I think the Member is absolutely right that a lot of small businesses are either unaware of the support that is available and has been available for some years or, alternatively, see so many offerings of support that it’s difficult to see the wood for the trees. The aim with bringing Business Wales and the development bank closer together is to ensure that there is clarity of direction for any businessperson to go in order to access funding and support of any kind and that both would be able to signpost to each other and, indeed, to other services in the public, private or third sectors accordingly. My view is that we should, whenever and wherever possible, decentralise and de-concentrate investment and, for that reason, I wish to see the development bank have a strong presence not just in north Wales but right across Wales. Indeed, rural communities often have a high concentration of microbusinesses that struggle to access finance from high-street banks. So, if anything, the development bank of Wales will be more relevant to some rural communities than some of our urban communities, and for that reason, I think it’s absolutely essential that the development bank is accessible to businesspeople in our more rural areas.

And in terms of the skills base that already exists in north Wales, I’m confident that based on a strong and growing financial and professional services sector in the Wrexham area, and, indeed, in other parts of north Wales—. There is also a very strong digital sector that is flourishing. I was recently in Janet Finch-Saunders’s constituency visiting a small business unit concentrating on fintech, and it was based out of a church. A fascinating place—a number of small businesses growing fast, all needing access to this sort of support. And, so, in places like Aberconwy, I’m in no doubt that the development bank will prove very popular. But the skills base is already there. What I’m keen to ensure is that, as those additional jobs are developed for the headquarters, the right people are available. Many people who live in Wales at the moment travel across the border to access work in the financial services sector, and the presence of the development bank headquarters in Wales may offer them an opportunity to stay in Wales. But, equally, it will be important for further and higher education to work with the regional skills partnership officers in identifying all opportunities within the development bank across the region.

And in terms of the regional approach, I’m particularly pleased that the development bank and the existing functions of Business Wales will enable each region to develop quite a distinctive approach in terms of how the services respond to customers.