Economic Development in the Heads of the Valleys

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:37 pm on 17 March 2020.

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Photo of Mark Drakeford Mark Drakeford Labour 1:37, 17 March 2020

Llywydd, can I thank Alun Davies for that? Of course, he is right that we are focused relentlessly on the challenge that is immediately in front of us. But there will be a future for Wales, and for the United Kingdom, the other side of coronavirus, and we have to continue to do what we can to make sure that the opportunities that we need for the future are still being thought about, still being promoted, where we are able to do that. I thank the Member for Blaenau Gwent for coming to that meeting last week, and for contributing to the pool of ideas that we will need, to make sure that the economy of the Heads of the Valleys area in Wales is as equipped as it can be to meet the opportunities that the future will bring.

That's why, in the strategy that we are pursuing, we continue to attract cutting-edge technology companies to that part of Wales, but also, Llywydd, to focus on existing local businesses, helping them to apply new technologies and processes, to improve productivity, to develop higher value products, and to diversify their consumer base. And there is a very specific piece of work that the Welsh Government wants to continue to do with our partners in that part of Wales, to increase productivity in those indigenous businesses. And that's why we are working with Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council, Coleg Gwent, and Cardiff University, to translate into the workplace the ideas we know are there, and which can make those firms more productive, and therefore better able to take advantage of future economic opportunities. And even in the difficult days ahead, I know that there are very dedicated people in that part of Wales who will want to continue their efforts in that direction.