6. Will the Minister provide an update on the SA1 development in Swansea? OQ57991

Yes. The SA1 development is now more than 60 per cent developed, with 90 per cent of the remaining development land sold. All major public infrastructure has been installed, and negotiations are taking place with two local housing associations for further residential development, and the University of Wales Trinity Saint David continues its new city-centre campus with a new collaboration development called Matrix, as I'm sure the Member is aware.

Yes, I'm very much aware. The SA1 development in Swansea has been a huge success, not just the University of Wales Trinity St David and housing, but also a number of high-technology, mainly start-up companies that have developed around the university. Like Swansea vale, this is an excellent example of mixed development, and I hope to see similar developments across Wales, because this really is a way of creating economic development and high-value jobs. But the issue at the moment is: can the Minister provide an update on the transfer of responsibility for highways, parking and footpaths in SA1 from the Welsh Government to Swansea Council?

Yes, the Member is right, I think—this is a good example of a successful mixed development, with a range of uses and a really positive outcome for Swansea and the wider area. He's right—there are good jobs being created on this site, where people from a slightly wider area will travel to and from them. So, I think it is a good a good example of how we would want to have further developments take place in the future.

In terms of some of the challenges that come with any site, we're working through those, and, actually, there's a constructive position between my officials and the city and county of Swansea, again with a positive outcome, with stability in the leadership of the council—and I congratulate Rob Stewart and his team. We are having those constructive conversations, and I will be more than happy to update the Member, and others with an interest, on where we eventually reach, because I do think that there's potential to have some certainty on the areas the Member highlights, and that's what I hope we'll be able to agree in conjunction with the council.

Minister, what's your assessment of the overall economic contribution to Swansea and the wider region of the SA1 development, and what opportunities are there to redouble our efforts on regional economic growth to build out of this pandemic?

Well, I think, as I said in response to the Member, and as the Member highlighted in his supplementary, this is a successful development. There is still some undeveloped land at SA1 in the ownership of the Welsh Government, and we're looking to ensure that is fully developed and finalised, in partnership, as I say, with the council—we're looking to resolve some of the other issues. I think, actually, when you look at the region and actually look at the ambition of the council, they have a number of areas. We've talked a lot about tourism during questions today, and, actually, the council have high ambition in a range of areas that will be projects not just for Swansea but more broadly—the old Morfa copperworks, for example, with significant investment proposals there that we expect to come to fruition. So, I think, actually, that Swansea is another good example of a local authority that is serious about economic development, working in partnership with the Welsh Government and a range of partners in a wide range of areas, including the private sector and, indeed, housing associations to do just that.