7. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on support for small businesses in Wales? OAQ(5)0171(EI)[W]

Small businesses play an important role in the Welsh economy and we continue to provide support for entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized enterprises to sustain and grow in Wales through the dedicated Business Wales service and, indeed, through infrastructure investment in our infrastructure.

Wrexham council spends some £200 million per annum on procuring goods and services through public procurement. Less than a quarter of that, as is far too common across Wales, is with companies within the county, and around half is issued to companies in England. That’s a loss of some £100 million per annum to the Welsh economy. Now, there are potatoes for school dinners coming from Rochdale, although there is a potato distributing company in the town. There is bread for school lunches coming from Liverpool, although companies such as Village Bakery are more than able to provide that produce. So, with new councils being formed across Wales over the next few weeks, what’s your message to Welsh councils in terms of improving the very disappointing record that we have at the moment in terms of public procurement in Wales?

I think it’s very important that councils scope out opportunities for the business community in their respective areas to ensure that businesses are registered on the Sell2Wales database. At the moment, it’s got something in the region of 34,000 registered suppliers. It’s essential that we go on building the database, and that local authority economic development units and procurement units work closely with business organisations—with Business Wales in particular—in disseminating information about the opportunities that are there at the moment, and which could emerge in the coming months. I think there’s a huge opportunity with the work that will take place on a regional footing in local government to better scope out and better disseminate the information that is required by businesses to win important procurement projects and to be part of a growing area of the economy in Wales.