Mid Wales Business Support hangs in the Balance (Kirsty Williams AM )

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

Mid Wales Business Support hangs in the Balance

March 31, 2009 12:00 AM

Following the shocking news that essential business support in Mid Wales will be inaccessible until further notice; Kirsty Williams, AM for Brecon and Radnorshire, has tabled an urgent question to the First Minister.

The Welsh Assembly Government offers support to businesses through the Flexible Support for Business service (FS4B), however the service will shortly be unavailable in Mid Wales and risks staying this way for a number of months. The scheme, which was until recently contracted out through Powys County Council, was due to be taken over by Business in Focus of Gwent; but a dispute over staffing arrangements has arisen which is jeopardising the future of the service as it stands.

Kirsty Williams said: "I am deeply concerned that the FS4B is to be unavailable to Mid Wales businesses for the foreseeable future. Particularly when we are in the middle of a recession in which businesses need all the help and support they can get to withstand the extreme financial and psychological pressures.

"The news will also mean yet further job losses at a time when too families are already struggling to make ends meet. Powys County Council will also be impacted by the loss as they may find themselves having to pay redundancy monies which they could not reasonably expected to be liable for. This at a time when their budget settlement has been reduced and they are struggling to maintain frontline services.

"Locally there is great concern that following the re-tendering process the contract will be given back to Business in Focus who will no longer be responsible for TUPE staff. I am calling upon the Welsh Government for reassurances that they will step in to resolve the current crisis and to ensure that both the desperately needed business support and FS4B jobs are retained."