5. How does the Welsh Government act to secure the rights of workers who work in the night-time economy? OQ58716

We use our levers and influence to promote fair work across our economy, but only the UK Government has the powers to improve statutory workers' rights and their enforcement. We do, though, repeatedly raise these issues with the UK Government.

Thank you, Minister. When I was walking to the train last night, after the Senedd had finished, I was acutely aware that some of the walkways are a bit lonely, and it was dark, and I decided to take a slightly longer route, risking missing a train, because it would feel safer with more people around. The national survey for Wales has found that women don't feel as safe as men when it's dark. Fifty per cent of men feel very safe, compared with just 23 per cent of women. When we talk about the rights of women who work in the night-time economy and empowering them, I'd ask how we can tackle this problem. We want more people to use public transport for work, but getting to and from trains and bus stations can feel like taking a risk, particularly late at night. So, can I ask you, Minister, what you will do to reflect on this, to help ensure that more women, who work at night and have to travel in the dark, feel safe getting to and from their place of work? 

I understand there are real issues about whether people feel safe when areas are not well lit. I understand that's a particular concern for women and whether they feel safe or not, especially if they feel that they are being followed or someone is nearer to them than they should be, and it isn't just the recognition of the issue, it's then what gets done about it, and the challenge of working with other partners. It's businesses, it's other stakeholders, it's also our conversation with local authorities about some of the responsibilities they have, and conversations with my colleagues with responsibility for transport here around the transport framework and the facilities we want to have. I think it's a fair question to raise, particularly at this time of year, and I'll certainly look forward to a conversation not just between my officials, but with colleagues in the transport ministry led by the Deputy Minister for Climate Change and colleagues outside of Government.

Minister, the night-time economy can sometimes be fragile employment, but it's crucial to our culture, communities and the economy. These workers faced the brunt of the pandemic lockdown, so it's crucial that they're supported to get back on their feet. What assessment, if any, has the Welsh Government made of the impact of the cost-of-living pressures on the night-time economy in Wales?

The cost-of-living pressures are significant right across the night-time economy and the broader visitor economy, hospitality; any area where discretionary spend is involved is under pressure. It's the pressure from those businesses and their own costs, of course, so the energy costs and the inflation that we've seen go up again today to over 11 per cent, and it's worse than that in some sectors, of course. Food inflation has gone up even further. So, that's a challenge to the costs of businesses as well as energy, and, actually, when you're rely on people spending, as I say, discretionary spend over and above essentials, it shouldn't surprise people to know that in this sector there are real pressures and a number of businesses are already reducing their opening days or hours or both.

It's been made very clear to me that some businesses are concerned that they may not get to the end of the year, never mind get into the new year. It's why the choices that are going to be made tomorrow are so important on a whole range of fronts, not just the funding of public services, but what this means for people, for their pockets and for businesses that are relying on them being able to go out and spend. So, I'm not sanguine about the future, I'm genuinely concerned, and it's why I look for not just the choices there are to be made, but the long-term nature of those and the support that can be provided, and how the Welsh Government can then review the levers that we practically have once the Chancellor has made his choices tomorrow.