Part of 1. 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:01 pm on 7 February 2017.
Yes, I will. Of course, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire are part of the Swansea bay city region, and it is important that this is not seen as an urban and rural divide. I thank the Member for the work that she’s done and the passion that she shows for rural Wales. The city region is not a one size fits all. There will be other footprints that will need to be used in the future to develop the economies of rural Wales, but it’s right to say there are challenges. Beyond 2020, we will see £260 million disappear, at this moment in time, from the Welsh economy as farming subsidies go. There is no certainty in that regard so, yes, now is certainly the time to start planning for a rural economy in Wales that will lose substantial amounts of money unless the UK Government steps up to the mark and makes sure the money is there.