Vaughan Gething: Yes, I think some of those are for my colleague the Deputy Minister for Climate Change, in terms of the signage, but I think it's a fair point to make clear that the island isn't closed—there is still the opportunity to go and, indeed, that businesses in Menai Bridge themselves are open and available as usual. And I would say in the list of places on the island that he's mentioned, I've...
Vaughan Gething: Yes. Officials are working closely with Cyngor Sir Ynys Môn and other stakeholders to monitor and understand the economic impact on the town of Menai Bridge specifically as well as surrounding areas.
Vaughan Gething: Through services such as Working Wales and Careers Wales, we provide a range of opportunities to support people into careers within the public sector. These include activities such as jobs fairs and careers interviews, as well as apprenticeships.
Vaughan Gething: We are working closely with Cardiff Airport regarding its recovery from the pandemic. The Airport provides the Welsh Government with quarterly reports for us to monitor their performance. The Airport is on track to exceed the 700,000 number of passengers forecasted by the end of this Financial Year.
Vaughan Gething: Sony is a significant local employer and is an example of the benefits that inward investors can bring to our economy. Their Incubator Centre is home to around 29 tenant companies with around 228 employees. The Welsh Government has supported the plant throughout its time here and continues to do so.
Vaughan Gething: We will continue to support businesses to grow and thrive post pandemic throughout Wales with our partners and stakeholders as set out in our Regional Economic Frameworks.
Vaughan Gething: I'll deal with the pointed questions, then I'll deal with the more unifying finish. Look, as Laura Anne Jones knows very well, we've committed in the capital budget to significant investment in improving sporting facilities. The programme of investment in twenty-first century schools—we've made sure that we deliver facilities that aren't just right for schools, but also for community use as...
Vaughan Gething: I recognise the position that the Welsh Liberal Democrats have taken. As I say, it's entirely legitimate for people to have different views as to whether Welsh Ministers should be there or not. We are, after all, fortunate to live in a functioning democracy, where people do have different views, and we're here to discuss and debate them. When it comes to Iran, the choice was made about...
Vaughan Gething: When it comes to the assurances that we've been given, we've had the same message, actually, about public displays of affection between any couple, and when I visited Qatar previously, they were very clear that public displays of affection don't take place between men and women. That isn't their expectation. The challenge, though, is that the assurances that we've sought and have been given...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the series of questions. Look, we have always acknowledged that the decision to host the tournament in any county is FIFA's. I don't think Sepp Blatter's recent interventions have been helpful, nor do I believe that they were designed to be helpful. There's a broader point that there are politics in every organisation, and there certainly are plenty of politics within FIFA. When...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the comments and a series of questions. I'll try to do as many of them as promptly as I can, seeing the Dirprwy Lywydd's beady eyes looking at me. In terms of the spend of the trips and the details, we regularly publish, with every overseas visit that Ministers undertake, a written statement outlining the programme of activities and who has attended. We always publish the...
Vaughan Gething: Along with other progressive nations with teams in this tournament we have raised serious concerns about workers’ rights and LGBTQ+ rights in Qatar. The First Minister raised these matters directly with the Qatari ambassador to the UK. I have since written to the Qatari ambassador to the UK condemning the homophobic comments made by a Qatari world cup ambassador. Ministers continue to meet...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. On 27 September, I delivered a statement outlining our planned activities to promote Wales during the FIFA men's world cup in Qatar. With the tournament now just days away, I am pleased to present a further statement setting out the latest on our approach. As discussed previously, we have four key objectives for this world cup. These are: to promote Wales; to...
Vaughan Gething: No, I think that's a fair point about how we run the consultation as not just a paper-based exercise or an online exercise, and, of course, it will be open for everyone, so you wouldn't need to attend a formal event or be part of a particular business group or association, but I confidently expect that all the people engaged around the visitor economy and their representative groups—. I...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you. It's a pleasure to see the Member, and some of this work, of course, follows on from his own time in Government and work alongside the visitor economy. But, in recognising, as he does, the impact on the constituencies is not all in one direction and there are times when the impact has a direct and negative impact on the host community, and, of course, many hosts recognise that they...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the comments. I think there was one question at the end around a complaints mechanism, and that's part of the point about having a licence with registered properties that acquire a licence—to meet the standards and then to make sure that it's operating in a manner that's in accordance with its licence. That's the point I made towards the end. I think most businesses will want...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you. I'll deal with the constructive part of the Member's contribution first and, of course, your point about when the initial indication was announced by the First Minister and the leader of Plaid Cymru in July. Since then, as I said in my statement—you had a copy of it in advance as well as hearing me reading it out—contractors were appointed to undertake work exploring and...
Vaughan Gething: Prior to that, and over the course of the past year, we have been exploring and engaging with stakeholders how such a scheme could work in Wales. Contractors were appointed to undertake this work last year and they conducted interviews and focus groups with key stakeholders from local authorities, sector representative bodies and accommodation operators. They explored the benefits of such a...
Vaughan Gething: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I am pleased to have the opportunity today to provide an update on the steps we are taking to help secure a sustainable and thriving visitor economy that supports and enhances communities across Wales. The visitor economy is rapidly changing, and the role of visitor accommodation presents major challenges for communities across the world. For example, the growth of...
Vaughan Gething: I just want to finish by making it clear to members of the committee that we have taken seriously the report that we've been provided, we will update on progress on the recommendations, and I look forward to further work with this committee through the rest of the term.
