Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd – in the Senedd at 2:37 pm on 23 September 2020.
I thank Joyce Watson for this question and for her ongoing and evident concern for small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly, I have to say, in the more rural parts of Wales. And Joyce is absolutely right to point to the fact that businesses in Wales have access to the most generous package of support anywhere in the United Kingdom. So, the Office for National Statistics have recently published some data that shows that 34 per cent of businesses in Wales have benefited from support, as compared to 21 per cent in Scotland and 14 per cent in England. So, that really does show the added value that devolution has brought to the response to this crisis.
And, again, Joyce is right that we do need a much more targeted approach now, as we move into the next phase of addressing the crisis, looking particularly at those sectors of society that have suffered greatly and continue to suffer as a result of the crisis. Hospitality, tourism, for example, stand out, as does aerospace—Jack Sargeant raised that sector in the Chamber just yesterday—and, of course, the automotive industry, the steel industry and so on—all industries that are absolutely vital to Wales, and of which we have a greater share than elsewhere in the UK. So, I give my assurance that I will absolutely be continuing to press for that more targeted approach as we move through our response to the crisis.