I have worked with Business Wales and have referred a number of businesses to Business Wales—certainly, there are committed staff there, but the concerns I have very often, and the Minister will be aware of this, as I have corresponded with him on the issue on a number of occasions, is that there’s underfunding often, not enough resources provided to them, and there is too much pressure placed on too few staff, and the result is that they occasionally can’t deliver. And in seeking a new model, we would be looking for new prioritisation to ensure that the objectives of the staff working on the ground can be delivered.

I certainly agree with the Minister’s concerns when it comes to the impact of leaving the European Union. We know how much European funding has been provided over the years to initiatives related to business development, and we know that at this point in time, within possibly a few months of leaving the European Union, we still don’t have the kind of assurances, even at that most fundamental level, in terms of future funding in order to continue with this work, which is going to add to the pressures on the scarce resources available to Business Wales at present.

In terms of the future of the first key area outlined by the Minister, I certainly agree that we need to further develop this one-stop-shop element. The second element relates to what needs to be done, namely to root more of our businesses within communities across Wales. There has been a shift in frameworks by Business Wales that has moved Business Wales further away from businesses. That’s certainly the case in my constituency, and we must be more sensitive to the need to ensure that Business Wales staff are on the ground within our communities, in all parts of Wales, so that every business, wherever they are, can feel that they have a real link with sources of advice and support.

In terms of the third area of work that the Minister mentioned—sustainable growth—I would welcome further information from the Minister on his ambitions in investing in community initiatives that can become businesses that are important employers within our communities and are truly rooted within those communities. I visited Ynni Ogwen recently in Bethesda, which is doing excellent work environmentally in terms of the way it produces energy, but also in terms of the work it does as a hub for economic development in that area. So, I would welcome further information on that.

Also, could we have further information on the steps that need to be taken in order to root Welsh businesses here in Wales for the future? The problem, as we know, is that when a business reaches a certain scale, there is that temptation in Wales to sell up, losing the control that we have of those businesses. We saw that happen in the case of Marco Cable Management in my constituency recently. It was exactly that: a company that had received support from the Welsh Government, but that business wasn’t given the support that it needed to root itself in Anglesey. And what’s happening now—it is moving to the midlands, and that is something that I regret deeply, and I do feel that there is still a lack of focus on that work of retaining Welsh businesses here in Wales, because that’s how you retain their profits in Wales for today, but also their commitment to Wales for the future.