Ken Skates: Combatting the virus and mitigating the further damage of a 'no deal' exit from the European Union remain our key objectives. At the same time, we have an unequalled opportunity to look to the future—to tackle with renewed vigour many of the deep-seated challenges that north Wales faces and to help our people, businesses and communities recover and prosper.
Ken Skates: Our priority is to help people, businesses and communities recover and prosper. We want a green recovery to be at the heart of this and we will invest in low-carbon and climate resilient infrastructure. The aerospace sector in particular is on the cusp of major technological change and I am working with Ministers across the UK to make the case for support on this.
Ken Skates: Can I thank Laura Anne Jones for her questions? And, as I've already said, the applications that have come in were huge in volume. Many businesses, unfortunately, applied for support not because they were seeking support for a development, as such, that would secure jobs, that would enhance business prospects, but instead because they were seeking emergency cash. Now, that is not the purpose...
Ken Skates: Can I thank Russell George—
Ken Skates: Yes. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Can I thank Russell George for his questions, and say that I am sorry for any misunderstanding of the purpose of the development grant fund? We attempted to make as clear as we possibly could on the Business Wales website the purpose of that fund and the eligibility criteria and what was required in order to make an application. Unfortunately, in...
Ken Skates: Can I thank Helen Mary Jones for her questions and also thank Helen Mary Jones for the very constructive part that she has played, and indeed other Members of the Chamber have played, in shaping the economic resilience fund during the various phases of this support? I'd like to just make a number of points at the outset. First of all, as Members are aware, the Welsh Government is offering the...
Ken Skates: Yes, of course. The third phase of the economic resilience fund comprises of two parts, firstly the £200 million lockdown business fund, which is designed to target operating costs for businesses through the firebreak, and remains open for applications via applications via Business Wales and also via local authority websites. The second part, the £100 million longer term business...
Ken Skates: I'd like to thank Rhianon Passmore for her comments and for her support for what we have done. And yes, I'd agree with James Price, CEO of TfW, and what he stated; I think he stated the obvious, he's absolutely right. In terms of the Ebbw Vale to Newport service, I've already said to Alun Davies that work is proceeding as planned, with the caveat that we are obviously reliant on Network Rail...
Ken Skates: Yes.
Ken Skates: Can I thank Huw Irranca-Davies for his questions? I'd like to assure him from the outset that Maesteg has certainly not been forgotten during the course of pretty intense negotiations. I can tell Huw Irranca-Davies actually that I'm pleased that TfW are going to be taking forward work on the Welsh transport appraisal guidance stage 2 process late next month or early January. I think that's...
Ken Skates: Can I thank Mick Antoniw for his support for the action that we've taken? I'd agree with everything that he said, actually. We only need to look at the public ownership of some of the most successful international airports around the world to recognise that public ownership works, and I'm sure Members will be quite surprised to learn that some of the most successful international airports are...
Ken Skates: Can I thank David Rowlands for his questions and again for his support for the decisions taken by the Welsh Government? I really do welcome his comments, and I would agree with David Rowlands that 2,500 people feel far more secure now in their jobs, and we look forward to working with those dedicated and committed members of staff in improving services across the Wales and borders areas in...
Ken Skates: Well, can I thank Alun Davies for his contribution through his questions and for his support of the Welsh Government's decisions with regard to the Wales and borders rail services? I think Alun Davies makes a really important point in that one in five people in Wales rely on public transport. They don't have access to a car, and public transport, therefore, offers hundreds of thousands of...
Ken Skates: Can I thank Helen Mary Jones for her questions, and also for her support of the action that we're taking? I should have added in my response to Russell George, in terms of the timing of the announcement, that, of course, news leaked on the Wednesday evening not as a result of any action by a Welsh Government official, nor by the actions of anybody in TfW or Keolis or Amey. It leaked,...
Ken Skates: Well, can I thank Russell George for the various questions that he's raised today? I do appreciate that Members may be disappointed that a statement was not able to be made to the Senedd Chamber on the Wednesday of the week when the announcement was made. Let me outline to Members the reasons why, and they are many. First of all, sensitive commercial negotiations have been taking place during...
Ken Skates: We have provided, and will continue to provide, significant financial support to the sector to ensure that services continue to operate so that those who depend on public transport are able to continue to use these services. The impact on passenger revenue, which before COVID-19 provided roughly half of the funding needed to operate our services, requires us to take urgent action. We need to...
Ken Skates: Diolch, Llywydd. I would like to provide more information to Members on the new arrangements for the Wales and borders rail service and the delivery model Transport for Wales will be implementing. COVID-19 has created serious challenges for public transport operators, challenges that the whole rail franchising system right across the United Kingdom has not been able to withstand. Despite...
Ken Skates: Thank you, acting Deputy Presiding Officer. It is a pleasure to be able to respond to the debate this afternoon. I'd obviously like to thank Alun Davies for bringing forward this debate, and also thank Dawn Bowden for contributing to it. Because there is no doubt that the last few months have been some of the saddest and most challenging that any of us can remember. And while we look at the...
Ken Skates: Diolch, Llywydd. I should begin by thanking all Members for their contributions this afternoon and saying that I am proud of what the Welsh Government, working with social partners, with local government, with the Development Bank of Wales, has done to support businesses, to support communities and to support working people through these tremendously difficult times. As Huw Irranca-Davies...
Ken Skates: Move.
