Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Economy – in the Senedd at 1:45 pm on 9 June 2021.

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Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 1:45, 9 June 2021

It's a matter of fact, not opinion, that we have provided £2.3 billion of support for business and the economy here in Wales, following a consequential of £1.9 billion from the UK Government. The additional £400 million is a choice that we have made to further support businesses here in Wales. The Member will know that, for example, small business rate relief is carrying on for a full year here in Wales; it's one quarter of full relief in England, before being reduced successively after that. 

The Member will also have heard in this Chamber the First Minister highlighting the example of different hospitality businesses and what they would receive over the border. For a 10-employee business since December in Wales, you could have received £52,500; the equivalent business in England would have received £26,000. It is plainly and undeniably a more generous scheme here in Wales.

I'm looking forward to building on the conversations I've already had with business organisations about how we provide greater certainty in our trading environment in the future. Not all of those are matters within the hands of the Welsh Government. I attended the partnership council today between the UK Government and the European Commission and the uncertainty is a key factor in the relationship that we have. But I'm looking forward to the next stage of business support to look at both what we need to do to support those businesses that can't trade normally, as well as investing in the future and especially the ability to invest in improving skills within the workforce and indeed within leadership and management.