May 2020
Price: £95 PLUS VAT
Format: DOWNLOADABLE PDF
***Full-scale policy conference taking place online***
Stakeholders and policymakers at this conference 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.
Areas for discussion:
- Progress of deals already agreed and negotiations on further Head of Terms agreements;
- Roles and responsibilities of stakeholders in delivering greater economic prosperity, improved skill levels, boosted levels of employment, and increase infrastructure development;
- Recommendations of the independent review of the Swansea Deal, including work with key regional partners, and supporting progress on the Cardiff Capital Region and Swansea Bay City Deals;
- Lessons learned around administration, project management and governance - and how they can be applied in North and Mid Wales - as well as:
- how to promote collaboration and share best practice across Wales and the UK,
- potential working between City Deals to support economic and infrastructural development across Wales; and
- cross-border collaboration between Wales and centres of growth in England - particularly in areas such as skills and infrastructure.
- Delivery of key projects - particularly in the transport network, including:
- how projects are selected,
- ensuring they fit with wider national strategies such as the Welsh Infrastructure Investment Plan and the Welsh Budget,
- developing coordination between different city region deal and growth deal areas in major transport projects including the South Wales Metro,
- tackling challenges to infrastructure project development - including securing funding and coordinated decision-making on delivery.
- Building Wales’ skills base, including
- increasing skill levels still further in areas with high levels such as the Cardiff City Region,
- how to effectively identify regional priorities for skills investment, and
- the role of industry in addressing skills gaps and shortages and the support that might be required.
Developments that are relevant to the discussion:
It takes place with:
- Recent announcements in the UK Budget, including support for an independent economic review of the Western Gateway;
- 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.
The agenda:
- Assessing agreed and prospective City and Growth Deals in Wales - the current state of play;
- Developing proposals going forward - governance, consensus, and collaboration;
- Key issues for delivering projects: developing infrastructure, securing funding, and
ensuring effective project management; - Supporting economic development, promoting skills, and developing research centres; and
- Progress and prospects for City and Growth Deals in Wales.
Policy officials attending
Our forums are known for attracting strong interest from policymakers and stake holders.
It’s certainly the case with this one. Places have been reserved by officials from the Welsh Government; the Development Bank of Wales; the Welsh European Funding Office; Transport for Wales; Natural Resources Wales; BEIS; DWP; Ministry of Justice and the Department for International Trade.
This is a full-scale conference taking place online***
- full, four-hour programme including comfort breaks - you’ll also get a full recording to refer back to
- information-rich discussion involving key policymakers and stakeholders
- conference materials provided in advance, including speaker biographies
- speakers presenting via webcam, accompanied by slides if they wish
- opportunities for live delegate questions and comments with all speakers
- a recording of the addresses, all slides cleared by speakers, and further materials, is made available to all delegates afterwards as a permanent record of the proceedings
- delegates are able to add their own written comments and articles following the conference, to be distributed to all attendees and more widely
- networking too - there will be opportunities for delegates to e-meet and interact - we’ll tell you how!
Full information and guidance on how to take part will be sent to delegates before the conference
