Agenda - Economy, Trade, and Rural Affairs Committee

Meeting Venue:

Committee room 5 - Tŷ Hywel

and video conference via Zoom

Meeting date: 18 December 2025

Meeting time: 09.30
For further information contact:

Robert Donovan

Committee Clerk

0300 200 6565

SeneddEconomy@senedd.wales

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Private pre-meeting

09.15 - 09.30

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Public session

09.30 - 12.35

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1 Introductions, apologies, substitutions, and declarations of interest

09.30

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2 Local Growth Fund: Panel 1

09.30 - 10.30 (Pages 1 - 23)

Meirion Thomas, Wales Director, Industrial Communities Alliance

Professor Kevin Morgan, Professor of Governance and Development - School of Geography and Planning, Cardiff University

Professor Paul Boyle, Vice-Chancellor (Swansea University), Universities Wales

Attached Documents:
Research brief

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Break

10.30 - 10.40

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3 Local Growth Fund: Panel 2

10.40 - 11.25

Councillor Jake Berriman, Leader of Powys County Council, and Chair of the Mid Wales Corporate Joint Committee

Councillor Rob Stewart, Leader of Swansea Council, and Chair of the South West Wales Corporate Joint Committee

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Break

11.25 - 11.35

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4 Local Growth Fund: Panel 3

11.35 - 12.35

Brian Hughes, Founder, Energy Box

Joshua Miles, Head of Wales, FSB Wales (Federation of Small Businesses)

Lowri Owain, Manager, Cadwyn Clwyd

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5 Papers to note

12.35

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5.1 Development of Tourism and Regulation of Visitor Accommodation (Wales) Bill: follow-up from the evidence session held on 13 November 2025

(Pages 24 - 26)

Attached Documents:
Response letter from Rent Smart Wales - 28 November 2025

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5.2 Development of Tourism and Regulation of Visitor Accommodation (Wales) Bill consultation: written evidence

(Pages 27 - 79)

Attached Documents:
Consultation response (late submission) - Swansea Council - 28 November 2025
Additional evidence - Booking.com - 28 November 2025
Additional evidence - MWT Cymru (Mid Wales Tourism) - 28 November 2025
Additional evidence - North Wales Holiday Cottages - 27 November 2025
Additional evidence - PASC UK - 28 November 2025 (1)
Additional evidence - PASC UK - 28 November 2025 (2)
Additional evidence - Short Term Accommodation Association - 28 November 2025

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5.3 The Biocidal Products (Data Protection Periods) (Amendment) Regulations 2025

(Pages 80 - 81)

Attached Documents:
Letter from the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs - 2 December 2025

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5.4 Inter-Institutional Relations Agreement

(Page 82)

Attached Documents:
Meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Group for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - Letter from the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs to the Chair of the Legislation, Justice and Constitution Committee - 5 December 2025

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5.5 EU-MERCOSUR Free Trade Agreement

(Pages 83 - 85)

Attached Documents:
Response letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning - 11 December 2025

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5.6 Follow-up information from the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2026-27 scrutiny session held on 26 November 2026

(Pages 86 - 90)

Attached Documents:
Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning and the Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership - 11 December 2025

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

12.35

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Private session

12.35 - 13.05

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7 Local Growth Fund: Consideration of evidence

12.35 - 12.50

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8 Food Processing: Consideration of Draft Report

12.50 - 13.05 (To Follow)

Attached Documents:
Draft report

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