§ 25. Mrs. Betty WilliamsTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the impact of the 2000 Budget on small and medium-sized enterprises in Wales. [118460]
§ Mr. Paul MurphyI have regular discussions with the First Secretary and discuss a wide range of issues including the Budget and other related matters.
The Chancellor's Budget is excellent news for Wales. It allows the National Assembly for Wales to provide extra resources to support enterprise including help via Welsh Training and Enterprise Councils for over 1,000 new business start-ups. The Budget also sets out a substantial
532W
Welsh Executive and Advisory non-departmental public bodies Number of members Name of body 1995 1996 1997 1998 Executive Bodies Agricultural Wages Committee 12 12 11 12 Arts Council of Wales 18 18 18 18 Cardiff Bay Development Corporation 14 13 11 13 Countryside Council for Wales 7 8 7 12 Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales 13 13 13 15 Development Board for Rural Wales 11 12 13 12 Further Education Funding Council for Wales 11 10 10 14 Higher Education Funding Council for Wales 10 11 7 10 Housing for Wales 6 7 1— 1— Land Authority for Wales 8 8 8 8 package of tax and spending measures that build on existing measures to help small and medium-sized enterprises up the ladder of opportunity.