Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Economy and Transport – in the Senedd at 1:50 pm on 4 December 2019.
Can I thank Russell George for that question and echo his support for Small Business Saturday? I do hope that all Members will support that initiative and will encourage their constituents to do so as well.
There are many, many areas of support that the Welsh Government offers that contribute to the vibrancy of town centres as they face an incredibly challenging period, not least because of consumer behaviours leading to more orders going online and less on our high streets. But one new particular initiative that I think the Member will be interested in is one that is being developed by my colleague Hannah Blythyn, and that concerns a 'town centre first' approach, not just in terms of retail, but also in terms of where the public sector choose to invest in offices and facilities. I think it's vitally important that we look at the example in Pontypridd over how Transport for Wales has chosen to invest within the town centre there, which, in turn, is leading to further investment by other businesses. This is the sort of model that we now wish to see rolled out right across the length and breadth of Wales. And, of course, the finance Minister is very aware of the need to ensure that the business rates regime benefits those businesses that are facing an uncertain future.