9. Will the First Minister make a statement on Welsh Government support for the manufacturing industry? OAQ(5)0606(FM)

We continue to take a broad range of actions to support the manufacturing sector across Wales.

Figures released last week show that UK industrial output shrank for a third month in a row, with the manufacturing sector falling by 0.6 per cent, and the UK’s trade deficit doubling to more than £10.5 billion. As a country here in Wales with a proud industrial and manufacturing past, it’s sad that the proportion of apprenticeships in manufacturing fell from 6 per cent in 2006 to a dismal 2 per cent in 2014. Those are StatsWales’s figures, in case the First Minister wants to accuse me again of misrepresenting the facts.

Does the First Minister agree with me that it is unacceptable to dither for over a year with a new economic and industrial plan for this country? What hope is there for a future in industry for Wales on a global level when we’re not providing the next generation with the skills to deliver?

Well, can I remind him that it is a key commitment of this Government that we will fund a 100,000 apprenticeship for people of all ages over the course of this Assembly term, something that we think is hugely important? He’s right to point out that manufacturing is of greater importance to the Welsh economy than it is for the UK as a whole. Some 10.8 per cent of the Welsh workforce are in manufacturing compared to 7.6 per cent for the UK. I do not accept what he says about dithering: we brought Aston Martin into Wales; we brought Qatar Airways into Wales. At the moment, the advanced materials and manufacturing sector team is currently working with 88 companies, wishing to locate or expand in Wales. So, far from dithering, we’ve been hugely active and the investment figures speak for themselves.