North Wales MS Mark Isherwood highlighted the lower unemployment rates in Clwyd South in the Senedd yesterday and championed the work that the MP for the constituency is doing to improve the situation.
During questions to the Economy Minister in Wednesday afternoon’s meeting of the Welsh Parliament, Mr Isherwood, said:
“The latest figures show that Wales, under a Labour Welsh Government in this case, has the lowest employment rate amongst the UK nations, that Wales was the only UK nation to see a fall in employment, and that Wales saw the largest increase in the inactivity rate compared with the same period last year.
“However, at 2.8 per cent, the unemployment rate in Clwyd South was lower than the figure for Wales as a whole. Will you therefore join me in welcoming the hard work of Clwyd South's Member of Parliament, Simon Baynes, representing in Westminster the needs and interests of companies, organisations and constituents in Clwyd South, where, for example, he's campaigned successfully for fertiliser companies such as Neatcrown Corwen Ltd in Clwyd South to be included in the support given by the UK Government for high energy-intensive businesses. And, working in partnership with Denbighshire County Council and Wrexham County Borough Council, he has secured the Clwyd South UK Levelling-Up Fund grant of £13.3 million from the UK Government, which includes the installation of the new roof at Llangollen Railway's Corwen Station, with the roof manufactured by Clwyd South firm Plant & Robinson Construction Limited.”
In his response the Minister referred to “other authorities in Wales, including Wrexham, that lost out on bids altogether” and “Flintshire County Council that has not been supported in any of its bids”. He also criticised “a competitive bidding process that took time, energy and effort”.
Speaking afterwards, Mr Isherwood added:
“Whilst I also supported the funding applications by Wrexham and Flintshire, the Minister for Economy appears not to understand that the UK Government had established priority categories which replaced the formula applying to the preceding EU structural funding that also prioritised Denbighshire, Conwy, Anglesey and Gwynedd over Flintshire and Wrexham, or that, overall, Wales has received the highest Levelling Up funding per head in the UK.”