Part of 2. 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure – in the Senedd at 2:46 pm on 1 March 2017.
Cabinet Secretary, what consideration have you given to the potential growth in the wood manufacturing industry in north Wales? You’ll be aware that there are significant parts of north Wales that have forestry on them, but there have been significant concerns raised by people involved in the wood manufacturing industry about the lack of Welsh timber available in the marketplace at present, and that is, frankly, putting a foot on the windpipe of that particular industry and the potential of that industry to grow and for people to come into the industry and invest in new wood manufacturing plants. Clifford Jones Timber in Ruthin in my own constituency, and Blazer’s Fuels Ltd, for example, are two businesses that have the opportunity to expand significantly if there can be a reliable timber resource that they can have. This is a concern, and I wonder what you’re doing from the economic side to promote that particular industry in Wales.