Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford has claimed that it is easier to conduct business and attract investment into Wales than in England, as a result of its stable government. Through a number of jeers from opposition Senedd members, Mr Drakeford's statement came in response to a question asked by Conservative MS James Evans.
He said: "One of the thing that investors say to us—the difference in dealing with a stable Government here in Wales, compared to attempting to deal with, what would it be, the eighth or ninth Secretary of State for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in the last couple of years..."
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Mr Drakeford was then interrupted by Conservative Senedd Members to which he responded: "I am simply telling you what companies say to us, that when they deal with Wales, they have a stable landscape, they have a set of arrangements that they know are available, they have stability at the political level, and, for them, that is a very significant contrast with the experience of trying to deal with a UK Government where 'stability' is hardly the watchword."
Mr Evans' initial question related to delays in a response to a major international company looking to invest between £100-150 million pounds in a research and development centre in his constituency.
According to Mr Evans the unnamed company has found the Welsh government’s economic department has been so slow that they are reconsidering their investment favouring a move abroad instead.
First Minister Drakeford welcomed the investment opportunity and went on to defend the government. “Wherever there are genuine opportunities for us to play our part in companies coming to provide good quality, reliable investment in Wales that is what we will want to do,” he said.
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