1. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the availability of jobs in rural areas? OAQ52811

Diolch. Improving the availability and quality of work in all parts of Wales is absolutely essential in our aim of tackling regional inequalities. And through our economic action plan, we are taking action to empower people and regions to benefit from and also to contribute to inclusive growth.

Thank you for that response. You will be aware, of course, that the Cabinet Secretary with responsibility for agriculture is currently consulting on a document call 'Brexit and our Land', and there are specific proposals in that document that will have far-reaching implications for the rural economy in Wales. That consultation is happening whilst there hasn't been any kind of modelling or any kind of review of what the impact of proposals will be on jobs in rural areas. So, I just wanted to ask whether your department is looking at what the impact of such steps would be, because the Cabinet Secretary’s going around saying that, whatever emerges from the consultation, she’s going to continue with the proposals.

Well, I think it's worth saying that these issues are discussed at the Cabinet sub-committee on European Union withdrawal, and my officials and I—and, indeed, I think all Ministers across Government—recognise the very grave risk to rural jobs and to communities in the event in particular of a 'no deal' Brexit. I think it's fair to say that the red meat processing sector itself is most at risk. It employs, I believe, something in the region of 2,000 people in Wales, and any loss in access to the single market will put these jobs at risk. For our part, in the economy and transport department, we're ensuring that Business Wales provides the best possible advice to businesses of all sizes and types, but specifically those that are small and medium-sized and micro-sized businesses, whether they're in rural areas or urban areas.

I think it's worth saying, Deputy Presiding Officer, that, in recent years, employment rates in rural parts of Wales have improved faster than in urban areas, and that unemployment rates have fallen to a greater degree than in urban areas. However, we wish to see improvements to the rural economy maintained, and through the services offered by Business Wales, and by Welsh Government, working together with our partners in higher and further education, and with stakeholders in the farming community, I think we will be able to ensure that we position Wales in the best possible place we can. It's going to be for UK Government, though, to ensure that the outcomes of the negotiations are such that the rural communities that we serve, and that many of us live in, are not left at a significant disadvantage. And I will be working together with my colleague, the Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Planning and Rural Affairs, to ensure that the UK Government goes on listening and, hopefully, goes on acting on the calls made by the Welsh Government.

My region is visibly urban, bisected by the M4, but my constituents in rural parts of South Wales West also need work. Getting to work from the rural valley communities in the east of my region would probably benefit from a rail link from Brackla, for example. But, in the west of my region as well, a strategic Swansea pathway would help residents in Gower access job opportunities without needing to travel into the city, as well as acting as a speedy link, of course, for communities in Carmarthenshire. Both ideas, I think, will help future employers think hard about maybe locating their businesses outside an increasingly crowded south-east Wales. As well as standing alone, both these ideas could form part of a South Wales West metro. So, I'm wondering what Welsh Government can do to help progress these ideas. 

Well, the work by the local authority is progressing in terms of the development of the south-west Wales metro, and, for our part, we've also enrolled Professor Barry to ensure that projects that can be funded by the UK Government are brought forward with a compelling business case as soon as possible. 

The Member raises a number of interesting prospects that could attract funding from Network Rail and the UK Government. Historically, we've fared incredibly badly compared to other parts of the UK, and, of course, the cancellation of electrification to Swansea had a major impact in terms of not just the competitiveness of the area, but also, I think, the confidence of the area. Consequently, I believe that it's absolutely essential that we do identify rail schemes that could attract UK Government investment through Network Rail to improve the prospects of us sharing the fruits of economic growth more evenly across the country, and that includes those communities that the Member has identified in her region.