, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
I wouldn't despair. I think there are some really great examples of good practice in Wales. For example, the work of Neath Port Talbot council in really massively accelerating the planning decisions in relation to the electric arc furnace is universally held…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
Well, I'm happy to look at that, and I don't want to provide an answer without my officials looking at objective sources. I think that it's possible to look at some sources of information, isn't it, in terms of grid connections, which are not decisions that…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
—and where we can, where possible, work at business velocity in decision making. What I would say is, look, we're not going to get there in one quantum leap. This is a process that will—. We want to make progress at pace, but, actually, getting to that…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
Yes, that's decided. And there's more than one factor. So, it's not just about the regulatory framework, which is often where people exclusively focus, but there are different elements to it. They've made some recommendations to us as a Government, and to…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
I think you raise a really central point and I think that Governments right across the democratic world at the moment are asking this very question, and Governments right across the political spectrum, to be honest with you: how can the state build faster…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
I agree with all of that. Taking the different elements, I think we are liaising and discussing with key UK decision makers. So, in relation to grid connection—this world just lives on acronyms, doesn't it—with NGET, National Grid Electricity Transmission…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
Yes, sure. So, as I was alluding to, one part of it is, in essence, working out what electricity demand will be like by 2040, and then, given all the factors that I've just described in terms of electrification as well—. And then part of it is looking at the…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
We're expecting to be publishing the strategy in the coming months, and we'll be updating the committee and the Senedd on timescales and work plans in the coming weeks.
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
Well, work has already begun on our national energy strategy, which as we've set out is going to map out our current and future energy needs, looking forward, certainly to 2040 and possibly beyond. There are long-term gestation periods in this that we need to…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
—which is, yes, complex; some would say cluttered. And I think it certainly is something that we are keen to look at. In the context of the development agency, is there a role for streamlining? Is there a role for simplifying the landscape and making sure as…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
No, I think that, first of all, to your broader point, one of the things that we've asked the design advisory panel to look at is this question that you raise, which is obviously very legitimate, which is about the economic development landscape, if I can…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
Oh, absolutely. And I've met with most of the business representative organisations already and early on in the new administration, precisely for the reason that you suggest, really. I think building as close a relationship as we can with all those business…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
I think procurement is one of the levers that we do have, isn't it? And it's £11 billion, I think, of public sector procurement. That's a significant component of the Welsh economy, isn't it, as a whole? I think that Governments across the world, large and…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
Yes, a really great question, and obviously we've set this goal, but the Government has policies in a wide range of areas, including on fair work, for example, and we're committed to ensuring that our economic interventions and policies—for example, through…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
It's a really interesting question. There are a range of possible targets that you could use, of course. I think that we were clearly of the mind that you needed to have a single overarching goal in order to have clarity so that you could align your…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
It's a really great question. One of the things that we have been focusing on is understanding the reasons for the productivity gap, so decomposing the gap, as economists describe it. So, what are the different elements that are contributing to it? Because it…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
As I said at the outset, we have set out the target of halving that productivity gap that exists at present in terms of productivity per hour. On gross value added, we have been at about 15 per cent lower than the UK average. So, we want to close the gap over…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy
Thank you, Chair. Thank you for the opportunity to appear before the committee. This is the first opportunity for us to have a discussion. I'm looking forward to ongoing engagement in the future. I'll start with some opening remarks, but I'm very eager to go…
, Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy: Welsh Defence Ethical Framework
Thanks to the Member for his question and for the knowledge that he was able to bring to it. As I said, I think, in the statement, where possible we will seek to build on the existing UK framework, where that has a tier of knowledge and information that is…
, Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy: Welsh Defence Ethical Framework
We will, obviously, in developing the detail of the framework, be engaging with companies of all sizes within the sector in order to ensure that, as I said in my statement, the process that we design is proportionate. We recognise the reasonable point that…
, Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy: Welsh Defence Ethical Framework
I'm grateful to the Member for her contribution and for reminding us, in the world that we live in, why this is so important, of course. When we have—. We have, in the case of Israel, of course, and in the case of Myanmar, two states where United Nations…
, Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy: Welsh Defence Ethical Framework
I'm always disappointed when you're disappointed, Janet, and there were so many strands to that, I could be tempted to disappear down a few rabbit holes. But, look, let me just say this: surely there should be some agreement between us that there should be an…
, Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy: Welsh Defence Ethical Framework
I'm really grateful for those comments, questions and suggestions, and also the spirit in which they were made as well. The last point that you were making—I think it’s absolutely important that we will involve trade union partners in the development of the…
, Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy: Welsh Defence Ethical Framework
I'm really grateful—. If the Member has concluded—
, Plenary
Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy: Welsh Defence Ethical Framework
Yes, I'm really—
