Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Economy – in the Senedd at 2:21 pm on 11 May 2022.
Thank you, Minister. The city of Newport has been crying out for inward investment now for far too long. Sadly, under years of Labour mismanagement, they have reigned over a period of stagnation for the area. Only now, with the shared prosperity fund, the community ownership fund, and others, are places like Newport getting a look in. Whether it be a free port or redevelopment of the Newport river barrage, there's a whole host of fresh ideas, being put forward recently by the Newport Conservatives, that are waiting to be developed and made into a reality to attract economic investment into Newport and create those well-paid jobs that the people in our city, the Member of Newport over there, are crying out for. And for years they've been crying out for it. [Interruption.] If the Member can sit there and say that the city of Newport has the investment it needs, that the city centre is thriving, that there are numerous jobs for everyone in the city, I'd be very welcome to hear it, because it's not the case. That would be lies. The city is crying out for inward investment, and any sort of investment. It's often a city left out. You concentrate on Cardiff, you concentrate on Swansea, but Newport is always going without. What, Minister, are you doing to ensure that the people of Newport are looked after and it gets the investment that it needs?