Scoop - Hey Ieuan and Rhodri listen to Dylan Jones- Evans at last

An all-Wales Economic Summit to discuss the present financial crisis and its impact on the Welsh economy has been announced by the Deputy First Minister . The meeting, which will take place next Thursday, will be chaired by First Minister Rhodri Morgan and attended by Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones with responsibility for the Economy and Transport plus Secretary of State for Wales Paul Murphy. The summit will bring together leaders of some of Wales’s top companies, trade unionists, Wales's Business Partnership Council and representatives of the all the key economic sectors in Wales - including construction, retail and financial services.

This is deja Vue
Saturday, December 29, 2007 Dylan blogged this
Review of 2007
As 2007 comes to an end, it is time to reflect on what has been an interesting twelve months for the Welsh economy.
On the one hand, we have seen economic statistics which have yet again cemented our position at the bottom of the prosperity league table. Only two weeks ago, we found out that Wales now has its lowest ever prosperity level, at 77% of the UK average. This dire economic statistic is compounded by the fact that we have the lowest mean gross weekly earnings for full-time adults in the UK and that the gap with the UK is growing. Business R&D expenditure for Wales in 2006 had fallen by 7% since 2005, as compared with an increase in the UK of 5%. Our export performance has worsened over the last 12 months and the tourism sector has suffered a downturn.
With some economists now predicting a possible recession next year, these statistics are hardly good news for the Welsh economy.
much remains to be done and despite the limited role that the Assembly Government can play, there are still levers at its disposal to make a difference.
For example, the £1.3bn European Convergence Fund programme has still to get off the ground and is critical that the Assembly starts to get key projects in areas such as infrastructure and innovation approved quickly in the New Year.
There also needs to be clarification regarding the potential role of the Assembly in encouraging entrepreneurship within the nation as there is too much fudge within this area amongst civil servants and organisations need to be clear whether the excellent work done by programmes such as the Entrepreneurship Action Plan will continue or whether all these efforts will have been for nothing.
The much criticised Knowledge Bank for Wales needs to step to the mark and deliver the type of support that growth companies are crying out for. We need a vibrant entrepreneurial business community in Wales which is fully supported by Government and the Knowledge Bank certainly has a role to play in this if it can ensure that it does not become a closed shop for a few favourite businesses.
International Business Wales needs to be out there selling Wales and bringing the best of overseas talents to this country and, more importantly, continuing to build links with the new fast growing economies of China and India.
In terms of our education sector, the Webb report has finally given the direction needed to deal with basic skills across Wales which, as many employers would tell you, is one of their biggest concerns in developing their businesses.
However, as the excellent commercialisation review produced by Simon Gibson pointed out earlier this year, there is still too much lost opportunity in terms of intellectual property protection within our university sector and it is time the Assembly started asking real questions on how the higher education sector should, with all its research excellence, be producing the patents which are the foundation of any knowledge-based economy.
Finally, we have a new Minister for Economic Development whose party has always supported the notion of creating a strong indigenous business base in Wales.
As discussed, the challenges he faces in turning round the Welsh economy are enormous but by encouraging enterprise and innovation, especially within our academic and private sectors, he could start delivering the type of change that has been sorely needed here in Wales.
In particular, I would urge him to consider calling an economic summit in early 2008 to bring new ideas to the table from the successful entrepreneurs and businesspeople we have here in Wales. At worst, it would be a wasted few hours for those attending but, at best, there could be the emergence of a whole new approach that finally turns around the fortunes of the Welsh economy.
May be they should have heeded those words - this Summit is a bit stable door being closed etc
I have a feeling that Dylan promoted this in another post , may be if he reads the blogs he could comment.
I wonder if as Head of the Tory Economic Commission he will be invited to the table - he should