3. How is the Welsh Government supporting tourism in North Wales? OQ55351

Thank you for that question, Mark. Our package of support for the visitor economy and the tourism industry is the most generous in the United Kingdom. And, at 5 June, over £10 million had been awarded to tourism enterprises through our economic resilience fund. We estimate that this has safeguarded over 4,500 employees in the sector. And we are now in phase 2 of the fund, which is open, which will assist additional tourism businesses who access the funding.

Well, although small bed and breakfasts are a mainstay of local tourism economies across north Wales, they're ineligible for the Welsh Government's £10,000 business grant. When I raised this with the economy Minister, he referred to the eligibility checker for the second phase of the economic resilience fund. When it opened, they were ineligible. When I questioned him about this, he said he would have to understand why. I therefore wrote to him with their evidence. In his reply, like you, he said the support package in Wales is the most comprehensive and generous in the UK, yet grants are available to B&B operators in England and Scotland who do not qualify for other COVID-19 grant support, but operators in Wales have been denied equivalent grants. What, therefore, is your message for the genuine B&B business operators who have told me their finances have now run out and they can't go on any longer? I hope it's one of hope.

I am happy to review the situation, and I'd be very interested in seeing examples of the businesses that have approached you, so that our officials can talk to them about how we can meet their needs more effectively.