Concise Minutes - Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee

Meeting Venue:

Committee room 2 – Senedd

and video conference via Zoom

Meeting date: Thursday, 29 January 2026

Meeting time: 09.32 - 12.40
This meeting can be viewed
on Senedd TV at:
http://senedd.tv/en/15714

Hybrid

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Attendance

Category	Names
Members of the Senedd:	Andrew RT Davies MS (Chair) Hannah Blythyn MS Alun Davies MS Luke Fletcher MS Tom Giffard MS (In place of Samuel Kurtz MS) Jenny Rathbone MS
Witnesses:	Rebecca Evans MS, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning Aine Gawthorpe, Welsh Government Liz Lalley, Welsh Government Heledd Owen, Welsh Government Russell Roberts, Welsh Government Tom Smithson, Welsh Government Neil Surman, Welsh Government
Committee Staff:	Robert Donovan (Clerk) Rachael Davies (Second Clerk) Nicole Haylor-Mott (Deputy Clerk) Sara Moran (Researcher) Lucy Morgan (Researcher) Thomas Morris (Researcher) Katy Orford (Researcher) Gareth David Thomas (Researcher)

<AI1>

1 Introductions, apologies, substitutions, and declarations of interest

1.1     The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.

1.2     Apologies were received from Samuel Kurts MS, with Tom Giffard MS present as a substitute.

1.3     Hannah Blythyn MS sent apologies for Items 1 and 2, and joined the meeting during Item 3.

1.4     Under SO 17.24A, Tom Giffard MS and Luke Fletcher MS declared an interest at the start of the meeting in relation to Item 3.

</AI1>

<AI2>

2 Inward investment: Panel 5

2.1    The Committee heard evidence from Rebecca Evans MS, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Welsh Government, accompanied by officials Russell Roberts and Heledd Owen.

</AI2>

<AI3>

3 Future of Welsh Steel

3.1    The Committee heard evidence from Rebecca Evans MS, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Welsh Government, accompanied by officials Áine Gawthorpe and Neil Surman.

</AI3>

<AI4>

4 Local Growth Fund

4.1    The Committee heard evidence from Rebecca Evans MS, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Welsh Government, accompanied by officials Liz Lalley and Thomas Smithson.

</AI4>

<AI5>

5 Papers to note

5.1    The Committee noted the papers.

</AI5>

<AI6>

5.1 Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee report: Digging the Dirt: Improving Wales’ Soil Health

</AI6>

<AI7>

5.2 Inter-Institutional Relations Agreement

</AI7>

<AI8>

5.3 Inward Investment

</AI8>

<AI9>

5.4 Timetables for Bill scrutiny

</AI9>

<AI10>

5.5 Holyhead Port closure

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5.6 Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE)

</AI11>

<AI12>

5.7 Banning peat compost

</AI12>

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5.8 Development of Tourism and Regulation of Visitor Accommodation (Wales) Bill

</AI13>

<AI14>

6 Motion under Standing Order 17.42(ix) to resolve to exclude the public from the remainder of the meeting

6.1    The Committee agreed the motion to exclude the public from the remainder of this meeting.

</AI14>

<AI15>

7 Inward Investment: Consideration of evidence

7.1    The Committee considered the evidence received under item 2.

</AI15>

<AI16>

8 Future of Welsh Steel: Consideration of evidence

8.1    The Committee considered the evidence received under item 3.

</AI16>

<AI17>

9 Local Growth Fund: Consideration of evidence

9.1    The Committee considered the evidence received under item 4.

</AI17>

<AI18>

10 Legacy report discussion

10.1    The Committee agreed to discuss this item outside of the Committee meeting and return to it at a future date.

</AI18>

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