§ 15. Mr. John SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the First Secretary of the National Assembly for Wales and other Cabinet colleagues about the manufacturing industry in Wales. [67886]
§ Mr. Paul MurphyI meet regularly with the First Minister and Cabinet colleagues to discuss a range of issues including manufacturing in Wales.
The Government recognise it is a particularly tough time for manufacturers in the UK, due to the slow down in the world economy and weakness of the euro. However, these problems are not confined to the UK or Wales in particular.
The manufacturing industry is now seeing the first signs that recession in this sector may be coming to an end. The latest CBI and EEF surveys point to stabilisation in manufacturing output over the next three to four months, with the latest CIPS survey even more positive, indicating output may have risen early this year.