Ken Skates: One of the biggest gaps that has occupied our thinking is the non-VAT registered microbusiness. Now, the reason that we built in that particular piece of criteria into phase 1 of ERF was to avoid significant fraud, because it enabled us to check the address of a business, the existence of a business. Moving forward, the Scottish Government have introduced a model that we were considering,...
Ken Skates: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and can I thank Russell George, both for his kind remarks at the beginning and for the questions that he's asked? I think the way that you, Russell, Helen Mary, David and I have been able to work over the last month shows that you can operate in a collegiate way across political parties without losing strong scrutiny of Government as well. So, I am very...
Ken Skates: Russell has not been unmuted.
Ken Skates: So, last Friday, we opened the application process for the fund. The rate of applications in the days since has been unprecedented. More than 6,000 grant applications were received within just 24 hours of the launch. And as of 6 a.m. this morning, the economic resilience fund has received 5,842 microbusiness applications, totalling £56.7 million, and 2,267 SME applications that have totalled...
Ken Skates: Diolch, Llywydd. I'd like to start by thanking Members across the Chamber for the very positive discussions that I've had with colleagues, right across all parties, in the last few weeks. Some very constructive ideas have come from those discussions, many of which we've used to shape the support that we are now providing to businesses across Wales, and to individuals as well. So, I want...
Ken Skates: I would agree with Neil Hamilton that, as soon as we can lift restrictions, they should be lifted. What I would say is that we don’t want to close down the economy, we really do not want to do that; what we want to do is protect it for the longer term. The message that I was giving to the tourism sector when we saw a lot of people coming into Wales and coming from parts of Wales into the...
Ken Skates: Can I thank Mike Hedges for his questions? With regard to small brewers, I've been in contact with a number of small brewers who face a number of challenges. You're right, one of them is that they can't compete with the bigger breweries that can swiftly turn to bottling or canning their products. A second challenge that they face is that there are many, many independent pubs that have...
Ken Skates: Can I thank Helen Mary Jones for responding in such a constructive and collaborative way, as is always the case, actually, with Plaid Cymru's spokesperson on economy? The suggestions that Helen Mary Jones have made are very welcome indeed, and, if that piece of research could be passed on regarding the possibility of an emergency basic income scheme, I'd be really grateful. We've run some...
Ken Skates: Excellent. Can I thank Nick Ramsay for the very kind comments that he made at the outset and for his questions? Can I also just put on record my gratitude for the remarkable efforts by social care workers, NHS workers and other key workers, for the way that they've responded to COVID-19, and say, Llywydd, that it is good to see you yourself recovering so well from this virus? Fear and anxiety...
Ken Skates: Llywydd, can you hear me now?
Ken Skates: UK Government's coronavirus job retention scheme helps underpin support for businesses by relieving significant fixed-cost pressures, and the self-employed income support scheme enables many sole traders and freelancers to get through the crisis with the financial support that they desperately need. Only the UK Government, with its resources, could have played this role, and I welcome what...
Ken Skates: Diolch yn fawr iawn, Llywydd. I'd like to start by thanking colleagues right across the Chamber for their support, their ideas and their advice over the last few weeks. It's been one of the most challenging periods any of us can remember and, in dealing with the economic fall-out of COVID-19, I've appreciated the many conversations that I've had with Members of all parties about how we can...
Ken Skates: Can I thank Lynne Neagle for her question? I'd agree entirely with her. I've never, ever experienced an episode of such intense anxiety and uncertainty for families and businesses across our country, and indeed around the world. It demonstrates why, at every opportunity, we need to work as closely as possible as Governments, as political parties as well, to overcome the challenges that we...
Ken Skates: The reason that I believe it was described as 'wholly inadequate' is because there is a gap of hundreds of millions of pounds. It's an inescapable fact. And I don't mean this as a criticism; it may well be down to the UK Government not engaging with us in terms of the planning of the intervention. That, I hope, will be addressed as we work through this crisis, because I want to work alongside...
Ken Skates: Can I thank Joyce Watson for her questions, and for championing the need to support people and businesses in Mid and West Wales, and, indeed, across the country? The question of statutory sick pay was raised today in a quadrilateral. It's been raised by the First Minister as well in his letter to the Chancellor dated 17 March, which I know has been circulated to Members. We hope that the...
Ken Skates: Well, can I thank Helen Mary Jones? Just as she was incredibly constructive and helpful yesterday, so too she is today. At risk of adding to the burden of my officials, I think it would be helpful, in light of what Helen Mary Jones has suggested, if I provide a weekly written statement concerning our engagement with the UK Government and other devolved nations, and the very latest in terms of...
Ken Skates: Can I thank Russell George for his questions? There were a number of areas and subjects that he's raised this afternoon. First of all, can I say with regard to Business Wales—Business Wales are obviously being inundated with calls right now? I was informed just this morning that additional staff have been moved away from their regular jobs, their regular functions, in order to answer the...
Ken Skates: Can I thank Alun Davies for his questions? This institution was set up to address Welsh problems, but, of course, we live in exceptional times. Coronavirus is a global problem and requires both a global response but also a very strong UK response. It requires a response in which all four nations are contributing to the solutions, and I was pleased this morning to take part in what I hope will...
Ken Skates: Yes, of course. I welcomed the Chancellor's announcement, but clearly more needs to be done in the coming days, particularly to support businesses with wage costs and financial support for employees who've been laid off. Now, the Welsh Government will be making an announcement later this afternoon regarding matching in full the grants to small businesses in England as well as providing...
Ken Skates: Can I thank Jenny Rathbone for her question? She points to one particular area of the Welsh workforce that is suffering extreme anxiety at the moment as a result of the prospect of losing work. We estimate that something in the region of 8 per cent of individuals in Wales would not qualify for statutory sick pay. That's a very significant proportion, and therefore it needs to be given the...
