English: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Thank you for the opportunity to lead my first short debate. It was said in the late 1970s that, if every small firm took on one more employee, the unemployment problem would be solved. Indeed, with 4.2 million small firms in the UK our minds would soon turn to the problem of a shortage of labour. It appeared that, in the 1980s, the Thatcher Government took this absurd proposition vaguely seriously and for a time we heard of the enterprise economy coming to our salvation as traditional industry was strategically abandoned. I believe that small and medium-sized firms in Wales have the potential to contribute to the growth and development of our economy nonetheless. However, I'm under no illusion that they will solve all our problems, and they alone will not insulate us from the global uncertainties that are currently being created by politicians offering solutions to difficult problems in 140-character tweets. I want to use this debate today to pose a number of questions about the role and value of SMEs to the Welsh economy, and I want this debate to be the opening, from these benches, of a wider debate that will contribute to the future development of this Assembly's economic strategy, and I want all parties and none to play a part. It's for this reason that I've established and chair the cross-party group on small and medium-sized enterprises. With a secretariat provided by the Federation of Small Businesses, it will hold its first full meeting in the new year. I hope this group will hear from a range of academics who, by their own proclamation, have been excluded from the policy-making process here in Wales, and therefore I hope they take up the challenge. I also want businesses themselves to play a part, to tell their stories, and for those stories to be heard by policy makers. Today I will set out as much as I can my own views about areas that we may focus on in future debates. I am perfectly happy to be told that I am wrong, or at the very least that my understanding needs further refinement. My only intention is to provide a foundation on which further ideas can be built. In this context, I would like to briefly focus on two areas. Firstly, what is the role of SMEs in our economy, and, secondly, where are these businesses, and are they in the right place? I believe that it's a mistake to see our small firms simply as engines of employment. The SME sector, though large, is also heterogeneous and fragmented. The role of SMEs in job creation is anyway disputed by academics. Some like Birch have claimed that they play a huge role in job creation, and others more recently have argued that their lack of durability means that small-firm employment is too insecure to be considered a long-term option for many seeking work. Notwithstanding that dispute, there's a distinction between policy makers' desire for small-firm job creation and the indifference of owner-managers to such aspirations. SME owner-managers are undoubtedly reluctant employers, and indeed I entitled my PhD thesis 'The Reluctant Employer'. Indeed, why would any sensible owner-manager choose to employ - [Interruption.] Thank you to the member for Llanelli. Why would any sensible owner-manager choose to employ when there are cheaper, more accessible, trusted alternatives? A great many owner-managers have reliable sources of support available to them at least in the medium term. They may be in the form of strong ties to family and friends who will help in the running of the business, but over time the manager will form relationships with other business associates who provide mutually dependable support that goes well beyond a transactional relationship. Access to this social capital is vital for the early development and growth of the firm. So perhaps instead of seeking economic salvation from our small firms sector we should look instead at what small firms actually do - things that are fundamental to our daily lives. I would add that the public and private sector are inextricably linked, and we should be suspicious of any policy maker who suggests that it would be in any way easy for private firms to take up the slack from reductions in public activity. With such studies as 'Towards a New Settlement' by Dave Adamson and Mark Lang, and 'What Wales Could Be' by Karel Williams, academics have examined how we should re-orientate our economy here in Wales. They talk of moving towards a locally based and sustainable structure, with SMEs benefitting from strong procurement policy in which the Welsh Government takes a proactive lead. Indeed, Professor Adamson and Dr Lang are currently undertaking a micro deep place study in Lansbury Park in my constituency and I look forward to examining the outcomes. The work of Professor Williams forms a key part of what is called the foundational economy - those businesses that provide us with our basic everyday needs. And I'm keen to explore these ideas, however, they will come to nothing if their value cannot be coherently and concisely explained to both those making policy and those benefitting from it. We should all, therefore, support the efforts of Lee Waters, the Member for Llanelli, who has made it his mission to explore these issues with business owners and residents in Llanelli. You may have seen it on Twitter. He has recently held focus meetings to discuss the needs of businesses and business users in his constituency, and I know that there are other Members of this Parliament that are taking similar approaches in their own areas, and I look, also, to the Plaid benches. I have to say, though, when Lee first told me he wanted to develop an economic strategy for Llanelli, I thought he might have bitten off more than he could chew, but anyone who knows Lee will know his tenacity and his desire to make innovative ideas work for the people he represents. You don't get elected to Llanelli any other way. I've given him, and for the same reason, Steffan Lewis, a minute of this debate today and if there's time, I'd also like to offer Russell George some time to respond too - [Interruption]. Well, he asked me late. While not creating anything as grand as an economic strategy, I and my team have conducted our own research in the Caerphilly constituency. We talked to a range of business owners and customers and time and again, the conversations turned to the high street. Our town centres have come under a lot of pressure in the last decade or so due to a number of factors: the rise of internet shopping, out-of-town retail parks, costs of commercial rent and non-domestic rates. We have to ask ourselves now, 'What do we want our twenty-first century town centres to look like, and do SMEs have a meaningful role as a thriving, accessible and visible part of our communities?' Much of the evidence I've gathered suggests that we need localised conversations. Different town centres should be allowed to have their own unique personalities and this can be seen in all our constituencies. Yesterday evening, I discussed with an AM from another party these issues. She suggested we need to make intelligent and innovative use of vacant space in town centres. She said we shouldn't be afraid to make the central business district smaller and use vacant shops for housing and flats. The remaining space should be given over to businesses that are going to thrive in that environment, but the space should no longer be seen as premium value. Such an approach would work in her constituency, she argued, and if it proves to be unpopular, I'll note that it was an AM from another party. It might not work everywhere, which is why localised approaches are required, but in this thinking, we can see, cross-party, the germination of a new way of thinking about small firms. In my constituency, there exists an innovation centre for start-up businesses called Welsh ICE. I've mentioned them before in this Chamber and they were identified as an example of good practice in the Welsh Labour manifesto in May. Yet again, they were mentioned in the 'Western Mail' this morning: 'Five start-ups are reaping the rewards of being put on ICE' - being part of Welsh ICE. And £1 million funding coming to Welsh ICE. Many of these firms that exist there are direct customer enterprises and I wonder, why are they located on a business park on the edge of town? Is there a way to incentivise their development closer to the action? Given the importance of social connections, of connections to social capital, is there a benefit in doing so? Perhaps this is something we should investigate. Government at all levels has the power to make these things happen. Indeed, we can use future reform of public service organisations and future collaboration in local government as an opportunity to look at how to better engage SMEs and deliver on our objectives. Jeremy Miles has written this week about a social enterprise economy whereby the public sector buys goods and services from social businesses, helping maintain resilient supply chains and, yes, social capital. These approaches have the potential to change our economy here in Wales. Perhaps it can be a way in which we make the best of uncertainties about Brexit, although there are no UKIP Members left here to listen to that. This does not mean turning away from the global economy of which Wales has long been a part. It means reducing the emphasis of Government policy on foreign direct investment - something that has characterised our economic development since the days of the WDA and, subsequently, the economic renewal programme. GE, Norgine and Nuaire are big players in and around Caerphilly and I would feel quite hostile to anyone who questioned their value. However, we should be arguing for a broader based economy that focuses on sustainable growth and employment without too much emphasis on inward investment. We need an economy that focuses on particular sectors; SMEs that are rooted in our communities and that have an interest in sustainable growth, without too much of a preoccupation on firms that are fast-growth and high-tech. Let's look to the future. Our small firms are not our economic salvation and the sector should not be seen as an engine for employment. They have very specific needs. Instead, we should see our SMEs as part of a bigger puzzle. It's time to take a step back and consider how we can maximise their potential. It's Small Business Saturday on 3 December, so I wanted to time this debate to lead up to this day, where we show support for the role of small businesses in our society and in our economy, and more generally. However, Small Business Saturday is just one day. We can use this debate and that day to kick-start a bigger conversation about the roles that SMEs play in engaging with the wider economy and how this can help us grow successful SMEs that have huge value to the Welsh context.
Welsh: Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Diolch am y cyfle i gyflwyno fy nadl fer gyntaf. Dywedwyd ar ddiwedd y 1970au pe bai pob cwmni bach yn cyflogi un gweithiwr arall y byddai problem diweithdra yn cael ei datrys. Yn wir, gyda 4.2 miliwn o gwmnïau bach yn y DU byddai ein meddyliau'n troi yn fuan at broblem prinder llafur. Mae'n ymddangos bod Llywodraeth Thatcher, yn y 1980au, wedi bod yn lled o ddifrif ynglŷn â'r honiad hurt hwn ac am gyfnod clywsom am yr economi fenter yn dod i'n hachub wrth i ddiwydiant traddodiadol gael ei anghofio'n strategol. Credaf fod gan gwmnïau bach a chanolig eu maint yng Nghymru y potensial i gyfrannu at dwf a datblygiad ein heconomi er hynny. Fodd bynnag, nid wyf o dan unrhyw gamargraff y byddant yn datrys ein holl broblemau, ac ni fyddant, ar eu pen eu hunain, yn ein hynysu rhag yr ansicrwydd byd-eang sy'n cael ei greu ar hyn o bryd gan wleidyddion yn cynnig atebion i broblemau anodd mewn trydariadau 140 cymeriad. Rwyf am ddefnyddio'r ddadl hon heddiw i ofyn nifer o gwestiynau am rôl a gwerth busnesau bach a chanolig i economi Cymru, ac rwyf am i'r ddadl fod yn agoriad, o'r meinciau hyn, i ddadl ehangach a fydd yn cyfrannu at ddatblygiad strategaeth economaidd y Cynulliad hwn yn y dyfodol, ac rwyf am i bob plaid yn ddiwahân chwarae ei rhan. Am y rheswm hwn y sefydlais ac rwy'n cadeirio'r grŵp trawsbleidiol ar fentrau bach a chanolig eu maint. Gyda'r Ffederasiwn Busnesau Bach yn darparu'r ysgrifenyddiaeth, bydd yn cynnal ei gyfarfod llawn cyntaf yn y flwyddyn newydd. Rwy'n gobeithio y bydd y grŵp hwn yn clywed gan amrywiaeth o academyddion sydd, yn ôl eu honiad eu hunain, wedi cael eu heithrio o'r broses o lunio polisi yma yng Nghymru, ac felly rwy'n gobeithio y byddant yn derbyn yr her. Rwyf am i fusnesau eu hunain chwarae rhan hefyd, i adrodd eu straeon, ac i'r straeon hynny gael eu clywed gan y rhai sy'n llunio polisi. Heddiw, byddaf yn nodi cymaint ag y gallaf o fy marn fy hun ynglŷn â'r meysydd y gallwn ganolbwyntio arnynt mewn dadleuon yn y dyfodol. Rwy'n berffaith fodlon i rywun ddweud wrthyf fy mod yn anghywir, neu o leiaf fod angen mireinio fy nealltwriaeth ymhellach. Fy unig fwriad yw darparu sylfaen ar gyfer datblygu syniadau pellach. Yn y cyd-destun hwn, hoffwn ganolbwyntio'n fyr ar ddau faes. Yn gyntaf, beth yw rôl busnesau bach a chanolig yn ein heconomi, ac yn ail, ble mae'r busnesau hyn, ac a ydynt yn y lle iawn? Credaf mai camgymeriad yw gweld ein cwmnïau bach fel peiriannau cyflogaeth a dim mwy na hynny. Mae'r sector busnesau bach a chanolig, er yn fawr, hefyd yn heterogenaidd ac yn dameidiog. Mae rôl busnesau bach a chanolig yn creu swyddi yn destun dadlau ymhlith academyddion beth bynnag. Mae rhai fel Birch wedi honni eu bod yn chwarae rhan fawr yn creu swyddi, ac mae eraill wedi dadlau yn fwy diweddar fod eu diffyg cadernid yn golygu bod cyflogaeth cwmnïau bach yn rhy ansicr i'w hystyried yn opsiwn hirdymor i lawer o bobl sy'n chwilio am waith. Er yr anghytundeb, mae yna wahaniaeth rhwng awydd y rhai sy'n llunio polisi i greu swyddi mewn cwmnïau bach a difaterwch rheolwyr-berchnogion tuag at ddyheadau o'r fath. Mae rheolwyr-berchnogion busnesau bach a chanolig yn sicr yn gyflogwyr amharod, ac yn wir, gelwais fy thesis PhD yn 'The Reluctant Employer'. Yn wir, pam y byddai unrhyw reolwr-berchennog synhwyrol yn dewis cyflogi - [Torri ar draws.] Diolch yn fawr i'r aelod dros Lanelli. Pam y byddai unrhyw reolwr-berchennog synhwyrol yn dewis cyflogi pan fo dewisiadau eraill rhatach, mwy hygyrch a dibynadwy ar gael? Mae gan lawer iawn o reolwyr-berchnogion ffynonellau dibynadwy o gymorth ar gael iddynt, o leiaf yn y tymor canolig. Gallant fod ar ffurf cysylltiadau cryf â theulu a ffrindiau a fydd yn helpu i redeg y busnes, ond dros gyfnod o amser, bydd y rheolwr yn ffurfio perthynas gyda chysylltiadau busnes eraill sy'n darparu cymorth sy'n ddibynadwy i'r ddwy ochr ac sy'n mynd ymhell y tu hwnt i berthynas drafod busnes. Mae mynediad at y cyfalaf cymdeithasol hwn yn hanfodol ar gyfer datblygiad cynnar a thwf y cwmni. Felly yn lle ceisio achubiaeth economaidd gan ein sector cwmnïau bach, efallai y dylem edrych yn hytrach ar yr hyn y mae cwmnïau bach yn ei wneud mewn gwirionedd - pethau sy'n hanfodol i'n bywydau bob dydd. Byddwn yn ychwanegu bod cyswllt anorfod rhwng y sector cyhoeddus a'r sector preifat, a dylem fod yn amheus o unrhyw lunwyr polisi sy'n awgrymu y byddai'n hawdd rywfodd i gwmnïau preifat fanteisio ar y slac yn sgil lleihad mewn gweithgaredd cyhoeddus. Gydag astudiaethau fel 'Towards a New Settlement' gan Dave Adamson a Mark Lang, a 'What Wales Could Be' gan Karel Williams, mae academyddion wedi archwilio sut y dylem ailgyfeirio ein heconomi yma yng Nghymru. Maent yn siarad am symud tuag at strwythur lleol a chynaliadwy, a busnesau bach a chanolig yn elwa o bolisi caffael cryf gyda Llywodraeth Cymru yn rhoi arweiniad rhagweithiol. Yn wir, mae'r Athro Adamson a Dr Lang ar hyn o bryd yn cynnal microastudiaeth ddofn ym Mharc Lansbury yn fy etholaeth ac rwy'n edrych ymlaen at archwilio'r canlyniadau. Mae gwaith yr Athro Williams yn rhan allweddol o'r hyn a elwir yn economi sylfaenol - y busnesau sy'n darparu ein hanghenion beunyddiol sylfaenol. Ac rwy'n awyddus i archwilio'r syniadau hyn, ond ni ddaw dim ohonynt os na ellir egluro eu gwerth yn gydlynol ac yn gryno i'r rhai sy'n llunio polisi a'r rhai sy'n elwa ohono. Felly dylem i gyd gefnogi ymdrechion Lee Waters, yr Aelod dros Lanelli, sydd wedi ei gwneud yn genhadaeth i archwilio'r materion hyn gyda pherchnogion busnesau a thrigolion yn Llanelli. Efallai eich bod wedi ei weld ar Twitter. Mae wedi cynnal cyfarfodydd ffocws yn ddiweddar i drafod anghenion busnesau a defnyddwyr busnesau yn ei etholaeth, ac rwy'n gwybod bod yna Aelodau eraill o'r Senedd hon yn rhoi camau tebyg ar waith yn eu hardaloedd eu hunain, ac rwy'n edrych, hefyd, ar feinciau Plaid Cymru. Rhaid i mi ddweud, fodd bynnag, pan ddywedodd Lee wrthyf gyntaf ei fod eisiau datblygu strategaeth economaidd ar gyfer Llanelli, roeddwn yn meddwl y gallai fod ganddo ormod ar ei blât, ond bydd unrhyw un sy'n adnabod Lee yn gwybod am ei ddycnwch a'i awydd i wneud i syniadau arloesol weithio ar gyfer y bobl mae'n eu cynrychioli. Nid oes ffordd arall o gael eich ethol yn Llanelli. Rwyf wedi rhoi munud o'r ddadl hon heddiw iddo ef, ac i Steffan Lewis am yr un rheswm, ac os oes amser, hoffwn roi peth amser i Russell George ymateb hefyd - [Torri ar draws]. Wel, roedd yn hwyr yn gofyn i mi. Er nad ydym yn creu unrhyw beth mor grand â strategaeth economaidd, rwyf fi a fy nhîm wedi cyflawni ein hymchwil ein hunain yn etholaeth Caerffili. Rydym wedi siarad ag ystod o berchnogion busnesau a chwsmeriaid dro ar ôl tro, ac mae'r sgyrsiau wedi troi at y stryd fawr. Mae canol ein trefi wedi dod dan lawer o bwysau yn ystod y degawd diwethaf o ganlyniad i nifer o ffactorau: y cynnydd mewn siopa ar y we, parciau manwerthu ar gyrion trefi, costau rhent masnachol ac ardrethi annomestig. Mae'n rhaid i ni ofyn i ni ein hunain yn awr, 'Sut olwg y byddem yn hoffi ei weld ar ganol ein trefi unfed ganrif ar hugain ac a oes gan fusnesau bach a chanolig rôl ystyrlon fel rhan ffyniannus, hygyrch a gweladwy o'n cymunedau?' Mae llawer o'r dystiolaeth rwyf wedi ei chasglu yn awgrymu bod angen sgyrsiau lleol. Dylai canol trefi gwahanol gael yr hawl i gael eu cymeriad unigryw eu hunain ac mae hyn i'w weld ym mhob un o'n hetholaethau. Neithiwr, trafodais y materion hyn gydag AC o blaid arall. Awgrymodd fod angen i ni wneud defnydd deallus ac arloesol o ofod gwag yng nghanol trefi. Dywedodd na ddylem ofni gwneud yr ardal fusnes ganolog yn llai a defnyddio siopau gwag ar gyfer tai a fflatiau. Dylid neilltuo'r gofod sy'n weddill ar gyfer busnesau sy'n mynd i ffynnu yn yr amgylchedd hwnnw, ond ni ddylai'r gofod gael ei weld mwyach fel un â gwerth premiwm. Byddai dull gweithredu o'r fath yn gweithio yn ei hetholaeth, dadleuodd, ac os yw'n profi'n amhoblogaidd, nodaf mai AC o blaid arall oedd hi. Efallai na fydd yn gweithio ym mhob man, a dyna pam y mae angen dulliau lleol o fynd ati, ond gyda syniad o'r fath, gallwn weld, yn drawsbleidiol, ffordd newydd o feddwl am gwmnïau bach yn egino. Yn fy etholaeth i, mae yna ganolfan arloesi ar gyfer busnesau newydd a elwir yn ICE Cymru. Rwyf wedi sôn amdanynt o'r blaen yn y Siambr hon a chawsant eu nodi fel enghraifft o arfer da ym maniffesto Llafur Cymru ym mis Mai. Unwaith eto, cawsant eu crybwyll yn y 'Western Mail' y bore yma: 'Five start-ups are reaping the rewards of being put on ICE' - o fod yn rhan o ICE Cymru. A'r £1 filiwn o gyllid sy'n dod i ICE Cymru. Mae llawer o'r cwmnïau hyn sy'n bodoli yno yn fentrau uniongyrchol i gwsmeriaid ac rwy'n meddwl tybed pam y maent wedi'u lleoli ar barc busnes ar gyrion y dref? A oes ffordd o gymell eu datblygiad yn agosach at bethau? O ystyried pwysigrwydd cysylltiadau cymdeithasol, cysylltiadau â chyfalaf cymdeithasol, a oes budd o wneud hynny? Efallai fod hyn yn rhywbeth y dylem ei archwilio. Mae gan Lywodraeth ar bob lefel y pŵer i wneud i'r pethau hyn ddigwydd. Yn wir, gallwn ddefnyddio diwygio sefydliadau gwasanaethau cyhoeddus yn y dyfodol a chydweithio yn y dyfodol mewn llywodraeth leol fel cyfle i edrych ar sut i ymgysylltu â busnesau bach a chanolig a chyflawni ein hamcanion yn well. Mae Jeremy Miles wedi ysgrifennu yr wythnos hon am economi menter gymdeithasol lle y mae'r sector cyhoeddus yn prynu nwyddau a gwasanaethau gan fusnesau cymdeithasol, gan helpu i gynnal cadwyni cyflenwi gwydn, a chyfalaf cymdeithasol yn wir. Mae gan y dulliau hyn y potensial i newid ein heconomi yma yng Nghymru. Efallai y gall fod yn ffordd i ni wneud y gorau o'r ansicrwydd ynghylch gadael yr UE, er nad oes unrhyw Aelodau UKIP yma i wrando ar hynny. Nid yw hyn yn golygu troi cefn ar yr economi fyd-eang y mae Cymru wedi bod yn rhan ohoni ers amser maith. Mae'n golygu lleihau pwyslais polisi Llywodraeth ar fuddsoddiad tramor uniongyrchol - rhywbeth sydd wedi nodweddu ein datblygiad economaidd ers dyddiau'r WDA, ac yn dilyn hynny, rhaglen adnewyddu'r economi. Mae GE, Norgine a Nuaire yn gwmnïau mawr yng Nghaerffili a'r cylch a byddwn yn teimlo'n eithaf gelyniaethus tuag at unrhyw un a fyddai'n cwestiynu eu gwerth. Fodd bynnag, dylem fod yn dadlau dros economi ar sylfaen ehangach sy'n canolbwyntio ar dwf cynaliadwy a chyflogaeth heb ormod o bwyslais ar fewnfuddsoddi. Mae arnom angen economi sy'n canolbwyntio ar sectorau penodol; busnesau bach a chanolig sydd wedi'u gwreiddio yn ein cymunedau ac sydd â diddordeb mewn twf cynaliadwy, heb ormod o ymgolli mewn cwmnïau uwch-dechnoleg sy'n tyfu'n gyflym. Gadewch i ni edrych tua'r dyfodol. Nid ein cwmnïau bach yw ein hachubiaeth economaidd ac ni ddylid edrych ar y sector fel peiriant cyflogaeth. Mae ganddynt anghenion penodol iawn. Yn lle hynny, dylem weld ein busnesau bach a chanolig yn rhan o bos mwy o faint. Mae'n amser camu'n ôl ac ystyried sut y gallwn wneud y mwyaf o'u potensial. Mae'n Ddydd Sadwrn y Busnesau Bach ar 3 Rhagfyr, felly roeddwn eisiau amseru'r ddadl hon i arwain at y diwrnod hwn, pan fyddwn yn dangos cefnogaeth i rôl busnesau bach yn ein cymdeithas ac yn ein heconomi, ac yn fwy cyffredinol. Fodd bynnag, un diwrnod yn unig yw Sadwrn y Busnesau Bach. Gallwn ddefnyddio'r ddadl hon a'r diwrnod hwnnw i roi cychwyn ar drafodaeth fwy am y rolau y mae busnesau bach a chanolig yn eu chwarae yn ymgysylltu â'r economi ehangach a sut y gall hyn ein helpu i dyfu busnesau bach a chanolig llwyddiannus sydd o werth mawr i'r cyd-destun Cymreig.