Economy

Debate between Lord Agnew of Oulton and Lord Davies of Gower

Monday 28th September 2020 Lords Chamber

[Lord Agnew of Oulton (Con)]

I share the noble Earl’s concern about the creative sector. I am sure that he is aware of the support being given under the latest SEISS grant extension, which of course will be available to those who were previously in it. But I do accept that we face difficult times.

[Lord Davies of Gower (Con) [V]]

My Lords, following the Chancellor’s Statement last week, the Welsh Labour Government issued this Statement in response:

“More needs to be done to help people find new jobs and incentivise employers to hire new workers.”


They added that there was a need for

“more action on skills, training”

and a

“greater focus on supporting job creation”.

Does the Minister agree that responsibility for the devolved issues of growth and development of business, and support for inward investment and enterprise, rests firmly with the Welsh Government and that they should refrain from passing the buck and get on with accepting their devolved responsibilities?

[Lord Agnew of Oulton (Con)]

I am not quite sure that I heard the full question from my noble friend, but I absolutely agree that inward investment is crucial for the future. As I mentioned in response to an earlier question, I believe that the huge infrastructure projects that we have committed to in the Budget will form part of the regeneration of the economy.