Part of 1. 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:06 pm on 24 January 2017.
Bear in mind, of course, that the rules are put in place by the UK Government, not by us. But he asks would we reinforce our previous position—we will continue to do that. Our preferred position on new grid infrastructure is one of undergrounding, because we know the environmental sensitivities across much of Wales with regard to that. It’s right to say that price is not the sole determinant of whether a contract is awarded or not or whether work is carried out or not. I share his view that it’s hugely important to look at a wide range of factors when we look at the overall costs, both environmental, economic and social, when it comes to laying out new grid infrastructure. It’s why we take the view that the preferred position, the default position, should be undergrounding.