Ken Skates: Can I thank Rhianon Passmore for the questions that she has offered, and also for the determination that she's shown in terms of delivering a reopened Cwmcarn forest drive? I think that would contribute to the place-building objectives of the local authority, and indeed the Member herself—. I'm keen that I and my colleague in Government Dafydd Elis-Thomas take forward, if possible, the...
Ken Skates: Can I thank Vikki Howells for her questions and put on record my thanks to her, and to colleagues, for the encouragement that is being given for developing an approach that will support the foundation economy across Wales—an economy that, in many parts of Wales, is the only economy? I think many of the most marginalised communities in Wales are those that have great potential to develop the...
Ken Skates: I'd like to thank the Member for welcoming the economic action plan, and for giving it his party's best wishes. The Member raises some important points about education, and the role that education and skills training has in developing a modern and secure economy. I think, also, the Member touched on—. I think it's worth, actually, my reflecting on the point that was made about appropriate...
Ken Skates: I do think that Be The Spark, albeit a new initiative, is one that is already making great progress in bringing together stakeholders from across academia, finance and Government, and ensuring that the collaboration stretches over the long term, and stretches beyond traditional boundaries and silos. But I also think that if the Member looks at—I think it's page 16 in particular—there...
Ken Skates: Can I thank the Member for those compliments that he's given to the plan—the elements of the plan that he has welcomed, the change that he has welcomed? And insofar as the criticisms that he also raises, I'll try to address them. First of all, I think in his final words he presented what he believes is a way forward for Wales, which is to create more bodies, whether that be in terms of...
Ken Skates: Can I thank the Member for his questions? I'm sure that there will be many more opportunities to question the plan further. I'm happy to offer any Member in this Chamber a briefing session on the economic action plan. Implementation of the plan will be crucially important and this will be conducted in consultation with social partners, including businesses and trade unions, the third...
Ken Skates: However, this is not a time to stand still. We live in an age of unprecedented change alongside huge opportunity. Fired by the fourth industrial revolution, the way we work, live and spend our leisure time is transforming before our eyes. This has implications for all of us—for every business and every community. We must get ahead of that change to equip our people, places and businesses...
Ken Skates: Thank you, Presiding Officer. Since devolution, we have strengthened the foundations of the Welsh economy. Our labour market performance is strong, with more people in work than ever before. We have a record number of active businesses and new business births are at their highest level for over a decade. Our exports and levels of foreign direct investment continue to impress, demonstrating...
Ken Skates: Can I thank the Member for the previous question, Presiding Officer, and add my sympathies to those who are affected by the floods, not just the motorists who were largely featured in the media but also the many businesses and home owners who were affected by recent floods? The Member was right to outline the A545 as the responsibility of the Isle of Anglesey council, but my officials have...
Ken Skates: Disruption was caused to the road network over the night of 22-23 November due to flooding. We continue to work hard and invest significant resources to build resilience in the network across north Wales.
Ken Skates: Can I thank the Member for his question, and just remind Members again that this huge undertaking will open up the Heads of the Valleys for further economic development and prosperity? It's our intention, first of all, to minimise exposure to the Welsh Government and therefore to taxpayers as a consequence of the excessive costs, but once the level of Welsh Government's liability has been...
Ken Skates: I'd agree with the Member. I've already asked for a lessons learned analysis to be conducted by officials. I think the call for tighter regulatory controls over the costs of this project are fair. And also I'd agree with the Member that this is a particularly fine piece of road; in fact, it's going to have the biggest concrete arch of its kind anywhere on the planet. It will be a project...
Ken Skates: I'd like to thank the Member for his questions. I've already said to Members previously that I'd welcome any referral of businesses, or indeed individuals or self-employed people, who are suffering as a consequence of the roadworks on this particular stretch to be brought forward to Government with a view to us assisting. I can say that the moment I was informed of costings problems in...
Ken Skates: The increased expenditure is spread over three financial years between now and the end of construction. Future budget profiles will reflect these increases.
Ken Skates: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'm conscious of time and so I'll limit my comments to individual Members to as little time as possible. I think it is clear, though, that as well as an ecosystem or a community of enablers, what is absolutely vital in fostering greater sense of entrepreneurship is a cultural change within Wales, a behavioural change, an attitudinal change. Many...
Ken Skates: I'm delighted to hear the change of heart by the Welsh Conservatives concerning the Be The Spark initiative. The change of approach has gone from one of objection in the summer to now applauding the work of all of the stakeholders in Be The Spark, and I'm delighted that one of my most senior officials is indeed a founding member of the Be The Spark team here in Wales. I was sorry I was unable...
Ken Skates: I'll give way to the Member.
Ken Skates: Building capacity has been a key objective. Big Ideas Wales, which encourages entrepreneurship from an early stage and develops the entrepreneurial skills of young people, has delivered, in my view, outstanding results, with 70 per cent of young people under the age of 25 now having aspirations to work for themselves. And 375 role models have engaged with more than 56,000 young people in 86...
Ken Skates: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'd like to begin by thanking you for allowing me to bring forward this debate today, and to begin by positing a question: what is it, what connects the most successful and diverse economic regions around the world, from Boston to Utah, from Israel to the German Mittelstand? In my view, it's a vibrant business base; a business base driven by the twin...
Ken Skates: Much of the future deal, of course, is still unclear, and this presents us with some challenges when it comes to identifying the opportunities and being able to communicate them to businesses. The UK Government, unfortunately, has not yet shared with the Welsh Government the supposed set of 58 sectoral impact studies, and neither has it shared with us a post-referendum overall economic...
