29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Dyfodol dur yng Nghymru
Can I stop you there, please? So, how—? I don't know which UK Minister you were speaking to in that conversation, but what was the response to that remark?
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Dyfodol dur yng Nghymru
All of this is taking place in a rumbustious international situation, of course. So, I'm just interested to understand where you think we are in terms of the overall trade context for these conversations. I know whatever you say today in terms of the United…
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Dyfodol dur yng Nghymru
When I look at events in Port Talbot, I look at them through the lens of Ebbw Vale, clearly, and I still see the impact of the closure of Ebbw Vale steelworks in the constituency today, 20 years later. And I'm concerned about the human impact of the changes…
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
As we write our manifestos. Thank you.
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
But they're not Alun's plans, are they? They are the criticisms of almost every witness we've had in front of us.
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
I'm sure we'll have a conversation.
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
I defer to nobody in my criticism of austerity, let me tell you this, but I don't think you can just walk away from these really significant challenges either.
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
That's not austerity, it's governance. I'm not going to let you get away with that. It's not austerity; it's about the structure of governance as well.
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
Yes, I recognise that.
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
The fact that you've got to do all of this—and I recognise that you have been doing this, by the way, Cabinet Secretary—the fact that you've got to do all of this demonstrates to me that there's something fundamentally broken in the governance of this…
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
Brexit was a part of it, I accept that. But, even without Brexit, there was a significant failure from the Welsh public sector to deliver the sort of enabling environment that the company probably required.
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
I'm grateful to the Chair for that intervention. In terms of the evidence we've received over recent months, the conclusion that I'm reaching—and I want to challenge you on this, Cabinet Secretary—is that Welsh Government does a great job in bringing people…
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
But you need to do it, and that's my frustration. I accept your words, but where's the action? That's really where I am. But we are here to talk about the—
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
There's only a year or two left of it in terms of its original—
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
You haven't spent the budget for the Tech Valleys; that's my real frustration. These are the poorest parts of the country, with the highest levels of deprivation, some of the lowest levels of economic activity, and the Welsh Government's failed to spend £10…
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
But you haven't, have you? That's my frustration, Cabinet Secretary, because the completion of the A465 wasn't a surprise to the Welsh Government. It managed it for two decades. And the delivery of that road, which was a great achievement for Welsh…
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
We'll come to that later.
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
You shouldn't tempt me. But there is a failure, isn't there, of strategic vision. That's absolutely clear. And it's not just a failure in Welsh Government; UK Government has failed more comprehensively, if you like, because where you've got these growth zones…
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
Sorry, I'm a member of the culture committee and it was an issue about the accountability of the First Minister that we were addressing; it wasn't simply about the office structure.
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
Methodology.
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
Thank you.
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
It would be useful, then, if the Cabinet Secretary could write to us with some urgency on this matter so that we can return to this next week.
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
You don't know if there's anybody from Wales on that mission.
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
I certainly see no reason why key performance indicators shouldn't be published. You're subject to democratic accountability and holding you to account is what this committee does, so certainly that sort of information is essential to that. But I was…
27 Ionawr 2026 , Cyfarfod Llawn
Dadl: Cyllideb Derfynol 2026-27
Sut ydw i'n dilyn hynna, Llywydd? Rydw i wedi gweld rhai pethau yn y lle yma yn fy amser, ond mawredd!. Mae angen gwrthbleidiau ar bob llywodraeth, ac rwy'n credu bod angen gwrthblaid, oherwydd nid yw'n ddigon da, yn blwmp ac yn blaen, i ddod yma i ddarllen…
