Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

Part of 3. Questions to the Minister for Economy – in the Senedd at 2:43 pm on 31 January 2023.

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Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 2:43, 31 January 2023

There are two things, I would say. The first is that I've given an indication of where we are in refreshing the plan, and it's not very far away at all. The idea that I don't have any idea is a misrepresentation—I'm sure, innocently—of the answer that I gave the Member. Actually, this morning, I was able to visit a manufacturing business in Pontypool with the leader of Torfaen, who was celebrating his birthday today. He had the privilege of spending some time with me in doing so in my colleague the Member for Torfaen's constituency. We were looking there at a successful manufacturing business, nearly 10 years in operation, what it's done to improve what it's doing and how it's actually worked with the local authority as well as the Welsh Government to go through a range of planning conditions to improve its business environment. You'll know that I'm not the planning Minister, but it is something that we do consider. The way that 'Planning Policy Wales' interacts with the manufacturing strategy and a range of other things are key considerations for us. So, when we launch the manufacturing action plan, you can expect us to have taken account of all those interactions. But I won't pretend for the purposes of these questions that I'm also the planning Minister, as the Member knows I'm not.