I’m delighted to deliver my first St David’s Day message as the Secretary of State for Wales and I’d like to send my best wishes to everyone celebrating our national day in Wales and around the world.
The future looks bright for our nation in spite of the challenges that we are all facing. The war in Ukraine has meant high energy costs, making life difficult for many. But it has also brought out the best of the community spirit that Wales is so famous for. So many people have welcomed Ukrainian people into their homes, providing sanctuary and a place to call home for those desperately in need.
And it is that same community spirit, coupled with hard work and determination, that is helping us recover from the Covid pandemic and build a prosperous future for Wales.
The UK Government is doing all it can to deliver for the people of Wales. We will soon announce the successful bid for the first Freeport in Wales, which will create jobs and drive growth and prosperity. And earlier this year we announced £208 million for eleven more major Levelling Up projects across Wales, adding to the £160m previously committed to more than 170 Welsh levelling up projects and around £790 million to progress growth deals covering every part of the country.
Wales has an incredibly important part to play in future green technology, with the huge potential for floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea, marine energy, nuclear and industrial decarbonisation.
We have the world’s first compound semiconductor cluster in South Wales, supported by investment from the UK Government, and fast-growing media production and FinTech industries. And our famous food and drink sector continues to thrive.
And of course we have wonderful countryside, a beautiful coastline and vibrant cities and towns which make Wales such an attractive tourist destination.
But this exciting future for Wales is only possible because of the people who contribute their energy and passion to making our communities great places to live. Happy St David’s Day to you all.