, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Introductions, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest
Just for the record, my parents own and operate holiday cottages.
, Plenary
Debate on the Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee Report, 'Digging the dirt: Improving Wales’ soil health'
Firstly, can I thank the Chair and all witnesses who gave evidence to the Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee into this report, 'Digging the dirt: Improving Wales' soil health'? As a farmer's son, I appreciate it, although on a clifftop in north…
, Plenary
Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Firstly, can I pay tribute to PLANED and the fantastic work that they've done with the Pembrokeshire local food partnership over the last few years? I've had the honour of cutting the ribbon at two of their community vending machines in Llanteg and in…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language
Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. Yesterday, the First Minister suggested that people should get off Netflix to support their local pubs. However, the difficulties facing Welsh pubs are not the fault of the punters, they are the fault of this Government actively…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language
3. What assessment has the Cabinet Secretary made of the impact on businesses of changes to rateable values? OQ63783
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
One thing that I was disappointed about with this Government was when I've previously raised the closure of banking services. The last Lloyds Bank has shut in Pembroke Dock, meaning that south Pembrokeshire has no banking services whatsoever from high-street…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
5. What action is the Welsh Government taking to support communities to maintain access to essential local services? OQ63784
, Plenary
Business Statement and Announcement
Yet again, we had some heavy rain last night, and yet again Gumfreston Road flooded—the B4318—from the Ritec. There's a petition live at the moment. It has had over 2,500 signatures. The local hard-working county councillor Rhys Jordan has pushed…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inward Investment: Panel 4
Okay, thank you. Mr Poole, you just had a point.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inward Investment: Panel 4
Okay, thank you. Councillor Stewart, I'm just going to come to you for two further questions with regard to the written evidence that you submitted. First, you call for better soft-landing support for inward investors—I just want to pick your brains a little…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inward Investment: Panel 4
Okay, thank you. And then, Councillor Hughes, the same question to you, really, regarding that plethora of organisations out there, the signposting element of it, and whether a single, one-stop shop—. And you say that there's something similar that you're…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inward Investment: Panel 4
Okay. To flip that on its head, then—and taking on board what the previous panel mentioned around some of the complexities on energy projects around planning and some of the hurdles that are thrown at some of these projects—previously, last week, we heard…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inward Investment: Panel 4
Okay. Mr Poole, the same sort of question to you, really. It's quite messy. If you haven't got a footprint in Wales already—and I take your point about managing and looking after those that already exist within Wales, but—if you're looking at Wales and you…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inward Investment: Panel 4
The opposite of 'messy' would obviously be 'neat', and you're saying it's getting a bit neater. Wasn't it neater still when there was just the WDA doing this advocacy on behalf of all of Wales?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inward Investment: Panel 4
Thank you very much, Chair. Councillor Stewart, you quite neatly summed up one of the issues, I think, in describing the plethora of organisations and bodies that exist in Welsh public life: CJCs, Swansea bay city deal, there was the western gateway, there's…
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inward Investment: Panel 3
I've met with Celtico, and I attest to that. Thank you, all three of you. Your answers were so all-encompassing, I've got no further questions.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inward Investment: Panel 3
Okay. Thank you. Jess, you used the term earlier, in terms of delivering a project, of 'jarring' between two departments. In terms of attracting that investment in the first instance, would your analysis be the same for that?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inward Investment: Panel 3
As in access to funding?
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inward Investment: Panel 3
Okay. Thank you. Janis.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inward Investment: Panel 3
We need to hear it.
, Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee
Inward Investment: Panel 3
Thank you very much, Chair. Good morning, panel. We've talked about some of the delivery of projects, but, taking a step back in terms of how effective different layers of Government are working to attract business and investment in the first instance, what's…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning
We've been advocating for the opportunities that exist in floating offshore wind for well over five years. It's not about talking anymore; it's about action. We need to start seeing spades in the ground, investment in our port infrastructure, investment in…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning
You mentioned the offshore wind task and finish group, and, yes, they reported last summer, and one of the recommendations was an implementation group. That group hasn't been established yet, Cabinet Secretary. So, what work can they be doing if they haven't…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning
Cabinet Secretary, I welcome the announcements made last week that the Erebus floating offshore wind project and the Awel y Môr offshore wind project were given the go ahead. I've raised Pembrokeshire's Erebus project in the Senedd on a number of occasions in…
, Plenary
Questions to the First Minister
First Minister, next week, Paul Davies and I will be hosting a business briefing for over 100 businesses from across west Wales who are worried, frustrated and angry at changes to business rates. One local hotel will see their rates rise from £10,000 to…
