5. Will the Minister make a statement on the opportunities being offered through the Enterprise Zone in Port Talbot? OAQ(5)0016(EI)

Yes. The Port Talbot waterfront enterprise zone will help us exploit new economic opportunities and support existing businesses. We have already launched a business rates scheme, which, combined with our wider support, provides an enhanced incentive for new investment and growth.

I thank the Cabinet Secretary for that answer. In Port Talbot, the impact of Tata’s decision to sell the steelworks and also reduce the work contracted out to local businesses is actually creating huge challenges for local companies who are now facing difficult times to simply remain in business—such as Fairwood Fabrications, who we saw on the television programme with Michael Sheen, who have already reduced their staff by half and are looking at very challenging times just to stay in existence. As they seek to diversify and win new contracts elsewhere, they need support to ensure the future of their employees. Now, the enterprise zone status could attract those opportunities to them, but that’s not going to happen overnight. What support can the Welsh Government give these companies to overcome the challenges they face now, so they can be in a position to benefit from the enterprise zone when it becomes active?

The health of the supply chain is enormously important to the region. Working in conjunction with the supply chain sub-group of the taskforce, 55 businesses linked to the Tata supply chain have requested additional support; 44 businesses have been visited and a bespoke diagnosis of the need of each has been undertaken. We’ve made available, as the Member is aware, business rates support, which is worth up to £55,000 a year to each qualifying SME within the Port Talbot enterprise zone. The closing date, the Member would wish to know, for receiving all applications is 30 September. At the beginning of June, a direct mail exercise was undertaken to promote the scheme to more than 223 businesses located within the enterprise zone that may be able to benefit from support for the scheme. I should also make the Member aware that since the inception of the Port Talbot Waterfront enterprise zone, seven inquiries have been received, either directly from external businesses or via local authority officers and our sectors, seeking information about support for growth or new locations. These are at early stages of engagement; however, two of these inquiries could include potentially significant inward investments.

In the last Assembly, I raised the point with the Minister on the land opposite Harbour Way, which I’m sure will be part of the new enterprise zone. There is land there that could be utilised for new businesses. Have you spoken to local businesses to encourage them to actually apply for that land at a reduced cost under these new circumstances of an enterprise zone in Port Talbot, to facilitate the development of that particular area?

I know that my officials are in constant dialogue with local businesses, but I will check on that specific case. We’ve established the enterprise zone at Port Talbot based around the existing and potential employment sites in the area, which have significant capacity for supporting further business investment. The Member is possibly aware that these are Baglan energy park, Baglan industrial estate and Harbourside in Port Talbot docks. But I assure the Member that I will take up the point that she raises and contact her once I’ve made inquiries.

May I offer my congratulations as well, Cabinet Secretary? The behemoth that is the Welsh Government website invites businesses in the enterprise zone to apply for financial help towards the cost of business rates, or offsetting against business rates, for 2016-17. That scheme has actually been open since 4 April, which is a little bit sooner than some of the others that have been mentioned today. I heard your answer to David Rees, but how many businesses have applied specifically for business rate relief, if I can call it that? Of the 200 or so businesses that you’ve approached, 44 seem to have been followed up on that. What have you done to follow up with those who haven’t responded to the direct mail approach, and will you be planning to do that any time soon, if you haven’t done it yet?

I can follow up the question with an analysis of what those 44 businesses that have taken up our offer of help actually wish to be helped with; it may well be that it is business rates or it might be another form of support that we can offer. I’ll provide the Member with as much information that I’m reasonably able to so that we are all better informed about what it is that businesses in the area require.

In terms of the 11 businesses linked to the Tata supply chain that have not requested additional help, there are a number of reasons for that, but again I’ll try my best to provide information on why it is that they may have chosen not to take up our offer of additional support.