Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:35 pm on 19 September 2017.
The Member’s absolutely right. The big change, I think, that’s occurred in the past few years is the rapidity of change. It wouldn’t have been difficult to predict in the 1970s that coal—particularly coal—was on a trajectory downwards. I mean, no-one could have predicted the sudden job losses that occurred, but that had been the trend since 1914. What we see now is a rapidity in change that just would have been unthought of in the 1970s. Ten years ago, the pressures on the retail sector were not what they are now, in terms of competition from online sources, and that is something that the retail sector has had to adjust very painfully to, in terms of doing. Call centres are under pressure now in a way that they weren’t 10, 12 years ago, as technology has improved. The challenge for us, and other Governments, is to make sure that if job losses occur in those areas, others are created elsewhere, obviously, and that’s something we’re very much aware of.
One of the industries where we are genuinely world leaders is insurance—not just in terms of individual companies, but comparison websites. One of the challenges that insurers face is driverless cars—cars that are able to drive themselves. What does that mean in terms of assessing insurance risk? How do you calculate the premium? Who has liability? But these are things that are being looked at now, because we know that, in 10 years’ time—probably quicker than that—this will be a real issue. So, he’s absolutely right to say that there are challenges there, probably that are not even foreseen yet, which have to be recognised as quickly as possible—some that seem remote, but will be upon us in no time. We’re very much up for that challenge, to make sure that, where we see change occurring, we know that Wales is ready for that change, and we upskill our people, in order to make sure that they’re able to take advantage of those changes, in what is a rapidly changing world.