West Yorkshire Business Board (formerly Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership Board) - Wednesday 29 November 2023, 2:00pm - West Yorkshire Combined Authority Webcasting

West Yorkshire Business Board (formerly Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership Board)
Wednesday, 29th November 2023 at 2:00pm 

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  1. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
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  1. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  2. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
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  1. Cllr Graham Turner (Kirklees Council)
  2. Fara Butt (Private Sector Representative)
  3. Mr Aaron Holt (Private Sector Representative)
  4. Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  5. Patrick Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  6. Caroline Allen, Deputy Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  7. Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  8. Alan Reiss, Chief Operating Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  9. Mr Martin Hathaway (Private Sector Representative)
  10. Ms. Natalie Sykes (Private Sector Representative)
  11. Ms. Lisa Johnson (Private Sector Representative)
  12. Myles Larrington, Committee Services Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  13. Cllr Jane Scullion (Calderdale Council)
  14. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
  15. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
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  1. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
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  1. Cllr Graham Turner (Kirklees Council)
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  1. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
  2. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
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  1. Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  2. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
  3. Fara Butt (Private Sector Representative)
  4. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
  5. Fara Butt (Private Sector Representative)
  6. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
  7. Cllr Graham Turner (Kirklees Council)
  8. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
  9. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  10. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
  11. Ms. Lisa Johnson (Private Sector Representative)
  12. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
  13. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  14. Mr Martin Hathaway (Private Sector Representative)
  15. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
  16. Fara Butt (Private Sector Representative)
  17. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
  18. Mr Aaron Holt (Private Sector Representative)
  19. Asma Iqbal, West Yorkshire Business Board (Private Sector Representative)
  20. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
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  1. Patrick Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  2. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
  3. Patrick Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  4. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
  5. Cllr Graham Turner (Kirklees Council)
  6. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
  7. Mr Martin Hathaway (Private Sector Representative)
  8. Patrick Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  9. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
  10. Fara Butt (Private Sector Representative)
  11. Patrick Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  12. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
  13. Cllr Graham Turner (Kirklees Council)
  14. Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council)
  15. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
  16. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
  17. Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  18. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
  19. Fara Butt (Private Sector Representative)
  20. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
  21. Ms. Lisa Johnson (Private Sector Representative)
  22. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
  23. Ms. Natalie Sykes (Private Sector Representative)
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  1. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
  2. Mr Aaron Holt (Private Sector Representative)
  3. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
  4. Mr Martin Hathaway (Private Sector Representative)
  5. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
  6. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
  7. Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  8. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
  9. Asma Iqbal, West Yorkshire Business Board (Private Sector Representative)
  10. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
  11. Cllr Graham Turner (Kirklees Council)
  12. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
  13. Fara Butt (Private Sector Representative)
  14. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
  15. Ms. Lisa Johnson (Private Sector Representative)
  16. Ms. Natalie Sykes (Private Sector Representative)
  17. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
  18. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  19. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
  20. Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  21. Alan Reiss, Chief Operating Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority)
  22. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
  23. Cllr Graham Turner (Kirklees Council)
  24. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
  25. Mr Martin Hathaway (Private Sector Representative)
  26. Mandy Ridyard (Chair)
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  1. Webcast Finished

1 Apologies for Absence

Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 0:00:00
one here and welcome everybody to see what will be the final meeting
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:00:05
of what was let board, and the first formal meeting, what will be if we pass it, the West Yorkshire business board? So it's a bit of a strange meeting today and if you need to the group, it may seem even stranger but today heralds the dawn of a new era. So anything that seems strange today won't seem so strange by the time we get to the
Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 0:00:23
next meeting, so that's good news and I'm really looking forward to
not only been chairing this group, but for what we create as Team West Yorkshire, which is what we are and how we represent the views, the challenges and the opportunities of all the businesses in our region to ultimately help increase the prosperity of West Yorkshire for everyone.
so I'll move on to introduction shortly, but first we've got a few procedural actions so miles can we have any apologies, please?
apologies for absence had been received from Jane Atkinson, Nikki chance, Thompson Shirley, condemned Councillor Claire Douglas, Councillor Michael Graham Annette, Joseph Councillor James Lewis Bonnie, Minor Councillor, Cathy Scott and Colin theory, it's always difficult at this time of year to get everyone in as we come to year end but I'm glad the evil you've all arrived here safely so perfect next point.
item to the declaration of interests, has anybody got any declarations of insert trust, for example, if your businesses supporting any organisations to bid for funding or anything like that at the moment, can you let us know now?
OK, thank you for that, I don't think there's anything on the agenda today that that that matters so that that's good and nettle messily we're also looking into the sustainability fund.
thank you started a process, that's great, we note that, but again I don't think has any bearing on today's proceedings, so that's great thank you, Jay.
and then item 3 exempt information, there are no items with exempt information for consideration, so that's good,

3 Exempt Information - Possible Exclusion of the Press and Public

4 Minutes of the meeting held on 13 June 2023

and then finally item 4, you have copies of the last meeting minutes, is everybody happy with those?

5 Chair's Update

I'll take that as a yes, it feels a little bit like a wedding, doesn't it for speak now or forever hold you, pee sniffer, thanks very much so item 5, well we can get on to the the proper business, so we've got a number of papers three papers but we're starting off with my updates.
so thank you for coming today and it's great to be here in my capacity as Chair of this board and the Mayor's new business adviser. I was absolutely delighted when the mayor appointed me and thank you all for your kind messages as being really lovely to hear some of the things you've said. I've served on the LEP Board and the business economy and inclusion committee for a number of years now, so being able to step up to this role is an honour, and it's something that I take really seriously and following on from Sir Roger Marsh and Mark Roberts, who both serve the region brilliantly is daunting as the challenge that that I relish and as we change things, is a challenge for us to try and change that in a in a good way going forward. So we can become more current with what's going on, so it introduced myself and Welsh. Don't hold that against me because West Yorkshire is very, very close to my heart. I chose West Yorkshire to live in and chose West Yorkshire to start a family in I chose West Yorkshire to set up my business and I chose West Yorkshire to scale up that business and significantly so. I know what it is like to have a business here and to chase or face some of the opportunities that and challenges of business face my business. If you don't know, is an aerospace, engineering is called prodigy Max and I bought it when I was 26 and from the 12 people at that time, when I bought it, we now have a team of over 90 approaching 100 and we supply critical components around the globe to companies like Airbus and Boeing, but facing the challenges of that is something I know only too well, and I would really like us to help businesses overcome those challenges to scale it more effectively and to help more people to start businesses in this region. For all the reasons that we know, I also co-created space of Yorkshire. If any of you have seen me, I never stopped going on about it it's a nationally significant regional cluster, it works with for regional governments, 12 universities, 34 regional colleges and 400 businesses currently, and if that isn't like herding kittens, I don't know what is, but it's there to increase prosperity for the people and the businesses of West Yorkshire and Yorkshire, and we have so far was based with Yorkshire, established a globally significant radiofrequency cluster within the region. That's all around sap comes and telecoms, and it's based out of a spin-out that came out of the University of Leeds 20 years ago and it centres around Saltaire and Baildon in Bradford, which it was fantastic when we discovered that we had something so significant within the region, we've also established a national project, is basically Yorkshire looking at how space technology can underpin green finance so that's looking at how can we be the police behind the sky and to help insurance companies and banks and investors?
invest more sustainably, and we're doing some great work with Airbus, with the lenders, GE Stock Exchange and others, so some of the really great stuff going on in the region. And finally, we, I've put together a pang Yorkshire proposition for FDI around the space sector, which is the first Pan Yorkshire proposition. I think that is all that has happened in any sector and is certainly something that governments are really interested in within West Yorkshire itself. I chair the West Yorkshire Innovation Network and I'd like to thank Sarah for all her help on that. It's been invaluable and I also sit on the manufacturing advisory board chaired brilliantly by Farah, and we have a meeting of that on Tuesday at prodigy Max, which I'm really looking forward to
but my aim really is to help West Yorkshire, be the place for business, the place to start a business, the pasty skin of her business and the place to move a business to, and it was fantastic to go with Tracey to North America on what was a whistlestop tour of everywhere, it seems it was started at 6.00 every morning and finished at 10.00 every night while with Phoenix to, and we have some brilliant conversations with businesses who are really interested in what we're doing. I think the comment I hear today from the team on floor 4 was they liked on no nonsense approach and I think that's something that is really close to my heart is just getting on with the job in hand rather than they're worrying about
all the details that's just get on induced her say brilliant trip, hopefully we'll have some great news coming out of it soon.
but one of those things can only happen with the engagement of our businesses, our business groups, those representative groups, and it's great to have Martin here today of third sector and our professional services and asthma you've been brilliant at leading a lot of the engagement work that we've been doing.
not to mention our brilliant universities and colleges, we need to make sure we include everybody, so we've got a lot of work to do together, as Team, West Yorkshire, and the best place to start is with some introductions, so I've introduced myself and it'd be great if you don't take quite as long as I've taken the privilege and liberty of having, but if we go round the table so we know who is he who's he who's who here? That would be great to go to my left first,
Phoenix.
all before we do that, shall I just let you know that I said on the agenda, but we are being filmed for live broadcast here, is that correct yeah bit late, but we are so yeah, so when when we when you go round you mightn't wanna show you tap dancing experience you feel it,
most of you, I'm furious.
Cllr Graham Turner (Kirklees Council) - 0:08:22
I am Susan Hinchcliffe, I am Leader of Bradford and cherish a
Fara Butt (Private Sector Representative) - 0:08:28
transport high, my name has faded, but I'm a private sector member, but also the chair of the mayor's manufacturing Advisory Board, high
Mr Aaron Holt (Private Sector Representative) - 0:08:36
aspiration, Parliament partner at Chadwick, Lawrence solicitors and I'm also the private sector inclusivity champion.
Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:08:44
Sarah Bowes, Interim Head of business, of the Combined Authority.
Patrick Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:08:49
actually, both head of research, intelligence and combined authority completely unrelated.
Caroline Allen, Deputy Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:08:54
Caroline Allen, Deputy Director, legal governance and compliance combined authority.
Sarah Eaton, Director, strategic communications and intelligence at
Sarah Eaton, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:09:04
the Combined Authority.
afternoon, do you know me, I'm going to go to Exec of the Combined Authority and unfortunately need to pop out in a minute for the next half an hour sending about?
Alan Reece, chief operating officer at the Combined Authority.
Alan Reiss, Chief Operating Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:09:20
I must now, from the managing director of Mid Yorkshire Chamber of
Mr Martin Hathaway (Private Sector Representative) - 0:09:26
Commerce, and I'm here today, representing the business groups a couple of Westwood.
Ms. Natalie Sykes (Private Sector Representative) - 0:09:34
hello, I'm Natalie Sykes and the managing director James Wilby Holdings and its subsidiaries, I'm also a board director of the Royal Armouries and, as of today, formally appointed to the Road Haulage Association, the Northern Council.
Ms. Lisa Johnson (Private Sector Representative) - 0:09:56
afternoon, I'm Lisa Johnson and I, I was director, I know, Vice President, European affairs for statute technologies where an autonomous robotic delivery company and we operate in both Leeds and West Yorkshire as part of our first northern expansion.
Myles Larrington, Governance Services Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:10:11
High and whilst Lemington Committee Services Officer West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
Councillor James Skelton, Leader of coded all Council and Chair of the
Cllr Jane Scullion (Calderdale Council) - 0:10:21
climate committee
Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 0:10:25
Tracy, Brabin mouthwash and congratulations to Natalie and Lisa on your new titles and promotions congrats.
Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 0:10:34
thanks very much and also welcome to the vote, I think you're the TV Stosur's today, so it's great to have you here.

6 Mayor's Update

so great to have done the introductions, and we'll move swiftly on to the next item, which is the Mayor's updates, thank you so much and excellent first start really brilliant, thank you everybody for coming today and this is quiet and it's a small group, but it's actually a big moment because we are moving from what was the LEP Board and of course the LEP board did an amazing job in a really delivering for our region, but I think this is very exciting, a future looking forward.
all and the bigger coalition that we're developing across different sectors, our new members, our new representatives, one is going to be, hopefully, a really great opportunity for people to use their skills and their hinterland and leg, their organisations and the people that they know to really share.
the vision for West Yorkshire, but also to enable us to use your talents in a in a more inclusive way, rather than necessarily just come into the board, but also to be able to support you and your sector in innovations and ideas and knowledge sharing and so on, so you're part of the family now and,
hopefully we can get so much more done, and you are also our ambassadors, and I was at Huddersfield University this morning with the department of international trade, talking to export ambassadors and I was quite quite excited about the opportunities that they give us and also did what D. IT can help us with with this board, and I think there is a missing link there that we need a representative from de I t on the board, so we we've we've raised that with them to encourage them. We did have somebody a couple of years ago and I think that person left and wasn't wasn't replaced, but the expert ambassadors, you are also all export ambassadors, so how do we make the most of the talents that we have here, but also that the people that you know going forward? So you know it's a team effort and I'm really excited about the range of
businesses as well, from manufacturing to tech, and to logistics and haulage at A and many other sectors, digital and also aerospace and space, so a couple of things to just flag the Autumn Statement you'll know a couple of weeks ago I've got it feels like months ago now but there were Les there were a fair number of announcements in there that weren't new to us in West Yorkshire, the cut to national insurance,
was obviously welcome gizmo, it's great to have more money in people's pockets, but if you look closer at the detail, it is offset by the frozen thresholds, so how much more money people are gonna get going forward, it's it's not, it's not so clear part of that.
autumn statement was the announcement of the level 4 of the the trailblazer deals for mayors. You know that I've been a champion of devolution to go deeper and wider and working, I want Ben's not in the room but just to put on record Ben and colleagues we've all been working very hard to get that level 4 over the line, it was stuck in number 10 and it did at 1.00 point feel like we weren't gonna get it and we would have missed that moment to get an opportunity to get a framework where every mayor across the country will be able to then be, you know, ask for powers
whether that's in transport or in a adult education to have those powers as they mature, and I think having that framework means that it's going to be easier if there is a change of government and a different political party to then say to that new government we now have the framework we can now work really fast to have those devolve powers going forward.
the one thing that I did raise.
on at any opportunity I had was the lack of funding for local government and it is absolute scandal, and I know that our local government leaders were just shocked at how, if there was not even a mention of local authority funding, how can how can how can a country deliver, when you have local authorities that can barely and deliver adult social care and children's services here and having to cut back all of those amazing things that they ought? They offer that builds growth in communities and, having spent time at the Coakley's full council and listening to petition after petition, asking the Council don't close our leisure centre, don't close this. This older people's centre
the impact on the communities of these cuts is going to be. You know, roll-out for the next for the next decade ahead, so we were making. The case will continue to make the case that local authority funding has to be a priority for new government going forward. I was also yesterday the gosh I've lost to alter at the time did for yesterday in London, at the global investment summit, it was a privilege to be there as the mayor of West Yorkshire, a number of the other mayors were giving evidence to the COVID inquiry so it felt like there was only a small handful of us that were making the case for investment outside of London and keep making the case that we have a solution to the overheat itself.
if you want to build a bigger plant, you can get it for the same price in the North as a smaller one in the south, if you want talent, we have asked seven universities online, further education colleges, we can deliver bespoke skills training, I had my elevator pitch I spoke to anybody and everybody even at the GDPO putting my coat saying Hello, who are you, I'm Tracey the mayor of West Yorkshire, sometimes it was more difficult than others there's people who didn't even know where West Yorkshire was so I was having to start from a different level of understanding.
it wasn't Manchester, that was always the first, the first step, but we've got some really great contacts, some very interesting Con conversations, and also I was able to pick up on things that are bubbling here, catch people at the investment summit to to deepen that relationship and hopefully get better outcomes, and I was also privileged to then attend the palace and the King was there to support global investment going forward, and it's something that is really important for us. We want that inward investment, we want global businesses to know that we exist and
that leads me on to the trade mission to America to we went to Toronto, Boston, New York and Pennsylvania.
very interesting with Department of business and trade in New York, a whole group of me of of people that are probably the same number in an office of this size, talking about West Yorkshire, and it was so obvious in the way that everybody was making so many copious notes, they knew nothing about us so I thought them the the the trip was valuable if only for that that our champions and advocates in in in New York didn't know who we were, so I think we've put that right.
I also would like to thank my colleagues for working so hard really with clarity, determination and a real can do spirit to make the most of all our conversations and the very fact that a I seems to be on the tip of everybody's tongue at the moment and what most people wanted to talk about it was very helpful and it is my elevator pitch to everybody that I met or at the global investment summit that that Bradford University has the highest number of A and data analytics postgrads in the whole country and people's jaw drops and a really yes really and also our philanthropic investment into Bradford University and the this.
space and tech and digital department, I think, has also been a real endorsement that has carried into, although other people's minds have well, if somebody else is doing it, we don't want to be a laggard, we want to be an early adopter, let's look at West Yorkshire for A and so on, so that leads us on to the innovation week which the launch went really well. I thought was some really interesting people there.
it is getting bigger and better every year, and it's putting us very much on the on the map when it comes to innovation and R and Nexus and 3 m Buckley and you know all of our brilliant work that we're doing in that in that innovation space and I was pleased to be able to host Jeremy Hunt who came to Paxman in Coakley's to launch the investment zone.
a week or so ago, and that innovation came out of Huddersfield University and a company pivoting from beer coolers into cancer treatment and cancer interventions around cold caps and a business that Paxman now exports over 55% of his businesses exports to America, so that was really good and,
just a couple of other things very quickly. Firework charter was launched this week. Thank you. Everybody that took part in that. That's going to be really important for us and as our ambassadors, I would encourage all of you to please sign up to the firework charter already. We've got 40 and we've not. We know we had a soft launch, this was the official launch, but 40 businesses already signed up. Please, you share our values. This is why you're here. I would really hope that everybody that's on the business board, will sign up to prepare with charter and you would be ambassadors for the Charter as well in conversations you have with other businesses and finally today been at the the export
event at Huddersfield University. I hope that we can use this board to really be the the centre, where everybody will go for knowledge and and innovation around exports, and I've asked D I T to come and give us a presentation on their approach to exports and how they can help businesses and fundamentally how we can help businesses to export because exports protect your business and when there's global dramas and you, you may lose business in the UK because of Covid or whatever you might have them business in Saudi or business in
in Italy that will then keep your business afloat and protect those jobs, so if there's loads going on and I think it's a really exciting time for our business board, but that's a bit of a roundup so far, thank you so much Chair.
Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 0:22:10
on that sorry, having spent three days on that o on that trip, that that the Mayor is a class act in terms of bending people's ear about how amazing West Yorkshire is and and the different skills and offerings that we have here, and we already have one thing on the table that is looking very promising from it, so let's fingers crossed that that that happens.
also in terms of some of the work we do, if we can use this team to join up things more, then make sure we use all the power of all of the partners, I think that would be great.

7 Strengthening Private Sector Engagement

but thank you for that Tracey, so moving swiftly on to yes, sorry.

6 Mayor's Update

Cllr Graham Turner (Kirklees Council) - 0:22:54
so I'm just the mayor obviously mentioned about the autumn statement. There are and rightly said, that local authorities were very badly catered for in that, and it wasn't just that he was mentioned there was actually mentioned, it was gonna be a public services cut in this country, so they're now looking at 3.00.4% cut in local authorities over every year now and and also we've already in Bradford, have already taken 350 million out. I'm sure a similar proportion has been taken out of other authorities and when we got a rising level of demand, so I just want to thank them all very much for emphasising that in every room she's in, because really that is an unsustainable position for a where to run this country and that Autumn Statement cannot stand, I'm afraid, so they need to change their view on a local authority funding, and everybody needs to really push to make sure that voice is heard, because everything we need to make this region prosperous relies on local authorities running services. It is not just a matter of good services about running any service, actually, so I think the government really needs to take heed of that, and I shall have to thank the mayor for continuing to push that. Thank you very much,
Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 0:24:05
are there any other comments from we'll move on and I'll soon get used to this so?
yeah

7 Strengthening Private Sector Engagement

Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 0:24:12
yeah that one, yeah yeah, you've got it now, I've got it sorry item 7, strengthening the private sector engagement. We need to be quiet for this because there are some decisions to be taken, so I know Jamie's leaving early, but hopefully he can stay to the end of this so we can take those that those decisions, so private sexual engagement is absolutely paramount, helping deliver our West Yorkshire Plan and economic strategy. This is our final meeting of what was the LEP Board and the first formal meeting of the new West Yorkshire business board so
based on that, we need to go to our first report from Sarah, which will agree a proposed way forward for the evolution of the LEP board, seek proposals to strengthen our private sector engagement more broadly and to agree nominations as detailed in the report. Sarah over to you, thank you, Chair yeah, as you say, there are three key three
Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:25:00
main parts to this. This report first is around the general principles about how we strengthen private sector engagement, how we harness the private sector's voice in the region, the second is around this this this is the LEP Board moving into its new incarnation as the West Yorkshire business board and then the third is around the Mayor's Council so on that on the first point of strengthening generally strengthening private sector engagement, we held a workshop on a couple of weeks ago with all the private sector members of all the committees,
to talk about this and how we tell we strengthen this engagement, how we develop a really strong business engagement framework for the region, and some of that just can draw up some of the key points that were raised as part of that around us, considering key principles of why should businesses engage, what's the offer to them and how do we make sure that we are working effectively with them on that engagement piece utilising existing networks and mechanisms that already exist, and that's something we've already talked about as part of working with the business rep groups and diversity of voice and making sure that diversity of business voice across the region across the districts or sectors across size across the whole piece is represented as part of that engagement.
and making sure that we are engaging properly and work. We've got that feedback loop in terms of our engagement peaks aware we are engaged, we are feeding back and we're talking about what's happened as a result, what the impact has been and what we've learned as a result, the second area is around the that this board itself and there's a couple of proposals in the paper that would be good to discuss and then and then formally adopt. The first is the name we've started to call it a West Yorkshire business board, hopefully that's where we are. The second is around having these meetings are more more of these meetings in private, so we can have in detail conversations, deep dive into the more detailed topics of discussion, so the economic strategy and some of the issues coming out of that, one of the key things that we could really start to drill down on some specific issues, the barriers to growth and what we've what we do about them
at holding perhaps one or two meetings a year in public for that accountability and then areas around portfolio leads for specific areas that they've built various business board members might want to hold and then we can really focus in on those individuals as champions of some of the key areas that we need to we need to drive forward and then lastly them the new proposed Mayors Council and how that might performed and who might be on it, and that's intended to be a group of the biggest businesses, the thought leaders in the region who provide that voice on on big business challenges but also we can use as ambassadors and champions for all the great stuff that's going on in the region and the reason why or whether it's international they and have that real collective voice private-sector voice around some of the great stuff that's going on infrastructure
and then, lastly, there is the formal nomination for various Committees or Deputy Chair nominations, and where those where those answered out in the paper Raskin to delegate authority to the male business adviser, alongside the Mayor, to nominate and approved both.
Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 0:27:57
thanks Sarah, that's great and the first private sector work workshop was a really good session, I think, but it's just the start of a number of good sessions that we intend to have them and how we can really start to drive this new formats and how we get the engagement that we need, so we are interested to know what your views are on the table.
so if you can indicate if you'd like to say anything but Farah can I come to you first to see what your thoughts are on this agenda item?
just push your button, lovely, sorry, yeah, thank you for this, I
Fara Butt (Private Sector Representative) - 0:28:32
think yeah, the evolution will happen then yeah, I'm glad you've sort of started out, we can supply a mark on it and there's a lot of new faces around this table, I'm quite interested in the marrow.
Council, it's in these big businesses and thought-leaders, it's about sort of you know how we're gonna recruit those.
one of the concerns I had out of the advanced manufacturing plan that was published this week was that was it enough voice for the micro businesses and we've got to make sure that we take those along with us, because a majority of manufacturing that's in this
in this area of small SMEs and micro-businesses and we're gonna make sure that the large businesses don't overly dominate, I can see where that's coming from, but I think we've got to make sure that we keep those smaller businesses because just by definition of the advanced manufacturing plan I think that is feeling that there'd been a little bit left out and we're having discussions with MoT UK on how we can redefine that so that would just be my
Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 0:29:35
sort of feedback on that, could I ask, are the redefinition of SMEs that you're so more than 250 employees, yeah so yeah, that well that's
Fara Butt (Private Sector Representative) - 0:29:43
one, but the redefinition is really about the advanced manufacturing, what exactly is advanced manufacturing and I think for most people that definition is original manufacturers large like the likes of borrowing et cetera, however, what we have or are people who are further down the supply chain for those people and they are certainly under 250, sometimes even micro, you know less than 10 employees
can we apply the advance to process rather than size, can we advise, can we are applied advanced tool, ways of thinking and and an ambition to be advanced, rather than just how big they are, because a lot of the funding has gone to the larger and larger manufacturers?
that was my immediately.
Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 0:30:31
Cllr Graham Turner (Kirklees Council) - 0:30:35
thanks for the season, yeah and just a couple of things, firstly.
or is it just what estimate the Leeds city region brand, which actually is a different geography to West Yorkshire, but we know Leeds City region obviously has a as an economic geography to it which West Yorkshire doesn't have completely, and I just wondered how we'd doing something with that brand alongside the West Yorkshire one.
it is one we still maintain that was on an international stage later originally, something we've used before for many years, actually, and therefore I do, I don't want to suggestion it completely, so just thinking back, we've always said we'd use it using different names in different contexts, and I would want to make sure we not leaving that behind because I think there's still a value that Leeds City region brand which we shouldn't ignore it and just do think the the Lib Meryl Councillor Campbell of sand obviously wants to engage with big businesses. Just ask that to make sure that the local authorities which were a member or other leader or somebody is there for the local authorities at that Meryl Council as well, thank you
Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 0:31:36
I just on that point yeah, that makes a lot of sense and the Leeds City region brand it's been interesting of the last year or so it hasn't been as used as it has historically so I do wonder whether there's a natural evolution and also we're gonna get two more mayors and so Yorkshire will be served by four mayors and so maybe there are opportunities to collectively have a Yorkshire brand as well so that might actually address the Leeds city region point because that takes in York and and 0 and other regions around us but Leeds when people say whereas West Yorkshire and you say Leeds that is it is aglow you know it's a globally recognised
city in in that it's one of our core cities, it also has or did have a Premiership football club, and so Bud, and I know I know don't even we're all crying sorry Lisa
but you know it has, it definitely has a purpose, and I think it will be used when and where, but Felix, I wonder if you want to address that challenge.
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:32:41
it is sorry for this work that we are beginning to think through around branding, and we're discussing this Monday night with a couple of other colleagues earlier today.
I suspect we'll get to a point where we are.
if we really do this writer, we clever about it.
that we use in the right brand in the right space, depending on the audience.
so it is absolutely some merit in the Leeds city region, but because it's easier for people to identify where you are talking about and you don't have to explain yourself too much by West Yorkshire itself is a functional economic area, over 90% of the people who live in West Yorkshire work in West Yorkshire go to school here travel within here for most of the year so as a functional economic area it does stand.
but you are absolutely right that broader Leeds city region brand allows us to bring in places like York and others with great strengths, there's press, especially when you're talking about a inward investment and FDI, the Aston the that we complain to, which might strengthen our proposition a lot more, so there's some thinking that we are beginning.
on on our valuable provisions and on branding, and I'm sure all of this will be considered at the right time, the strongest brand we have is Yorkshire and how we use that at the right time in the right spaces is also crucial.
Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 0:34:02
if I may just say when I was on the Bloomberg calls in New York, and Mike Bloomberg saw my name plate, as it all Tracy, the Mayor of West Yorkshire, I love York.
like good good to outtake your so I mean that Susan whatever we need whenever we need it, we will definitely use them here.
Lisa and then molten, thank you again, as it was really interesting,
Ms. Lisa Johnson (Private Sector Representative) - 0:34:27
because I'm from from my position, I don't really understand what the differences, so I don't need to worry about what myself and but from him for obviously from a marketing background, as are the simpler we can make the Brandon as easy is accessible so that people just know straight away what what they're talking to it. I don't know if that muddies or if it is two different things.
we are on a paper, I think, having some private meetings is important because I think there are things we can talk about whether maybe some commercially sensitive stuff that we can potentially share as part of a learning for us all that we that we wouldn't want broadcast out to to everybody and so to get the best outcomes, I think that's a really important thing that we actually do and then let's bring that back to outcomes because everybody talks me knows that I'm kind of let right why we haven't a meeting. What is the outcome of that meeting? And I think that's really important in terms of the wider community as well, in that, if we cannot do the external engagement and bring people in and ask them to give their time to contribute to meetings and workshops, exactly Sara says we need to have really concrete outcomes, that we go back to them with, so that they know that time has been worth it and are part of that. From my experience of doing the workshops and roundtables previously is maybe making sure some of our topics that we engage. People on are quite specific so that we are engaged in on things that are tangible and able to influence, rather than big, broad topics where everybody can give their viewpoints on anything in the world around tackle digital, but actually what the takeaway is and what the outcomes. So this is a really good start and some really good thinking and the session we had a couple of weeks ago was really really great start to that one, but that's kind of just on the point that I would emphasise in terms of benefit, and I would expect whether it sounds
Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 0:36:01
thanks just on that point, can I just ask Phoenix about the value proposition that work is that a collective effort?
there will be a minister.
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:36:13
thank you.
Mr Martin Hathaway (Private Sector Representative) - 0:36:17
we use the the business groups to discuss this, and the view is generally very supportive of it, it's just a query from our perspective on.
we're probably missing something, but at the last meeting Barney was represented, it was was nominated all represented and appointed we presuming that carries over, but it is not explicit in the in in the paper, so we just assure me.
that it does put the are very supportive of it, and foreign view on the small businesses, in particular on those smaller businesses, lots and lots of metal-bashing companies in in the area, in yellow in Huddersfield, the Kirkley and Calderdale in particular, and and how we support those is where we will make most difference to the economy because they are the ones that can grow quicker that where pupils
tend to tend to work when most people are employed, and I, but a lot of them are you wouldn't deemed to be great employers, so anything we can do I'm giving them the skills of these larger businesses to make them better of what they do will make them better employers as well as,
as as a as well as better businesses, and then just the final through on the exporting for me, is it the the the I t or not, I'm not the Expo or are not the experts in exporting they they are. Their strategy is to deliver expert advice and guidance to larger businesses. So again, the smaller businesses miss out on that. There's currently no doubt, and that's the targets they've given all of their teams when they took them in-house, so there's a real lack of support
I I was just like a bit earlier on to Natalie that Brexit saw us lose lots and lots of exporters that used to only export to Europe because it became too difficult for them to do and to too expensive for them, so they're saying they withdrew from the market and if it was only said 20% of their business and not 90%, they lost the 20% of that business and started doing something else, and I think that there's real potential to get those back to exporting and look at other markets around the world outside of Europe as well, that might be simpler and easier, but they do need lots of hand-holding
Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 0:38:30
OK, thank you, I'll say I just want to yeah, I just wanted to come
Fara Butt (Private Sector Representative) - 0:38:37
back at all on the marketing and the branding. I think what we have in Yorkshire is that we're in West Yorkshire is that we're spoilt for branding options and whilst Leeds City region is, it is a great brand to go with. There are lots of other brands that we could elevate, but what we don't have is one all encompassing brand like Manchester had, and then there could become Greater Manchester and that sort of worked, I think, to promote Leeds the Leeds city region brand, I think, is confusing because there are so many other areas around which are so strong regionally, so I think in that way it might not work in the way that it's probably worked really well for Manchester and then Greater Manchester, because it is just that one name I think around here so but the West Yorkshire brand
so we probably need to stick to fewer brands and really elevate those and emphasise us and give that same messaging just as a marketing that would be my just to repeat that same message of note again, but it just slipped, because I think that's the the number of brands that we have that identify us which is confusing.
thanks for I can't hear in the second as ma am Martin I'd really like
Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 0:39:46
to pick up with you on some of those outside the meeting on some of those complete challenges that you're seeing what we could do positively, I think that'd be really interesting, so at a coffee some time would be good, thank you as well, thank you I was at the workshop
Mr Aaron Holt (Private Sector Representative) - 0:39:59
so very well delivered and some great interaction.
picking up from one of the points that came out of that workshop and a piece around the new mayoral council, I think it's a fabulous idea getting the larger businesses on board. I come from a piece of diversity that you could end up with the new mayoral council not being
Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative) - 0:40:20
very diverse, because your ambassadors from the larger businesses are not representative of what you have round this table, so I'd like you to remain conscious of that. Equally, I think the point was made by Barney at the workshop that a lot of smaller businesses giving up a lot of their precious time equally, yet there seems to be a recognition that the bigger businesses because they don't have the time
available, they can just cannot be this umbrella channel Council, but that you know swan around representing, but I think equal recognition needs to be given that a lot of smaller businesses are giving up more valuable time, which translates into lesser money, and we shouldn't lose sight of building this numeral council losing sight of what businesses around this table are doing.
I couldn't agree more as mayor and I think we have to be egalitarian
Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 0:41:08
in terms of the voice of all businesses, importance, not just the voice of specific businesses, is important so as to be an inclusive approach to that and we want to we want or accept any swanning around.
yeah
so if there's no movies, I think what we need to do now is move to the recommendations, so the first recommendation is that the Board approves the proposed changes to the LEP, so could you put your hand up if you agree?
so I believe that is carried.
and the second recommendation is that the Board approves the non nominations that was set out in the paper and I'm not gonna go through them one by one, unless we don't agree, so as long as we all agree to all the nominations, could you put your hands up for that as well please?

8 Economic Update

that's great, I think that's carried to say thanks very much, and Jane thank you for staying as long as that was being, did I really appreciate, I know you've got a big meeting tonight that you need to get back to you so yeah, please leave when you when you need to so now on to item number 8, but before I do Arlo you've just snuck in, so it's great to see you
don't worry, I knew you're going to say that we've had a lot of training problems today.
I also I'd like to make welcome Councillor Graham Turner, from Kirkley said, you are sorry, you also had trade problems and you both snuck in on my left-hand side when I was looking right, please make sure I know next time it would be great.
but thank you for for attending so so, as I said, we'll move on to the next item on the agenda, which is Item number 8, the economic update, economic information and data underpins everything that we do, and I think we need that data more than we've ever needed it because the world is moving so quickly.
we need to be able to react to data quickly and to put in provision for the changes that we're seeing. As we move to this new business board, we need to really start to think about what data we have on what data we might need, so what we'll do is kick off with what we have and I'd like Patrick to take us through the report. Please, thank
Patrick Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:43:27
you, yeah, just a step through some of the key highlights there's a fair amount of information in the paper, so I'll just try and highlight some of the key points and then also briefly touch on what we know by way of economic updates with the autumn statement last week because obviously, as part of Autumn Statement, the Office for Budget responsibility also released their updated view of the economy and what that meant in terms of the Government's finances and their spending proposals. So in terms of a key sort of macroeconomic indicators, we've seen a welcome drop in the headline rates
inflation high for 2% points in the month to October that follows a period of time, but to a couple of months ago it stuck at about 6.7% the main drivers for that, so we were really a couple of things but principally a reduction in housing costs so that made a significant contribution to the re the reduction in the headline rates in them in the in the month also within that we will continue to see food inflation falling.
including inflation fell by 0 point to 5% points not as strong the contraction in food inflation as we see in other months, but I think it's consistent with the information that the Bank of England and the UBI are themselves are assuming that inflation fully inflation will remain relatively high this year and probably will or will not drop below 10% until early 24, it may well do that now it seems to be gathering a certain amount of pace anyway so it may well fall below 10% before we get to the end of the year.
also in terms of reflecting on sort of sort of other aspects of of that just tuning forward.
sorry right that if you also look at where we are more generally with.
the interest rates. So, for instance, you'll be aware that the Bank of England met a number of weeks back at that meeting they took a decision to keep rates on hold at 5.00.2 5 basis points that reflects, I think you know, I think that it was a similar to a vote on voting patterns so to the previous MPC meeting, but this time we saw a six members of the MPC deciding that they wanted to keep rates on hold compared to 3 comma 2 to increase and if anything when you look at the published information from the minutes of the Bank of England was the the the the particularly
sort of comfortable while not comfortable with this mob, that they think that the the the
challenges around sort of increasing wage growth, the the there's, certainly they, they were concerned about capacity with within the economy, and they now think there's a lot more spare capacity than previously been assumed and they think that the contraction in wage growth is gonna limits. I think the the the the opportunity for inflation to continue to to continue to rise, and we are seeing that so that has started to sort of feed through into in into those rates, and there there are a number of sort of different elements to it.
if you look at the kind of CBL I'm just looking back to see CPI.
the headline rate at the moment compares well with other countries you know so, for instance, you look at the headline rates of CPI in info in France, it's about similar rate at the moment is somewhat higher than it is in Germany and somewhat higher than it is in in the US but obviously the different set of factors at work there.
if we reflect on what we know about economic growth. We are in the last couple of weeks we've had new information from the Office for National Statistics about Quarter A relating to the third quarter GDP growth, and that information really paint a picture throughout the first three quarters of this year of growth, beginning to start to contract off. So if the first estimate of GDP growth for the period up to and including the quarter 2 1 2 0 at September showed that some of the economy didn't grow so it was stagnant. So this followed growth of 0.2% in the quarter prior to that, prior to that at the start of the year, growth of 0 points or 0.1%. Now the first estimate tends to be quite volatile, but typically 0 yeah, I think that what you think you see from that, if you add, if you look at what was seen in the previous quarters and it's highly unlikely that we're gonna see GDP growth issue of anything above 1%, it would would we it would be interesting, and I think the economy would be performing above expectations if we saw growth above,
0.5 or 0.6% in the last quarter of this year.
what's happening within within those numbers, so we are seeing some contraction services activity, that's particularly driven by sort of a contraction activity in real estate and in transport transportation services.
starting to slow down a little bit that followed sort of reasonable growth in in in in in the first two quarters.
what, but we are still seeing growth in manufacturing, it's it's, it's it's fair to say there is one bright spark within that in that we're seeing some particularly strong growth in in in the manufacturing jobs that the outputs of transportation of OBR set-up, that's manufacturer track and road transport product particularly in car manufacturing,
I think yeah, it's a pleasant, certainly some challenges as far as the economy is concerned, at some sort of, or some some of the headwinds are what we know more generally about the economy is that up the owners' changed their approach to how they look at the economy so they've changed their accounting approach and the
it was bigger and came out of the pandemic much more quickly than anybody had presumed.
so it was previously assumed using your methodology, but we were still below our pre pandemic baseline in terms of output and GP, but using a new methodology we, we now know that the the economy.
it grew above its its pandemic baseline by the third quarter of 2021.
so
that's a new approach that's being implemented by a number of countries, so obviously it gives us a different view about how quickly the economy performed happy and the economy performed particularly that period after after the pandemic, but he doesn't change the relative position of the UK relative to all the other countries because other countries are introducing that methodology as well, and we've seen a similar uptick in growth in other countries, particularly France and the US, that have applied that new methodology. They saw similar sort of increases in their growth post post pandemic. So the paper contains quite a range of information there in terms of local economic data. I'll just touch on some of the key highlights the essentially what we're seeing as the dilemma market, beginning to slow
and so we sing overall the overall headline rates of employment, beginning to beginning to slow, quite quite significantly, we're also seeing, or the re, significant and quite robust sort of a growth in wages that we saw last year and that was partly reflected over the wider challenges around costs and we are also beginning to slow and I think that also comes out with it and the bank, the Bank of England's minutes, what that means on the ground is obviously we are now starting to see an uptick in claimant counts and the claimant count rates so that that is now 3% higher than it was last year the rates claimant count rates.
is Isa, and that will help percentage points higher in West Yorkshire and is is or not sorting per cent from on high that it isn't and actually.
so clean air, you know, in the short term there are some some challenges with the labour market, and I think if we look back to what we know from what the Office of Budget responsibility said in in in in some of their economic assumptions behind the autumn statement.
you know, they were. The economy will grow much more slowly than they assumed in their last economic update. They did economic updating in in March this year. Within that I think you know the they they've taken the view as well that we will see continuing labour market challenges and I'm obviously continuing challenges around productivity now, but I think they acknowledge some of the challenges around. Productivity are as much about some of the demographic changes that are happening in the UK and what they mean for different industries and different sectors.
but certainly in terms of some of the headline rate of employment, they think that had looked, they revised their view about the the at the peak of unemployment, so by 30 25 they think the overall number of people unemployed in the UK will reach 1.6 million and that's 85,000 higher than they were assuming that the the the previous forecast.
obviously you know there is some some particular challenges around that because, as I've just mentioned there, at a local level we do structurally traditionally have a higher rates of claimant count unemployment in West Yorkshire so clearly we do some of the detail that behind the autumn statement you know just just reveal some of the some of the challenges we face, we have had a relatively strong labour market or or and but obviously Y there are some significant challenges, I think that that we, the we are facing
there will be on lots of the or the CALLOVER package that was announced by the made by the chancellor last week and the took the view that the that there will be a stimulus stimulus of 0.3% in in the short term, you know to you know to to to growth.
more generally, though, I think if you look at some of the some of the underlying assumptions from the Uribe, or I think their concern is again like the Bank of England.
you know their concerns for growth in the short term
as some of the capacity constraints in the economy, and I think they're a little bit more, focus on some of the longer term, challenges around productivity and some of the challenges we have for the UK.
and I am on the point about funding. I will dwell too much on on on the on the fiscal numbers, but the the the the amounts that was identified in the budget for, for instance, you know the full expenses programme and the and the reduction in headline and then, as he writes, almost exactly equals. The reduction in departmental spending that's assumed by the government in in in 2028 0 27 28, so the non protected departmental budgets would contract by something like 19 billion and the amount that was identified in in in those announcements at last week, almost exactly equal to that, so clearly itself. You know there are also challenges not only for local government, but potentially, in the longer term, there were some significant challenges from non protected DMO departmental spend as well. So I think there are there. There are a number of challenging there. Some fascinating stuffing in some of the background, will be our data
in terms of other information, that's in the report we touch on some other economic researcher, we're obviously not just looking at official statistics, you ought to tell so much from if official statistics we have got another on research, and one of those issues is the publication of the
a West Yorkshire business survey of what was previously referred to as the Leeds City region business survey and that as a survey that we've done and undertaken when we talked to businesses every year since 2014, it's been done every year even through the through through the pandemic, and again I won't dwell too much on that, but some of the key takeaways from that survey that came out really really strong is an awful lot of other the detail there is what businesses are saying to us about some of the challenges that they're facing the labour market.
so are the in, it's the businesses of sanctions also facing some of them, there's no most acute labour market shortages or some of the most acute recruitment challenges are and are, and the sum of those balances, so we we express it as a positive balance of have or are at their highest in the surveys, history or at an earlier so what's coming out quite strongly in the survey as some of those that recruitment challenges labour market shortages that businesses are facing,
and that's possibly not unsurprising, because certainly last year we've seen a very strong labour market, reaching a one and a very tight labour market in many ways. But that's come up cut quite strongly. I think the other quite thing that comes up quite strongly from the survey is the concern that businesses have got for the overall level of demand in the economy, a genuine sort of concern for that, and it's a combination of factors that the the the that they touch on, and not least, cost of living and energy costs and the variety of all things, but they are genuinely concerned about the overall level of demand in the in the in the economy we also, including there are some key high laterally at 2023 state of the region document. That's a document we produce annually to measure how we're doing. as an economy as a society on a range of indicators, both economic, environmental, social and
it's a document we use to monitor our progress against the objectives in the Westborough George plan, in the paper we touch on a number of key key points around some of the our performance on things like some output productivity, you know business intensity, innovation, exports, so the paper sort of re previous laws and some set out what we're doing in response to those are one and one, and I I think in many ways we look at those kind of indicators you know, Guinness, reflecting again on the kind of official government data
you know they, I think we've got some of the structural challenges so we you know, we did we did.
when we cannot recover from the pan and that we did quite well as an economy in terms of the speed at which, for instance, productivity bounce back the speed at which some output bounced back in many cases, it's strongly missing nationally.
but since the economy has recovered and started to sort of, unfortunately, some of the structural imbalances between our rate of proximity output per worker have started to widen again, you know with the with, it will eat with the weather with the rest of the UK and so that that is very, very, very sort of apparent.
but I, I am and again to some sort of 0 yeah, but you have seen improvement, you know, so you know, so we still have sort of a significant gap, things with high level skills, but we've got more people now who are qualified at level 4 than we receive from, but that structural gap with the rest of England and the UK still still still remains and in many ways, across many of those kind of key economic metrics they widen slightly, and you know in the in in in the last year so there are some of those are Council fundamental challenges apologies. I'm sort covering quite a lot of ground there, but to try to give you some the key points and probably that's
Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 0:56:46
promptly, thank you putting for that really comprehensive report and it took me a while to read it when now, when I went through it and understand what it was, it's interesting to see there are a few green shoots but an awful lot of challenges in front of us.
I have got one question for you before we go to the panel is that amend the autumn statement? It mentioned the increase in the the real living wage, which is a substantial increase. Normally it moves by 30 to 50 pence has gone up significantly and it's been implemented almost immediately now. Well, that's not a bad thing. We all want to see good wages and high wages in this region, but it does do is put smaller businesses probably under strain and also means that it's not just that that rate that changes the rates above it needs to change. So how do we expect that to impact the inflation figures going forward or do you have a view on that?
Patrick Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 0:57:44
I, I think I mean it, it was interesting and I I think, are a number of us were unsighted on that on on on the scale of the increase and certainly above the the current level of OBR CPI inflation and and I have no doubt when the when the government made that decision they will be aware of of of of of that that that information I mean I I think we've traditionally seen we would sort of cow you know.
in the long run, yes, you're absolutely right, sort of cherry pie presents some significant challenges, certainly in the short term it's the extent to which I think you know.
that there's a combination of things happening that you've also got a reduction in national insurance contributions, and there's also the the the the self-employment aspect of the reductions of employment. I think you've got a number of things happening there that, probably if we're being fair level, lough some low level themselves out, but in the long run I think we do you know. It's proven that the increases until a real living wage do bring sort of some fundamental benefits, both to the labour market in terms of labour market mobility. Yeah so I think they've been several pieces of work by the interference said, the Institute of employment Research at work, showing you you know some of the benefits of it, so it's other longer-term benefits to learn which the economy, I think you know, or the evidence base around that is relatively proven. Yeah, but obviously there are there are. There are some challenges, but I I think, are there are a number of things happening that were announced in the autumn statement, but the the the the may well just of offset each other in terms of the impact they have, particularly on small businesses. But that's just just just just just a view
Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 0:59:08
I, I think that might affect a lot of our small businesses significantly, and something will need to be mindful of, especially in the short term, because some of the other the other things that were announced but yeah for various small businesses we might have rates relief, but for the other businesses in between we went, but I'll come to Councillor Turner yeah, thanks to you, it wasn't just the amount we
Cllr Graham Turner (Kirklees Council) - 0:59:31
increased it, I think, surprised everybody as a family is roughly down two years as well to 21 for the 21 ago, so that'll have an impact on lots of businesses that may well have anticipated a rise in him in the waves and built into the budget, probably perhaps two extra years of a cohort that may throw some business plans out of the window at the moment, so we are working out how that impacts on people
Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 0:59:54
thank you for that Malsin, thank Sheila, etc.
inflation.
Mr Martin Hathaway (Private Sector Representative) - 0:59:58
is still the biggest concern for businesses and labour market supply, I'm gonna say I think lots of people for school shortages were actually his labour market, that's the problem, it's the job that they can't get people to do now, not the schools they think they might need in the future, but inflation not going up as quick doesn't make things cheaper.
it is still going up and is still going up.
very highly and.
how can something that you know about more inflationary pressures put on in in in the budget?
as well, but it's the interest rates are using a interface rope on top just to put down inflation means that businesses are literally less likely to be bet, so if that switch company they can suddenly get interested in the money that they've got for the first time in many many years and if they've got to borrow the money to invest then is much more expensive so changes their plans and it may not make them viable.
in the longer term, although, if you've got any views on how we can do something locally, to effect that.
Patrick Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:01:03
yeah, I mean that's that that's something of a challenge, surely and as we came out of the pandemic meet, we know that the UK's comparative investment rates tray or the other of other countries.
that's a structural phenomenon, but it's also something has become more awful, more obvious since the since the pandemic, although I think there are a combination of factors that the the the public contribute to that, and it's not just the the actual pandemic itself, but they're obviously other policy choices that affected the the the the the economy.
and we've seen a bit s particular period of readjustment in supply chains.
and and and and, and it's taken a while for for for for that, too, to unwind what we know for through some of the work, and I think there's a potentially a good segue in here to the the the the next item on on the economic strategies, where we're doing a substantial amount of work in terms of some of the sort of challenges and until the evidence supporting the economic strategy and when you when you look at those investment levels, so you know there's a there's a range of new data. The owners have released that gives us a bit more insight on some of those patterns of normally sort of investment at a local level, but things like export and F MBA FDI, so there's su until the granularity of some of the data we're using now is better than it was some, for instance, we did this for the industrial strategy
and and that shows that the that we don't on our overall levels of investment. If you give us your views on the kind of properties like sort of bringing a gross fixed capital formation is approximately. The government uses for DFP for investment in in in in in West Yorkshire are proportionately lower than the then UK. Sophie UK, compared the UK to the rest of the OECD, HSGA and you compared West Yorkshire and a proportionate basis the the that our level of of of overall living investment ease lower and again is beginning to widen a bit again is that phenomenon pointed out some of the other economic indicators. Instead, the region has been keen to widen widen it. Like one a little bit, sorry, I think that they're. Obviously you know in the economic strategy will be particularly with will be the lens by which we we we we actually Rosebery, you know, respond to that and I guess, yeah yeah, one of the things that will reflect on some of the evidence versus is kind of like them. When you when you listen to to be looking things up somewhat like research and development, the there's a a a really strong relationship between crowding in off of the private sector R and D in a
in relation to non-private sector R and D that's our institutional investment, research and development by government or more on what we do know from the statistics from government is again we don't compare well so there's other areas that do a little bit better than others in terms of some sort of that tend to have more of a leverage effect from from from that trading ineffective n' ineffective sort of sort of proportionately higher so yeah yeah,
R and D investment. You know, you have, you know, reverent from Britain through from government, for instance, but we are, we are beginning to see some require some positive signs. You know that you know at the local level in terms of things like R and D, some tax credit information, some of the pedants stuff yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, without that trolling and effects, we're still seeing some really quite quite some really positive things happening in the private sector, but without that sort of slingshot effect of sort of
yeah, I'm good enough substantial sort of institutional sort of public sector investment it already sort of having that charging ineffective you do so, so again it says again I'd go, so I'm just ruminating here and my colleagues will probably probably so kicking on and on and off the table but against what or how we can well how we can encourage some some of that that sort of institutional investment secured from government but no other institutional investment as well.
Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 1:04:26
thanks for that, before I come to Farrah and then Susan A is worth noting with a number of SMEs in our region that those that do claim the R and D tax credit will now be affected by the changes the government has made to the SMA banned rating on R and D tax credit, so another thing that is a bit of a kick in the teeth for those businesses that are doing all the right things now and not able to to claim in the way that they were and far,
there's lots of interesting information here, the one that I really
Fara Butt (Private Sector Representative) - 1:04:54
want to focus on is the economy of West Yorkshire rebounding stronger than the England average, and the fact that Wakefield actually rebounded 4.3% as opposed to England's 12.7%.
I just want to ask whether we understand the factors behind that in the first instance and then, secondly, why do you think that gap is now growing again, you know, and we're reverting back to where or when the headed in that direction again, and what can be done to stop that?
the amendment is wrong, and that will be a liberal category, don't
Patrick Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:05:28
press the button, then suddenly YouTube a spokesperson.
yeah, I got the at the local level and certainly if you look at a Wakefield example, if he does have a very different sort of industrial and commercial competition near to a number of other areas in the in West, Yorkshire, so so so we are doing work as part of the industrial strategy to look at what what might might might might be dragging that but there's some clear messages coming out of the the published on estates and so we're actually looking at that.
look at using some new local level data Owens' produce that allows us to drill down the first time and and and actually look at that so that actually work the work we're actually looking at now, so I can't give you a complete answer on that bud. So be assured that we are looking at as part of that, some of the work that we're doing up until the the the the economic strategy, the the in it sort of answer. The second part of the question he says Look, I think this is what would happen to. There are some structural fundamentals or structural challenges we face as a result, so the reflection of the state of the region about gaps on our output, sort of innovation R and D spend
a high level skills or are all the same kind of structural gap. We were talking about in the union aunties, A A A A A and and so I think some of the what we are seeking ease is that we really look at things like the labour market. You were where you look at things like employment intensity so that if there was a dynamism we took to our labour market, we're not even seeing one in
in in in Manchester, were some of the challenges on the productivity side are about, for instance, if you look at some of the high levels, skilled jobs that we'd got to know, you know, if you compare them to their equivalents in, say, other areas 0 0 0 London the south-east if you can you if you look at somebody who is you know programme are being paid 70,000 pounds so I'll probably been paid less than the equivalent somewhere else.
yeah yeah, Neil, so there are some sub Isa, so in terms of those types of high level skills that we're doing quite well at in terms of attracting some of those jobs with, but there are still some differences and you know the productivity is fundamentally about the number of people that the the the the in-work and the and the types of things they're doing and on what they're earning and and and and,
and you know Suh there are some some some challenge, some some some some challenges there, I think particularly.
and I think the the other aspect to this is how we can encourage people, you know to transition from level 2 you know, so if you actually look at something permission, isn't there, we've still got a substantial number of people who have no qualifications or or or or are below level 2. You're just over 200,000, you know it again, it's about I gave him the economic strategy I sought colleagues will present that I will will focus on exactly how were we we, we are gonna, try and move people up y up those lads because the the, as you would be put through level 2 and level 3, that a strong relationship between income and proximity and you know so
probably digressed a little bit. Hopefully that sort of answered some
Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 1:08:12
of the questions will come to see, isn't, it might also be worth looking at, they then make hidden actual complications, have any very skilled people we have in the workforce without qualifications, but could be qualified if you not, who means them that are often skills, people who can pass those traits on to other people, but don't have any qualification apart from the fact that their time served and we don't capture that that non-standard qualification, if you note
Cllr Graham Turner (Kirklees Council) - 1:08:41
I mean Susan yeah, it's all pretty gloomy, isn't it early to cost,
and it's obviously part of a national picture, which shows that our economy is flatlining and the governments, for whatever they say this is not a good outlook and they have not invested enough in our economy
Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe (Bradford Council) - 1:09:02
to make it grow in the future. So it is very important that we have devolution Mayoral Combined Authority here because without that, where would we be to be promised? At least we've got that because we've got the money to drive forward our improvements on transport, mass transit in the pipeline, Bradford as a city centre, stop on a new line going through of the t I you stuff. That is also important for our economies that so we are the drivers of growth in our area and just as important is just on the skill side. I think you know me because I talk a lot about transport and culture in fact as another murderous, but the skill side of things is is the bit that I think we're underfunding as a region. Actually
and therefore any additional moneys we can get in to power that forward on skills, I think it would be really useful the A B on a year such as the service and we did a calculation in Bradford a few years ago that said we needed 100 million to get every ulcer and level 3 or something like that very exact number no, but it was so it was absolutely a massive amount you know where are we gonna get this wondering whether to get people skilled up because it is an absolutely fantastic investment to skill people up because, as we see from these figures, it really saves the whole economy will need in the future, so ad lack has to have a bit of a creative thinking about how we can get more funding in for skills in particular but just you know all the work that the Mayor of the Combined Authority is doing is the game in town for us for economic growth and I'm so glad we've got it.
Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 1:10:30
if I may, thank you Susan and skills, absolutely vital that you can't get a better job without the skills, so it was great that devolution gives the opportunity to change the eligibility for free education and go to.
of the levels beyond the minimum wage, but to the real living wage, 2000 more people, access that opportunity, and also within this the Autumn Statement and level 4, will we now have the chance to use all of the bootcamp money that's right, isn't it Sarah rather than potentially just 50 it's fair rather than the 50% so we can be more agile.
to deliver the skills that businesses need, but my question really was two to Sarah and to Patrick, this is really helpful and it's great data, but if if there's an opportunity for horizon scanning as well about, obviously you're getting a sense of what the future looks like but where else,
given we are not alone in this misery, where are the innovations to tackle this this problem?
that we're all seeing about skills and opportunities, and so on. Are there any your best practice that you were seeing around other MCFs or other regions in the UK or even in Europe, where you know a bold, innovative idea can try and to change the dial a little on on what's facing us, because it shouldn't be that we are just a ship buffeted by the storm, we should be able to in some way take hold of the tiller and try and get our own journey and through through this difficult time, and I know a lot of that is about skills and, of course, transport is the key to thickening the labour market, because that's how you get people to jobs and to skills, and that's why transport is such a priority for me and I'm glad that good or bad that Susan raised it. But we've got. 80, is 88,000 people on long-term sick. That is not necessarily in our gift to resolve the the
waiting lists in the NHS, but is there something we can do now where part of the integrated care board, where can we be really smart to try and trial things to to get better outcomes in a in a flatlining, flatlining economy and of course there's going to be potentially a change of government? What do we want to see from that new government to tackle these? And it's item 2 to 9, which is that there is a really clear list. The small business base relative to the size of the population, low intensity of exports, a low investment in innovation, weak skills base, those are our priorities, whereas the good thinking and
the you'll know the Harrington report was out last week if there's an opportunity for this board to have access to quick readouts of any report, that's out that impacts on our on our economy and on business, I think would be.
to Lisa's point of, and also I think, to Farah's point about what do you get from being on this board and I think access to to data and information and
you know an understanding of the economy and investments and exports, and so on, I think, would be a great carrot
it might put extra pressure on our capacity, but I think you know just to have a redoubt, for example, of the Harrington report or to invite Lord Harrington to come and talk to us about investment and where the solutions are, he did insist that West Yorkshire was really well referenced throughout it, I'm not sure that's necessarily insurance we'd like it but just to the point that that the data is really helpful but then it's interpreting the data for the board members to find solutions for the future.
Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 1:14:34
thanks trophy got to come back, Sarah, so just on the analysis point
Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:14:38
and the very various reports that have been published in the work that we're doing and then interrogate them and analyse them, and the implications for West Yorkshire at works happening anyway, so it absolutely should be shared with this body could come in more of a routine kind of way in terms of the
the what works elsewhere and what's happening, what good practice looks like that is the bulk of the work right now taking place on the current strategy, what is the evidence telling us we've done a call for call for evidence, what works elsewhere, Felix has come back from Boston with loads of ideas appalling that altogether right now and then we're gonna be looking at, what does that mean and how do we implement that and what the priorities look like on the back of that,
Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 1:15:13
so that looked at very quickly, they at now disagree entirely with Susan on Monday, transport links apps and yourself Treacy. Whitfield has got to train stations, would really fabulous one. I'm sure that sort of contribute to that Bradford if you look at it, are still that
Fara Butt (Private Sector Representative) - 1:15:31
that is vital to economic regeneration and the bounce back. I'm sure that has had a massive impact
Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 1:15:36
thanks for our thanks, Sarah Lisa, he'd been very patient, which is rare for me, but there we go.
Ms. Lisa Johnson (Private Sector Representative) - 1:15:42
this is really great. Thank you, sir Patrick, because obviously everything starts from a date when we can't forget the outcomes until we know what we're working with just won't play really for the moment when we have reports like this in future, if we're gonna make sure that equality and diversity are threaded through everything that we do, I think there were probably some underlying gender, ethnic minority disability issues, that thread through all of this data that potentially we could pull out because I think of it in point 5, we've kind of just referenced that ethnic minority groups are more disproportionately represented in deprived communities, which is true, but I would imagine a bunch of these groups. Disabled people, too, will be impacted more women, probably those with kids. So if we could just get some of that reading through, it would be really helpful to us. I think
Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 1:16:23
good points list and thank you.
say, Natalie yeah?
Ms. Natalie Sykes (Private Sector Representative) - 1:16:31
thank you Chair just a small observation, the number of citizens that are completely unskilled 200,000, I wasn't aware of that figure, but having worked with a number of the ANC institutes, particularly universities, and know there's a very strong relationship with the universities of West Yorkshire, there's almost a potential call to action.
for those and institutes to provide those skills on a pro bono basis, and I think it was something worthwhile furthering to try to tackle that huge drop in skills within the citizenship of West Yorkshire and so it's just something which I think when we get to our

9 Economic Strategy and Digital Blueprint

more private discussions that we could look at, how do we look at the Mayor's Council as well, and some of the some of the strength around that table once it's formed to look at tackling some of these issues, which ultimately will make West Yorkshire more prosperous and a better equal opportunity for all?
Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 1:17:40
I think that's a fabulous idea, Natalie and I know that the mayor has already been doing some things round transfer of apprenticeship levy, which has been fantastic, but taking that more widely out, I think, would be a great opportunity, so can we note that please and bring that back to one of the the workshops.
OK, Alan did you want to, I know this is something we've discussed, so I thought you might like an opportunity to see whether it chimes with your V 0 thanks, yes, or for Michael, if you already know the kind of measurement of schools for manufacturing is quite difficult really.
especially if you look at an academic scale, so I think in this region driven by the kind of strong textile industry and went into engineering, there's a lot of craftsmanship which, in places like Germany and Japan, the travel a lot different than the UK and it's kind of standing within the community I guess.
what's happened since COVID that I've physically observed myself and what we will be talking about is that a lot of really skilled people have just taken early retirement.
so there's a huge loss of skill there and I don't think that it's easy for businesses that might have people coming up to retirement, who are key employees, generating a lot revenue for that business, driving profitability to break them off and allow them the time to disseminate their skills to some of the younger generations. So the the Japanese
Mr Aaron Holt (Private Sector Representative) - 1:19:04
thereof, I think it's called the silver human resource centres where they have retirees and they bring him back to Kanye. Teach some of the people entering into manufacturing engineering, trade, skills, craftsmanship and this, this old government subsidised part-time work for them. I think it's it was actually driven because they were having a lot of depression in sort of areas of Japan, where high levels of sort of au pairs and stuff who didn't really have much activities to do so. It was kind of looking for ways to make use of their experience and talents
so I think things like that, then we are coming out of the box stuff that I've been around, I think, outstanding, like the eight things or something.
would be quite interesting, perhaps to have a look at, I just sit as
Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 1:19:53
on a fantastic idea, and I've seen it in action, it at a tailor's in Bradford, and it's a tailor that did the King's undergarments for their coordination, and they haven't the most amazing fella that absolutely just hands down his talents to all these young people coming through the business, has been doing it for years? I love the idea, let's look at it, look at that and see if there is something that we can make bespoke to West Yorkshire.
and maybe try and find a bit of funding to have a pilot or something because we're seeing in construction as well that people who don't want to be on the
on an on-site any more, but in their fifth is fifth heading to retirement, they're saying, OK, I know it's a drop in salary but I'll go back to college so we've got to celebrate that as well, but you know what an extraordinary gift you're giving to the next generation it's a great idea and thank you
yeah, I agree, I think, a master craftsman programme. However, we name it to make sure it's inclusive is, or is it a fantastic idea, and I think you are necessarily talking ourselves into a bit of a roll here, so you might not realise it, though it would be good to catch up with the road later and see what we could start to think about that's a bit of the wall and rather than doing that, Martin, this will be the last thing and then we'll move on just on the schools saying we've recently
Mr Martin Hathaway (Private Sector Representative) - 1:21:14
written the local schools improvement plan for West Yorkshire re when, when we spoke to just over 1,000 businesses during writing, that and
one of the things that came out of it was that the businesses and these are businesses, not not not employers that are also rural businesses, was that the value that the senior people in the businesses place on qualifications is it's the skills that are important, not the qualification.
but that's not reflected further on when they recruit, so that goes to the right child department, we then put an advert out, saying we want, we are at a level 4 and level 5 NB queuing this, but that's not what the boss of the business wants or does it it's just how these things work once businesses get busy get bigger but unless we can find a way to accredit it,
in a way that civil servants can count.
the
they're not interested in changing the way that schools work, so we all know that the school system that we currently have funds numbers, it doesn't fund the schools, but it doesn't fund the job, it funds the funds, the individuals and is not fit for purpose for those that are delivering them or otherwise you know, and the colleges and private training providers deliver those, it doesn't give them any security in the future and just wanted to.
it forces them to just count to sell what they've got in their stock cupboard and then and get as much out the door as possible rather than naturally addressing what we need in the future. But yeah, I just think, is we need to recognise that the school system is currently broken in terms of the way it is funded and surely one of the advantages of devolution must be right. Then give us the money, devolve the money to us and then tell us exactly what we've got to spend it on. It's got to be doing what's right for the area
Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 1:23:04
I'm jumping in ahead of the Chair allowing me to press the button. So sorry, sorry about that, but just to say, because I just got me overheating because I can't tell you how many times I've been talking about this, that those five different funding streams, different departments, different deadlines, it is a waste of money and I want to thank our teams, who hide the wiring miraculously their magicians, but it just does not work is not fit for purpose and if devolution gives us nothing else, giving us autonomy over skills will be a game changer.
Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 1:23:39
I couldn't agree more and on that note we will move on to the next year subject but first of all the recommendation is that the Board notes the contents of the paper, thank you, Patrick for that it prompted a lot of discussion and I think there's some really interesting things that we've talked about that have come out of it which will also note and maybe take those to the next steps, so I think that's with you Felix and Sarah if that's OK so the next item is the final paper for the meeting,
item number 9, the economic strategy update, it's an overview, an update on the development of the West Yorkshire economic strategy. At our last meeting, Members were asked to feedback on the approach and comment on the emerging themes in line with the vision ambitions of the West Yorkshire Plan. Since then, lots of things have happened and this paper will take us through that, and I think this is a combo of Phoenix and Sarah
or is it not? It's just Sarah Phoenix
Sarah, you've got our, you've got the floor again Q, and I suppose just to apologise, really for it, it's quite a Type 1 process update paper.
because that's where we are in terms of the process and with a lot of
Sarah Bowes, Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:24:49
stuff that has happened, reporting back to you today, but as we move forward as a new business floor there's a real opportunity to have some detailed deep dive conversations like the one we had at the private sex session on some of the specific issues because we've heard about all the challenges we know there's a lot of challenges. the current strategy is a key opportunity for us to try and address some of those long-standing structural issues that we have in the region and really try and shift that shift if what we do and why we do it and how we do it.
so just a bit of a process update on this.
since the since the last meeting we've been doing a lot of activity, I've talked earlier about, we've done a call for evidence, we're collating the extensive evidence that we've got around the state of the economy and the barriers to growth in the region, we've commissioned the high growth cluster report to explore some specific clusters in the region.
we did a your voice survey, which was an online survey which got over 170 responses, which was a pretty good response, but we know that's not enough and we know what needs to be engaging more widely with more diverse communities across all these issues, so some of the things we started to do through our programme of activity are use our views use are let for members better, so asthma particularly has really helped us to have convened some groups together and use her networks to to engage and have some of the detailed conversations around some of the challenges and some of the so what can we do, what can we do about it? We've had a specific session on the challenges of rural businesses and some of the real issues that are specific to rival businesses
we have engaged extensively with local authority colleagues and we've we've had various conversations with the business rep groups throughout the role and the different roles we can all play in some of the challenges that we're facing as a region, so in terms of next steps, the evidence collation will will end soon in the next couple of weeks they will start to synthesize that and lies that makes some sense out of it all and start to develop some emerging priorities which will then test out in various workshops this group being a prime kind of conduit for that and a really detailed discussion on some of the emerging priorities on the back of the evidence but also wider wider workshops and engagement so,
it is a bit of a plea to action, a bit of a call to action in terms of members for if you've got networks, connections groups, you want us to come to to have these conversations to talk. They'd like to have a conversation about how we get that in the plan and get them in there. So if we've made sure we've had that really real breadth of engagement throughout throughout the process, really and then the last thing we're doing is pulling together an expert panel of the the best and the brightest in West Yorkshire and outside of West Yorkshire, to act as a bit of a critical friend check and challenge on some of the proposals that we're gonna put forward and get. That could be not credible, credible, credible voice in terms of our upon
Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 1:27:38
thanks Sarah, that's a really helpful and I was at before I took this role. I was at 1.00 of the events that asthma organised in Bradford, so it was a really engaging session, it was certainly people didn't wanna leave at the end of it, and I think that's a good sign for the future and one of the things that came out of that was access to land, I think, was really important. Access to land or or real estate of some sort, and that's something I know that we're looking at as Ma. What were your thoughts on what we've done so far and I think, really
Asma Iqbal (Private Sector Representative) - 1:28:11
good engagement, I think very good interaction, I, the earlier point that was made about following up and continuing to show that there are outcomes and how we're
kind of incorporating them in what we do is important, so we don't lose credibility along the way.
I touched into one network of businesses, there are other communities, I think we ought to take advantage of, and I know there is a willingness, so I'd like to develop on what we started here and not just sort of pause so that that would be my feedback. I think that's
Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 1:28:45
really good, and the first thing is if we're not already doing this, which means we may well be as sending an e-mail to all the attendees to thank them and tell them what the next steps are. So hopefully we're all ready doing that. Sarah are we
yeah, I think that's important them Susan
Cllr Graham Turner (Kirklees Council) - 1:29:03
thank you, so a few things, how does this fit with West Yorkshire Plan?
which also we we launched last year, and hopefully you'll use this to determine our own future when it comes to devolution, and I'm a bit tired of these sorts of bids were asked to look at me, somebody else looked at them, we need to say what we think we're offer devolution in West Yorkshire, as I think this is an opportunity presumably to say how government have you thought of these ideas this we think this will help us, for you know, push forward our economy. The other thing, as it says, digital blueprint on here as well, which I don't really see an awful lot of reference to in the paper, and I'm I'm just aware that
we didn't get a bid through recent on digital connectivity now, this is not something that this is like technologies and, as I'm not ideal replace talk about this stuff, Lisa's probably better this than I am actually in all this gear 3G 4G or whatever it is, however, a stuff we need and the price of the private providers.
I've completely run by markets and not by need, and I do think that's something we need to look at because I miss it,
transport connectivity is vital, and we have already discussed that, but the digital connectivity some areas are getting left behind across West Yorkshire, because Openreach we decided not to go there and I think it will be something perhaps Ross Booker as a board chaps wonder to say what is a state of player, what we're doing about it as a Combined Authority as a collective, just to make sure that sleepily would just go through the decades and find ourselves at the bottom of the pile when it comes to digital connectivity, the next 10 years, so I'd just like us to put a bit of focus on that, if I may as well. Thank you
Sarah, would you like to respond to Malcolm deletion yeah? Thank you,
Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 1:30:42
so the bit never in the title of the agenda item, but we are developing a digital blueprint, a separate bank document which is exactly that it's not placed about infrastructure, about skills and it's about people and how technology can be used to to support our ambitions, but also improve people's lives. Ultimately, so I think, coming back to this with this group, with with where we are on that process, will be a really good idea and having a bit of a deep dive on on exactly the things you mentioned there and then on the West Yorkshire Plan to the west. Such a plan is obviously the big vision, the big picture, the big document for the region and our direction of travel. This economic strategy is really around the prosperous West Yorkshire and how we make sure that this prosperous West Yorkshire
Fara Butt (Private Sector Representative) - 1:31:21
benefits everybody that inclusive economy and everybody can succeed, so it's a, it's aligned to it very much working towards it.
wish upon above yeah uterus restaurant.
welcome to Lisa I think, is important, not just for the fact that is
Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 1:31:35
important for the people at West Yorkshire, but when we look into attract businesses here, the questions that were being asked when we were on the trade mission is, is there a place for me to go, what's the connectivity like what's the official see available, what's the skills network? So all these things are important to the people of West Yorkshire are also important to the businesses that want to locate here, so getting that set up and understanding what we have or what we don't have, and what we need is it is important for living here and for attracting businesses to come here, so I think that's a really good idea. Susan yeah, definitely I was gonna say some of the
Ms. Lisa Johnson (Private Sector Representative) - 1:32:11
work we've already done around the digital plan that also feeds into the West. Yorkshire Plan has been really good, bringing together people from across the region, but also to agree with Susanna in terms of the the digital equalities, which is hugely important because you can't work from home you kids can't access the resources they need, you just can't do it if you've if you've not got it, I think we've got some good businesses, I only know once in Leeds, but I'm sure there are more across West Yorkshire companies like ECU all but actually deal with connectivity and actually laying the cables for all these sorts of things and making sure that people are connected, so I'm sure there's a piece of work we could do with actual local businesses to bring that together into the site if they can't fix out what is it that we need to do because if we definitely got the skills out let's be able to do that
Ms. Natalie Sykes (Private Sector Representative) - 1:32:59
having spent a number of years in North Yorkshire, where connectivity at speed.
touch and go to say, at the best of times there has been a commitment across North Yorkshire to connect some of those really far out of reach towns with fibre, and it's happened you know miraculously it has happened and even in places where still they have issues with copper cables saying the centre of Harrogate there's now public Wi-Fi.
so again, you know there are some best practices in areas that don't necessarily have the the economic drivers that West Yorkshire has, so can we learn from some of that because you know how can we look to have a remote workforce, as it's just been said if there's not the connectivity
thank you necessarily feelings.
Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 1:33:52
thank you, I suppose.
just
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:34:00
so digital connectivity in West Yorkshire is actually really good.
it's not everywhere is really good, though so we are, we are about, I think, 95 96% of West Yorkshire, so superfast connectivity is really good, we've had a programme for a long time where we've got a challenge, is there for the 5 G connectivity where you go full fibre to the premises, usually you've got full fibre.
to the to the road back to their premises as a challenge costs a bit more money to get there, we can bring, we can have it, I think it's worth as having a proper conversation because we've got colleagues in the building who doing this and doing this well and know it well and can give us enough you know then insights we need to understand where we've got gaps and what our role is because,
in the more built-up areas the market is taking care of it, it's usually usually tends to be where we are further out and what technology we need to be able together. But you know we can have a full conversation with colleagues who are more knowledgeable than I am
Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 1:35:09
in the room to do it, and it is the shared prosperity rural fund cover, some of that, are we using some of that money for rural connectivity?
Felix Kumi-Ampofo, Director (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:35:19
pass I like to say yes, but I would like us to check and come back unless there are any be unclear.
thanks mate.
Alan Reiss, Chief Operating Officer (West Yorkshire Combined Authority) - 1:35:24
I don't think so, no meeting with the the the chef respiratory fund, the rural element of the shared prosperity fund, is mostly to support businesses directly with things like capital grants for equipment.
at their disposal, since a separate programme.
I'll come to Susan and then to you Martin.
Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 1:35:44
Cllr Graham Turner (Kirklees Council) - 1:35:47
and it is rural areas, it is also urban areas, so just looking at the map, at least we get a health and wellbeing boards, urban not-spots Welsh framework from our point of view as breakfast centre and Keighley.
and you know.
in the disdain age we shouldn't have that kind of gap to address, so I think that's something we need to address back with this. The irony is
Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 1:36:06
that that's centre is the centre of Aref technology and is globally significant so Y, but on the apps put on the plus side we have put in a number of bids, including one that we've got in at the moment for 5 G 6 G connected networks and work on that from space of Yorkshire between Leeds and Bradford, and it includes those regional, so there is hope, but I live in that district and I know there's a not-spot where I live too, so there's anyway, Martin
Mr Martin Hathaway (Private Sector Representative) - 1:36:36
yeah, the it's just to put Natalie might have been North Yorkshire, but the difference was that they set up their own company to fit the infrastructure to fitted with 9 net, and that was an investment that's sort 20 odd years ago now, so that might take some catching up on the industry has moved on but agreed taking responsibility for it and look at it. It is a investment not as a business case for for the deliverers of it would be is the right thing to do
Mandy Ridyard (Chair) - 1:37:02
thanks to the last thing we seem to hijack Sarah's s Sarah's, you cannot access the update on one specific thing that we're struggling with and but with lots of other opportunities, I think for the board here, it's to make sure that we keep you up to date with the things that you send through and comment on those and check with our networks as well.
and so, Sarah, you know, I'd like as to note the contents of the reports, but also to make sure that we feed back on what comes through to us and again make sure that we do that widely with any networks that we have so that we're getting the right information back and feeding that into the economic strategy.

For Information

10 Minutes for Information

so that brings us to the end of the last paper, there's one more item which was minutes for information, so especially for the new members, there are some links at the end of this report, so you can go back and look at any previous papers that you that you've missed out on, but obviously it's good to have that but we wanna be forward facing now.
I think that brings the business to a close, so will be able to shortly stop. The recording at the next public meeting is scheduled for June 2024, but you don't get off that easily. We intend to have a load Moore pieces of engagement on certain subjects. We've got our skills panels and other panels that are going on in the meantime. I look forward to seeing you all very soon as we work more closely and I now have scheduled some catch-ups with some of you already, so I would love to meet up with everyone at some point me have time and please reach out if there is anything that I've missed out, don't understand properly or you need help with that. I'm only too pleased to do that and thank you for your time. Today we finished early, we started late
Webcast Finished - 1:38:49
what a great meeting by Roger Oratory