Wales keynote seminar
City and Growth Deals in Wales: progress and next steps for delivery
with
David Rosser, Chief Regional Officer, South East Wales, Welsh Government
Councillor Rosemarie Harris, Leader, Powys County Council
Councillor Dyfrig Siencyn, Leader, Gwynedd Council
Councillor Rob Stewart, Leader, City & County of Swansea Council
Professor Mark Barry, Professor of Practice in Connectivity, School of Geography and Planning, Cardiff University.
and
Brian Edy, Swansea University and Dr Barry Walters, Pembrokeshire College
Bydd cyfieithu ar y pryd ar gael yn y gynhadledd hon
Simultaneous translation will be available at this conference
Follow us @PFWEvents | This conference is CPD certified
Morning, Tuesday, 21st April 2020
Central Cardiff
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Note: fees apply for most delegates, but concessionary and complimentary places are available (subject to terms and conditions – see below).
*If you think this conference would be of interest to colleagues please feel free to share this email with them*
Dear Ms Hendrickson-Brown
I am writing to remind you of your invitation to attend the above seminar, which will examine the ongoing process of agreeing and implementing City and Growth Deals in Wales, including developing effective proposals, delivering projects and supporting economic development.
Speakers
There will be keynote addresses from:
- David Rosser, Chief Regional Officer, South East Wales, Welsh Government;
- Councillor Rosemarie Harris, Leader, Powys County Council;
- Councillor Dyfrig Siencyn, Leader, Gwynedd Council;
- Councillor Rob Stewart, Leader, City & County of Swansea Council; and
- Professor Mark Barry, Professor of Practice in Connectivity, School of Geography and Planning, Cardiff University.
Further speakers include: Brian Edy, Director, Steel & Metals Institute, Swansea University and Dr Barry Walters, Principal, Pembrokeshire College.
The agenda in summary
- Assessing agreed and prospective City and Growth Deals in Wales – current state of play;
- Developing proposals going forward – governance, consensus and collaboration;
- Delivering projects: infrastructure, funding and effective project management;
- Economic development, promoting skills and developing research centres; and
- Progress and prospects for City and Growth Deals in Wales.
Context and the focus for discussion
The conference takes place in the context of issues emerging from policy developments, including:
- Head of Terms being signed for the North Wales Growth Deal, with both Welsh and UK Governments committed to investing a total of £240m, in addition to further funding from the private sector and partners – with seven programmes agreed, including projects on digital connectivity, energy, agriculture, manufacturing and skills;
- Welsh Affairs Committee report on City and Growth Deals – with discussion expected on issues such as investment, the process of allocating funding to councils, learning from successful projects, and coordination and communication cross-border and between governments;
- £55m funding announced towards Mid Wales projects, expected to help encourage further private sector investment in the region;
- Reports that £18m funding from the UK and Welsh Governments has been secured for two digital and creative projects as part of the Swansea Bay City Deal;
- The Government’s manifesto pledge for the negotiation of a cross-border Marches Growth Deal, proposed to invest particularly in transport infrastructure;
- Wales Audit Office reviews relating to the Cardiff Capital Region City Deal, on the Deal’s first investment decision and on governance and accountability arrangements since then, finding that the Deal’s arrangements would support decision making well, but that transparency needed to improve; and
- Independent review of the Swansea Bay City Deal, carried out in spring last year for the UK and Welsh Governments, including recommendations to improve the deliverability of the Deal’s outcomes.
Engagement with policy officials at this conference
Policy Forum for Wales conferences typically attract strong interest from policymakers. This seminar will be an opportunity for stakeholders to engage with a range of interested officials who have reserved places from the Welsh Government as well as representatives from: the Department for International Trade; Development Bank of Wales;Welsh European Funding Office; Transport for Wales and Natural Resources Wales.
The details: areas for discussion at this conference
Progress and pace
Delegates will examine the progress of Deals already agreed, in addition to the progress of negotiations to secure further Head of Terms agreements – taking into account the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders in delivering greater economic prosperity, improved skill levels, increased levels of employment and infrastructural development.
Sessions will also examine:
- Strategies which could increase the speed of progress on the Cardiff Capital Region and Swansea Bay City Deals, for example work with key regional partners – taking into account the recommendations of the independent review of the Swansea Deal;
- Issues such as project management, communication, leadership, governance and funding for the Swansea Bay City Deal and for the Deals in Wales more widely; and
- Opportunities and challenges around securing funding and issues such as taking the ‘portfolio’ approach to the overall management of projects within a Deal.
Learning and collaboration between Deals
Sessions will assess what can be learnt around administration, project management and governance that can be applied in North and Mid Wales.
Discussion is also expected on:
- Potential collaboration between those working on City Deals in order to support economic and infrastructural development across Wales; and
- Opportunities for cross-border collaboration between Wales and centres of growth in England, in light of the Welsh Affairs Committee’s recommending closer working cross-border in areas such as skills and infrastructure.
The draft agenda is copied below my signature, and a regularly updated version is available to download here. The seminar is organised on the basis of strict impartiality by the Policy Forum for Wales. Follow us @PFWEvents for live updates.
Speakers
We are delighted to be able to include in this seminar keynote contributions from:David Rosser, Chief Regional Officer, South East Wales, Welsh Government; Councillor Rosemarie Harris, Leader, Powys County Council; Councillor Dyfrig Siencyn, Leader, Gwynedd Council; Councillor Rob Stewart, Leader, City & County of Swansea Council and Professor Mark Barry, Professor of Practice in Connectivity, School of Geography and Planning, Cardiff University.
Further confirmed speakers include: Brian Edy, Director, Steel & Metals Institute, Swansea University and Dr Barry Walters, Principal, Pembrokeshire College.
Additional senior participants are being approached.
Networking
This seminar will present an opportunity to engage with key policymakers and other interested parties, and is CPD certified (more details). Places have been reserved by officials from the Welsh Government; Department for International Trade; Development Bank of Wales;Welsh European Funding Office; Transport for Wales and the Natural Resources Wales. Also due to attend are representatives from the Atkins; Burges Salmon; Capital Law; CreoMedical; Gower College Swansea; Hafod; Innogy Renewables UK; Linc Cymru; Lovell Partnerships; NPTC Group of Colleges; Radioactive Waste Management; Turner & Townsend and Wales Heritage Group.
Overall, we expect speakers and attendees to be a senior and informed group including Members of the National Assembly for Wales and senior officials from the Welsh Government, representatives from local authorities and local government, business organisations, the higher education and further education sector, investors, infrastructure developers, consultancies, lawyers and community groups together with reporters from the national and trade media based in Wales and elsewhere.
Output and About Us
A key output of the seminar will be a transcript of the proceedings, sent out around 12 working days after the event to all attendees and a wider group of Ministers and officials in the Wales Office and Welsh Government departments affected by the issues; as well as Assembly Members with a special interest in the subject. It will also be made available more widely. This document will include transcripts of all speeches and questions and answers sessions from the day, along with access to PowerPoint presentations (subject to agreement with individual speakers), speakers’ biographies, an attendee list, an agenda, sponsor information, as well as any subsequent press coverage of the day and any articles or comment pieces submitted by delegates. It is made available subject to strict restrictions on public use, and is intended to provide timely information for interested parties who are unable to attend on the day.
All delegates will receive complimentary PDF copies and are invited to contribute to the content.
The Policy Forum for Wales is strictly impartial and cross-party. The Forum has no policy agenda of its own.
Booking arrangements
To book places, please use our online booking form.
Once submitted, this will be taken as a confirmed booking and will be subject to our terms and conditions below.
Please pay in advance by credit card on 01344 864796. If advance credit card payment is not possible, please let me know and we may be able to make other arrangements. Options and charges are as follows:
- Places at City and Growth Deals in Wales: progress and next steps for delivery (including refreshments and PDF copy of the transcripts) are £230 plus VAT;
- Concessionary rate places for small charities, unfunded individuals and those in similar circumstances are £85 plus VAT. Please be sure to apply for this at the time of booking.
For those who cannot attend:
- Copies of the briefing document, including full transcripts of all speeches and the questions and comments sessions and further articles from interested parties, will be available approximately 12 days after the event for £95 plus VAT.
- Concessionary rate: £50 plus VAT.
If you find the charge for places a barrier to attending, please let me know as concessionary and complimentary places are made available in certain circumstances (but do be advised that this typically applies to individual service users or carers or the like who are not supported by or part of an organisation, full-time students, people between jobs or who are fully retired with no paid work, and representatives of small charities – not businesses, individuals funded by an organisation, or larger charities/not-for-profit companies). Please note terms and conditions below (including cancellation charges).
