WAG bureaucracy slowing down Welsh economic recovery

Cymraeg
English

Kirsty Williams AM <info@kirstywilliams.org.uk>

WAG bureaucracy slowing down Welsh economic recovery - Kirsty

January 20, 2009 12:00 AM

Kirsty Williams, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, today accused the Labour-Plaid government of hindering Welsh economic recovery by lumbering struggling companies and small businesses with layers of bureaucracy through its ProAct scheme.

During First Minister's Questions in the chamber, Kirsty also accused the First Minister of delaying the applications for Convergence Funding for economic regeneration, further hindering economic recovery in the most deprived parts of Wales.

Kirsty said:

"It is difficult to get the First Minister to understand that their ProAct response to the economic crisis is not reacting quickly enough. Whilst I'm fully supportive of the scheme, it was announced in December, and we still haven't seen a single bid approved to struggling companies.

"The scheme is only a three month pilot, yet the approval process for businesses to get on the scheme consists of eight stages.

"People are losing jobs all across Wales and they are losing them now - not in two months, not in eight stages, they are losing their jobs now.

"Money is available for businesses to access and use to train workers who are made redundant; however, it is not getting to the companies.

"The help from government needs to be quicker and much simpler. My worry over the long bureaucratic process of this Labour-Plaid scheme is that companies will find it easier to lay people off rather than training them up for other job opportunities."

Kirsty added:

"European Convergence Funding money is also available to kick-start the economy in the poorest parts of Wales, but the Labour-Plaid government is not taking full advantage of this.

"The people of Wales cannot wait for the wheels of government to turn, they need help now."