29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Dyfodol dur yng Nghymru
We speak to Tata regularly, and they are confident that the electric arc furnace will be ready for operation at the end of 2027, in line with the commitments that they've made. We know that the major contracts are in place, and work is already well under way…
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Dyfodol dur yng Nghymru
Rebecca Evans, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning.
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
The Welsh Government's spending more now than we ever had on apprenticeships. Of course, Brexit was a significant issue in terms of how we were able to support apprentices. Of course, if there's more funding available for apprenticeships, I think it's always…
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
I've been really clear—I think it was to this committee actually—that if there was additional funding available, then employability and skills and apprenticeships would be the priority for that. So, you did see, then, in the final budget that we were true to…
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
And these are important things for Government to think about, but, obviously, for all of us as we start to think about the future.
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
And a few weeks out from the dissolution of the Senedd—. I don't think we'll have time to perhaps put in place Alun's plans between now and then, but—
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
No, and I understand that the points that you're raising now are big, structural issues. There are very many views on local government reform and so on—
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
So, on planning pressures, I think that austerity had a significant role to play in that space, and, actually, we've asked the Royal Town Planning Institute, commissioned them, to do a piece of work looking at the planning services across Wales to understand…
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
Some of that is because of all of those years of austerity and it was the planning teams that were decimated—
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
I think some of the work that we've had to do—. I was specifically talking about planning because that's so critical for business.
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
So, one of the most important things that businesses say that we can do in terms of that enabling environment is a more streamlined and better planning system. Of course, we've got the new Infrastructure (Wales) Act 2024 coming in now. In December, some of…
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
I think, in fairness, the decision around Ciner was more in relation to global factors than any support or lack of from Welsh Government.
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
I haven't had any of those discussions, but I will, again, write to committee as to whether or not our officials have been involved in those particular discussions.
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
—in that particular space. We do need to be working, as I say, closely with the investments that have already been made. There are some really good things happening in cyber, for example. So, there are areas of strength that we can certainly build up in that…
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
Yes, so far. So, I do share the frustration—
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
I share the frustration in terms of the spend that has gone through the Tech Valleys programme. It's around £40 million thus far, but—
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
So, as I've said, we are working hard to work with the—. I know your views on the Tech Valleys programme and the Cardiff capital region and so on, but we're trying to bring those things together to ensure that the investment goes to where it's needed to…
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
—ensure that the funding goes to areas where there is economic disadvantage. We've talked previously about that need to have a strategic approach to the investment that's been made in the Heads of the Valleys, and particularly so around things such as…
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
So, again, I'd say, as an example, the local growth fund is absolutely about trying to—
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
This is the challenge that Alun sets out for us in terms of the—
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
Well, I can't speak on behalf of the UK Government, Chair, but I will say UK Government, I think, has been clear in its ambitions through the industrial strategy and the eight specific sectors that it's identified as areas for growth. Some of those are areas…
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
Well, there's that side of it, but then also the other side is how do we move people seamlessly and easily to those jobs as well. So, within the south Wales metro, for example, trying to make sure that people can get easily to areas where there are—
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
We do see inward investment in all parts of Wales, and that's something that we always try to do when engaging with businesses overseas—to demonstrate actually that Wales has an awful lot to offer in all parts of Wales. We've got examples right across Wales…
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
I think we do have really, really clear national planning policy through ‘Future Wales’ and ‘Planning Policy Wales’, but I also would defend that right for there to be local discretion where appropriate, so that people best placed to make decisions are able…
29 Ionawr 2026 , Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Mewnfuddsoddi: Panel 5
Some of the legislation does apply universally across Wales, and examples would be permitted development rights, for example, but there can be exceptions in relation to national parks, listed buildings, conservation areas as well. There is a degree of…
