Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:06 pm on 18 October 2016.
I would like to thank you, Cabinet Secretary. I very much welcome your announcement today. I understand that the Welsh Government is clearly at a very early stage with regard to the commission, but one thing I would like to focus on is the fact that these infrastructure developments that we are looking at must be linked back to good jobs and work and training opportunities. I was struck by a fact that I read on the weekend that no Welsh local authority has as many jobs now as it did before Thatcher started swinging her axe in 1981. What guidance will the Welsh Government give to the commission to ensure that good work opportunities are prioritised? In addition, how will the Welsh Government’s ambitious apprenticeships policy tie into the work of the commission? Finally, I think the Valleys taskforce has a key role to play in delivering the commission’s objectives. How will it fit into the work of the commission?