Part of 3. Topical Question 1 – in the Senedd at 3:08 pm on 26 February 2020.
I'd like to express my heartfelt sympathy with all of the hard-working staff at Kasai who are going to face losing their jobs through no fault of their own after many years of dedicated service. I know this will be an extremely difficult time for them and their families. I'd like to offer my own office's support; in any way that we can help, we want to be able to. Now, as has been mentioned, we've known that this closure has been on the cards since Honda announced the closure of its Swindon plant a year ago this week, and media reports at that time had warned about the knock-on effect it would have on Kasai, and I raised the issue with the Brexit Minister in the Chamber in May last year.
Now, I've listened with interest to what you said, Minister, about what your ReAct programme will be offering to the workers who are going to be possibly having to find new employment, but could you tell us on this point, please, when you expect the Job Support Wales scheme to be up and running? I was dismayed to learn recently that this important employment programme had failed to get off the ground for a second time due to a challenge to the tendering process. Now, I'm afraid I do find it difficult to comprehend how, after 20 years of leading the Welsh Government, Labour is unable to complete a successful tendering process. So, I would appreciate some information about when we can expect this to move forward so that further support can be made available to help workers with skills training when that can become available.
Now, finally, I'd like to ask about your plans for future economic planning, Minister. We currently have people with valuable skills who are losing their jobs in the manufacturing industry and there is a dire need to build up a new green energy and transport economy. It seems obvious that these should be connected and that the Welsh Government should lead the way in building and incentivising industries such as electric vehicles and transport networks that would help with the green agenda but would also provide new, well-paid jobs for people who have valuable skills to contribute.
Now, I'm not saying by any means that the Government will be giving up on the Kasai workforce at all in their current jobs, but, alongside this, Minister, could you tell us whether you have any plans to strengthen our green manufacturing industry to futureproof the economy and provide new jobs for people who are currently being made redundant due to the closure of traditional car manufacturing plants and their suppliers?