In the Seventh Senedd the economy has been debated through the Plaid Cymru Government's plans for a new development agency, a town centre taskforce and a 30 per cent business rates cut for some hospitality and leisure premises. Opposition Members have pressed ministers on delays to Tata's electric arc furnace at Port Talbot, the visitor levy, the 182-day threshold and the ethical defence investment framework. Youth unemployment, redundancies and broadband have also been raised.
The main arguments
Adam Price and Rhun ap Iorwerth (Plaid Cymru) said a development agency would attract investment and drive innovation, with an expert panel designing it. Jason O'Connell and Cai Parry-Jones (Reform UK) called it a quango. Mike Hedges (Welsh Labour) feared a repeat of the old WDA.
May 2021Mar 2026
2,151 contributions in the Sixth Senedd touched on this. The busiest month was Jan 2025, with 584.
Who raises it
Labour46%
Conservative34%
Plaid18%
Lib Dem1%
Independent1%
Reform0%
Share of the 1,485 contributions on this subject, by the speaker's party.
Elin Jones (Plaid Cymru) announced a permanent 30 per cent rates cut from 2027-28 for selected hospitality and leisure premises, paid for by a higher multiplier on the highest value properties. Huw Thomas (Welsh Labour) asked who would pay and about a cliff edge. Contributions: [1][2][3][4]
Rhun ap Iorwerth (Plaid Cymru) said the town centre taskforce would look at rates and planning. Andrew RT Davies (Welsh Conservatives) urged planning reform, free parking and town-centre managers. Carmelo Colasanto (Reform UK) described Llanelli's 38 per cent vacancy rate. Contributions: [1][2][3][4]
Reform UK Members, including Dan Thomas and Benjamin Hodge Mckenna, pressed on the electric arc furnace delay. Adam Price (Plaid Cymru) said National Grid cited several causes. On the steel Bill, Reform UK and Plaid Cymru backed consent; Janet Finch-Saunders (Welsh Conservatives) urged caution. Contributions: [1][2][3][4][5][6]
John Clark and Paul Marr (Reform UK) called the visitor levy regressive and the 182-day threshold harmful. Huw Thomas (Welsh Labour) and Elwyn Vaughan (Plaid Cymru) defended the levy as local decision making. Adam Price announced £4.5 million for tourism cycling infrastructure. Contributions: [1][2][3][4][5]
Adam Price (Plaid Cymru) said Welsh Government support should follow an ethical defence investment framework. Janet Finch-Saunders and Darren Millar (Welsh Conservatives) and Jason O'Connell (Reform UK) said it risks jobs and investment in a sector employing about 16,000 people. Contributions: [1][2][3][4]
Jane Dodds (Welsh Liberal Democrats) cited youth unemployment of 16.5 per cent. Huw Thomas (Welsh Labour) raised redundancies at Admiral and Legal & General. Janet Finch-Saunders (Welsh Conservatives) raised poor rural broadband. Contributions: [1][2][3]
Where the parties stand
Plaid CymruShifted
In government, its Members back a development agency, a town centre taskforce, a permanent rates cut for selected hospitality and leisure premises, consent for the steel Bill and an ethical defence framework. They defend the visitor levy as a local choice. Contributions: [1][2][3][4][5]
How this has shifted: On 2 June the party said the taskforce would explore reformed business rates. On 15 September it announced a 30 per cent cut for selected hospitality and leisure premises from 2027-28.
Welsh Labour
Its Members press for well-paid, fair work and the real living wage. They question the development agency's value and the cost of the rates cut, welcome its principles, and support keeping the 182-day threshold under review. Contributions: [1][2][3][4][5][6]
Reform UK
Its Members oppose a new development agency as a quango, press ministers on Tata and the grid, oppose the visitor levy and the 182-day rule, and want more defence investment. They said the lower rates multiplier was in their manifesto. Contributions: [1][2][3][4][5][6]
Welsh Conservatives
Its Members call for abolishing small business rates, a 10 per cent VAT rate for tourism and hospitality, and a review of the 182-day threshold. They criticise the defence framework and ask how the agency fits with growth deals. Contributions: [1][2][3][4][5]
Welsh Liberal Democrats
Jane Dodds asked what the Welsh Government is doing about youth unemployment, particularly in rural areas such as Powys, which she said is the highest in the United Kingdom. Contributions: [1]
What the government is being pressed on
1When will business rates reform arrive? Helen Jenner (Reform UK) asked for a plan. Rhun ap Iorwerth pointed to the taskforce. Elin Jones later announced the 30 per cent cut and said she would look at tapering for businesses just above the threshold. Contributions: [1][2][3][4]
2What is being done about the Tata electric arc furnace delay? Adam Price said he spoke to the chief executive and National Grid, many levers are reserved, and later said Tata should share market-sensitive updates itself. Contributions: [1][2][3][4]
3When will the development agency exist, and how will it relate to the Development Bank of Wales? Andrew RT Davies and Cai Parry-Jones asked. Adam Price said the relationship is being discussed; officials expect the expert panel's report in about six months. Contributions: [1][2][3][4]
4Will the 182-day threshold be reviewed? Paul Davies (Welsh Conservatives) asked for a full review, saying exemptions were not enough. Shav Taj (Welsh Labour) said Labour supports keeping the policy under review. Contributions: [1][2][3]
5Does the ethical defence framework put investment on hold? Janet Finch-Saunders said investment decisions were paused. Adam Price said the framework is not meant to exclude the sector and that trade unions will be involved. Contributions: [1][2][3]
What the public is asking for
Petitions ask the Senedd to review the 182-day holiday accommodation threshold (1,863 signatures, open), lower business rates in towns (507, open) and build a new Menai crossing (7,788, completed). Another seeks stronger licensing of high-occupancy visitor accommodation (1,768, open).
Who ministers are meeting
Ministers' published meetings include Tata Steel (several), the Federation of Small Businesses, the Development Bank of Wales, the Cardiff Capital Region Investment Zone, a university skills partnership launch and the Productivity Research Group.
In the Sixth Senedd (2021 to 2026)
From the previous Senedd's record, for issues that run across both. The rest of this analysis covers the Seventh Senedd only.
Debate in the Sixth Senedd centred on Tata Steel and the end of blast furnaces at Port Talbot, with Members across parties calling for a just transition. Business rates relief for high streets and hospitality, and tourism regulation including the visitor levy and the 182-day rule, were raised repeatedly.
In January 2024 Luke Fletcher (Plaid Cymru) said there is no path to net zero without domestic steel production. Altaf Hussain (Welsh Conservatives) said the UK Government deal was better than no deal. Contributions: [1][2]
Alasdair McDiarmid told a committee in February 2024 that the unions' plan was credible and was rejected on cost. In June 2024 Jeremy Miles (Welsh Labour) said a better plan was available. Contributions: [1][2]
In October 2022 Janet Finch-Saunders (Welsh Conservatives) said business rates rose 10 per cent in six years against 3 per cent in England. In February 2024 Rhys ab Owen (Independent) raised cuts to rates relief from 75 to 40 per cent. Contributions: [1][2]
In November 2022 Jane Dodds (Welsh Liberal Democrats) supported licensing and a visitor levy. In January 2026 Rhys ab Owen (Independent) quoted self-caterers on the cumulative burden of regulation. Contributions: [1][2]
Written by AI on 30 October 2026 from 227 contributions in the Senedd between 19 May 2026 and 22 October 2026, with the petitions and ministers' meetings on this brief. Each point links to the contributions it draws on; check them before quoting. How the analysis is written.
Where things stand
Statistics published by the Welsh Government and the Office for National Statistics. Each chart covers the years since the 2016 Senedd election, or as far back as the figures go, and marks each election since.
Employment rate
73.3%
The year to 30 June 2026
United Kingdom
75.5%
A year earlier
72.7%(the year to 30 June 2025)
Wales
United Kingdom
The share of people aged 16 to 64 in work, over the twelve months to each date, in Wales and the UK.
From the Annual Population Survey, a sample survey: small changes from one period to the next may not be real. Each figure covers twelve months, so the figures for neighbouring dates share most of their months. They differ from the monthly headline labour market figures.
Establish a new Economic and Fiscal Commission to help us set targets, collect relevant data and measure progress to make government more accountable for its economic decision making.
Create a new, business‑led National Development Agency, at arms‑length from the Welsh Government, to help Welsh businesses to grow, innovate and trade internationally, secure inward investment, and increase numbers of good quality, well‑paid and sustainable jobs. The agency will work for people across the nation and across the economy.
Reform the Development Bank of Wales and the financial products it offers to support the growth of medium‑sized businesses and ensure that its financing promotes and embeds fair work and a Real Living Wage.
Aim to increase the level spent on procuring goods and services from Wales‑based suppliers towards 70%, using public procurement as a driver of economic growth. We will introduce a new measure of Welsh economic value from public procurement to maximise the economic and social benefits that public spending delivers for Wales.
Develop the supply chain for Welsh timber, using public procurement to stimulate demand, and promote innovation and business growth in the sector, whilst improving resilience and working with the sector to deliver on the Welsh Timber Industrial Strategy.
Use the Town Centre Taskforce to explore the options around revitalising our town centres including bringing empty properties into use as social housing.
Provide more specialist support to create, grow and sustain new co‑operative, employee‑owned, and social businesses, and improve their access to finance through the Development Bank of Wales.
Deliver a new Digital Strategy which will support digitisation and innovation in the Welsh economy, drive forward public service digital transformation, and deliver the conditions to support safe and ethical adoption of AI to support productivity and more efficient public services.
Source: Welsh Government, Programme for government 2026 to 2030: New ambition for Wales, first published on 10 September 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Mentions are found by matching the names of plans, bodies and schemes; a mention says nothing about progress.
From the Welsh Government
The Welsh Government's latest press releases and Cabinet statements on this brief.
Wales is gearing up for the Tour de France Grand Départ 2027, with £4.5 million in Welsh Government investment to boost cycling tourism, attract visitors and support local economies.
In the news
The latest headlines on this brief, linking to each outlet's story.
How these votes work: the Senedd first votes on the motion as written. If that fails, it votes on each amendment in turn, then on the motion with any agreed changes.
Votes are tagged from their own titles and the agenda item they were held under.
Each bar is the share of that party's speeches and questions in the Sixth Senedd that touched this brief, so large and small parties can be compared. The upright line marks the chamber as a whole: 1.0%.
Ministers' meetings with outside organisations and their engagements on this brief, from the register the Welsh Government publishes every three months. 1 since the 2026 election:
12 August 2026
PASC-WTA Joint meeting with CMECE - discussion on 182 day threshold/visitor levy
50% of Welsh adults said the UK economy would be very important to their vote.
46% of Welsh adults said jobs and wages would be very important to their vote.
37% of Welsh adults said shops and the local town centre or high street would be very important to their vote.
Ipsos asked 747 Welsh adults aged 16+ between 2 April 2026 and 8 April 2026, before the 2026 Senedd election. People could choose as many issues as they liked. More on public opinion.
Written questions
127 written questions to the Welsh Government on this brief in the Sixth Senedd, 126 answered so far. The latest:
Contributions tagged in each month of the Sixth Senedd. No sittings were held in August 2021, August 2022, August 2023, December 2024, February 2025, March 2025, April 2025, May 2025, June 2025, July 2025, August 2025, September 2025, October 2025, November 2025 and December 2025.Show the numbers
Month
Contributions
May 2021
2
June 2021
27
July 2021
36
August 2021
No sittings
September 2021
133
October 2021
12
November 2021
30
December 2021
12
January 2022
53
February 2022
37
March 2022
219
April 2022
36
May 2022
53
June 2022
28
July 2022
34
August 2022
No sittings
September 2022
26
October 2022
42
November 2022
37
December 2022
How this brief is put together
This brief follows the Programme commitments listed above and tags the record with the phrases below. Keyword matching can miss business that discusses the issue in other words, and can tag a passing mention.
Show the phrases it uses
A contribution is tagged when its English text contains one of these phrases. Capital letters don't matter, except in abbreviations, which must match exactly. It is also tagged when the title of the agenda item or question it was part of contains one, as long as the contribution is at least 30 words long. The brief is also tagged whenever one of its themes is.
The share of people aged 16 to 64 neither in work nor looking for work, over the twelve months to each date, in Wales and the UK.
From the Annual Population Survey, a sample survey: small changes from one period to the next may not be real. Each figure covers twelve months, so the figures for neighbouring dates share most of their months. They differ from the monthly headline labour market figures.
Productivity: every figure in the chart, newest first.
Period
Wales
2023
84.9
2022
83.6
2021
82.5
2020
84.4
2019
86.0
2018
82.7
2017
83.7
2016
83.5
Median gross weekly pay of full-time employees working in Wales and the UK, in April each year.
Not adjusted for inflation. The figures are for people working in Wales, wherever they live, from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, a sample survey.
