7. How is the Welsh Government supporting small and medium-sized businesses across Newport East? OQ59054

We continue to do everything possible to support the SME sector throughout Wales through our progressive economic policies. These focus on better skills, better jobs and tackling inequality with the tools at our disposal. That includes working with our stakeholders and, of course, we will soon celebrate 10 years of our Business Wales business support programme.

Yes. Often, I think, Minister, small and medium enterprises are so busy running their businesses that it's difficult to be aware of the help and support available, and, indeed, to spend the time to access that. But I must say Business Wales were invaluable in Newport East, and my constituency office worked very well with them during the pandemic, when they were able to make sure that a range of businesses accessed the support that was available. And I know that Business Wales has a strong offer in areas where the Welsh Government is able to act, for example, the economic resilience fund, and that was very much the case at the time. It was a sharp contrast, Minister, I must say, to UK Government, which left many gaps in support for businesses, and I do believe that that continues now, with too many businesses not being supported by UK Government with rising energy bills. This is something indeed that the Federation of Small Businesses have also raised with me. So, Minister, through Business Wales and other mechanisms, what additional support might Welsh Government consider to help small and medium-sized enterprises through this cost-of-doing-business crisis?

Thank you for the comments and questions. You're right about the economic resilience fund. I was in a different role during the pandemic, but the reality is that, because we didn't spend the same money on our test, trace, protect programme and the way that we used money on our personal protective equipment programme, meant that we provided more successful contact tracing at a lower price than the UK Government did, and we provided a more successful operation of providing PPE to front-line workers. That meant we could be more generous in supporting small and medium-sized businesses and freelancers through the pandemic.

The challenge now is, because of the reductions to our budget—not just in the mainstream settlements, but also things like the shared prosperity fund and others, where money's been taken away from Wales, over £1 billion lost in those three years—we've had to make some really difficult choices. But I've chosen to maintain the Business Wales service because of its value. So, small and medium-sized businesses will continue to have access to all of the support and advice available, together, of course, with investment opportunities from the Development Bank for Wales as well. I appreciate the Member's constituency takes in some of the Monmouthshire county as well, but, in Newport, up to the end of December last year, in the last two years, Business Wales had helped support over 1,000 jobs in small and medium enterprises, with dedicated support provided to 659 businesses and nearly 200 new start-ups. It does show the continued activity that we can and do offer to small and medium businesses, and I'd be more than happy to write to the Member with more details on activity across all the parts of his constituency.