1. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the support that is available for small businesses on Ynys Môn? OAQ53006

Diolch yn fawr iawn. In line with our economic action plan, we remain committed to supporting small businesses through the Business Wales service, which of course offers bilingual advice and support to start and to grow businesses. And, in addition, we are providing help for small businesses to get ready for Brexit, with a dedicated £7.5 million Brexit business resilience package.

Thank you very much for that reply. It is Small Business Saturday this Saturday, and I encourage people in my own constituency to show their support for small businesses in Ynys Môn, and to their local high street this week, but also to make a commitment to do that year round, because small businesses and the high street are so crucially important in terms of the strength of our economy, but they are also socially crucial. Will you commit to implementing the recent recommendations—as we have seen in the report by the Federation of Small Businesses on the future of our towns and in similar reports—that pose a challenge to Government, if truth to be told, to bring a series of policies forward and to operate in a way that proves that the high street, and small businesses more generally, do deserve full priority?

Well, can I thank the Member for his question? I'd agree entirely that it's incumbent upon us all to use small businesses, particularly in the retail sector, in our town centres and on our high streets, as much of the time as we can, and not just at Christmas. But I would encourage people to take advantage of Small Business Saturday and, of course, to promote the day as well in advance.

Now, retail has become one of the four sectors that are part of our new focus on the foundational economy. This is a major step away from the traditional way of economic development work within Welsh Government, as we recognise that a place-based approach to economic development has great advantage for communities across the length and breadth of Wales. Now, there will be an enabling plan for the foundational economy produced in the new year and, of course, there will be recommendations that apply to all four elements of our prioritised work on the foundational economy, which includes care, and it also includes food and drink.

But, with regard to retail, there are specific recommendations, some of which have been captured by the FSB recently in their study, which we are paying close attention to. I think it's fair to say that the future of town centres and the future of high streets will rely on mixed-use, mixed-purpose premises, and also, potentially, a shrinking in many parts of Wales of the size of the high street and the town centre in order to create a vibrant feel. Crucial to all that is ensuring that we have the right opportunities in place for as many redundant shop buildings and as many premises above shops to be utilised for dwellings, because if we had more people living in town centres, there's far more likely to be a vibrant town centre in existence.

The Holyhead infrastructure prospectus, summarising opportunities for jobs, growth and investment on Anglesey, said that there's a need to complete the enabling projects detailed in the report prior to the private sector investment, otherwise opportunities cannot be maximised. Earlier this year, the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee report on enterprise zones stated,

'In Anglesey, the Committee heard that there was a shortage of units for small businesses.'

In your response, you said you'd be seeking advice from the Development Bank of Wales on this. What further action have you been able to take since we debated this in July?

Well, I'm delighted to be able to announce that we have allocated funding for the creation of a new enterprise hub, which will be based at M-SParc. There will also be a spoke from that enterprise hub located in Llangefni. The Member is aware of the enterprise hub that's been operational now for approximately a year in Wrexham. That is aiming to create 100 new businesses, and progress is quite astonishing there. We're hoping that similar success will be recorded at the M-SParc enterprise hub and at the spoke in Llangefni. But there is no doubt that, whether it's for small or medium- or large-sized businesses, there is a great need and huge demand for new, modern space for businesses to start up in and to grow in, and that's why we're looking, as part of the regional work that's now taking place, again at a move away from sectors towards place-based regional economic development. We're looking at regional plans that can identify opportunities to bring redundant buildings back into use, and also opportunities to develop new space—not just office but also industrial and retail space—where there is obvious demand.