6. Will the Leader of the House outline the Welsh Government's priorities for improving digital infrastructure in Pembrokeshire? OAQ52893

Yes, indeed. In our continued roll-out of fast fibre, we have identified around 8,554 premises across the region that could potentially see connectivity coverage under the new initiative. Our mobile action plan also sets out priorities for improved mobile connectivity across all of Wales, including Pembrokeshire.

Leader of the house, your recent statement on broadband confirmed that one of your priorities is developing community-based models and solutions for tackling notspots. You made reference to schemes in Michaelston-y-Fedw between Cardiff and Newport, and Llanddewi Rhydderch in Monmouthshire. Whilst this work is welcome, it's important that your officials are looking at ways of working with communities outside of south-east Wales too. Therefore, can you tell us what specific work your officials have undertaken in Pembrokeshire to develop community solutions for tackling broadband notspots across my constituency, so that communities like Mynachlog-ddu, which I know you're aware of, are able to actually receive sufficient broadband services?

Yes, absolutely. I very much enjoyed coming down to his constituency and meeting the residents there. My understanding is that my officials are in touch with a number of the residents who attended. Joyce Watson also invited me to a meeting down in Pembrokeshire and officials are in touch with residents who got together there to form a community group. There was a meeting with Elin Jones in Ceredigion, actually, where a similar thing has happened.

What we've been doing—and this is very much, Deputy Presiding Officer, part of the publicity for this—is asking people to come forward, and, if AMs know of any other communities that will be prepared to come forward and do that, we are very happy to facilitate any structure that can come forward. There are existing schemes up in the Llŷn Peninsula, for example, and all over Wales—those are just the two that have got the most publicity. We're looking to see what publicity we can give to the other schemes across Wales so that people can see that there are a large number of models that can be brought forward. It doesn't have to be the model in Michaelston-y-Fedw; although there is nothing wrong with that model, it doesn't suit everyone. So, there are a number of options available.

Once we've sorted out the lot 2 position, then I will know exactly how much money is left over in the £80 million pot that we've talked about for a long time, to facilitate those community schemes on a faster programme. Part of my frustration with not knowing what's happening on lot 2 is that I'm not able to say, definitively, how much money that is, but we know that it'll be a substantial amount of money and we're very happy to facilitate that for any community that wants it.

Leader of the house, physical infrastructure is obviously crucial to small businesses in counties like Pembrokeshire, which, of course, is a county of lots of small towns. The physical infrastructure is crucial, but we also need cultural change if we're going to achieve a really full digital renaissance. We also know that our small businesses—our small retail businesses—are very much under pressure from the really big online giants like Amazon. The Federation of Small Businesses has come out in their recent report and suggested a network of digital town-centre managers who could work with small retail businesses in a particular town to develop a sort of whole-town offer online. That could be a really interesting and innovative way of enabling some of those small businesses that haven't got time or the skills to develop a really strong online presence of their own. What consideration has the Welsh Government given to the suggestion from the Federation of Small Businesses, and is there any way in which you can work to promote this idea, which seems to me to be a very positive suggestion?

Yes, indeed. We're very keen on promoting it. In fact, if you visit Llandrindod Wells, you'll find that all the shops there have come together. You can log on to their internet as you go into the town and it tells you all the offers available and what shops are open and all that sort of stuff. There's a little closed WiFi area network that allows all of those businesses to come together. There are others around Wales—that's just one that's popped into my head as one I recently visited. We're very happy to facilitate that kind of collaborative working in order to make the best of the online presence. We also have a business exploitation team that follows the superfast Cymru roll-out. A big lightening bolt appears on your village green and people are asked and we have had very good take-up of that across Wales. That is aimed at ensuring that people don't just digitise their paper system, but that they actually understand the benefits of going online.

And, Deputy Llywydd, if you indulge me just for one moment, I'll just tell the story of a hotel in Wales that was very happy that they could just put vouchers—you know, wowchers and all those sorts of things—online to increase their capacity, but, actually, as a result of the business exploitation team, became aware that they could have all kinds of other digital experiences for their guests, that they could allow streaming from GoPros, that they could allow uploading of pictures and all the rest of it, and download Netflix, et cetera, et cetera, from their connection, and are very happy indeed that their business has gone from strength to strength. But it's not something that they would have thought of unless the exploitation team had gone in and shown them what could be done. And then, of course, it opens people's imaginations right up. So, we have a team specifically dedicated to doing that, and, if you want to put me in touch with any of the people you think would be interested, I'd be more than happy to follow that up.

Thank you. And, finally, question 7, Janet Finch-Saunders.