5. How is the Welsh Government supporting the economy of mid Wales to recover from the pandemic? OQ57089

Our economic resilience and reconstruction mission sets out our approach to the economy, supporting individuals, businesses and communities to succeed and flourish. The chief regional officers and their teams have been established and are more focused and engaging in a regional model of economic development. We're also, of course, working with partners on the mid Wales growth deal.

Thank you, Minister. Of course, I hope you'll, like me, very much welcome the news of £15.5 million to restore the Montgomery canal, which was announced in the UK Government's budget last week. This will be a huge benefit to the people of mid Wales in terms of thousands of extra—[Interruption.] Sorry, Presiding Officer, I can't hear.

Okay. Allow the Member to carry on without interruption, please.

Thank you. Minister, this will be a huge opportunity for mid Wales, I hope you would agree, as thousands of extra canal boats come into mid Wales, thousands of extra visitors visiting Welshpool, and also with that ultimate aim of the restoration to the canal to Newtown as well. I very much hope, Minister, that, through the mid Wales growth deal, additional funding can be levered in as well. I know this will be a key project within the mid Wales growth deal, which I know is a partnership between yourself and the UK Government, but very much I welcome—. There'll be additional private investment, no doubt, but I would like your support in principle, Minister, for additional support through the mid Wales growth deal to support those final elements of the mid Wales canal project, which I'm sure you'll very much agree with me will be of huge benefit to mid Wales.

Well, I can see why the canal project that's been supported in the UK Government's budget announcement is good news for people living in that area, and we are working constructively with the two local authorities—Ceredigion and Powys—and the UK Government on the mid Wales growth deal. But it just doesn't get away from the reality that the £120 million announced for 10 projects is skewed towards Conservative UK constituencies. It does not match any realistic definition of need and levelling up. And the money—[Interruption.] The money that you referred to in one particular project does not—[Interruption.]—does not equal the money that we were promised. The £375 million that Wales was due to be getting—even if all of that money is spent within this one year, the £120 million, it is over £0.25 billion short. And I know the Member wants me to welcome the £0.25 billion cut that his Government has actually imposed, and more cuts to come in years to come, but I believe Wales should be treated with more respect. I believe that Conservatives in this place should decide will they stand up for Wales, will they stand up for the money that has been lost, that has been taken away by their Chancellor, or will they simply be the advertising agency of the UK Government while it takes money away from Wales.