Sir,

£4.3 billion of public money is spent by the public sector on sourcing goods and services from the private sector.

That is public money going to local businesses, circulating in local economies, creating jobs and being re-spent in local butchers, bakers and grocers.

Currently however, almost half (48 per cent) of that money is leaking outside of Wales. Welsh money is being spent on supporting businesses in other countries instead of our own.

Before Plaid entered government we were only spending 35 per cent of this money in Wales so improvements have been made but that over £2 billion of our own money is still leaking over our borders is not acceptable.

The Scottish Government keeps 75 per cent within its own borders and it is still targeting improvement so why should the Welsh Government be any less ambitious?

The benefits are clear to see. Plaid-run Gwynedd Council has taken local action to ensure that housing developments and commercial buildings on the high street use Welsh slate or slate of equivalent quality.

This action alone supports 200 jobs in the Penrhyn Quarry. If the Welsh Government followed Plaid's lead and reached our target of 75 per cent nationally, we would create another 48,000 private sector jobs and cut the unemployment rate by 40 per cent.

The Senedd was empowered by the people of Wales in 2011, it is time for the Labour Government to step up and use those powers to lift this country back up to where it could and should be.

Alun Ffred Jones

(Plaid Cymru Shadow Minister for

Business and Economy)