Supporting the Retail Sector

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:19 pm on 7 May 2019.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Mohammad Asghar Mohammad Asghar Conservative 2:19, 7 May 2019

Thank you very much, First Minister, for the answer. But the figures revealed by the Welsh Retail Consortium show that there were 1,100 fewer shops in Wales in 2018 than there were in 2010—a drop of nearly 9 per cent. They went on to say that business rates were partly to be blamed for these closures and that firms in Wales have recently faced the greatest rise in business rates in Britain. First Minister, in view of the decreasing footfall to Welsh shopping destinations and with shop vacancy levels among the highest in the United Kingdom, what action will your Government take to reverse the decline in the Welsh retail sector?