Vaughan Gething: We continue to work constructively with representatives for Wrexham. That's why we continue to engage in both the Wrexham Gateway project and indeed the shared discussions taking place on the broader Mersey Dee Alliance as well. I won't join the Member in celebrating the levelling-up fund round 2. There was an extraordinary delay in projects. The Member might want to consider whether...
Vaughan Gething: The allocation that we've already provided in 2021, the £25 million you mentioned, is still available. My officers met with the Wrexham Gateway partnership last week, following the announcement that the levelling-up funding bid had been rejected. Of course, it's disappointing that Wrexham and Flintshire didn't receive anything from the levelling-up bids. There are a range of projects that...
Vaughan Gething: We remain fully committed to delivering the social, environmental and economic benefits of the Wrexham Gateway project. We are having urgent discussions with our partners to assess the impact of the UK Government’s decision not to support the Gateway in the latest levelling-up round of funding, and to identify alternative ways of delivering the benefits that the Gateway project could and...
Vaughan Gething: We haven't been notified directly by the UK Government that they will proceed with what's been briefed about the potential to relax the rules for foreign students to work more hours. However, I'd say that the starting point is that we really do value international students who come to Wales—they enrich campuses, classrooms and the communities that they live in, both economically and...
Vaughan Gething: I can't give you figures off the top of my head for the two zones, but I'll be more to happy to respond to Members on both those points. But more broadly, if you look at Cardiff as an area, if you look at professional services, you have seen real growth and continued investment. I recently met a number of professional services firms with a UK and international footprint who already have a...
Vaughan Gething: Our economic mission sets out our economic priorities and how we can help to make Wales a more resilient and prosperous nation. We are strengthening everyday sectors of the Welsh economy, together with a focus on supporting firms to innovate and diversify, speed up business decarbonisation, and invest in climate-resilient infrastructure.
Vaughan Gething: The Welsh Government is working with partners to mitigate as far as possible the consequences of a UK Government replacement scheme that is underfunded, unfit for purpose and is resulting in the closure of programmes that are vital to our economy, and directly costing Wales jobs.
Vaughan Gething: In south-east Wales, 718,000 people were in employment in the 12 months to September 2022, up 12.8 per cent on the same period in 2011. This is a better performance than Wales and UK over the same period.
Vaughan Gething: The majority of Welsh bids were rejected by the UK Government as Ministers in London override our devolution settlement and make funding decisions on local projects within our communities. Levelling-up in Wales means failing schemes and unmet promises on EU funds, which are costing jobs and growth.
Vaughan Gething: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and thank you to the Member for raising the important issues in today's debate and proposal. We all know and agree that the use of digital data and technology is essential in providing opportunities that benefit people, communities, public services and businesses. We also know that our increasing reliance on digital can increase carbon emissions through...
Vaughan Gething: The company has a significant footprint, and, of course, there's a significant site in north-east Wales. So, this is a company with a footprint across north Wales and beyond. One of the issues that the company have indicated has led to their likely closure decision, which they're formally consulting on and which they've announced today, is that the other sites have been invested in and have a...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you, and thank you for contacting me this morning. I should make this clear, Dirprwy Lywydd: when redundancy events take place, it is often the case there has been a conversation with the council, with other support officials, with Business Wales, sometimes the development bank, sometimes directly with teams of Welsh Government officials, in this case Lesley Griffiths in her role as...
Vaughan Gething: We'll work at the fastest pace possible to deliver economic benefit to not just Ynys Môn but to every community in Wales. What I can't do, though, is to try to say that, in the period of weeks that there is available to us, we can fast-forward all of those investments. Some of them just won't be ready. If you think about Menter Môn and the work they're doing, I think there's a great future...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the series of points made. I have the same understanding from conversations today that Brexit and the change in trading conditions is a material factor, as is inflation generally, and energy specifically. And, of course, there has been a change to the energy support for businesses, and that the increase in energy overheads is, again, a significant factor. The point about...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you for the question. The Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales and I met with the leader of the local authority this morning, once we were made aware of the deeply disappointing news. I recognise that it will be distressing for members of the workforce. Our officials are in contact with the company to try to understand the implications of the statement made today, and to offer any...
Vaughan Gething: I think the Member makes an entirely fair point, as the representative of Blaenau Gwent, as to what will be the impact for his constituency, for the community that he has grown up in and now represents. To be fair, outside the Chamber, Dirprwy Lywydd, the Member makes broadly similar points sometimes a touch more colourfully, but it's part of his role. So, it is part of the test, which is,...
Vaughan Gething: The Member’s right to point out that this is a reserved responsibility and we look for real progress, not just warm words, being made in this area. The Member’s also right that the Deputy Minister for Climate Change leads in this area. I’m sure he’d be happy to talk to the Member directly, but investing in this area shouldn’t just be good for the economy and for transport; actually,...
Vaughan Gething: Thank you. I will try and address the issues as promptly as I can, bearing in mind what the Deputy Presiding Officer said. On Liberty Steel, I've had a conversation with Community about the current situation. We will of course support workers who are facing an uncertain time, but also try to understand what the pause announced by the company actually means. It’s still not entirely clear...
Vaughan Gething: Yes. Firstly, I have had a number of conversations with counterparts in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in the UK Government. I am expecting to have a ministerial meeting within the next few weeks exactly on the potential to invest further in doing so. I'm pleased that, from a north Wales point of view, but I think in every one of our regional economic frameworks, digital...
Vaughan Gething: I should perhaps note in response that I am also a member of the Co-operative Party. However, in answering the points by the Member, I think it's fair to say this: employee ownership enjoys an important status in the Welsh Government, with a clear programme for government commitment linking our progress to its growth. We believe that the growth of employee-owned businesses will contribute to...
