Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:47 pm on 18 July 2017.
First of all, can I congratulate the Cabinet Secretary and the Welsh Government on their success in attracting both CAF and the world technology cluster to Newport? It is not only good news for Newport, but also for the whole of South Wales East. Unfortunately, of course, there has to be a ‘but’ somewhere along the way, and, in this instance, it is this: as laudable as it is to attract new industry into Wales, it is also equally important that all businesses already established in Wales have access to funding as and when and where necessary. Would the Cabinet Secretary inform the Chamber as to how he believes the development bank of Wales will better provide this service than the outgoing Finance Wales? And, as the Cabinet Secretary knows, I have several times raised concerns with regard to access to funding, particularly with regard to SMEs in the R&D sector. Can he promise us that the application processes for such funding will be simple and transparent, especially given the Welsh Government’s oft-stated emphasis on creating a robust, innovative sector in Wales?