Part of 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport – in the Senedd at 2:05 pm on 2 May 2018.
Can I thank you for your answer, Cabinet Secretary? I am being approached by an increasingly larger number of businesses that want to expand their businesses but can't, and this is because there are no suitable accommodation or commercial sites available for them to expand their operations. Now, there is a shortage, I think, of commercial units, particularly in the Welshpool and Newtown area, but I know that this is a problem in other parts of Wales as well, and I think that this is now becoming the main barrier preventing business growth. Now, I suspect that you will be aware of this issue, but I wonder if you could outline what your Government is doing to support businesses in this particular situation, and I'd also be grateful to know if you could comment on any support for advance or speculative units to support business growth. I'd be grateful if you would be prepared to meet with me with a handful of businesses that have this problem—which I think is a welcome problem to have, of course.