Support for Business

Part of 3. Topical Questions – in the Senedd at 2:52 pm on 18 March 2020.

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Photo of Ken Skates Ken Skates Labour 2:52, 18 March 2020

Can I thank Alun Davies for his questions? This institution was set up to address Welsh problems, but, of course, we live in exceptional times. Coronavirus is a global problem and requires both a global response but also a very strong UK response. It requires a response in which all four nations are contributing to the solutions, and I was pleased this morning to take part in what I hope will be a weekly round of quadrilateral discussions with my counterparts across the UK, including with Ministers at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

I have to say a number of things about the announcement that was made yesterday. Far more does need to be done. We were informed this morning that further statements will be made. I know that the Prime Minister has made a statement this afternoon concerning people who rent properties who, up until today, were extraordinarily anxious about the position that they would find themselves in. I hope that further support will be forthcoming for people who face much reduced wages or, indeed, the loss of wages entirely. In this regard, I spoke with the Secretary of State yesterday in BEIS and, as part of the quadrilateral discussions today, we raised the prospect of a wage subsidy scheme being rolled out by the UK Government. This would not be without precedent. We've seen this adopted in many other countries around the world, and I was told that that very proposal would be considered. I hope that an announcement will be made by the UK Government in the coming days.

It will have to be matched, of course, with a huge fiscal package of support. The Office for Budget Responsibility, in the last 24 hours, have said that a blunderbuss approach must be taken by the Government, and that means that rather than spend about 1.5 per cent of GDP in bolstering the economy, more like 5 per cent should be invested in it, and that's precisely what I hope the UK Government will reflect on as it does devise—as I am hoping it will do—a strong interventionist policy in terms of wage support. In terms of the £330 billion that was announced, that was largely focused on businesses that could afford to borrow, but we know that there are many businesses that are simply not in that position right now and need help immediately. 

Now, I've asked for clarity as to what the gap in the proposals for England may be. Twenty billion pounds has been allocated to that set of proposals, but we are not entirely sure whether the proposals can be afforded in full with the £20 billion that has been allocated to it. My understanding is that grants in England will not be available until April. They will be administered by local authorities. We are looking here in Wales at how we can get money out of the door sooner, because there is an urgent need to support small and medium-sized enterprises and indeed larger businesses as well right now.