Can I say at the outset that I want to thank the Conservatives for bringing this motion, which I think is a very wide-ranging motion, covering lots of very important issues? I’m not today going to comment on Plaid’s amendment on proportional representation, because this is currently the subject of consultation through the local government White Paper, and I guess we really ought to allow that process to take its course. I’m sure there’s going to be plenty of time to debate this issue and our respective positions on PR or not in the weeks and months ahead. But I want to be a little bit more upbeat today; so I’m going to focus my comments on part 3 of the motion, around the role of local authorities supporting greater collaboration, innovation and entrepreneurship, and to talk a little bit about what’s happening in my constituency, which I think shows how local government and the Welsh Government are working together effectively to deliver results for small business in particular.

Llywydd, it’s not by chance that Merthyr Tydfil has become the growth capital for new businesses in Wales. Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council has played a key role, working with partners to develop innovative schemes with collaboration at their heart. For example, the Merthyr Tydfil Enterprise Centre, which is a joint initiative run by the council and by Tydfil Training, using the Welsh Government’s Vibrant and Viable Places funding, provides a hub in the town centre to provide an entrepreneurial culture within the town and brings together partners from the private, academic, voluntary and public sectors, including—crucially—Merthyr council.

One particular success of the enterprise centre has been the Meanwhile Uses programme, which engages with landlords to identify vacant premises in the town centre that can be used by start-up businesses or businesses looking to expand or diversify, rent free, for up to six months. This period gives their ideas an opportunity to flourish before they make the decision to move into commercial rents. The arrangement also benefits landlords otherwise unable to let their properties, as the rental for that period is met by the council under the VVP funding.

Merthyr Tydfil borough council currently has seven businesses benefitting from this scheme, and the enterprise centre also provides funding to help businesses set up with grants of up to £5,000. So, as well as funding channelled through the local authority under schemes such as Vibrant and Viable Places, the council is also able to provide a holistic approach to the development of enterprise by working with the third sector and academic organisations to bring together advice, expertise and training, and by doing this in conjunction with the advice and support in relation to local authority processes—planning and development and conservation, for example—they can bring wraparound support for new businesses.

Merthyr council has also secured a Welsh Government grant under the Effect project to provide business development services that have included advice, guidance, mentoring, training and support for new businesses, linking with the local employability and skills initiative. Under this scheme, Merthyr council has supported 40 town centre businesses, created 51 jobs and safeguarded 151 more.

If we can just briefly take a look at Merthyr Town Football Club for a moment. Merthyr Tydfil council was a key partner in supporting the development of the club’s Penydarren Park ground, again with Vibrant and Viable Places funding. With this support, the football club was able to extend the clubhouse to build a function room that can cater for up to 120 guests. It has a sports bar, a commercial kitchen, an IT suite and offices with Wi-Fi throughout. It’s now the envy of non-league football clubs throughout the country. But importantly, building on its community philosophy, the club has now developed into a significant business hub, attracting businesses in Merthyr to become involved in the club, to use its facilities under the Martyrs business network—’Martyrs’, by the way, being the nickname of Merthyr Town Football Club. The business network enables local business entrepreneurs to get together to share ideas, knowledge, experience and business referrals. It started a year ago and now has 163 members. Common to the role of all of this that I’ve just been talking about is the local council, not just in supporting funding throughout the Welsh Government’s Vibrant and Viable Places scheme, but through direct partnership, providing that wraparound guidance and facilitation with the support of academic and third sector parties.

In conclusion, Llywydd, I welcome the motion from the Conservatives, and particularly, as I said, the first amendment from Plaid. Local authorities do have a crucial role to play in supporting business development around collaboration, innovation and entrepreneurship, and if anyone wishes to look at the examples of best practice, I can commend to them the excellent work in this field of the Labour-run Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council.