Plaid Cymru debate

Plaid Cymru Leader Leanne Wood set out her vision for Wales' valleys and highlighted the importance of creating jobs with high levels of skills, in order to boost the economy in Wales' poorest communities.

Ms Wood was leading a debate on her parties consultation document 'Greenprint for the Valleys', on 13 June 2012.

The document includes ideas on ways to develop the 'green' potential of the Valleys that is designed to give the area's economy a kickstart while ensuring the environment isn't neglected.

According to Ms Wood, Wales cannot depend alone on big companies to invest in the future of Wales and said that if this was "unlikely before the banking crash, it's very unrealistic now".

Ms Wood stressed the need to create jobs with high level of skills "in a way that keeps the wealth created here circulating in the economy".

Leanne Wood also highlighted the importance of creating cooperatives and community networks for the poorest areas in Wales to thrive.

The Plaid Cymru leader warned that Wales had "little resilience" and that "the people of Wales need to change this."

Ms Wood concluded: "We might not be able to control the storm, but we could build a better, stronger more resilient boat."

On behalf of the Conservatives, Nick Ramsey AM commended Ms Wood on bringing forward her ideas for a stronger economy, however Conservative AM Suzy Davies criticised the document for failing to examine how to develop the private sector in the South Wales Valleys.

Liberal Democrat AM Eluned Parrott also welcomed the opportunity to debate Ms Wood's vision for the Valleys, however emphasised that the document "doesn't have all the answers".

Responding to the debate Housing, Regeneration and Heritage Minister Huw Lewis regretted that the Plaid Cymru document was "produced for a particular electoral purpose".

He said that this was "Plaid's manifesto for the assembly elections in 2011 and local elections in 2012", and that the people of Wales had "twice rejected it".

However Mr Lewis agreed with the principle of the motion and highlighted the government's initiatives to boost the economy across Wales.

Read this in Welsh.