3. Statement by the Minister for Finance and Local Government: Procurement Update

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:28 pm on 25 January 2022.

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Photo of Rhun ap Iorwerth Rhun ap Iorwerth Plaid Cymru 3:28, 25 January 2022

(Translated)

We're talking about the environmental benefits, the economic benefits of developing procurement policies that are robust for Wales, and the pandemic gave us another very clear reason for the benefits of having these strong supply chains, and the Brodwaith company in my constituency was one of those companies that diversified to provided PPE to the health service, and the Elite company in Ebbw Vale was also another company that stepped into the breach in order to provide our health and care services with what they needed. Unfortunately, and this is something that I've raised with the economy Minister and the health board in the north, there are signs that those contracts are going to be withdrawn from these Welsh companies now that things are starting to return to normal. Of course, that is a major loss to those companies, which are in danger of losing business as a result of them having diversified, but it's also a major loss to the Welsh economy and to the health service. Can I have an assurance that the finance Minister will be looking at some of these examples of good practice during the pandemic period to ensure that they're not lost in terms of those specific contracts for the Welsh companies in question, but also the principle of what was trying to be achieved through moving to providing contracts to Welsh companies, and the benefits, as I said, being prominent on several levels?