Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Economy and Transport – in the Senedd at 1:38 pm on 4 December 2019.
Thank you. With Wales celebrating Small Business Saturday this weekend, it is essential that the Welsh Government, and you as Minister, are doing everything you can to support business development, and Aberconwy certainly does have a fantastic range of small businesses. Now, according to the Welsh local shop report 2020, 73 per cent of independently owned convenience stores fund investments in their own businesses from their reserves. So, so many—in fact, the majority—are going without any financial support. So I suppose it then makes us want to scrutinise the grants that you do provide, to make sure that these have been given wisely.
Now, in 2016, the Welsh Government provided £400,000 to G.M. Jones to build the most fantastic bespoke suite of offices. Now, you know I've raised several written Assembly questions on this, because the property has laid empty for more years than I can remember, and it was only occupied for a few months before the business, sadly, went into demise. I'm approached on a frequent basis about smaller businesses wanting to perhaps use these offices. I've phoned myself and spoken to Business Wales, and I've tried against all odds to see new life breathed into these properties, because, at the end of the day, it's had £400,000 of taxpayers' money and now there is no business there at all. It's in the rural part of my constituency. So, I'm very keen to see this business occupied and fully utilised so that we can't say that there's been a waste of taxpayers' money. What actions are you taking or could you be taking to work with our local authority and other stakeholders to see how we can bring a resolution to this issue going forward, because I can tell you that other business owners in Conwy and, indeed residents are furious to see this wonderful suite of offices just falling into decline through non-occupation?