6. Statement by the Leader of the House and Chief Whip: Update on the Better Jobs Closer to Home Programme

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:57 pm on 5 June 2018.

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Photo of Jenny Rathbone Jenny Rathbone Labour 5:57, 5 June 2018

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I think it's a really interesting statement. I'm very pleased to hear about these four pilots, but I'm obviously a bit frustrated that we haven't been able to extend this further, because it's great that we're getting new businesses going into the Valleys, but for many of my constituents, having to travel more than half an hour is a real barrier to work, because the further you've got to travel, the more childcare you've got to pay for and the more difficult it makes the equation of being able to afford to go to work.

So, I'd really like to hear a bit more about the barriers to mainstreaming this, because I would've thought that it's something that the Federation of Small Businesses and the Wales Co-operative Centre would really be enthusiastic about. And it must be in line with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 that people are not having to normally travel more than half an hour to get to work, because it's bad for their health, it's not good for the environment and it's definitely not good for children, because the time taken means that it's time not being spent with your children. So, I'd be interested to hear what are the barriers we can overcome.