Concise Minutes - Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee

Meeting Venue:

Committee room 5 - Tŷ Hywel

Meeting date: Thursday, 9 October 2025

Meeting time: 09.30 - 12.41
This meeting can be viewed
on Senedd TV at:
http://senedd.tv/en/15380

Hybrid

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Attendance

Category	Names
Members of the Senedd:	Andrew RT Davies MS (Chair) Hannah Blythyn MS Luke Fletcher MS Samuel Kurtz MS Jenny Rathbone MS
Witnesses:	Jason Bartlett, Unite the Union Tom Hoyles, GMB Chris Jaques, Tata Steel Alasdair McDiarmid, Community Union Rajesh Nair, Tata Steel Wayne Thomas, Tata Steel Ian Williams, Tata Steel
Committee Staff:	Robert Donovan (Clerk) Rachael Davies (Second Clerk) Nicole Haylor-Mott (Deputy Clerk) Sara Moran (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 Alun Davies MS – the Chair noted this, and welcomed Alun to the Committee on the record, following his successful election.

1.3 Under SO 17.24A, Hannah Blythyn MS, Luke Fletcher MS and Jenny Rathbone MS all declared an interest.

</AI1>

<AI2>

2 Future of Welsh Steel: Panel 1

2.1     The Committee heard evidence from Rajesh Nair (Tata Steel UK), and Chris Jaques (Tata Steel UK).

</AI2>

<AI3>

3 Future of Welsh Steel: Panel 2

3.1     The Committee heard evidence from Alasdair McDiarmid (Community Union), (Jason Bartlett, Unite the Union Wales), and Tom Hoyles (GMB Union).

</AI3>

<AI4>

4 Future of Welsh Steel: Panel 3

4.1     The Committee heard evidence from Ian Williams (Unite / Multi Union Committee, Tata Steel Port Talbot), and also from Wayne Thomas (Multi Union Committee, Tata Steel Port Talbot), who attended on the day in place of Dan Williams.

</AI4>

<AI5>

5 Papers to note

5.1     The Committee noted the papers.

</AI5>

<AI6>

5.1 Aberthaw procurement

</AI6>

<AI7>

5.2 Global Centre of Rail Excellence

</AI7>

<AI8>

5.3 Reviewing Committee Effectiveness in the Sixth Senedd

</AI8>

<AI9>

5.4 Follow-up from the Committee meeting held on 17 July 2025: Junior apprenticeships

</AI9>

<AI10>

6 Motion under Standing Order 17.42(ix) to resolve to exclude the public from the remainder of today's meeting, Standing Order 17.42(vi) for the whole of the meeting on 16 October 2025, and Standing Orders 17.42(vii) and 17.42(ix) for the whole of the meeting on 22 October 2025

6.1     The Committee agreed the motion.

</AI10>

<AI11>

7 Future of Welsh Steel: Consideration of evidence

7.1     The Committee discussed the evidence heard under items 2, 3 and 4, and agreed to draft follow-up correspondence to seek further information.

</AI11>

<AI12>

8 International trade monitoring report discussion

8.1     The Committee agreed to return to considering this report at next week’s meeting.

</AI12>

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