North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood has this afternoon called on the Welsh Government to “have the courage to devolve the powers that North Wales is calling for”.
Speaking in the Debate on the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee Report: ‘City Deals and the Regional Economies of Wales’, Mr Isherwood stressed that the North Wales Economic Ambition Board told the Committee “Devolution of functions to North Wales that matches that of neighbouring English regions is a defensive necessity and a desirable enabler of growth”.
He said:
“In his response to our Report, the Cabinet Secretary (Ken Skates) states that “City and growth deals have a strong role to play in our regionally focussed approach to economic development”.
“He accepts our recommendations 5 and 9 regarding the North Wales Growth Deal, the bid for which was formally submitted to both himself and the UK Secretary of State for Wales by the six North Wales County Councils and their partners last month.
“These stated: ‘The North Wales Growth Deal negotiators should continue to work constructively with partners and neighbouring authorities both within Wales and across the border’ and that: ‘The Welsh Government should continue to support plans for a North Wales Growth Deal and use the influence it has to accelerate this process’.
“The UK Government announced that it was ‘opening the door’ to a Growth Deal for North Wales in its March 2016 Budget - and announced its continued commitment to this in its 2017 Autumn Budget.”
Mr Isherwood said that after almost two decades of Labour Welsh Government and Billions spent on regeneration, Wales remains the poorest part of the UK, producing the lowest value of Goods and Services per head (GVA) amongst the 12 UK nations and regions, with West Wales and the Valleys, including 4 North Wales Counties, bottom across the UK at just 64% of the UK average, and even Flintshire and Wrexham at only 89%.
He stated that “the Growth Deal Bid therefore seeks both to maximise the cross border opportunities presented by England’s Northern Powerhouse and to spread prosperity westwards” and noted that “The North Wales Growth Board has now been established, to finalise the Growth Deal and manage its delivery once agreed with the two Governments”.
“Negotiations with both Governments are due to commence early this year and we therefore need clarity from Mr Skates on the Welsh Government’s position – does it support the proposals and how will it be responding as negotiations over the Growth Bid now go forward?”.
Mr Isherwood added:
“The North Wales Growth Deal’s Lead Chief Executive, Flintshire’s Chief Executive, told me (in Committee) “ there are some areas of funding, if the controls were loosened and devolved to North Wales with some agreement of objectives with the Welsh Government, we could make more traction with that money”.
“Their vision aims to create 120,000 jobs and boost the local economy to £20bn by 2035.
Yesterday, I asked the Cabinet Secretary to respond to the North Wales Growth Deal Bid’s invitation to the Welsh Government to support the formation of a Regional Transport Body, with powers delegated to the body from local authorities and the Welsh Government to allow it to operate in an executive capacity, and with a fund of £150 million over 10 years, including the Welsh Government's existing £50 million for the North Wales Metro commitment. His potentially concerning response was instead “We've already established the North Wales and North-east Wales Metro Steering Group”.
“Will he therefore have the courage to devolve the powers that North Wales is calling for - or could the Cardiff command-control mechanism compromise the whole project?”