Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

Part of 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport – in the Senedd at 1:53 pm on 22 November 2017.

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Photo of Ken Skates Ken Skates Labour 1:53, 22 November 2017

Well, I'd say that, in many enterprise zones, there's been tremendous success. Deeside, for example: huge numbers of new jobs have been created there and many, many more have been secured. Likewise in Cardiff. There has been success with the enterprise zone initiative, but that does not mean that it should not undergo further reform and change where necessary. I'm certainly looking at that.

But I would say, after the Member raised the issue of weekly average earnings, that I'd invite him to support this Labour Government's ambition to introduce fair work practices across our economy, to drive up working standards, to drive up wages, to make sure that we do reduce that weekly average earnings gap. Also, I'd hope that the Member would support our call for in-work welfare cuts to be stopped and to make sure that people are able to earn a decent wage for a decent day's work.

I think it's important to say as well, as I mentioned earlier, that, in terms of GVA per head, it's been growing faster on average recently in Wales than across the UK. As I said earlier, we are on that runway, but we need to ensure that we are investing in the right way to take off. And that's why we are reconfiguring the department to make sure that we place a greater focus on regional strengths, so that we grow the economies outside of the more intensely urban areas.