Concerned that Welsh Government promises to give North Wales new powers have been diluted, Welsh Conservative MS for the Region Mark Isherwood has challenged the Transport Secretary on the matter.
in 2023, the Transport Secretary, Ken Skates MS, argued in favour of devolving decision making on a range of transport matters to the Region.
However, following a Statement made by him last month, Mr Isherwood is concerned that the real regionalism and devolution advocated by the North Wales Economic Ambition Board won’t be delivered.
Speaking in yesterday’s meeting of the Welsh Parliament when questioning the Cabinet Secretary over Welsh Government proposals for improving the transport network in North Wales, he said:
“Questioning you here in 2018 during your first innings as Transport Secretary, I highlighted the North Wales Economic Ambition Board's ‘Growth Vision for North Wales Draft Proposition Document’, which stated ‘the region invites the Welsh Government to support the formation of a Regional Transport Body and fund the delivery of a well-planned and integrated transport network’, and that ‘additional powers will be needed to enable the planning of integrated passenger transport networks’.
“In your response, you referred for the first time instead to the ‘North Wales Metro’. As you know, I Chair the Cross-Party Group for North Wales, and at our meeting in February 2023 you argued in favour of devolving decision making on a range of transport matters to the region, and you stated this could involve ‘devolution of funding to the North Wales Corporate Joint Committee’.
“Now that you're on your second innings as Transport Secretary, how will you reconcile your statement last month that decisions about the future funding of the Welsh Government's Transport Grants will be taken by Corporate Joint Committees, based on an agreed delivery plan, presumably with the Welsh Government, with the approach advocated by the Ambition Board from the outset of real regionalism and devolution?”
The Cabinet Secretary responded:
“We are actually doing what I said we should commence in my first innings, which is to devolve the financial resource and the decision making to the region - to the Corporate Joint Committee, but it may be that funding goes direct to local authorities. It's for the CJCs to determine how the funding is allocated against their agreed Regional Transport Plans.”
Speaking outside the meeting, Mr Isherwood said:
“The North Wales Economic Ambition Board's ‘Growth Vision for North Wales Draft Proposition Document’ stated ‘new powers and responsibilities are sought (for North Wales) to facilitate growth in key policy areas such as transport and employment’. Speaking in the Senedd on this seven years ago, I said this would require the Labour Government in Cardiff to loosen its grip. All these years on, it appears this is something they are struggling to do.”