business was because of the value that small businesses have to the economy right across the country. Chris Sutton carries out important work in this regard and I take his advice very seriously and I scrutinise what he has to offer very carefully and,...
Ken Skates: We are currently developing a business case for a third crossing over the Menai strait and I have asked my officials to bring forward proposals for a preferred-route study.
Ken Skates: Absolutely. The Member is astute and correct in his observations and his recommendations. I met with my officials today to discuss this very issue. We welcome the project update today, published by National Grid. It’s provided more detail on the undergrounding options for crossing the Menai straits, and officials continue to engage with the National Grid to ensure that any solution is fit...
Ken Skates: The main issue regarding junctions along the M4 in Port Talbot is the potential closure of junction 41. We are currently carrying out further analysis before deciding on the best way forward.
Ken Skates: We have taken wide-ranging action to support the economy of Port Talbot. This includes establishing the enterprise zone and the work of the taskforce, in addition to our wider support for growth and jobs.
Ken Skates: The national transport finance plan was published in July 2015. The plan sets out an ambitious five-year rolling programme of transport interventions that we will take forward across Wales.
Ken Skates: We are adopting an innovative process to procure the next stage of the south Wales metro and the next Wales and borders rail franchise together. Preparation is under way, with the intention to conclude procurement and award a contract late 2017.
Ken Skates: My priority is to continue to take a broad range of actions to improve the economy, grow prosperity and deliver greater financial security for businesses and individuals across Wales.
Ken Skates: Wales is an important destination for all scales of renewables investment, both onshore and offshore. We are supporting many such projects across all parts of Wales that help to develop the Welsh economy.
Ken Skates: Thank you, Presiding Officer. Today I am updating Members on the M4 corridor around Newport project. A solution to the long-standing problems on the M4 around Newport has been set out. It includes a new section of motorway to the south, often referred to as ‘the black route’, as well as complementary measures including reclassification of the existing M4 around Newport. This would...
Ken Skates: I’d like to begin by thanking the Member for his contribution and say that I also share his view that doing nothing is not an option. However, the inspector will look at the option of doing nothing and, indeed, the impact of that, moving forward. In terms of the Severn bridge tolls, well, part of the inquiry as well will be to scrutinise the traffic-modelling work that is taking place,...
Ken Skates: Can I thank the Member and also say that I recognise his powerful advocacy of active travel over many years? Now, in terms of modal shift, it’s a crucial element of the inquiry being able to drill into all of the data and the predicted flow of traffic. The M4 project is being developed, as I’ve already said, together with our plans for the metro and electrification. Together they can...
Ken Skates: Can I thank Russell George for his questions and say that, in terms of, first of all, the consultation that has taken place, I’d be very happy to publish data concerning the responses? In brief, the inquiry will look at the responses to the consultation and the exhibitions that took place between September 2015 and March 2016. In brief, the consultation resulted in a total of 192 supporter...
Ken Skates: Can I thank the Member for his question and for his kind contribution and comments? The port’s concerns will, of course, be fully considered by the independent inspector, and the independent inspector will, in turn, be able to scrutinise some of the claims and, indeed, all of the concerns that not just the port have been able to present, but other businesses and residents in that part of...
Ken Skates: Can I thank Jenny Rathbone for her keen interest in this subject and say that, first of all, ticketless travel is overtaking integrated tickets at quite a pace and certainly, it is something that we are looking at as part and parcel of the development of the metro? I also recently raised this with the Secretary of State for Wales in terms of the potential to be able to remove some of the...
Ken Skates: Can I thank the Member for his questions, and say first of all that the metro and the M4 are complementary projects? We know that the metro programme is designed to be able to take people between the Valleys and between the major urban centres such as Cardiff, whereas the M4 caters for people who are coming in and out of Wales and travelling in an east-west direction. One is a vertical...
Ken Skates: Well, can I thank the Member for his question, and say, yes, it’s trans-European network? I wouldn’t consider it an unnecessary cost to actually bring this road up to a position where we’ll be able to deliver on the hopes and ambitions of the people of Wales, by having a road that not only can we use in a way that, I’m afraid, the current one can’t be used—you can’t rely on...
