North Wales growth deal created just 35 jobs in first five years, Senedd told
Just 35 jobs were created under the North Wales Growth Deal in its first five years of operation, with £1.8 million of private capital attracted to the region — figures put to the Welsh Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Economy as a Senedd committee pressed for answers on growth deal delivery.
Rebecca Evans, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, faced scrutiny at the Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee on 25 February, where she was also asked to account for the structure of a new local growth fund that will replace the current deal programme.
Committee chair Andrew R.T. Davies MS (Conservative) cited the jobs figures in putting the case that the growth deal’s oversight mechanisms had fallen short.
“We saw last summer, for example, in north Wales, only 35 jobs had been created as a total in that particular growth deal, and £1.8 million-worth of private capital had been brought in.”
Mr Davies asked whether regular government meetings with the Corporate Joint Committees administering the deals were producing meaningful results.
“Are those meetings just, ‘Pass the chocolate hobnobs’? What is actually coming out of those meetings?”
Ms Evans acknowledged the record but said the picture had improved. She told the committee that over £100 million of the deal’s £240 million pot is now committed, and that the most recent external review showed progress.
“The most recent external integrated assurance annual review, which was in November, did show a significant improvement, with the deal moving from a red to an amber rating in north Wales.”
On the question of whether Corporate Joint Committees are the right bodies to run the new local growth fund — a concern raised in the Welsh Government’s own consultation — Ms Evans said she had concluded they should continue in that role.
“But I absolutely recognise the points that were made in our consultation around whether or not the CJCs were the correct bodies to deliver the programmes underneath the local growth fund. On consideration, I think as the CJCs already have in place the regional transport plans, the regional strategic plans for the economy and so on, and have a range of other responsibilities, they are still the right vehicles to deliver that.”
Ms Evans said a transitional year had been agreed before the local growth fund moves into full delivery, and that the Welsh Government was providing funding through the fund to strengthen CJCs’ capacity. A Wales-wide advisory board would form part of the oversight structure.
On specific performance targets for the new fund, the committee was told the framework is still being developed.
“The local growth fund will have outcome-focused key performance indicators. We’ll be able to say a bit more about that in due course as well.”
Mr Davies asked whether comparable performance measures had existed under the current deal.
“…were there measurable outcomes before? Because you’re talking as if this is a eureka moment and you’ve discovered measurable outcomes.”
Liz Lalley, director for economic strategy and policy at the Welsh Government, said previous measures had been in place but the current discussion was specifically about the new programme.
“There were measurable outcomes before, but I’m talking about the local growth fund and something that is new that we will be putting in place to go forward.”
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