6. Will the First Minister make a statement on town centre redevelopment in South Wales West? OQ56651

I thank the Member for that question, Llywydd. Amongst the different sources of support for town centre redevelopment in South Wales West, the Transforming Towns placemaking grant scheme, launched in April this year, will provide benefits for towns in the Bridgend, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea areas.

Diolch, Brif Weinidog. When speaking to retailers and market traders in Neath town centre, it's clear that the town centre is struggling at the moment in terms of tackling anti-social behaviour and of reduced footfall. The development of the swimming pool, cafe, and library in the town will hopefully help bring in additional footfall, but there is a feeling that there's a need for more to be done to see a reduction in the empty retail units that we currently have in the town centre, and there is a need to tackle the anti-social behaviour; a need to tackle rent levels, business rates; and a need to expand the offer within the town. Will you therefore outline what further work you plan to undertake with Neath Port Talbot Council, and other agencies, on these issues during the Senedd term? Diolch.

Diolch yn fawr. I thank the Member for that supplementary question. She's right to point to the work that is already under way—major work, Llywydd—£13 million of investment in Neath town centre, £5.5 million of that provided by the Welsh Government, and as well as all the things that the Member pointed to—the swimming pool, the health suite, the library—there will also be new good quality commercial and retail space to try and draw businesses back into that town centre, and to do so with the sort of imagination that we have seen, in many parts of Wales, even during the crisis, where new businesses have opened on high streets. The future of retail cannot be an attempt to create things as they were in the past. The world has moved on, and consumer behaviour has moved on, accelerated in many ways by the pandemic. But nevertheless there are retail businesses that make a very particular offer, that draw people to them and trade successfully, and can—and I'm sure, will—trade successfully in the centre of Neath as well, strengthening that commercial core. And beyond the current investment, we will of course go on talking with that local business community and with the local authority, to see what other opportunities there will be; other funding streams that the Welsh Government will provide over the five years of this term, further to strengthen the essential vitality of Neath town centre that will give it a future and a sense that it goes on being valued by its local citizens and it's a place they want to visit.