Part of 1. 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure – in the Senedd at 1:52 pm on 9 November 2016.
If you look at north-east Wales, you’ll see that many, many people—hundreds of people in north-east Wales—travel across the border into England every day to work in major financial centres. They travel across the border to work at the Bank of America in Chester, they travel across the border to work at Marks & Spencer Financial Services, and to the banks and financial centres in Manchester. I don’t think that skills issues should be used as an excuse to stop the development of economic growth across Wales. If we know that there are skills available in parts of Wales, then they can be utilised for growth within those areas. But in terms of Finance Wales and the development of the development bank for Wales, I am conscious of the need to retain staff, and for that reason I had discussions just yesterday with Giles Thorley about ensuring that the presence in Cardiff for the development bank for Wales is retained, but that there are opportunities also, in the form of a headquarters in north Wales, to make that institution more accessible and more relevant to all parts of the country.