4. What is the Welsh Government doing to promote digital collaboration between the public and private sectors? OAQ52730

The Welsh Government works closely with the Welsh tech sector to promote opportunities arising from the digitisation of public sector services. 

Thank you, leader of the house. Last week, I attended a digital know-how seminar in Newport, along with representatives of over 75 local charities, SMEs and small businesses. The event was one of many which Lloyds Banking Group have held as part of their pledge to train 2.5 million individuals, SMEs and charities in digital skills by 2020, and this follows some research that found that 55 per cent of Welsh small businesses don't have a website and that only 26 per cent feel they have skills to prevent online fraud and scams. A key aim of the event was to encourage those attending to share knowledge, experience and best practice from their respective fields. So, how is Welsh Government working with employers to equip people with the digital skills needed for the benefit of individuals, SMEs, charities and the public sector? 

Yes, it's an excellent question. We're working very hard with the private sector to increase support for people to engage with technology as a way to improve their lives. It's a priority area stated within our digital inclusion forward look document. The ability of large national organisations to highlight digital inclusion to wide audiences plays a crucial role in helping to raise awareness, and the event that the Member attended is a very good example of that, actually. Our digital inclusion programme, Digital Communities Wales, works with NatWest, Barclays and Lloyds to better co-ordinate digital inclusion activities across communities for that reason, because they have a big, wide reach across customer and staff bases. We also, through links with the Trades Union Congress and Digital Communities Wales, encourage organisations such as Tesco to consider their digitally excluded customers, whilst ensuring staff have an opportunity to also learn basic digital skills. We use Business Wales's bilingual support service to make it easier for Welsh microbusinesses and SMEs, including social enterprises and aspiring entrepreneurs, to access the information, advice and support they require to start and grow their business. So, I would say to any small Welsh SME that feels that they're in that situation to contact Business Wales and to get the support that they need to get online.

Research, Deputy Presiding Officer, from Welsh researchers shows that businesses that do get online have an exponential growth in their businesses compared to those who do not, and the research is very compelling that businesses that don't embrace the digital world are really struggling to survive.

Leader of the house, on 18 July, I raised my concerns with you that organisations with proven track records in the UK and throughout Europe for their work on digitising and streamlining public services were struggling to gain access to the Welsh Government. You said in response, and I quote:

'I'm very happy to be the conduit into Government if anybody's experiencing that difficulty. Deputy Presiding Officer, I'm always astonished when I say this, but I'll say it again here in the Chamber: my e-mail address is julie.james@gov.wales. It's astonishing to me how few people take up that opportunity. I'd very much welcome contact from anyone who thinks they can improve public services.'

Now, I'm aware of at least one significant company that took you up on this offer. They contacted you on 18 August by e-mail, they've followed it up with two telephone calls so far into your department and they've not yet received a basic reply let alone any further comment on an appointment or even requesting more details of the services that they offer, and this is for digital streamlining in the NHS. Please can you do something to break this inertia within Welsh Government because we could be missing out on really fantastic ideas to streamline our public services?

Yes, well, I'm very sorry to hear that. I was not aware of that. I'd very much welcome the details of that outside the Chamber and I'll follow it up. I wasn't inundated, unfortunately, with e-mails that I'm aware of. That one clearly slipped through the net. So, I make the same offer again, but I will certainly follow that up. I'm very sorry to hear that and we'll sort it out.