Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:17 pm on 29 November 2017.
I thank you for your letter, Cabinet Secretary, which I received this morning, outlining how the recently published Valleys taskforce delivery plan will benefit people in the Rhondda constituency. In your letter, you talk about a number of things that you've just outlined there: improving childcare through a pilot scheme in Ferndale, supporting local builders, and
'improving public service provision through community hubs', whatever that means. All of this is really vague, Cabinet Secretary, and I can't see how it's going to impact at all on the 33.1 per cent of Rhondda working-age population who are economically inactive. That's a figure that's much higher than the Welsh average of 24.8 per cent, and the UK figure which is 22 per cent. The reasons for this economic inactivity are historic, and the economic problems as a result are chronic. That is why the Rhondda needs specific action from your Government. The results of this plan will be determined by the number of people who end up in good jobs. Can you tell us by how much do you hope to reduce economic inactivity in the Rhondda after you've implemented the Valleys taskforce plan? Can you give us a figure, please?