Vaughan Gething: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I am grateful for the opportunity to provide Members with the latest update on the UK Government’s policy on border controls for Great Britain, the implications for Wales and our key objectives as a Government. The UK Government Minister for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiencies, Jacob Rees-Mogg MP, stated in a written ministerial statement on 28 April...
Vaughan Gething: I think the clue is in the words 'business crime'. Crime and the criminal justice system are not devolved to this place, at least not yet. So, it will require us to engage with UK agencies. We regularly work with police forces, because police forces recognise that in many of their responsibilities, they need to proactively engage with devolved agencies and the Welsh Government. We have good...
Vaughan Gething: I meet regularly with representatives of hospitality, tourism, events and the night-time economy through the visitor economy forum. The forum was established to discuss a range of issues relating to the opportunities and challenges facing the sector. I look forward to meeting them next week.
Vaughan Gething: Well, actually, the development of the hotel was something that was discussed in a meeting earlier today with officials, when looking at diversifying the economy, not just in west Wales, but some of the challenges around port investment as well, because there are also opportunities around port investment. So, we're looking at what that means from the UK Government's perspective. There's...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you. Our priorities continue to be to support new and existing businesses through Business Wales services and the regional support team. We have provided extensive support through the pandemic and post-Brexit trading realities. We're committed to delivering a greener, more equal and prosperous economy for all parts of Wales.
Vaughan Gething: Yes, absolutely. I recall the comments made by the social mobility tsar, and I have to say that a number of the comments she has made don't appear to be particularly helpful, from my perspective, in generating genuine social mobility and inclusion. The Our Space Our Future consortium is a really good example of top-flight collaboration that has been funded, for example, through the EU Horizon...
Vaughan Gething: Yes. Since I launched 'Wales: a sustainable space nation' in February this year, Space Wales has been developing as an organisation, overseen by our partner body, Aerospace Wales. Working groups have been established to capitalise on specific opportunities, including the sustainable space accelerator and the application of advanced manufacturing to the space sector.
Vaughan Gething: As ever, we have a challenge in broad wage subsidy schemes across the whole sector. Actually, in my discussions with people in the visitor economy—and I'm meeting the visitor economy group next week—they regularly point out that they do have a challenge with both skills within the sector, but they also point out that they have a challenge in recruiting people to the sector. That's part of...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the question. I'm pleased to say that the new ReAct+ programme does provide personalised support for those persons with barriers to employment. So, taking the service the extra mile and providing support to coach individuals into work is part of what we expect it to deliver. I recently met more specifically on this with Learning Disability Wales, who represent the learning...
Vaughan Gething: Yes. We are making good progress and have already implemented several key actions contained within the Welsh Government's plan for employability and skills, including the successful launch of Jobs Growth Wales+ and the more recent launch of ReAct+.
Vaughan Gething: Well, there have been real challenges in the construction sector, and Dawnus and others have suffered real distress through that. My understanding is that there was proper due diligence done around all of the appointments, and I don't have any reason to support the allegations and the attacks that are made, by insinuation, in the Member's comments. If she has real evidence about the...
Vaughan Gething: Yes, the budget still remains in place. There are challenges, as the Member knows, with our broader financial envelop, but we still expect to be able to spend that money on developing and delivering Tech Valleys, which I see as a catalyst for wider development in the Heads of the Valleys area. I know there were some concerns about whether that money would be dissipated. Actually, we see that...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the question. The Welsh Government continue to work in partnership with local authorities and the Cardiff city deal to co-develop a programme of economic interventions that will strengthen the economy in and around the Heads of the Valleys.
Vaughan Gething: I don't share the Member's assessment that there is no SMR future in Trawsfynydd. We've also, though, been looking at not just the possibilities of SMR but actually the real need for the potential for research, and, indeed, radioisotope generation, which, of course, is crucial for a range of areas of our health service. And, actually, we know that radioisotope generation is declining within...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you. Cwmni Egino's long-term success will ultimately depend on the realisation of key projects at the Trawsfynydd site that deliver local benefits. These will be assessed through a community benefits framework developed over the next 12 months in consultation with the local community under the company's social value charter. All of this, of course, is reliant on UK Government investment...
Vaughan Gething: I think we'll want to look at the models of flexibility that exist and how they can benefit workers and businesses. Actually, we found, during the forced circumstances of the past two years and more, that flexible working has suited lots of workers in the public and private sectors, and that's made—. Some of the concerns previously about flexible working were that people wouldn't take it...
Vaughan Gething: I don't recognise that at all, and I speak as someone who is not just a member of trade unions, but someone who has been a workplace shop steward, representing fellow workers, someone who's been a trade union lawyer, representing workers in all parts of our economy, proud to do so, and a former president of the Wales TUC. You'll find proud trade union members on all of these benches, and it...
Vaughan Gething: I'm more than happy to give the Member the assurance that the new strategy, which is a very short period of time away, will again focus on how we generate economic return in terms of my priorities for more jobs and better jobs across Wales, and the visitor economy and event-based employment opportunities are part of that as well. It will also be very clear about having a strategy for the...
Vaughan Gething: So, the Member is right to point out the opportunities that come from the WWE event. Whether you are a childhood or continuing supporter of the sports entertainment world—. I think they'd recognise it isn't a genuine sport in the way that we'd all recognise, but, actually, it's an enormous economic event and opportunity for Wales because of the significant reach it has within the US market,...
Vaughan Gething: So, I think, the Member is right to point out that the impact of major events and their spend not just for the events itself, but around it as well, is something that we are already focusing on in our events and international visitor strategy, as well as what we're looking to do more broadly and further afield—so, not just Cardiff and Swansea, but actually across Wales as well. And I...
