Questions Without Notice from the Party Leaders

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:43 pm on 6 November 2018.

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Photo of Adam Price Adam Price Plaid Cymru 1:43, 6 November 2018

(Translated)

Is part of the problem the overemphasis in terms of Government policy on inward investment? Two years ago, you referred to attracting Pinewood to Wales as one of the main successes of your economic policy. Yesterday we heard that only 20 per cent of the proposed economic benefit has actually come to pass. Your economic director said that more transparency in this case would have been useful, but in this case and in the case of Aston Martin you have refused to be transparent because of commercial confidentiality. You argue that you need to strike the right balance between indigenous development and inward investment, but how can we judge if this balance is right if we don’t have the figures?

Now, of course, we need a strategy for overseas companies, but rather than writing blank cheques for white elephants, wouldn’t it be better for the Welsh Government to look more at safeguarding the companies that we have? To this end, does the Government intend to respond to the European Commission inquiry into the merger of ThyssenKrupp and Tata, which could mean the sale of the Trostre site? And, remaining with Llanelli, can I ask specifically when the Welsh Government became aware of Schaeffler’s intention to close the plant in Llanelli? And as there uncertainty about Brexit is noted as one of the main reasons for that decision, to what extent has Jeremy Corbyn’s opposition and the Labour Party’s opposition to membership of the single market contributed to this decision?