Ken Skates: Of course, electrification of the main line and electrification of the Valleys lines are huge, huge asks that we’ve repeatedly made. In terms of capacity, there’s no doubt that electrification can assist in terms of being able to run more rolling stock more regularly, but, equally, we need to see more rolling stock on the existing railway infrastructure. I’ve spoken with Arriva Trains...
Ken Skates: There are a number of points to make, I think. First of all, the Irish economy has fared well in part because so much of the Irish population is based in a city, and we know that cities have grown faster in terms of the economy than rural areas. So, it’s difficult to actually compare a country where a huge proportion of the population occupies an urban area that has grown faster by virtue...
Ken Skates: I think the partnership between our two countries extends, of course, beyond economic values as well. There are incredibly strong cultural ties between Ireland and Wales, which can deliver great economic benefits as well. I recall speaking with the President of Ireland a few years back about how we could utilise the Year of the Sea for the purpose of, potentially, a cultural crossing to not...
Ken Skates: I agree that we do have an incredible challenge on our hands, and ahead of us, but I also believe that we have the right people within Government, and in partnership with Government, to see us through what will be a turbulent time. In terms of our operations abroad, I think one of the biggest mistakes that were made in recent times is the loss of many of the Welsh overseas operations. Of...
Ken Skates: I think the Member makes a very important point in that local authorities have a significant role in promoting economic growth within their respective areas. One of my concerns in my time in this job has been the lack of capacity in some parts of Wales to do just that at a local authority level, and that’s why I commend the approach being taken at a regional level, through the city region...
Ken Skates: The trade mission wasn’t just about securing more export opportunities. It was also about securing investment opportunities as well, and, in that respect, the trip was clearly a success, because, during the course of the mission, I agreed two deals for investment in Wales, creating a good number of jobs. But the Member is right that there are huge export opportunities, particularly, I...
Ken Skates: I’ll be writing to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in the coming weeks, outlining my response to the proposals. I’ve already met with Greg Clark in person and I’ve told him what I’ve said publicly, which is that there is little to disagree with in the strategy. There are areas of the strategy where I have a particular interest, especially those...
Ken Skates: Yes. Our Wales Screen service provides a full crew and locations service and promotes Wales to the global production industry. This results in Welsh life, our locations, and talent being featured on screen in a number of productions each year.
Ken Skates: I’m going to apologise in advance for using an expletive in answering the Member’s question. We do, where possible, influence productions so that they are not just filmed in Wales but also set in Wales. An example is ‘The Bastard Executioner’, which producers originally intended to be set in England, but which, after discussions with Welsh Government, was set instead in Wales. I think...
Ken Skates: Can I thank the Member for her question and also for the very keen interest that she’s shown, since her election to this Chamber, in the creative industries? Every single production that’s funded by the Wales Screen fund is required to pass a culture test. It goes beyond the culture test criteria designed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, because it also has Welsh-specific...
Ken Skates: Yes. The road safety framework for Wales sets out the actions we and our partners are taking to achieve our casualty reduction targets. I announced capital and revenue road safety grant funding on 22 March.
Ken Skates: Yes, I most certainly will. I’m keen to see more 20 mph zones introduced around schools. There is only so much that our financial resources can achieve through educating young people. Other measures must be introduced and I do believe that we should look at reducing the speed of motorists passing places of education. For the next financial year, as the Member has highlighted, we’ll be...
Ken Skates: Yes, I’d gladly do that. And can I suggest that I visit that particular stretch of the A470 with the Member? I recently had representation from the Member’s colleague Darren Millar concerning a similar road in his constituency. I took a site visit there and, as a consequence, we are now looking at altering the signage at the road, which is often confusing. I think it’s absolutely...
Ken Skates: Can I thank the Member for bringing this particular matter to my attention? It shames me to say that I wasn’t actually aware of this particular concern until today, but I will bring together officials of the local authority with trunk road officials to examine how this particular problem can be overcome, because on the basis of what the Member outlines, this challenge is not insurmountable...
Ken Skates: We will make a decision on funding once we have all the submission detail; once the rigorous process of due diligence has been completed to our satisfaction and once the proposal has been considered by the Cabinet.
Ken Skates: Can I thank the Member for her question? And, of course, that extreme pressure that was applied did result in the formal proposal coming forward. The developers of the Circuit of Wales were not able to provide the information required to allow the due diligence process to commence until the end of last week. And it’s also regrettable that the information is currently incomplete. However, my...
Ken Skates: Yes, I can. The number of jobs promised by the project developers will be thoroughly scrutinised by the consultants that are carrying out the due diligence process. The fit-and-proper-person tests began this week. There is a market appraisal being carried out by consultants who are looking at the potential job gains from the project, as well as the viability of the project as a whole in the...
Ken Skates: I need to be absolutely clear: we will not bypass due diligence for any decision. And it’s in the interests of the Circuit of Wales developers to ensure that we move as speedily for the consultants, carrying out due diligence, as they did for me when I set that time frame of two weeks to bring forward a formal proposal. In terms of bringing them all into the room, this is precisely what we...
Ken Skates: We already did. That was the whole point of setting the two-week limit on bringing forward the formal proposal. Since that time, the Circuit of Wales developers have known precisely what information is required in the data room and they know precisely how to provide that information. It is for them to bring forward the information to conclude this matter, to give confidence to the people of...
Ken Skates: Yes. Current legislation permits the testing of autonomous vehicles across the UK. We recognise the potential that autonomous vehicles may have in improving road safety across the country and we’re maintaining a watching brief.
