Part of 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport – in the Senedd at 1:40 pm on 7 February 2018.
Yes, absolutely. The productivity challenge is something that this Government and the UK Government have made critical parts of our respective industrial and economic strategies. Insofar as our actions are concerned, we're looking at the factors that contribute to making an economy more productive. In Wales, we've analysed those factors and found that driving up skills levels and increasing investment in modern infrastructure and making sure that we have the right management techniques are absolutely critical in the development of a more productive economy. But we also recognise that the economy is changing fast and that we need to change the shape of the economy in order to attract more investment that's going to be based on high-tech industries of the future. And we also need to take account of the fact that if you have a workforce where the well-being is poor and where workers are not able to contribute as fully as they would wish to during their working day, then that will impact on the competitiveness and productivity of a business. So, through our economic contract and, subsequently, through the calls to action, we are challenging the problems that are holding back our economy, in particular the productivity challenge that so very urgently needs to be got to grips with.