Shadow Finance Minister and North Wales MS Mark Isherwood has criticised the Minister for European Transition for his negativity over the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which will replace European Union structural funding.
In the Welsh Parliament yesterday, Mr Isherwood questioned the Minister, Jeremy Miles, over his engagement with the UK Government and Welsh Councils in relation to the fund, but was disappointed by his “doom and gloom” response.
Speaking in the meeting, Mr Isherwood said:
“Contrary to your previous statements, the £220 Million Treasury funding for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund initially announced was only for pilot programmes and it was made clear from the outset that ramped up funding would follow.
“As the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Wales said in the House of Commons last month, ‘we have already made it very clear and demonstrated that the amount of money that is going to be spent in Wales when the Shared Prosperity Fund comes in will be identical to or higher than the amount of money that was spent in Wales that came from the European Union’.
“He also stated, in the Commons, on the record, that the UK Government will continue to engage with the Welsh Government as they develop the Fund’s investment framework for publication.
“What, stage therefore, has this engagement actually now reached and, given the news that the Shared Prosperity Fund will also work directly with Welsh Councils, which are understood to have welcomed this, what engagement are you having with them regarding this?”
In his response, the Minister said: “I thank the Member for giving me another opportunity to describe the shortcomings of the fund, but he describes a continuation of engagement as though there had been material engagement. The whole point of this process is that there has been none.”
Speaking after the meeting, Mr Isherwood said:
“His continuing negativity, doom, gloom and devolved border games serve Wales ill, when the people of Wales need a Welsh Government which will work with the UK Government to implement a detailed roadmap for Wales’ recovery.”