6. Will the Minister make a statement on support for small businesses in Pembrokeshire? OAQ54404

Absolutely. In line with our economic action plan, we remain committed to supporting small businesses across Wales. Our Business Wales and the Development Bank of Wales both offer bilingual advice, support and financial support.

Minister, one way that the Welsh Government could better support small businesses in Pembrokeshire is by tackling the various infrastructure issues that they face, including roads, public transport and digital infrastructure. I'm sure you're aware of the recent report by FSB Wales that found that 63 per cent of Welsh businesses have been affected by poor infrastructure. That same report went on to call for greater cross-party working to address those problems. Can you therefore tell us what the Welsh Government is doing to better tackle some of the infrastructure issues in Pembrokeshire, so that small businesses in my constituency can actually compete on a level playing field with other businesses across Wales?

The Welsh Government is investing very heavily in infrastructure within the Member's region, including investment in the upgrades to the A40—crucially important—with the proposed bypass around the northern side of Llanddewi Velfrey. In addition, the Deputy Minister has already outlined proposals for dealing with some of the hard-to-reach areas concerning digital connectivity. I think it's fair to say that it's our view that there should be a public service obligation pursued for broadband provision, similar to that which exists for the Royal Mail. It's appalling that we live in the twenty-first century and there is no such obligation to provide a basic minimum broadband speed to all premises across the United Kingdom.