Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 1:50 pm on 10 June 2020.
Absolutely, and Jenny, I couldn't agree more. We've got the hydrogen arc in the north, with a huge degree of collaboration taking place between businesses and research institutions in north Wales and across the border in the Mersey Dee area. Then, of course, we've got some exemplary businesses in mid Wales regarding the potential use of hydrogen in road vehicles, with Riversimple perhaps leading the way in this regard. So, there is enormous opportunity in terms of exploiting research and development concerning hydrogen propulsion and hydrogen as a form of energy for other uses as well, particularly in business, for example.
In terms of the more general question about how we make sure that we build that better, well, it will require us to invest in more decarbonisation schemes, in fair work businesses—businesses that abide by and embrace fair work principles. It will require us to invest and focus our investment on businesses that prioritise skills enhancement of their workers and on the well-being and mental health of their workers. It will also require a stronger focus on supporting business growth, not just individual businesses' growth, but also growth within the supply chain that that business may be a part of or that that business supports.
So we're developing a range of principles that can be applied to our investment decisions in the coming months and years. But, crucially, we have to make sure that we take this opportunity to narrow inequalities in Wales, and that will require a concerted effort with regard to our employability interventions—interventions like Jobs Growth Wales, the apprenticeship programme, and schemes that will be able to be moulded and tailored to individual needs so that we give people from BAME communities and people who face disabling factors in society a far better chance of meeting their aspirations and goals than they had before coronavirus. That will be a key test for us.