Ken Skates: Can I thank Dawn Bowden for her interest again in the visitor economy? Dawn has recognised regularly in this Chamber the value that tourism can make to communities in her constituency. I do share her concerns about the number of projects funded through TISS that have actually been delivered in the communities that she’s spoken about. For that reason, we carried out a piece of work to...
Ken Skates: Can I thank David Melding for his question, and also for, once again in this Chamber, touching on the importance of well-being to the economy, and the contribution that the natural landscape can make to our well-being? My colleague the Minister for Lifelong Learning and Welsh Language will be making a statement in the Chamber concerning the idea of a Valleys park. I’m sure that it’s an...
Ken Skates: I’m very pleased to say to the Member that I’ve already done it. In fact, I announced last week that an advanced manufacturing institute based on the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre in Sheffield, which will be delivered with the University of Sheffield and universities in Wales, is being built. I approved the funding for the first phase of the institute just last week. It’s also...
Ken Skates: Yes. Tomorrow we will publish ‘Our Valleys, Our Future’, a high-level plan for action, building on the work of the Valleys taskforce, and in addition to this, we will continue to invest in infrastructure improvements and skills and the general environment for business across the south Wales Valleys.
Ken Skates: We do, indeed. Research funding is absolutely crucial, and that’s why we’ve been very clear that any research funding that could potentially be lost when we exit the EU is made good by the UK Government. In terms of the specific company that the Member mentions, it’s not clear whether they have an account manager within Business Wales to support them, but I would gladly make contact...
Ken Skates: Well, there is a need to balance direct support in the form of grants with repayable loans, because repayable loans offer an evergreen approach that can recycle investments into other businesses, but I do take the point that the Member raises, which is that a repayable loan is not the answer and not the best means of supporting all businesses. For that reason we will maintain other forms of...
Ken Skates: I can assure the Member—I can assure the Member because we were all there at Cabinet—that ‘prosperity for all’ was approved, was signed off by all members of the Cabinet on Tuesday, and will be published as soon as we return.
Ken Skates: As I’ve said, we will be assessing the effectiveness of the commission by the end of this Assembly term. We will be establishing it by the end of this year. I must disagree with the assertion made by the Member that Wales may appear not to be open for business given the latest results for inward investment, which show, I believe, that it was the third most successful year. Indeed,...
Ken Skates: Can I thank the Member for his question and also for the work that he led in assessing the establishment of the national infrastructure commission of Wales? Of course, we already utilise innovative forms of funding. We are doing that with the dualling of the A465, and we will continue to do so. The work that’s taking place on the infrastructure commission is taking place at speed. We are...
Ken Skates: Can I thank the Member for his further questions? Of course, the one big question that we’re still awaiting an answer for is whether he agrees with our decision that was taken last month, and unfortunately there is no agreement, which I’m sure indicates that the Member would have been content to have signed off the project, only to have returned here, in all likelihood in six months’...
Ken Skates: Can I first of all thank the Member for his good humour, this being the last opportunity that he will have in this current term to question me? Can I also thank him for the 12 months that we’ve had of grilling and probing and having me on the rack, during which time we have disagreed on a number of occasions, but I hope we have been able to agree on a number of subjects as well? I recognise...
Ken Skates: I’m pleased to be able to inform the Member that the cross-cutting strategy ‘prosperity for all’ was approved by Cabinet this week. It has been completed. It will be published early in the autumn on return of this Assembly, and, over the summer, we will be engaging in an extensive—[Interruption.]—in an extensive stakeholder engagement programme to further refine the work, based in...
Ken Skates: Can I thank Simon Thomas for his question? Simon makes an important point that we should all behave responsibly and fairly when we respond to a report of this nature. Can I also pay tribute to Tony Bianchi and the incredible work that he produced and also his commitment to Welsh literature? His passing is very much missed, I’m sure, not just in my colleague’s constituency and region, but...
Ken Skates: I’d agree with the Member that our national parks do need to work in partnership with the businesses that are located within them. We do see, in many parts of Wales, very proactive national parks working effectively and very efficiently with businesses in the spirit of partnership. With regard to the national park in Pembrokeshire, I think there has been a concerted effort by the park to...
Ken Skates: Thank you. Yes, we are developing a strategic approach to economic development based on prosperity for all, enabling all parts of Wales to benefit from economic growth and the opportunity to secure greater degrees of job creation.
Ken Skates: Yes, I appreciate the points made by the Member. The challenge of getting international visitors out of London is one that faces all regions outside of London. Wales is not unique in that regard. But we have redoubled our efforts to attract visitors to Wales, and the results, I think, are quite impressive, in terms of all types of visits. We saw an increase of 15 per cent last year on the...
Ken Skates: Well, can I thank the Member for her further question, and also thank her for the keen interest she’s shown in the visitor economy? The Valleys could benefit considerably from the growth in tourists to Wales in recent years. The thematic years, I think, have been particularly beneficial, being focused on the great outdoors, building on the primary purpose that people come to Wales for...
Ken Skates: Yes. Our tourism strategy sets out our principles and priorities to support the industry across Wales. This includes marketing campaigns in the UK and overseas, it includes capital development funding for new and existing tourism businesses, and it also includes revenue funding for regional projects.
Ken Skates: We continue to invest in infrastructure projects across the whole of Wales to help support business growth.
Ken Skates: Small businesses play an important role in the Welsh economy and we continue to provide support for entrepreneurs and SMEs to sustain and grow in Wales including through the dedicated Business Wales service and infrastructure investment.
