Following the announcement by the Minister for Business, Enterprise, Technology and Science of the proposed enterprise zones to be set up around Wales, Cllr Janet Finch-Saunders, Assembly Member for Aberconwy, challenged the Minister to pro-actively bring investment and enterprise to North Wales.
Janet said: “I support the proposed enterprise zones and I fully welcome the proposed rate relief and tax breaks.
“However, I want to know how the Minister will be pro-actively bringing investment and enterprise into Wales and improving business support in North Wales.
Janet called on the Minister to commit to recognising the full potential of North Wales as an important contributor to the Welsh labour market and asked what real action the Minister was taking to encourage investment and enterprise in North Wales.
The Minister failed to answer, merely reiterating the Welsh Government’s proposals for enterprise zones and focusing on Wales as a whole. Janet’s criticisms come from disturbing statistics that show very low levels of committed expenditure to North Wales from the ProAct and ReAct schemes.
Janet said: “According to the latest published statistics, North Wales had under 13% and 11% of the committed expenditure figures in Wales for the ProAct and ReAct programmes respectively. I see this as a gross failing of businesses in North Wales by the Welsh Government.”