North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood has hit out at the Economy and Transport Minister, Ken Skates AM, this week for failing to apologize for his incorrect statement in the Assembly Chamber that the UK Prime Minister Theresa May had not raised the Wylfa Newydd issue with the Japanese Prime Minister.
Hitachi announced last week that it will suspend work on a £20bn nuclear plant in Anglesey because of rising costs.
After Mr Isherwood raised the issue in the Chamber last week, Mr Skates claimed “there has been a lack of and a loss of interest by the UK Government, both at official level and at a ministerial level …. And that was highlighted just last week when the Prime Minister was in Japan and failed to raise this vitally important project whilst on a visit there”. Theresa May had actually met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in London and had raised Wylfa Newydd with him.
During an Emergency Question on Wylfa Newydd in the Chamber this week, Mr Isherwood asked Mr Skates to retract his statement regarding the Prime Minister. He refused.
Addressing the Minister, Mr Isherwood said:
“What will you now say to retract your statement last week that the Prime Minister had been in Japan the previous week and hadn't raised this, when the Prime Minister of Japan was actually in London, and she confirmed in the House of Commons that she had, as did the Secretary of State for Wales, who confirmed that he'd also met the Japanese PM in No.10?
“And, given that this increases the need for the (North Wales) Growth Deal, what dialogue have you had, or will you have, with UK Research and Innovation, the body that has £7 billion funding, which I understand might be accessible to support the Small Modular Reactors and Advanced Modular Reactors to help fill any gap that's created and drive Trawsfynydd and north-west Wales as a European centre, and potentially as one of the global centres, for SMR and AMR development?”
The Minister replied:
“I should just say at the outset that the development of SMRs will not make up for the potential loss of 9,000 jobs across North Wales and the rest of Wales. It will contribute to filling the gap, but one project alone, I'm afraid, is not the silver bullet. Of course, Innovate UK has been heavily involved of late in activities here in Wales. We look for every and all opportunity to draw down competitive funding for research and development and innovation in Wales, and, as the Member, I'm sure, is fully aware, we are now using the Government offices in London as a showcase for Welsh innovation in order to draw attention to what's taking place within our research institutions.
“With regard to the discussions that did or did not happen between the Prime Minister of Japan and the Prime Minister of the UK, it seems that conflicting statements are being made. In order to clarify exactly what was said, it may be useful to know what the response of the Japanese Prime Minister was to the supposed raising of queries by Theresa May.”
Mr Isherwood added: “Mr Skates’ failure to apologize for, at best, not checking his facts, and, at worst, misleading the Assembly, was telling. On this, of all issues, he should not have tried to score points off those he needs to work with”.
ENDS
