Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Economy – in the Senedd at 1:42 pm on 14 December 2022.
Well, when it comes to anti-growth measures, the most significant anti-growth intervention, of course, took place in the six weeks of Liz Truss's premiership. That was a significant intervention that made all of the challenges that exist within the economy much, much worse. And it was amusing to hear the anti-growth coalition being talked about and then seeing the hole that was blown by Kwasi Kwarteng and Liz Truss. So, there's no need for any lectures from any Tory in this Chamber, or anywhere else, on this issue.
When it comes to what we are doing, we're delivering on the manifesto we were elected to deliver. That includes the measures we're taking on the visitor levy. It includes a conversation I had this morning with the visitor economy forum, where they're looking to work with us on the design of a levy that actually tries to do what it's supposed to do, and, in areas of the country where there is a challenge that local authorities want to reduce the levy, to then understand how that might be delivered in a way that works with the industry that we want to see carry on growing. And, actually, the biggest challenge facing that sector and others isn't the visitor levy, it isn't any policy position the Welsh Government takes; it's the challenge of not seeing enough growth in the UK-wide economy, the challenge of the cost-of-living crisis, the challenge in our ability to trade with other parts of the world, and what that's done to inflationary pressures in the economy that are above and beyond the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
When it comes to skills and labour, we are recognising those issues and challenges, and that's why our interventions could and should make a difference. We have challenges in labour supply that we are looking to address earlier in the life cycle of people, as well as what we're doing on skills investment. We need a much more grown-up conversation about migration and its value to the future of the economy. We need much more recognition of the cost-of-living challenges, which, if left unaddressed, will mean businesses will not last into the longer term future. And that's why the energy relief scheme for businesses is so important. And the difficulty is—and this came up very much today, and in other business meetings that I've had—that if the UK Government don't pass the legislation, discounts won't get passed on to businesses. So, you may find businesses that can't wait until the review is up, and they understand what will happen in the longer term future, who may not be here to deal with that future.
So, when it comes to the immediate challenges that are facing businesses, those are the direct conversations I'm having with them, and, indeed, that I look to have with the UK Government, where the real focus for action should be in the here and now.