All talk and no action makes economic recovery slow in Wales – Williams and Randerson

12.00.00am GMT Tue 10th Feb 2009

Following the fourth Economic Summit last week, Kirsty Williams, leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats and Shadow Economy Minister, Jenny Randerson have accused the Labour-Plaid government of failing to clarify how Wales will actively tackle the recession and have praised some local authorities for trying to provide support to local businesses in difficult economic times.

As the Labour Force Survey shows a sharp rise in the unemployment rate and the claimant count stood at 60,200 in December, Welsh families and businesses are struggling. The Labour-Plaid government needs to do more to help businesses and families who face difficult times.

Kirsty Williams said:

"Here we are Four Economic Summits later and no major initiatives to show us how the Labour-Plaid government plan to ease the recession in Wales.

"The economic downturn has already caused devastation, putting many families in a desperate situation. There are few signs that it will ease soon and yet the Labour-Plaid government seems happy to study and talk about the economic recession instead of doing something about it.

"As the Economic Summit met last Friday, 200 people in Llantrisant lost their jobs.

"The Fourth Economic Summit proudly announced nearly £325 million of investment yet there is no way this can be new additional funding. It looks like the Labour-Plaid government are dressing up old money as new money - fooling the people of Wales and giving false hope.

"These Economic Summits are a PR exercise for the government, an attempt to make the government look as if it is acting decisively to the thousands of job losses."

Jenny Randerson, Shadow Economy Minister, said:

"Most economic indicators, from job losses to the construction sector, show that Wales is suffering and the Labour-Plaid government is doing little to turn the economic tide. Government doesn't seem to be able to respond to the recession hitting Wales, proving that they are too slow, centralised and bureaucratic to deal with the crisis.

"I want to see better-funded local authorities providing tailored local solutions to local economic difficulties. The Welsh Lib Dem-led Cardiff Council recently announced £1.2 million of funding on a range of economic support initiatives in the coming year for capital related loans, grants for businesses and support for council training and enterprise centres to help more people back into work.

"I want to see this replicated all across Wales as local authorities are better placed to provide assistance for struggling businesses. The needs of a business in Powys are different to those needs of a business in Cardiff so a one size fits all solution from the Assembly Government wouldn't be quick or effective in times of economic difficulties. And we all know that in times of recession, we need to be quick and effective."