The parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Wales Office met council leaders at the Royal Welsh Show last month.

Dame Nia Griffith DBE MP met with Councillor James Gibson-Watt, the leader of Powys County Council, and Councillor Bryan Davies, the leader of Ceredigion County Council, on July 22 to talk about the mid Wales economy.

Ceredigion and Powys councils have been working together to achieve strategic economic growth as part of the 'Growing Mid Wales' initiative.

They discussed the work being done in mid Wales, supported through UK Government funding, focusing on the mid Wales Growth Deal and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

The Mid Wales Growth Deal is a long-term investment of £110 million from the UK and Welsh governments, which leverages significant additional investment.

They discussed both the Sites & Premises and Digital Programmes as well as the nine projects currently seeking funding.

Dame Nia Griffith also made it clear how much she values teamwork.

She said: "I was delighted to meet key individuals involved with the Mid Wales Growth Deal.

"The UK Government is committed to economic growth and we can only do this by working in partnerships, exemplified by the work being undertaken here.

"By investing in key infrastructure and fostering these partnerships between government and the private sector, we are laying the foundation for a prosperous future for Mid Wales."

In a joint statement, Councillors Gibson-Watt and Davies stressed the importance of private and public sector collaboration across both the UK and Welsh Governments.

Their statement said: "We were pleased to meet the new minister today and talk about how we unlock the economic potential of Mid Wales.

"We have a strategy and vision for achieving growth with our key partners. It is vitally important that we continue to work hand in glove with both the UK and Welsh Government to foster collaboration between public and private sectors, working as one team – to boost productivity and drive long-term and sustainable economic growth."

They also discussed ongoing work around energy, transport, and skills in relation to the specific needs and strengths of the mid Wales rural economy, emphasising the need for joint partnership efforts.

Agri-tech, land and agriculture, energy, food, and tourism were mentioned as sectors that require sustained investment for the future prosperity of mid Wales.

Looking to the future, people can subscribe to a monthly newsletter for news on developments in the Growing Mid Wales initiative by emailing growingmidwales@ceredigion.gov.uk.