Part of 5. Topical Questions – in the Senedd at 3:08 pm on 21 September 2022.
Bearmach has been a good local employer for many years in the Bedwas and Trethomas area. Apart from the 50 jobs that have been quoted as being affected, there will also be, as we've heard, lots of other agency staff employed at the site, who have now lost their income at the worst possible time. This will also be a blow to local businesses who worked in tandem with Bearmach, or benefited from workers spending their money in the local community. Can you let the Chamber know whether Bearmach approached you for any financial assistance and what support was subsequently offered? And has the closure of Bearmach, a once-successful company that has been unable to weather the tough economic conditions, prompted a rethink in the Government's prioritisation of the car industry as a driver of the Welsh economy?