Part of 1. 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure – in the Senedd at 1:43 pm on 9 November 2016.
On this theme of big ideas, the Bevan Foundation yesterday launched a powerful report that made the case for designating the whole of the south Wales Valleys as an enterprise zone. Is there an opportunity to go even further here and actually seek permission from the UK Government for the whole of Wales to be made an enterprise zone, and for us to have the corporation tax powers that are being offered to Northern Ireland, for us to have research and development tax break powers, and the powers to have holidays for national insurance employer contributions, particularly in those areas like the south Wales Valleys, where there are particular economic challenges, giving thus to Wales the kind of competitive advantage that we need if we’re to close this historic economic gap that we’ve faced for generations?