Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

Part of 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport – in the Senedd at 1:48 pm on 2 May 2018.

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Photo of Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas Independent 1:48, 2 May 2018

Thank you very much for that further question. I have indeed seen and studied the report by the Federation of Small Businesses. I think it would be very helpful if we had a meeting with them as well in order to assess more clearly what evidence is the basis of their report, because, certainly, as far as I'm concerned, I'm seeking to organise our funds for tourism in such a way as to make them accessible to all who produce relevant business plans for my department, so that we can assess the kind of investment that we can make.

We have placed tourism quite firmly as a foundation sector in the economic action plan of Welsh Government, which emphasises that regionalisation is important to us in terms of the development of the tourism industry. I have retained, with the support of my colleague the Cabinet Secretary, four regions for the purposes of tourism, which is slightly different to the Government's approach on the economic side, because I do believe that the contribution that comes from mid Wales to tourism, and the potential there, is something that we need to support, and that would certainly mean supporting smaller industries.

As regards the current fund, the Government is currently looking carefully as to how we can restructure and bring together some of our pots in a further development and enterprise fund, and the tourism element in that would certainly be available to as wide a section of the economy as possible.