Vaughan Gething: Well, I think Noel Mooney has been very impressive on a number of fronts, particularly with his communication within the game and externally as well, on how the FAW expects to use its resource, in terms of people, its image, its ability to lead conversations as well as participate in them, and not just in terms of the future of the men's game in Wales, but I'm really impressed with his...
Vaughan Gething: I think the Member makes a broad point, and then I'm not sure I'd agree with all of the specifics, but I want to be positive in response. Because Iceland and other smaller countries that have qualified—. I think about our near neighbours, the Republic of Ireland, as well, a relatively small nation, and how successive qualifications have helped with not just the image but actually what that...
Vaughan Gething: Wales reaching the World Cup finals—the men's team reaching the World Cup finals—has given a huge boost to the whole country. And we are working with the Football Association of Wales and other stakeholders to consider how to maximise the opportunities that will come from Wales's participation on the stage of the biggest sporting event on the globe. I wish the team every success in the...
Vaughan Gething: 'Yes', I think is the straight answer, and, of course, the vision for doing something like that was set out by my predecessor Ken Skates. And we are not just supportive of establishing an advanced technology research centre in Wales, but I can give the Member some rather more up-to-date news. Subject to developing a sustainable funding package, last week, the Welsh Government signed heads of...
Vaughan Gething: Yes. It’s unusual to hear a Welsh Conservative Member quote with praise the SNP-led Government in Scotland, but I welcome the plurality and the inclusiveness of the Member’s comments. And, actually, when you look at the ambitions in a range of areas from Governments across the UK, of course we all want to foster a greater culture of entrepreneurship. We all want to take advantage of...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the question. Obviously, I won't prejudge everything that will be in the final strategy, but I am confident that we will have both a draft and a final strategy that will see a place for small business innovation, as indeed SMARTCymru has a range of areas of success that we can highlight, and probably in every single region or constituency there will be a business that has had...
Vaughan Gething: Yes. We're currently working with Plaid Cymru's designated Members, in line with the co-operation agreement, to jointly develop the new innovation strategy. We plan to issue a draft strategy for consultation in the summer, with final publication planned for the autumn.
Vaughan Gething: Continued support for entrepreneurship in Wales is vital to driving economic growth post Brexit and COVID. That is why I am investing £20.9 million per annum in the Business Wales service to replace lost EU funding, despite the UK Government’s failed commitment to replace funding.
Vaughan Gething: We are committed to building on Wales's success in hosting major events. We work proactively with event owners across the whole of Wales, and I was pleased to see the Big Retreat Festival take place last week delivering economic, cultural and social benefits to Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire.
Vaughan Gething: To date, no jobs have been created at Parc Bryn Cegin. A number of parties have made or are looking to make offers to buy plots. This will hopefully lead to the development of 110,000 sq ft of speculative and bespoke industrial unit space, helping to create jobs in future.
Vaughan Gething: I have not been smirking.
Vaughan Gething: With respect, I think we're confusing more than one issue in the series of questions that are being asked. I won't go into the historic matters that the Member invites me to relitigate today. The issue is about the vendors and their desire and willingness to sell, where the festival has currently been based, our ability to keep the festival in Wales with all the significant economic benefit...
Vaughan Gething: As I say, the purchase price has been independently certified for us, and we're looking at the opportunity that does exist around the long-term future for Green Man. As ever, there are competing interests about land use and about economic benefit. I expect to see in the business plan how the whole estate would potentially be managed. It would be wrong for me to try to set out a land use...
Vaughan Gething: There were a range of questions in there. I will try to deal with them as best I can, and as succinctly as I can—I'm looking at the Deputy Presiding Officer. The purchase price was independently certified by our consultant surveyors. You'll be pleased to know that we did not pay above the market value for it. When it comes back to where we are now, it has been leased back to the current...
Vaughan Gething: The Welsh Government undertook the freehold acquisition and short-term leaseback of Gilestone Farm for £4.25 million. The acquisition of the property is being progressed in order to facilitate investment in local businesses, the community and the Welsh economy.
Vaughan Gething: Well, I agree that there is significant potential within and around north Wales for tidal energy to be successfully generated at a large level with significant economic return. Our challenge is how we work with the private sector and the UK Government to get that off the ground, and it goes back to the point about needing to have a demonstrator project of significant scale to help unlock...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you. I think that there is lots of potential for people who have been involved in former industries that are unlikely to be future industries for the longer term. People who have engineering, research and development skills, there are opportunities there. When you think about the potential for hydrogen and the infrastructure that is going to be needed, we are going to need to have...
Vaughan Gething: Okay, so on your final point, it depends which blockages you refer to. We've just had a conversation about the environmental impact, and it depends what other blockages are being referred to, whether it's pre deployment or, actually, the ability to manufacture and generate at scale, and where the interest is from companies. We do know that there is a range of companies already looking at...
Vaughan Gething: Well, that is the approach that we are seeking to take. We're seeking to make sure that development takes place in appropriate areas that take account of the environmental impact of developments. That's exactly the point that has been made in response to Huw Irranca-Davies; it's exactly the approach that Welsh Ministers will seek to take. We think it's entirely possible to responsibly deploy...
Vaughan Gething: On your final point, that's absolutely the perspective that Welsh Ministers take. We're very, very keen to see the economic benefits. We're very, very keen to see the renewable energy benefits, knowing that will positively impact upon the environment around us. But, creating any form of power generation is something where you need to think about what is the impact on the environment. And so,...
