North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood has questioned the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure over action to take forward the North Wales Growth Deal offered by the UK Government.
The UK Government announced in its March 2016 Budget that it was ‘opening the door’ to a Growth Deal for North Wales and that it would be looking for the next Welsh Government to devolve powers down and invest in the region as part of any future deal.
Mr Isherwood is keen that such an opportunity is not missed and in the Assembly on Wednesday asked the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure, Ken Skates AM, what dialogue he has had with the UK Government about the Growth Deal.
He said:
“In this morning’s Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee you made reference to mainline electrification, to proposals for a North Wales metro, and to investment in the A55. You also said a Growth Deal bid for North Wales needs to be submitted by the end of this month. Given my understanding that the UK Government is offering additional funding, and that line improvement and signalling improvement are seen as building blocks to electrification, which will be accelerated by the growth deal, are you able to tell us what dialogue you have had thus far with UK Government?
“I know, or I believe, you’ve been speaking at least to the Under-Secretary of State to this end — to what extent might that involve the devolution of economic and growth levers? It was my understanding that that was something sought by the UK Government.”
Mr Skates replied: “I’ve discussed this matter not just with the Under-Secretary of State, but I was actually discussing it as well with the Secretary of State himself on Sunday. We very much hope that the Growth Deal bid will be submitted in full as a proposal to the Chancellor of the Exchequer by the end of this month.
“I would also hope that the business case for electrification of the main line in the next control period will be approved. It’s essential in the development of a growth deal for north Wales that we are able to work locally with local authorities, with the Mersey Dee Alliance, with the North Wales Economic Ambition Board, with the UK Government Ministers, and also to look at—and I’m on record as saying this—the potential of a cross-border economic strategy, with a cross-border economic unit to ensure that we deliver maximum growth in that area of Wales.”