10. Plaid Cymru debate: Young people and communities in Wales

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:20 pm on 14 March 2018.

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Photo of Huw Irranca-Davies Huw Irranca-Davies Labour 5:20, 14 March 2018

We've touched on out-migration, clearly, and the impact on the Welsh language is key, without a doubt, and it's more specific to certain areas as well. There are flows with the Welsh language. The Welsh language is increasing in some areas. In some areas it's declining, including in what we would regard as traditionally some of the heartland areas. And that is to do with economic opportunity. It's also to do with how we can make good, actually, what we have in theme 3 of the 'Cymraeg 2050' strategy, which focuses very much on those socioeconomic aspects of sustaining the Welsh language in these communities, but also that strategy of having a million Welsh speakers is also based on the idea of networks and living communities of Welsh, not some artificial sustenance. And we do need to do more on that. But the commitment of the Government is here and we are open to the ideas of how we actually develop this and take this forward.

Entrepreneurialism—undoubtedly, that is a way forward. Several contributors mentioned this from all parties. If you look at what we are currently doing—before we even decide, 'Let's do more new schemes'—but if you look at what we're doing through the youth entrepreneurship services, the Business Wales start-up loans, with over £18.5 million invested in over 2,000 start-ups in Wales, that's a business a day being encouraged to start up in Wales, in exactly the sort of constituencies and the set-ups we are talking about. How do we actually do more of that?

If you look at the microbusiness loan fund, which was launched in 2013 with £6 million, operated by the Development Bank of Wales, subsequently, we've increased the size of that, tripled it to £18 million. Now, that invests between £1,000 and £50,000 in start-ups and microbusinesses, and if you look at many of the communities we are talking about and the businesses that will stay in these communities, it's not putting the money into those who come and go, it's actually developing our own. When Meghan Markle turned up the other day and there was all the fuss over the jeans company that hit the headlines and everybody was paying £350 for a pair of jeans—it's not me, I have to say—but, that idea of growing our own businesses, we are putting the support in there now. And, yes, we can always do more, but that support is there indeed.

There were so many things that were covered. Lee, you mentioned challenging orthodox thinking. I entirely agree, and that's part of what these debates are. Certainly, in terms of precision agriculture, my own visits to agricultural colleges in Wales and in England showed the immense potential of that, including not only for better environmental farming, but also for jobs growth as well, and a different style of farming that is driven by technology on the farms as well. And we do need to do more on that.

On the foundational economy, if I can simply say that, whilst I understand the criticism that you've made of this, it's interesting that in 'Pathways to Prosperity' and the economic action plan going forward, one of the areas that I have responsibility for, which is a social care, is bolted in there in a very heavy-duty way, and it's been welcomed by the care sector, as it isn't a burden upon communities; it's actually one where, if we upskill people who are working in it, from domiciliary care workers to people who work in care homes, all of that, then what we can do is actually grow the economy, not just in parts of Wales, but in every single street, every single community, because everybody in Wales, whether you're somebody with learning disabilities, whether you are somebody who is older with dementia needs and so on—those care needs are right across the whole of Wales, and we can do more, as long as we input the value into the people who work within that sector as well. So, again, we can do more, but we're doing a lot on it already.

If I can turn to some of the amendments, we note the motion by Plaid Cymru. We will have different ideas about how to take this forward, but I just want to point out and put it in respect of our amendment as well that the latest GVA figures in Wales show that we are now the fastest-growing country in the UK. Our employment rate is continuing to grow. Yes, we need to make sure that those are the right jobs and are well-paid jobs as well, but the employment rate is continuing to grow. Our unemployment rate in Wales is now 5 per cent. It's down from 8.9 per cent in 2011. And I'm proud to say, actually—and I said this as an MP, and I say it now as an Assembly Member—that flagship employment programme, Jobs Growth Wales, has created over 29,000 job opportunities, with 18,000 young people finding high-quality work, and having the stepping stone to future opportunities as well.

Affordable homes have been touched on within this debate—absolutely right. We delivered on the commitment within this Welsh Government in the last term to develop 10,000 affordable homes. We are committed to going even further this time. How do we do it? We do it through my colleague here, Rebecca, launching the home ownership scheme through Help to Buy—Wales. We know that 75 per cent of those using the scheme were first-time buyers. These are affordable homes.

I acknowledge, I have to say, in terms of the motion that Plaid Cymru have put forward, that with their support we have now put forward that funding for 'Arfor' for over two years. It has established a young farmers grant. It has established a grant for journalists seeking to set up their own businesses, and we're also supporting that development fund for undergraduate medical training in north Wales to the tune of £14 million over two years. We're open to those ideas. We will work with those ideas. There is no monopoly on any benches of good ideas. But we're already doing such a lot, and we're only scratching at the surface of what we're doing.

If I can turn—. Oh, time has gone already. Could I turn very briefly to the amendment by UKIP, Presiding Officer?