North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood has questioned why the Welsh Government ‘Our Valleys, Our Future Delivery Plan 2018’ is only aimed at Counties in the South Wales Valleys.
Responding to this week’s Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Service, Alun Davies, on the Plan, Mr Isherwood pointed out that West Wales and the Valleys includes four North Wales Counties, and asked why these are not included in the plan.
Speaking in the Chamber, he said:
“Of course, West Wales and the Valleys, which, unfortunately, has continued to produce the lowest value of goods and services per head of all UK regions or areas, includes four North Wales Counties, and this programme only addresses those in the South Wales Valleys part of that. Why is that? Or is that because you believe, possibly correctly, that the initiatives in North Wales behind the Growth Deal, the Growth Vision, the Growth Bid, are ticking the boxes up there?
“And, if you do believe that, and that's the reason why the four North Wales counties have been excluded, what consideration have you given to the way the six North Wales Counties, the business sector and academia have come together and, with a voice of unity, brought forward their proposals for that region and closing that prosperity gap there?”
Mr Isherwood added:
“The Welsh Government's 'Our Valleys, Our Future' Progress Report 2018, I have to say, is a bit of an eclectic mix of cobbled together Welsh Government programmes and policies. As it rightly says: 'more good jobs and opportunities to get skills are needed' and that you're committed to exploring options to target investment and create new strategic hub areas, which you refer to in your statement as: 'areas where public money is focused to provide opportunities for the private sector to invest and create new jobs’. So, how has the private sector been incorporated within that, not just as someone to talk to and listen to, but in the context, as in North Wales, where those solutions are being co-produced for delivery together?
“You refer, in the Report, to Ferndale developing a hub with a range of community-based services, and I love the sound of that. But will you give consideration to the work of Dr Karen Sankey in Wrexham, whose work has been identified, I know, by the Welsh Government's Health Department, who has developed a community hub model to bring together and address the physical, psychological and social needs of people in that community, including those on the streets, as a best practice model?”
In his response, the Cabinet Secretary accused Mr Isherwood of trying ‘to pit parts of Wales against each other’ and of diminishing himself. Commenting on Mr Davies’ comments afterwards, Mr Isherwood said ‘In failing to address the points I raised and to acknowledge the good practice established in North Wales, the only person diminished was the Cabinet Secretary himself’.
