, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
And may I come with you to the Basque Country?
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
This is something that directly falls to my colleague the Deputy Minister, but, obviously, everything is connected—or it should be, which is the point of the question. It is something that we have discussed, and I will leave it to him to address the specifics…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
As I said in the debate that Shav Taj was able to secure earlier this year, it's certainly the case that current policies—and I don't say this in a party political manner at all—under the previous administration here, under the UK Government level, clearly…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
I'd be very interested in sitting down with the Member and understanding more of his experience in what the third sector could contribute to what is, certainly, a very important area. We are obviously waiting for the outcome of the Milburn review at the UK…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
I'm glad you raised the issue more generally of business rates, because I think this is part of our approach in terms of making Wales an attractive business environment. We made our announcement in relation to the 30 per cent cut in business rates, which has…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
One of the lessons they said—. I asked the former First Minister, the Lehendakari at the time, I asked, 'What was the absolute reason for your success?' And he said, 'It's quite simple, Adam, all together or not at all.' 'We worked across party,' he said, 'we…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
We've no predetermined, definitive and detailed answer to those questions yet. I'll ask my officials to answer more substantively, but I would just say that it's important to stress that we were very, very keen to have your successor representing the trade…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
Yes, certainly, the remit letter is one mechanism, of course, whereby we can ensure that, in this case, the development bank is delivering in alignment with Government policies across a whole range of areas. Through regular engagement and co-designing…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
Yes, certainly. That is, my starting point would be an expectation that the development bank and the new agency would operate in tandem, but with complementary contributions, and collaborate on working towards the same aim ultimately. But we have commissioned…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
Yes, I think it's a really, really important question and, again, it's about getting the balance right, isn't it? No Government should outsource its economic policy in total, but the delivery of it. And you should encourage even delivery bodies to think…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
Yes, I think that's a really absolutely critically important point. As I said in my opening remarks, we have this national productivity mission, but there's no point us closing the gap in one part of Wales and there's still a chasm somewhere else. We need…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
I think it's a really pertinent point and I think, in creating a development agency for the Wales of today and tomorrow, being clear as well about what the previous WDA didn't get right is an important part of the process of thinking, isn't it? And I think…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
Well, I suppose that is the exam question, really, that we're asking to the panel, actually, and I can give you my answer, but we'll obviously have the panel's view. What's the business case, effectively, is the question that you're asking. I think it partly…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
In terms of the panel itself, we've set an initial timetable of six months. That is, if more time is needed, of course, we'd be open to that, but that gives you some rough idea of the panel's work, and, of course, they will be producing an interim report as…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
Certainly, the advisory panel on the design of the agency has now been formed. We tried, to the greatest extent possible, to have representation from a broad range in terms of background and experience. So, we're very fortunate that there are people who have…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
This is a very important question. We'd probably need to run a seminar to give it a proper answer. In relation to the 2035 target, as I said earlier, we're moving to a different basis, which actually does allow us to factor in other low-carbon technologies…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
We, as a new Government, are committed to taking a fresh look at this area, and we'll bring forward our own proposals in due course.
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
If I may, I think I might need to write to you on some of that, because I think that the pre-assessment process predated this administration. Indeed, it goes back many, many years now, so we'll have to get officials to respond to you on that. In relation to…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
Thank you for the question. These are the questions that we'll be looking at in the context of the national energy strategy, again, looking at the different contribution of different technologies, including onshore and offshore. Offshore is a fantastic prize…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
Sure. Obviously, the work itself in development of the national energy strategy, as I said, will be looking at the likely contribution of different technologies. Like pretty much all of the different stakeholders in the energy system, I think the consensus…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
I’m really grateful for those connected questions, and I think they go to a theme, which is the importance of always having in our mind the importance of place. I think colleagues, officials, attended an OECD discussion on productivity recently, which made it…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
Yes, I'd certainly welcome the opportunity to discuss with the Member outside of this forum any further information he's able to share. And certainly, we stand ready to discuss and are in constant discussion with all of the key stakeholders. So, if there is…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
Yes, a critically important decision, and I've already met with the chief engineer at the National Energy System Operator to discuss the 2030 electricity transmission update report that you've described, and the shift from the earlier north-south proposal…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
Thank you. A great question. In essence, as I was alluding a little to earlier, we're bringing the existing elements of the Welsh Government's previous administration's work across—the developer, Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru; Ynni Cymru, which is focused on community…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
I'll try and keep my answers short as well, and go against my better nature.
