Written question WQ96940
- Asked by
- Samuel KurtzConservative
- To be answered by
- Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning
- Tabled
- Due
- Answered
- Time to answer
- 7 days
Question
What specific support is the Welsh Government providing to help rural small and medium-sized enterprises grow and create local employment?
Answer
Answered by Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning
Our plans to grow the economy are set out within the Economic Mission: Priorities for a Stronger Economy.
A wide range of support is available to support businesses throughout rural Wales, through services such as Business Wales, Social Business Wales and the Development Bank of Wales, as well as on-going support for skills development, communications infrastructure and the considerable investment into the various Growth and City Deals.
Farming Connect provides an innovative programme to support the farming industry in delivering greater sustainability, improved competitiveness, and improved environmental performance for farming businesses in line with sustainable land management objectives. A coordinated and modular offering is available to support the progression of businesses through current and upcoming challenges and opportunities. Farming Connect provides confidential and bespoke subsidised advice to agricultural businesses on a range of topics, including business planning and diversification.
In Mid Wales, for example, we continue to take decisions alongside our partners focusing on creating an environment where more young people feel confident about planning ambitious futures, closer to home. £110m has been committed by both Governments to support the Mid Wales Growth Deal to deliver a portfolio of interventions aimed at improving the economy of the region and generating investment of over £400m and creating over 1,100 jobs over the 10-15 years of the programme.
Our Mid Wales Regional Economic Frameworks highlights the importance of the rural economy, tourism, agriculture and food sectors alongside the need to continue to support the creation of high-quality jobs in a range of sectors areas, including manufacturing, the green economy, as well as building on the opportunities associated with key assets such as IBERS, universities etc. A partnership approach, working closely with key partners and stakeholders in local authorities, the wider public sector, the third and voluntary sector, as well as with the private sector is key to delivering against these priorities.