North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood is concerned that the Economy and Infrastructure Secretary, Ken Skates AM, failed to answer this week when he questioned him over calls for the Welsh Government to devolve powers to North Wales.
Mr Isherwood raised the matter during an Assembly Short Debate on a New Economy for North Wales.
He said:
“The North Wales Economic Ambition Board’s Growth Vision for the Economy of North Wales, supported by all six Councils, Universities, Colleges and the Business Sector, and submitted to the UK and Welsh Governments this summer, has cross-border co-operation at its core. As it says, this is about complementing the Northern Powerhouse, integrated with the Strategy Growth Bid submission for the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership, and having the Growth Track 360 plan for rail investment at its core.
“What it doesn’t call for is the “Metro” proposed by Welsh Government. What it does call for, alongside investment, is for the devolution of powers by the Welsh Government over employment, taxes, skills and transport, stating this would boost the economy, jobs and productivity, create at least 120,000 jobs and boost the value of the local economy to £20 billion by 2035.
“So, what they need to know, alongside the UK Government, is whether the Welsh Government is going to agree to talk with them about devolving those powers, parallel to powers being devolved by the UK Government to the Northern Powerhouse, or not. Without that, the rest is candy floss.”
Mr Isherwood added: “It is very telling that the Economy and Infrastructure Secretary, Ken Skates AM, pointedly failed to answer this key question in his response.”
ENDS