What efforts has the Minister made to boost footfall on high streets during the build up to Christmas?
Footfall and influencing consumer shopping is impacted by many factors. We are committed to supporting the retail sector in Wales over the longer term with the Retail Action Plan launched earlier this year.
This Plan confirms our actions and aspirations and importantly supports our engagement and social partnership approach with the sector.
The Plan highlights many programmes and initiatives for supporting our high streets including business support, small business rates relief and other non-domestic rates measures.
Our Transforming Towns Programme, which is providing £100 million over three years, aims to address the decline in town and city centres.
We are also providing businesses in the retail, leisure and hospitality sectors with relief on their non-domestic rates bills for a further year. We have made over £140m available for this purpose in 2023-24.