6. Will the Minister make a statement on support for small businesses in Caerphilly? OAQ(5)0019(EI)

Wide-ranging support is available through our Business Wales service for small businesses in the Caerphilly area and across Wales. Our absolute focus remains on supporting enterprise, jobs and the economy.

Thank you for that answer. For businesses to remain long term and sustainable, they need to build positive connections with each other. Welsh ICE, in my constituency, is a peer-to-peer innovation centre for enterprise, where a load of businesses are there to support each other. Indeed, today, the captain of innovation, the leader of Welsh ICE, had an article in the Western Mail entitled ‘Everyone’s talent needed to secure future of Wales’; that’s Gareth Jones. Welsh ICE makes a net gross value added contribution to the economy of £13.8 million. Will the Cabinet Secretary congratulate Welsh ICE for the success that they’ve had, but also think about how can we foster these business connections, both in Caerphilly and, of course, further afield in the wider area, to develop social capital?

Can I thank the Member for his question, and also agree that Gareth Jones is indeed a great captain of Welsh ICE? He is also a native of Clwyd South constituency. Networking and shared space forms a key pillar of the approach being developed under the regional entrepreneurship acceleration programme, chaired by Simon Gibson. As part of the evidence being considered, a 12-week pre-start business accelerator programme is being delivered through the Business Wales accelerated growth programme, in partnership with Welsh ICE. I would like to congratulate the work of Welsh ICE, and especially their remarkable success to date, and I look forward to delivering on the Welsh Labour manifesto pledge to create similar hubs right across Wales to drive innovation, creativity and enterprise.

The Welsh Government has pledged that they will provide 100,000 additional apprenticeships over the ensuing years. What specific steps will you take in order to ensure that small businesses can benefit from the opportunities provided by this pledge?

Can I thank the Member for his question? It’s crucially important for the Welsh economy that we create 100,000 quality apprenticeships. Each apprenticeship is estimated to be worth something in the region of, on average, £130,000 during the course of a career, so it has considerable economic benefits for the economy of Wales.

The Minister for Skills and Science will be responsible for ensuring that 100,000 apprenticeships are created and filled. We’ve got a very proud record in Wales in terms of completion rates, way higher than in England, currently standing at something in the region of 85 per cent here in Wales compared to the low to mid 70 per cent figure in England. So, I’ll be working with the Minister for Skills and Science to ensure that businesses of every size, everywhere in Wales, are aware of the opportunities that the apprenticeship system in Wales offers.

My best wishes to the Minister for climbing the economic mountain of Wales. A recent poll by the Federation of Small Businesses in Wales asked members about the key priorities they wanted to see from the Welsh Government. Twenty per cent of respondents wanted to see the creation of a single body to support small businesses in Wales. What consideration has the Welsh Government given to setting up a single body that companies can go to to receive information to co-ordinate support for small businesses in Caerphilly and the rest of Wales?

Can I thank the Member for his kind comments and his question? Well, of course, the £61 million Business Wales service continues to offer that one port of call for small businesses. The latest phase of Business Wales was launched in January with the aim of creating 10,000 new businesses and 28,300 new jobs and providing support to help inspire the next generation of young entrepreneurs and to help existing SMEs grow. That is something that Business Wales has thus far been incredibly successful at achieving—as shown by our employment figures, our unemployment figures and our new business start-up figures. So, we have a measure, so far, of success in this regard, but I’m keen to make sure that Business Wales continues to deliver for businesses and the people of our country.