§ 12. Mr. Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield)If he will make a statement on the Welsh Development Agency's support for the manufacturing sector in Wales. [88534]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales (Mr. Peter Hain)The Government are giving considerable support to manufacturing in Wales, but the specific measures being undertaken by the Welsh Development Agency are, of course, a matter for the National Assembly for Wales.
§ Mr. WintertonI am grateful to the Minister for that somewhat inadequate reply. Does he agree with many business men and women in Wales, as well as business 1022 men and women throughout the United Kingdom, that it is one thing for a development agency to offer some support, and quite another thing for the Government to load industry and business with huge additional on-costs, which totally counter that support and make it more and more difficult for manufacturing industry in this country to compete with countries outside Europe that are not loaded with the huge on-costs so typical of the European Union?
§ Mr. HainI acknowledge the hon. Gentleman's interest in and support for manufacturing throughout Britain, and I am sure that that includes Wales. Will he acknowledge that there is now a better climate in Britain for business, including manufacturers, than there has been for generations? That contrasts starkly with the massacre of manufacturing that the Conservative Government carried out in the early 1980s and again 10 years later. Such a policy destroyed manufacturing. This Government's commitment to a healthy business climate to build a high-skill, high-quality economy throughout Britain, including Wales, is achieving success.
§ Mr. Huw Edwards (Monmouth)Does my hon. Friend agree that the Welsh Development Agency provides invaluable support to companies throughout Wales, including a company in my constituency, Cambrian Consultants, which last week was presented with the Queen's award for export achievement? Will he join me in congratulating that company on its outstanding achievement?
§ Mr. HainYes, I will. I acknowledge that success as one of the many successes that businesses are enjoying in Wales, as they strive to turn Wales into a high-quality world-class economy with the backing of the Government's policies.