Part of 1. 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:34 pm on 20 June 2017.
We’ve seen a significant increase in the number of Welsh businesses who are accessing Welsh public sector contracts. The figure has gone from around about the 37 per cent mark, if I remember, to over a half now, which is a great improvement. Through initiatives such as the supplier qualification information database, for example, and the procurement initiative, we have ensured that Welsh businesses are better able to compete for contracts, and in particular are able to work together with other firms in order to be successful in getting those contracts in the first place. Clearly, there will be particular contracts that can be only be delivered by companies with particular specialist skills, but, nevertheless, we have seen a significant growth in the number of Welsh businesses that are successful in bidding for public sector contracts.