Adam Price: Well, thank you for that injection of positivity and creativity to our economic policy debate. You know, that’s the way we’re going to move things forward, isn’t it? We can—[Interruption.] We can all stand here—. I was only elected a few months ago. We can all stand here—[Interruption.] We can all stand here and jab and point the finger, right; the only way—. [Interruption.] The...
Adam Price: Of course, there was a revision in 2008. It’s quietly been buried, but, actually, we heard only in the last few days, of course, that’s it’s still on the books; there’s going to be now a new national development framework. But the thinking behind the spatial plan, of having a clear idea about the different roles, the spatial roles, that the different regions and centres of population...
Adam Price: Diolch, Lywydd. I welcome this debate because I think there is a vacuum at the heart of Welsh Government economic strategy at the moment. Unfortunately, and the reason why our amendment is a ‘delete all’ amendment, the motion doesn’t seek to fill that vacuum with anything that is distinctive or new, but seeks to borrow the UK Government policy and apply it to Wales. Now, we are in a...
Adam Price: I’m grateful to the Cabinet Secretary for his response, and also for the written statement that was circulated a few minutes ago. After many years of waiting, I hope that this latest development signals that we are through the last chicane in the final straight. But, if the Cabinet Secretary is able to, could he confirm that the two criteria, the two conditions that he has set, firstly in...
Adam Price: Will the Cabinet Secretary confirm whether he now intends to support the Circuit of Wales development following reports that the Heads of the Valleys Development Company have secured the private funding required for its construction? EAQ(5)0120(EI)
Adam Price: Can the Cabinet Secretary confirm that he has received correspondence from TG4, which is an Irish television channel, arguing that there will be an economic benefit and a cultural and linguistic benefit accruing from this project, on the basis of their experience in Galway, and that he’s also seen evidence from companies outwith Wales—and, in fact, outwith the United Kingdom—that would...
Adam Price: Welsh income per capita in 2014 was 70.5 per cent of the UK average, the lowest ever recorded since records began in 1954 for Wales—indeed the lowest ever for any UK nation or region. It bounced back to 71 per cent in 2015, but that was one of the lowest figures ever as well. Is the First Minister prepared to commit the Welsh Government that we will not see this income per capita figure...
Adam Price: Of course, it’s often all too easy to attack the UK Government, and sometimes they make it too easy for us, but there are some things we can learn here, surely. At least they’ve got a strategy. It’s taken the new administration just six months to produce an industrial strategy. Where is our Welsh Government economic strategy that we were promised in June? Has research been commissioned?...
Adam Price: I gave the Cabinet Secretary the opportunity there to support his own members—members of his own party—who are simply doing their job, actually, and I actually support them in what they’ve said. We’ve said the same—this deal is not good enough, and, really, he should be using his position and that of the Welsh Government to actually get a revised proposal. Now, earlier this week,...
Adam Price: Diolch, Lywydd. As the Cabinet Secretary will be aware, I and my party colleagues were roundly condemned for expressing our sincere belief, echoed by many steelworkers, that the current package of proposals on offer from Tata needed to be radically improved to make it fair and acceptable for workers. It was therefore gratifying to see as a headline in the ‘Llanelli Star’ earlier this week...
Adam Price: Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on referral to treatment times in Hywel Dda University Health Board?
Adam Price: Pre 1979, UK regional policy had three elements—grants through the regional employment premia, but also fiscal incentives through the selective employment tax, and cheap loans. In his discussions with the UK Government, in the new ministerial forum that was announced earlier this week, will he ask that all of those levers will be available for us to ensure that Wales can develop its...
Adam Price: Yes, and certainly that would be something that we would all want to avoid, truth be told, because as we always say—we say it all the time because it’s true—small businesses are the backbone of our economy throughout Wales. It’s certainly true in the rural areas, which have suffered the most as a result of this revaluation. So, I do hope that the Cabinet Secretary will be able to tell...
Adam Price: Thank you, Llywydd. I agree with the vast majority of what the Member for Monmouthshire has said. We share the disappointment, of course, that the Government, in the first instance, hadn’t seen fit to bring its own recommendations for reforming the system in its entirety to decrease the significant burden on businesses in Wales. Certainly, there is evidence that shows, from different...
Adam Price: [Continues.]—wanted to offer more money into the pension fund. [Interruption.]
Adam Price: There is an alternative for Tata as well. They could strengthen the deal. Ratan Tata came out of retirement because he was appalled by the kind of slash and burn short-termism that Cyrus Mistry had injected into the company. His new leadership represents a return to Tata’s traditional values of fairness and long-termism, and I think now we should appeal to the interim, emeritus chair of...
Adam Price: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. It has been, I think, a valuable debate. I know that steelworkers who have contacted us will have appreciated hearing the range of views, of opinions, in relation to the package of proposals that will shortly be put before them. I thought it was very, very indicative that the backbench Members who spoke who have steel plants in their constituency all...
Adam Price: It’s just a point of information, really. When he says that this is the only deal on the table, he’s aware, obviously, of the Excalibur bid, which, actually, the Welsh Government have funded—
Adam Price: Is he saying that that is no longer a live bid?
Adam Price: Will the Member give way?
