§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the First Secretary concerning the development of the knowledge-based economy in Deeside. [118186]
§ Mr. Paul MurphyI have regular meetings with the First Secretary and discuss a wide range of issues including the knowledge economy.
The Government and the National Assembly for Wales recognise the importance of putting to productive commercial use more of the knowledge and technologies that lie within our universities and colleges. For example, Wales leads the rest of the UK in introducing the Colleges and Businesses in Partnership scheme, under which businesses undertake strategically important developments with the benefit of access to relevant academic expertise from the further education sector.