News

Modernising and simplifying the processes behind developing infrastructure projects in Wales is at the heart of a new bill laid before the Senedd today (Monday, June 12).

• New £20m SMART Flexible Innovation Support (SMART FIS) programme designed to invest in new cutting-edge research and innovation that will improve people’s lives.
• Supporting organisations to innovate will help create new products and services, improve skills, helping to develop RD&I capability and capacity to support sustainable growth.
• Ministers also launching £10m Circular Economy Fund for Business to support them move towards a circular, net zero carbon economy. 

• New Retail Action Plan, developed in social partnership, contains actions that contribute to delivering shared vision of a fairer and more resilient retail sector.
• Plan aims to improve the prospects of the retail sector and those who work within it.
• Key actions to strengthen the sector during a period of significant change.

The UK Government must do more to support businesses in Wales facing ever-increasing energy costs, Economy Minister Vaughan Gething has said.

Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething was in Port Talbot today to congratulate the Celtic Freeport consortium on their successful bid to be Wales’ first freeport, which is set to deliver tens of thousands of new, high-quality jobs in south west Wales.

Education and Welsh Language Minister Jeremy Miles has today (Friday March 24^th) announced three new net zero carbon schools will be built, one in north Wales, one in south-west Wales and a third in south-east Wales.

• Two new freeports set to be established in Wales - Celtic Freeport covering Milford Haven and Port Talbot, and Anglesey Freeport in North Wales.
• Both freeports aim to attract £4.9bn in public and private investments, with the potential to create around 20,000 jobs by 2030.
• Freeports designed to enhance Welsh Government investment and policies for stronger, fairer, greener local economies.

Schools and colleges across Wales are set to benefit from £60m in funding to make buildings more energy efficient. The Minister for Education and Welsh Language Jeremy Miles has announced £50m for schools and £10m in funding for Further Education colleges.

• New net zero skills plan sets out vision of the role skills will play in moving Wales away from the fossil-fuelled economy of the past to a new low carbon future, as part of a just transition.
• Net zero jobs will become the cornerstone of the new industries of the future, that very likely don’t yet exist.
• Economy Minister launches new plan to ensure today’s children and workers will have the skills required to work in the new jobs of tomorrow’s net zero economy.

The First Minister's message to the people of Wales on St David's Day

A new £22.9m Farming Connect programme will be available for farmers in Wales over the next two years to support them as they prepare to move to the new Sustainable Farming Scheme, Minister for Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths announced today.

A Welsh Government funded inhaler recycling scheme is helping NHS Wales reduce its carbon emissions and work towards Net Zero ambitions, as a funding pot opens for the social and primary and community care sectors worth £800,000.