10 October 2019

Dear

ATISN 13422

Thank you for your request which I received on 18 September about Public Money ( Grants or Investments) given to Dairy Partners (Cymru ) Ltd, The Creamery, B4333, Aber-Arad, Newcastle SA38 9DQ between the period 2012-2019. The information you requested is enclosed.

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Public Money ( Grants or Investments) given to Dairy Partners (Cymru Wales) Ltd, The Creamery, B4333, Aber-Arad, Newcastle Emlyn SA38 9DQ between the period 2012-2019.

(i) Repayable Business Finance (RBF) £780,910

(a) Can you confirm this money was repaid to the Welsh Government - or is being repaid - and if the latter - how much has been repaid by Dairy Partners to date?

(b) Can you confirm details of the new processing equipment for cheese production and what elements/installations the WG funding paid for exactly?

(c) Can you confirm how the Specific Employment Conditions on jobs safeguarded & created have been audited by the Welsh Government? it is understood at the moment Dairy Partners track record on employment is driven by zero-hours contracting-in of employees. Were there any stipulations on the nature of jobs safeguarded or created, in terms of their quality, permanence or type?

Food Business Investment Scheme (FBIS) £724,925.87

(d) Is it possible to obtain a copy of the Application Form from Dairy Partners for this funding, (covering new processing equipment and milk intake area to increase capacity, and, to convert the existing fuel source on the site)?

(e) Can you advise on what planning permissions - for what site improvements or installations - have been submitted to the WG-SMU as per the conditions set out?

(f) For both (d) and (e) can you advise whether Dairy Partners submitted details on the full scope, nature, phases of their site re-development & intensification of production (masterplan) - including intended planning permission application sequence? Is it possible to obtain copy of the full site-redevelopment proposals?

Finally, in significant project funding such as this - does the Welsh Government:

(g) Audit/assess the recipient, to ensure they are compliant with Welsh Government plans & policies.

For example: Welsh Government: Food & Drink: Planning Permission and Environmental Permits: A Step by Step Guide for Food and Drink Manufacturers in Wales or Local Development Plan: Policy EMP3 Employment – Extensions and Intensification Proposals for extensions and/or intensification of existing employment enterprises will be permitted provided that: 1. The development proposals are not likely to cause environmental damage or prejudice other redevelopment proposals; 2. The proposal does not extend and/or intensify a use or activity that might result in adverse amenity issues, or may not be compatible, with neighbouring uses; 3. The development proposals are of an appropriate scale and form compatible with its location;

Please note that during the time period you have specified the business traded under a number of names, namely: Dairy Partners Ltd; Dansco Dairy Ltd (2013-2016); and, Dairy Partners (Cymru Wales) Ltd (2016-to date). We have included all of these in our searches and in the information being released.

In response to your request, please see points below;

(i) Repayable Business Finance (RBF) £780,910

a) The award was made on a non-repayable basis. The company successfully completed this project in July 2019 having met the targets for job creation, job safeguarding and capital investment.

b) The following project related assets were supported by the RBF project which was an investment in processing equipment for mozzarella cheese to be processed into cheese strings:-

o Urschel CC High Speed o Johnsons String Machine o Drake Loader o CFS Thermoformer o Flow Wrapper o Check Weigher o Lazy Susan o Case Sealer o Labeller o Installation costs o Brine Heat Exchanger o End of Line Packing & Quality o Borehole o Converger/stacker/conveyer

c) Zero Hour contract jobs are not supported under RBF scheme criteria. All jobs created and safeguarded under RBF must be permanent full or part time contract jobs – full time employees must work 30 hrs or more a week, part time employees work 15 hrs or more per week. An independent third party auditor verified the employment status of jobs created and safeguarded, claimed by the company.

Food Business Investment Scheme (FBIS) £724,925.87 d) The FBIS application and all its appendices are commercially sensitive and therefore not available for release. e) Approval for planning was approved by Carmarthenshire County Council. Evidence for approval consent was provided by Dairy Partners for the LNG, Silos and Milk intake bays. f) All planning documents can be found on the Carmarthenshire County Council planning portal- link below. http://online.carmarthenshire.gov.uk/eaccessv2/SearchAddressAppResults.as px?UPRN=10009164573 g) Where planning is a condition of grant, all applicants have to comply with the applicable planning regulations. In the case of Dairy Partners planning was applied, assessed and approved by Carmarthenshire County Council. The applicant would have to comply with the planning process specified by the local authority.