Can I thank the Minister for his statement this afternoon? There are few in this Chamber who would not acknowledge the excellent work done by the Business Wales service teams, and, as with Rhun ap Iorwerth and Russell George, can I endorse the fact that indeed the Minister himself is right to point out the importance of the SME and the microbusiness sector in Wales?

Coming back to Business Wales, I have considerable anecdotal evidence of small start-up companies who have benefited from both advice and financial backing given or secured for them by Business Wales. The figures quoted in the statement are impressive, so it is vitally important we build on the work of Business Wales. What's particularly impressive in these figures is the increased number of start-ups that survived past the four-year mark since the various schemes under Business Wales came into being. This must be applauded. It's very worrying when you have a whole number of businesses going into the top of the pipe but falling out of the bottom. If this stops that happening, and it clearly is not happening here in Wales in the way that it did in the past, that really is, again, to be applauded.

As someone who has been in business for over 40 years, I can honestly say that I wish an organisation such as Business Wales had been around when I was starting the several businesses I was involved in over the years. I'm sure I would have gained valuable business experience from such an organisation. 

As the high street banks—if we can still call them high street banks, that is—have all but abandoned financial backing to the small business sector, it is vital that Business Wales is available to help facilitate finance with its referral and help, with further advice through the Wales development bank. However, there is one observed flaw in the current lending system, and that is the development bank's inability to fund more than 50 per cent of the finance it gives to companies, leaving them to seek the balance from the private sector. Whilst I can understand the Welsh Government's desire not to overexpose public funding, I do feel there is a need for the bank to help to secure that extra funding from the private sector by building stronger links with private funders. Would the Minister look at how these connections could be achieved?

Finally, I would wish to endorse the Minister's call for the UK Government to ensure that EU structural funding is not only matched once we leave the EU but even enhanced. I can assure the Minister that we in the Brexit Party will back any Welsh Government measures taken to secure those funds.