The Dawnus Construction Company

Part of 3. Topical Questions – in the Senedd at 3:10 pm on 20 March 2019.

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Photo of Joyce Watson Joyce Watson Labour 3:10, 20 March 2019

I thank you for that answer, Minister, but my immediate concern is for the workforce and for their families, and for those left out of pocket throughout the supply chain. It must be, indeed, an extremely worrying time for them. There is also a need to ensure that any apprentices that are caught up in this are supported, and the Construction Industry Training Board have indicated that they are willing to help, and have helped in other situations like this.

When a large company like Dawnus does go into administration, it puts smaller, local businesses at risk, potentially having a devastating impact on those local economies. We know that they directly employ 700 people, and that's a large number in and of itself, but there is a much larger potential number within the locality, as I've just described. These are not just numbers of people, but real families being affected by this collapse. So I'm keen to know what support is available from Welsh Government to all the companies and the workers who've been affected by this worrying news.

Also, the other side of this is that, in my constituency, Mid and West Wales, Dawnus were contracted to build a 360-pupil English-medium primary school, a 150-pupil Welsh-medium primary school in Welshpool, and the replacement for Ysgol Bro Hyddgen in Machynlleth. The Welshpool English-medium school is scheduled for completion this September. But they were also contracted within my area to deliver the £1.1 million Chimneys link road and development scheme in Fishguard, and that is now on hold. So, Minister, could I ask what discussions Welsh Government are having with the industry to ensure that these projects that I've mentioned in Mid and West Wales, and the others that are contracted to Dawnus, are going to be carried on successfully, and that those people's minds, those expecting those projects to be delivered, and to be employed within them, are put at ease?