Tourism in Denbighshire

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Economy – in the Senedd at 1:38 pm on 7 July 2021.

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Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 1:38, 7 July 2021

I think there are a couple of points to make in response. The first is, of course, that we have a much more generous offer to support businesses here in Wales, including the tourism sector, than over the border, and not just the general support that we've provided—at least £400 million more than the consequentials that would come from spending in England—but the fact that we continue to provide rate relief for a range of businesses, when England have already reduced that support for businesses across the border.

The second point that I'd make is that, actually, there is already high demand for tourism businesses through the summer already. And in the conversations that I have directly with the sector, their challenge is actually about getting enough staff to work within the sector itself, and we're working alongside the sector to promote people to look to work not just on a seasonal basis, but on a more permanent basis in an industry that pays perhaps more than people may realise, with the rewards that the broader sector may bring to them.

And I think the third point is that, when you come to the broad demand to end social distancing and to have dates in place, you will have heard consistently for more than a year now the approach we've taken in Wales is generally being driven by data not dates. We're considering the advice that we are getting from our own scientific advisers and public health advisers, and we need to take a balance in our public health risks, which we know are there still, even as we look to hopefully exit the pandemic, and we'll continue to make choices alongside the industry about what the future will look like. I'm optimistic about the choices that we'll get to make, but we'll do so in a manner that is responsible and not driven by demands to simply blow the doors off and allow everything to happen at the same time as other parts of the United Kingdom. We'll provide dates and data when the time is right, and the Member shouldn't have to wait very long for the Cabinet to make those choices.