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APPG for the Western Gateway: Call for ideas 

Closes: 17:00, Friday 28 February 2025 

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Western Gateway brings together MPs and Peers who wish to champion opportunities and unlock investment in the Western Gateway pan-region, which covers South Wales and Western England.  

With the current Labour government’s Mission on Delivering Economic Growth, the APPG is keen to ensure that our region receives its fair share of that investment and growth, and is at the heart of the UK’s future economy.  

However, this will only be realised if we engage in collaborative working between academia, businesses and regional, local and national governments in both Westminster and Cardiff. This is why we would like to invite submissions of potential future activities for the group to undertake. We are interested to hear your suggestions on the following: 

Subject area 

The Western Gateway’s Plan For Sustainable Growth sets out proposals on how to double the size of our economy by 2050, adding a further £250bn to the UK economy. However, is there another subject you believe that we should be focusing in? Can you identify an issue that would benefit from an in-depth exploration? Should we broaden or narrow our focus? 

Based on the feedback we received from the MPs and Lords in the APPG and other stakeholders, we would particularly welcome submissions in the areas of: 

  • Inward Investment: Our region is blessed with a wealth of natural assets; competitive wage, housing & commercial costs compared to comparable areas; and thriving sectors in key industries such as Cyber & Technology, Fintech, Green Energy, Creative & Digital and Advanced Manufacturing.  How can we best support these sectors to deliver on the UK government’s missions? And how can we ensure there is a coherent pan regional narrative for the area 
  • Supporting Innovation: The Western Gateway has a long history of innovation, and its current geographic economy thrives on high growth sectors such as cyber and technology and green energy. How can we work to ensure that we continue to support our innovative industries? What are likely to be the industries of the future that we should be nurturing now?  
  • Connecting Communities: Despite having the most mature cyber cluster in Europe, digital connectivity remains a challenge in some areas of our region. Likewise, rail connectivity is also a challenge, with Cardiff being the “least connected core city” in the UK. How can we connect communities across our cross-border economy to increase trade and skills transfer across our geography?  
  • Energy Security and Net Zero: Our region has the potential to be at the centre of the government’s Net Zero mission. We have a thriving hydrogen ecosystem, and substantial potential for tidal energy in the Severn Estuary. How can we make the most of these opportunities? How can we ensure our region speaks to both Welsh and UK government’s Net Zero ambitions?  

Type of activity 

Since its inception, the APPG has held roundtable discussions with key industry figures on topics important to the region, and even questioned former Levelling Up Minister Jacob Young MP on government plans to “level up” our region.  We would also like to explore alternative interactive routes of policy analysis and action. Some initial ideas: 

  • Discussion roundtables 
  • Inquiry with an evidence submission 
  • Workshops 
  • Events or debates in Parliament 
  • External visits 

In your submission we would encourage you to consider: 

  • the problem that needs addressing, and why Parliamentarians need to know about it 
  • a suggestion of the most suitable type of activity (optional) 
  • type of change, solutions or policy recommendations that could result from your suggested activity 
  • the policy or law that could be changed/influenced and which sectors/communities would benefit from this 
  • where there is existing evidence and who the experts are in your suggested area 
  • the best people and organisations for us to consult to achieve your suggestion 
  • why would this subject/activity benefit from the APPG looking at it? Are there any other organisations that would be more suited to leading this activity? 

All submissions will be presented to the MPs and Lords in the APPG who will decide on future subjects and activities for the Group to explore. 

Please note: We are opening a ‘call for ideas’ to ensure we include as many different perspectives from across the region as possible in our work. We are looking to pursue at least one of these proposals over the next 12 months. We are anticipating numerous responses, and there is no guarantee your suggestion will be chosen. 

Responding to the call for ideas 

  • There are two options for submitting your idea: 
  • Please submit your idea by Friday 28 February. 
  • All submissions will be made public on the Western Gateway website, unless otherwise specified.