Motion NDM6310 as amended:

1. Recognises the impact of the UK Government’s ongoing programme of austerity on communities in the south Wales valleys and the rest of Wales, and calls on the next Westminster government to invest in more balanced economic growth across the UK.

2. Supports the aim of the Welsh Government to make Wales a fair work nation where everyone can access better jobs closer to home.

3. Notes the work of the Welsh Government in:

a) supporting nearly 150,000 jobs in the last Assembly term, many of which were in valley communities;

b) preparing a new approach to economic development to stimulate stronger regional growth;

c) planning major infrastructure investments in the valleys and across Wales in a way which supports more resilient regional economies and strengthens local supply chains;

d) setting up a Ministerial Taskforce for the South Wales Valleys working with local communities to attract new jobs, raise skills and improve local services;

e) developing a Better Jobs Closer to Home programme using procurement levers to stimulate the creation of meaningful employment in areas of economic need, such as the valleys; and

f) establishing a Fair Work Commission to help build an economy where more people in valley communities and across Wales can access good work and a secure income.