Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

Part of 4. Questions to the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd – in the Senedd at 1:01 pm on 1 July 2020.

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Photo of Nick Ramsay Nick Ramsay Conservative 1:01, 1 July 2020

Thank you, Minister. I think you're exactly right to say that this is a two-pronged approach. It is important that, along with the UK Government efforts, we do see that support from the Welsh Government, such as from the economic resilience fund. So, if you can keep us updated on those allocations, that would be helpful.

You mentioned, as we move out of lockdown and rebuilding the economy, that that won't just involve protecting existing jobs in their entirety—I think we have to recognise that that's not going to be possible—and it won't involve simply returning to the old ways of working. It will also involve allocations of funding for upskilling our workforce so that it's fully prepared to meet the global challenges ahead. According to an Open University report published last November, skills shortages are costing Welsh businesses £350 million a year, with many trapped in low-skill traps, and I imagine that those figures are even worse now with the pandemic having taken its duration. How are you ensuring that the allocations made in the recent supplementary budget will be properly focused on rebuilding the economy, particularly a greener, more modern economy, so that we are not just trying to meet the challenges of the past, but we're making sure that Wales is at the forefront of meeting the challenges ahead?