The Welsh Development Agency has said it is suceeding in its drive to support more home-grown Welsh firms.

New figures show that more half the jobs created in the past year were in indigenous companies.

The WDA has been busy trying to dispel the impression that it only helps overseas firms to build factories in the relatively prosperous M4 corridor.

It has been set targets to do more to help exisiting Welsh companies and to support job creation in less well off western districts.

Dividends

According to the latest figures, the new policy is now showing dividends.

Of the 20,000 new jobs created or safeguarded last year, over 10,000 were in home-grown firms.

And 12,500 were in the Objective One funding zone in west wales and the south Wales valleys.

The WDA is currently looking for a new chief executive.

And one industrialist has called on the National Assembly for Wales to triple the £100,000 salary job being offered to attract the right candidate.