3. Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport: The Economic Action Plan

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:09 pm on 22 May 2018.

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Photo of Ken Skates Ken Skates Labour 3:09, 22 May 2018

Thank you. Can I assure the Member that the changes within the department had already taken place before the publication of the report that he refers to? And changes include the new way of working on regional economic development. Changes at a senior level, as the Member is aware, were made as well. We have new officers taking charge of business and regions who have been working relentlessly in order to produce the implementation plan and we have new officials working on strategy as well. So, those changes had already taken place.

I think it's worth just taking a step back and looking at where we stand right now, with record employment levels, record low unemployment levels—the inactivity rate is at or near a record low, and the Welsh economy is growing faster than any other nation in the UK. But what this plan seeks to do is ensure that, from a relatively strong position today compared to the 1980s and early 1990s, we leapfrog some of our competitors, rather than allow them to embrace technological change, to embrace new ways of working, faster than us. Because, frankly, if we don't shift, if we don't move towards inclusive growth, if we don't move towards embracing what we've described as calls to action, we will be left behind by more dynamic and more nimble economies and countries.

We do not wish to have that happen, which is why we've developed a way of working with the calls to action, with the economic contract, that—. Sure, it doesn't enable Government to state what all of the solutions are to all business difficulties and challenges, instead what it enables us to do is to invite businesses to work with us collaboratively, and with one another, and bring forward collective challenge opportunities to Government in order to solve their own particular issues that are holding them back, that are preventing them from going from good to great. So, I don't think Members should necessarily look to Government for all of the answers to every single business problem that exists across every single part of Wales. This is a plan that is designed to enable and empower businesses and regions to work together in order to present the challenges that they face, and for us to then fund them, to work with them, in order to make sure that we do have sustainable economic growth.

The details that the Member refers to are indeed in the glossy brochure that I have a box of today and I'm happy to distribute to as many Members as possible. I thought the Member had taken one this morning, but, if not, then I have one here for him right now. What it does contain for businesses—it does contain information on the various initiatives that form the heart of the economic action plan. But, as I said, we're now moving forward with the second phase of implementation, which involves regional economic growth, in order to get maximum buy-in from across Government, from across departments.

I think I've already said to the Chamber that many Ministers are already enthusiastically embracing the principles of the economic contract, but, in order to ensure that we get maximum buy-in, I've decided to chair a cross-Government board of officials. This will operate in parallel with the Permanent Secretary's performance board, which is designed for the Permanent Secretary to ensure that, right across 'Prosperity for All', there is cross-Government activity. Insofar as the economic action plan is concerned, I take the implementation very seriously myself, and that's why I wish to chair a cross-Government board, to ensure that all departments are working towards successful application of all components within the plan.