The following amendments have been selected: amendment 1 in the name of Jane Hutt, and amendments 2 and 3 in the name of Paul Davies. If amendment 1 is agreed, amendment 2 will be deselected.

The next item is the Plaid Cymru debate on the north Wales economy, and I call on Llyr Gruffydd to move the motion.

Motion NDM6536 Rhun ap Iorwerth

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Notes the need to strengthen the performance of the north Wales economy.

2. Regrets the historic underfunding of north Wales by the Labour Welsh Government.

3. Welcomes Plaid Cymru’s success in securing significant investment for the north as part of the budget agreement with the Welsh Government for 2018/19 and 2019/20, including:

a) better north-south road links;

b) funding to support the design and development of a third Menai bridge crossing;

c) funding to take forward the result of the feasibility study into the creation of a national football museum in north Wales;

d) the establishment of a young farmers grant scheme that will benefit the agricultural industry in the north;

e) the creation of a development fund for undergraduate medical training in the north;

f) a 100% rate relief for community hydro schemes, of which there are several in the north;

g) additional funding for Visit Wales which will boost the tourism industry in the north;

4. Calls on the Welsh Government to bring forward, as part of its long-overdue economic strategy, genuine efforts to address the regional imbalances in the Welsh economy.

Motion moved.

Thank you very much, Llywydd. It’s a great pleasure to lead on this debate in the name of Plaid Cymru on the north Wales economy and, in fact, the broader need for Welsh Government to treat north Wales more equitably—something that a number of people feel that they haven’t been able to do at all for a number of years by now.

Now, the United Kingdom is acknowledged and recognised as an unequal state—one of the most unequal in Europe, where investment, of course, is focused on one small part of that state at the expense of the other parts. In fact, we live in the state in the European Union where we have the wealthiest area in Europe in addition to some of the poorest areas, and that is following the failures of consecutive Governments of every hue in the United Kingdom, and, of course, that is a topic of great disappointment and frustration to a number of us. But there is a risk too that Wales is falling into the same trap, and that we are going down a similar unfortunate route. When the referendum was won to establish this Assembly 20 years ago, and there’s been a great deal of looking back and commemorating that over the past few months, there was a great deal of hope throughout Wales that we as a nation could not only start making decisions for ourselves but, of course, that we could do things differently. But you only need look at the Government’s figures themselves on capital expenditure per capita per region in Wales to see the inequality in investment. Since 2013, residents in north Wales have received over £360 less per capita than those in the south-east of Wales, for example. And the residents of mid and west Wales are in a worse situation, where they have missed out on over £520 per capita in comparison.

Now, it must be emphasised—I’m sure that some people will try to portray the picture in this manner—that it’s not our intention today, or in any other place when we highlight the failures of the Government to spread the wealth more equally across Wales, to try to create divisions between regions and areas of Wales. I certainly do not rue having investment in Cardiff and south Wales, along the M4 corridor, or anywhere else, but there is frustration when I don’t see equivalent investment, or sometimes even relatively equivalent investment, in north Wales. Our intention in this debate is to underline the need to unite our nation by ensuring that we have a country that shares the advantages of devolution more equally. And I must say that the impression that I get is that this feeling in north Wales that everything goes to Cardiff has never been stronger, and that is certainly what I hear across the region that I represent. And I don’t think that this is unique to the national situation. There are microcosms of that existing in local authorities throughout the whole of the country. I live in Denbighshire and I hear people daily complaining and saying that everything goes to Rhyl and the rural side of the county is losing out. You have to be broad-minded enough to accept that there is an element of perception aligned to this phenomenon, but I also have to acknowledge that there is more than an element of reality existing on a national level in this context, and we need to change that. But in order for that to happen, of course, we must ensure that investment does reach every corner of Wales, in order to put the infrastructure in place so that the whole of Wales can prosper.

Since the industrial revolution, north Wales has been a successful economic powerhouse. We have a very able workforce in north Wales, a very productive one, with specialisms such as aerospace, engineering, food and the environment, and it all comes together and works extremely effectively with our excellent universities and colleges. The tourism sector is one that has changed significantly in north Wales over the years. We have to acknowledge that. By now, north Wales has overtaken other areas and countries such as the Lake District and Cornwall, and all of these are very exciting developments that show the innovation of north Wales, and the potential that exists in realising that. North Wales has excellent opportunities to grow its economy, and all the ingredients are present for a lively, vibrant economy, but in order for that to happen, of course, we must receive the support required to unlock that potential.

If you talk to any one of the region’s companies or any particular sector, you will hear a consistent theme in terms of the complaint that you hear, namely the fundamental weakness in the infrastructure of the north Wales region. The ability of our roads to cope is poor, and there were queues of six miles along the A55 this afternoon—the main route of north Wales and one of the major trans-European routes, of course, gridlocked for a period during the day. Public transport , from buses to the rail network, is weak, to say the least, and the quality of the 4G phone reception signal, let alone any other ‘G’, is extremely poor in some areas. Broadband is also painfully slow and weak in many parts of north Wales, and I can speak to that from personal experience.

The state of our roads means that it’s not easy for our producers to get their product to market, and we were talking earlier about tourism. In north Wales we have, of course, Zip World, Bounce Below, Surf Snowdonia, the best-quality mountain biking and white-water canoeing that are second to none, and all of them attract good money to their areas, but try to travel from one to the other on public transport and I’ll tell you that it’s almost impossible to do that.

Dyma ble y gall buddsoddiad gan Lywodraeth uchelgeisiol sy’n ceisio rhoi hwb i Gymru gyfan wneud gwahaniaeth allweddol wrth gwrs. Mae dull o lywodraethu sy’n canolbwyntio ar Gaerdydd wedi gweld sefydliadau newydd yn cael eu creu ar hyd coridor yr M4 ar draul rhannau eraill o Gymru. Roedd yr Awdurdod Cyllid Cymru newydd yn enghraifft dda, os gofynnwch i mi, o gyfle a gollwyd. Penderfynodd y Llywodraeth, wrth gwrs, y dylai gael ei leoli yn Nhrefforest ac roedd hynny, wyddoch chi, yn iawn i bobl Trefforest, ond roedd teimlad amlwg yn Wrecsam fod cyfle wedi ei golli. Rydym yn gwybod bod CThEM yn cau swyddfa’r dreth yn Wrecsam—mae dros 300 o weithwyr yn debygol o golli eu swyddi yno. Roedd ganddynt lawer o’r sgiliau perthnasol, a’r cwestiwn y mae’r bobl yno’n ei ofyn yw: ‘Wel, pam na ddaeth yma pan oedd y cyfle hwn yn cynnig ei hun?’

Will you give way, Llyr?

Yes, I will. I will, of course.

Thanks very much. I’m listening with great interest to your contribution. I was at the briefing this morning for the pre-launch of the Development Bank of Wales, and I was delighted, I have to say, as a south Wales Assembly Member, that they’ve chosen to headquarter in north Wales and to more proportionately represent their staffing around mid Wales and north Wales, as well as having the headquarters in north Wales. That is a good way forward, he’d have to agree, and probably we need to do more of it, but it’s not to criticise other regions in trying to get investment into their area too.

I agree, and thank you for that because you’re making my speech for me, effectively. [Laughter.] I can probably skip a page. [Laughter.]

Yes, but when you think that the Government is getting it right—. As you say, the new Development Bank of Wales is going to be headquartered at Wrexham, but then, of course, we hear that the chief executive won’t be based there, we hear that lead officers and board members will be based elsewhere, despite the Cabinet Secretary telling us that it wouldn’t just be a brass plate on the door. Well, you know, I accept that it is positive that it is going to be based there, but, you know, it does still leave a little bit of something hanging there about whether they genuinely will be headquartered there or whether, really, that isn’t the case.

Plaid Cymru has been consistent in insisting that we need parity of funding for all parts of the country as well as the real devolution of existing, and the establishment of new, national institutions, such as the Welsh Revenue Authority, and the development bank, and of course the national football museum as well, we hope, will, if it comes to fruition, be culturally important and be an important economic driver for north Wales as well. In our recent budget deal, we secured millions of pounds of extra investment for north Wales, including funds for, potentially, the national football museum I mentioned just now, investment in north-south links, medical training for the north, work on the third Menai crossing, et cetera, and that, of course, is positive.

But there is a concern in north Wales that the north Wales economy—. There’s a feeling that it’s becoming a bit of a—. Or there is a risk, certainly, that it’s becoming a bit of an afterthought. It’s an add-on or an appendix to the Northern Powerhouse. I’m hearing that from increasing numbers of people in the sector, and there’s a danger as well that it falls between the two stools of the Northern Powerhouse in England and the city regions in south Wales. We need to guard against that and we need to ensure that north Wales becomes an economic powerhouse in its own right, as part of a broader national Welsh economic strategy. Of course, an all-Wales economic vision, such as Plaid Cymru’s, is essential if we are to spread prosperity and opportunity throughout the country.

I’d flag up here as well the shared prosperity fund that the UK Government is proposing to replace some of the EU regional funds, which Wales is currently receiving, for the post-Brexit era. The EU regional funds are accessible, of course, to west Wales and the Valleys, if you look at certain aspects of that funding. If the shared prosperity fund is for all of Wales—and, you know, there’s a discussion to be had about how we use that money—then I’m already hearing people expressing concerns that it’s going to be channelled into areas that are already getting the lion’s share of investment. I’m not saying that’s going to happen, but we really need to be mindful that there is a risk there that some of those areas in north Wales, west Wales and the Valleys, potentially, will not be able to access as much money as they have previously been able to.

The North Wales Economic Ambition Board as well is critical to all of this, and one of the amendments before us is quite right to recognise their role, and their growth vision offers certainly a direction of travel for us, and their work recently on highlighting the skills needs in north Wales lays out a clear challenge to the Welsh Government and to the UK Government, and it’s a challenge that needs to be met head on.

Alongside all of this, of course, Plaid Cymru wants to introduce a regional renewal Bill that will enshrine, in law, a requirement on our Welsh Government to ensure that investment benefits all parts of our nation and drives up productivity in every part of Wales. It’ll transform how investment decisions are made in Wales, as well as how they are delivered. And, through legislation, we’d establish regional development agencies, as well as a national infrastructure commission with statutory powers, and in its remit letter will be a duty to spread investment across Wales. We need to prioritise the most deprived areas for investment in order to rebalance the economy, and the Government has a duty to ensure that no community and no part of Wales is left behind as it seeks to create the jobs, the growth and the opportunities that we all deserve.

I have selected the three amendments to the motion. If amendment 1 is agreed, amendment 2 will be de-selected. I call on the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure to move formally amendment 1, tabled in the name of Jane Hutt.

Amendment 1—Jane Hutt

Delete all and replace with:

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Recognises the vital strategic importance of the North Wales economy to Wales and the UK.

2. Notes the cross-border leadership role played by the Welsh Government in developing proposals with partners for a North Wales Growth Deal.

3. Welcomes the ambitious programme of investment being led by the Welsh Government in the region, including:

a) £250m of investment in the A55/A494 corridor;

b) £20m to establish an Advanced Manufacturing and Research Institute;

c) £50m to take forward the North East Wales Metro; and

d) plans for a third Menai crossing.

4. Welcomes the Welsh Government’s funding support for the steel industry which is helping provide a sustainable future for the plant, community and workers in Shotton.

5. Notes the Welsh Government’s support for the £14 billion Wylfa Newydd project and work to ensure the UK Government leaves a sustainable legacy of good quality jobs, infrastructure and housing for Ynys Mon and North West Wales.

6. Welcomes the recent budget agreement with Plaid Cymru.

7. Notes the Welsh Government’s intention to bring forward an Economic Action Plan that can support jobs and growth in the region.

Amendment 1 moved.

Formally.

I call on Mark Isherwood to move amendments 2 and 3, tabled in the name of Paul Davies. Mark Isherwood.

Amendment 2—Paul Davies

Delete point 3.

Amendment 3—Paul Davies

Add as a new point at end of motion:

Notes that the North Wales Economic Ambition Board’s ‘A Growth Vision for the Economy of North Wales’ document concludes that ‘North Wales is well placed to receive a range of new responsibilities’ and endorses its call for the devolution of powers by the Welsh Government over employment, taxes, skills and transport.

Amendments 2 and 3 moved.

Diolch, Llywydd. As this motion states, we need to strengthen the performance of the north Wales economy and regret the historic underfunding of north Wales by the Labour Welsh Government. We also, though, regret Plaid Cymru’s role in this when in coalition with the Labour Welsh Government and in its historic budget deals with them.

The Welsh Government has now launched four economic strategies since 1999, yet Wales’s economic performance has continued to stagnate. In 1999, the value of goods and services produced per head of population, or GVA, in Wales was 72.4 per cent of the UK average; in 2015, it had shrunk to 71 per cent. The west Wales and Valleys sub-region, including four north Wales counties, was still bottom across the UK, at just 64 per cent of the UK average. Even Flintshire and Wrexham saw their GVA fall from almost 100 per cent of the UK level to just 84 per cent, whilst GVA in Anglesey had fallen to just 54 per cent—the lowest level in the UK. Yet, this Welsh Labour Government only gives Anglesey—the poorest part of the UK—the eleventh highest level of local government revenue funding per head of population out of 22 Welsh local authorities, with Conwy, fifteenth; Wrexham, eighteenth; and Flintshire, nineteenth.

The north Wales local health board is in special measures and overspent, because Labour Welsh Government dismissed our warnings on behalf of patients and staff over very many years. The Labour Welsh Government’s amendment claiming that it has played the cross-border leadership role in developing proposals with partners for a north Wales growth deal is laughable. In its March 2016 budget, the UK Government announced that it was opening the door to a growth deal for north Wales, and it would be looking for the next Welsh Government to devolve powers down and invest in the region as part of any future deal. At least the UK Government has the courtesy to say that officials from both itself and Welsh Government have been working with local partners to develop the vision and understand where a growth deal would sit within it.

The UK Government encouraged local partners to prioritise their proposals, which is precisely what the growth vision for the economy of north Wales did when it called for the devolution of powers by the Welsh Government over employment, taxes, skills and transport, saying that this would boost the economy, jobs and productivity, create at least 120,000 jobs and boost the value of the local economy from £12.8 billion to £20 billion by 2035. By ‘taxes’ here, this means project delivery via tax increment finance borrowing, funded by future growth in business rates receipts resulting from growth deal projects.

People in north Wales look south and conclude that different sets of rules are being applied to different parts of Wales. As the chair of the north Wales chamber of commerce stated, the Welsh Government is too Cardiff-centric, and north Wales could be better served if it could secure its own form of devolution deal with the Welsh Government, so that it can respond much more quickly and in a more informed manner to ongoing developments within the region and across the border.

Well, yes, Plaid Cymru has done a deal. It’s done a deal with the political devil in return for a few crumbs from the top table. And, to those isolationists who would undermine the growth deal, I say, ‘Do not betray the people of the borderlands, middle lands, or west lands of north Wales who stand to lose the most.’

I therefore move amendments 2 and 3, proposing that this Assembly notes that the North Wales Economic Ambition Board’s ‘A Growth Vision for the Economy of North Wales’ document concludes that north Wales is well placed to receive a range of new responsibilities and that we endorse its call for the devolution of powers by the Welsh Government.

April’s update on the development of the north Wales growth bid stated that ambitions for flexibilities and devolved powers to be granted to the region include transport functions, strategic land-use planning, business innovation and advisory functions, careers advice and taxation powers, and evidence submitted by the North Wales Economic Ambition Board to the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee’s city deals and regional economies of Wales inquiry stated,

‘Wales as a polity needs to ensure that North Wales can both compete with the North West of England and participate effectively in the planning for growth in the North of England via the Northern Powerhouse.’

They also said,

‘Devolution of functions to North Wales that matches that of neighbouring English regions is a defensive necessity and a desirable enabler of growth.’

That is the economic and social reality within which those in the north-east live. It’s also the means to spread prosperity into those middle and western regions, which still languish at the bottom not just of the Welsh, but of the UK table after 18 years of devolution.

Thank you for being able to contribute to this debate. Can I set one caveat, as Llyr also did? It’s very common in north Wales to hear people saying that everything goes to the south, but I don’t have any interest in feeding divisions. I want to unify the nation, but—and this is very important—where there is evidence of a lack of action by the Government to spread prosperity fairly and to ensure that every region has the best possible opportunity to get the most sustainable public services, that investment, transport and economic development don’t appear to be equal across the country, it’s important to stand up for those regions wherever they are. Where there are ideas—. I’m very happy to give way to Alun Davies.

The Minister does not wish to contribute to the debate, although he’s making too many sedentary contributions, if I may say so. So, if the Minister could allow Members to speak and to contribute to the debate in full.

The Minister never wants to make contributions to debates, but is very happy to hear his voice here in the Chamber while he is sitting down. I will continue.

Where there are ideas or plans, as we have in Plaid Cymru, as we’ve outlined this afternoon, to strengthen the north, to encourage investment and to get rid of the lack of regional balance in many areas, we’re working on behalf of our constituents and holding the Government to account. I want to look at two areas that we gave attention to in our discussions to have a budget deal with the Government.

Transport, first. Dualling of the Britannia is something that I’ve called for consistently since I was elected. This is not just to respond to the delays at rush hour, even though they’re very frustrating for travellers and people who use the bridge for commercial reasons, rather, this is a step towards building resilience for the connections between the mainland and Anglesey. Only this week, the Britannia bridge was closed because of wind, with the Menai bridge the only link open—a bridge that will celebrate its two-hundredth anniversary within the next decade. It’s the most beautiful bridge that you’ll ever see, but taking the pressure off, not adding to the pressure, that’s what we should be doing in the future. There is an opportunity here to ensure a link that will ensure the traffic flow, give certainty to emergency services, which they’re pressing me for, an opportunity to give certainty to trade, and also an opportunity to look for National Grid investment in high-voltage cables across the Menai. Rather than spending £150 million on building a tunnel, they can make a contribution and have reserves to invest in undergrounding the cables across Ynys Môn. Every elected Member in Ynys Môn supports that, apart from the regional Member for UKIP. That’s why we were very pleased to see the budget deal setting aside funds to develop the crossing further.

While I’m in the area of transport, let me refer to the links between north Wales and other parts of Wales. Britain suffers from centralising—all railways and every road leading to London, and east-west are the main transport routes in Wales. It’s important that there are strong links between north Wales and London, and that there are strong cross-border links, but let’s also remember the need for investment in those transport connections that will bolster the indigenous Welsh economy, the kind of economy, as Llyr said, that can be a partner with the Northern Powerhouse and a partner with our partners also to the west in Ireland.

I have a minute left and I’ll use that to draw attention to another area, namely the lack or shortage of healthcare workers that we have in north Wales, specifically doctors. Plaid Cymru has made a proposal that could tackle this, namely to establish a medical training centre in Bangor. We know that here is a pattern of doctors tending to settle to work where they have been trained. Somehow, we need to provide more doctors who are rooted in rural Wales, who have developed specialisms, perhaps, in rural medicine, and who are committed to working in rural Wales and in the north Wales area specifically. There is an opportunity, I think, through this new education centre, to provide that in partnership, I hope, with Cardiff and Swansea. There is talk of moving more students from Swansea and Cardiff. We know that some trainees are going on rotations around Wales, but it is a barrier for people who don’t want to do that north-south travelling. It’s a barrier for them to come and study within the Welsh system. So, what about strengthening the medical education that we have in north Wales?

So, in medical education, in transport, and in economic development, we don’t just need fairness, we need to ensure equality of opportunity and the people of north Wales must be able to see that that is the reality.

I welcome the opportunity to have this debate today and to be able to contribute, as I’m proud to serve the community that shaped me and, since being elected just over a year ago, I’ve been clear that I’m not only here to be that strong voice and stand up for my constituents in Delyn, but also for north Wales and the north-east Wales area as a whole. Like many others from the area, I’m all too well aware of what I tend to call the devolution disconnect in the area that I come from, not least because, from my constituency, it’s actually quicker to get to Cardiff—quicker to get to London, sorry, by train, from Flint, than it is to get to Cardiff. There’s a whole range of things we can do to tackle that, and that’s one of the reasons I’m looking forward to the Senedd@ coming to Delyn next month and using that to actually engage more people with what the Assembly does and how it impacts on their lives.

But also it is about ensuring that we bring greater economic benefits from devolution to the region, and I’m pleased to see some such investment in the pipeline, including the development bank that was launched today, which will be based in Wrexham. I’m also supportive of the plans to have a national football museum in Wrexham, but I’d ask, perhaps, if there’s any clarity from Plaid Cymru on whether that will be part of the national museum or a stand-alone museum. From my own personal perspective too, I’d also be keen to know whether the museum would feature those Welsh greats, such as Neville Southall, the late Gary Speed, who also played for the No. 1 team for north Walians to support, Everton. I should point out this is the only time I ever support the team in blue.

Over the summer—

Can I make an intervention? It’s worth noting that Neville Southall outed himself as pro-independence over the last weeks.

Everybody seems to have a story about Neville Southall; I’ll leave it there. [Laughter.]

I spent a lot of the summer doing a survey of constituents, going out door-to-door, knocking on doors, and one of the main issues that came back was public transport, particularly in more rural areas. There are many issues around bus and train timetables and integration in the region, and, I think, issues that the planned north-east Wales metro needs to address. The £50 million from the Welsh Government to take forward the north-east Wales metro is a big proposal that could bring huge economic benefit, but, as work towards this metro gathers pace, I think we also need to consider the importance of people’s ability to access decent work closer to home and provide a driver for businesses to invest and expand. I think the proposals for new stations at Deeside industrial park and at Airbus Broughton to facilitate travel to Airbus and the new advanced manufacturing institute would better equip our region with transport connections to meet work demand. However, I think the ambition shouldn’t end there. I think we need to look at additional stations and, particularly from my own perspective in my own constituency, I think there is merit in looking at an additional station in the Greenfield, Holywell area, which not only would connect the advanced manufacturing sector in the north-east with the energy sector in the north-west and Greenfield and Mostyn docks, but also actually could link into some of the tourism and heritage of St Winefride’s Well and Basingwerk Abbey in the area.

We’ve already touched on how an integrated transport system is essential, not just to connect us east to west and north to south, but also across the border to north-west England. So, we know almost 23,000 people commute from north Wales daily into the north-west of England, and almost 31,000 travel in the opposite way into north Wales. This has had a long-standing pressure on our transport infrastructure, and one that needs addressing. We know the value of that M56-A55 corridor is £35 billion and over 2 million people live within a 30-minute commute of Deeside industrial park, making further investment in our infrastructure all the more significant, which is why improvements to the A55 and looking at the Menai crossings, additional routes, widening where we can, the resilience study to look at those pinch points to see how we can address those challenges, are all incredibly important, as it’s also the gateway to north Wales and all the amazing tourism and attractions that we have there. And so we need that infrastructure in place to better make the most of our visitor economy.

We’ve talked about—. I welcome the Welsh Government’s commitment—we’ve talked about a growth strategy and a growth deal for north Wales, and I’d ask where the UK Government is on this and hope to see something more than just warm words in the autumn statement, and actually some money to follow—money where their mouth is, literally—so we can take that forward. But we need the UK Government, Welsh Government, and all politicians across the region working in partnership with stakeholders like the North Wales Economic Ambition Board, the Mersey Dee Alliance, working together to achieve this growth deal for north Wales.

I think other people have acknowledged that, when we talk about the north Wales economy, we can’t ignore the fact that we are historically and physically and economically connected to our neighbours across in the north-west of England. And, although cross-border working, I think, brings a unique set of challenges, it also could bring significant opportunities, but we need to make sure those opportunities make the most for us in north Wales.

The Deputy Presiding Officer took the Chair.

Finally, I’d like to welcome the Welsh Government’s amendment to this motion, which commits to continued support for the steel industry in Wales, including Shotton steelworks in north-east Wales. I won’t refrain from repeatedly making the case for Shotton steelworks when we talk about the steel industry in Wales. It is a shining light in the sector that produces profitable and unique products with a highly skilled and committed workforce, and it’s just one example of the advanced manufacturing sector, which is the cornerstone of our regional and wider wealth in north-east Wales. Indeed—

Are you winding up, please?

I am. Indeed, I believe there is great potential in the pipeline for north Wales—a potential that has been recognised right now by the Government here—but we cannot be complacent. We must build on this and ensure that the voices of the people of north Wales are heard loud and clear in developing our region, if we’re to successfully bridge the gap between north and south and get a fair share of the devolution dividends.

It’s a pleasure to participate in this vital debate today, and, as a gog or a northern person from the west, I will use my contribution to discuss north-west Wales specifically. One of my favourite practices as the Arfon Assembly Member is to chat to as many people as possible across the electoral area of my constituency. One of the things that is raised with me time after time, as with Llyr and Rhun, is this feeling that the Westminster Government, and increasingly the Welsh Government, is leaving our communities behind. But it’s more than a feeling; unfortunately, it’s also a reality. Llyr Gruffydd has alluded to the fact that residents in north Wales have received over £350 less per capita compared to the residents of the south-east of Wales since 2013. With the possibility of using all the borrowing powers of Government on funding the black route of the M4 soon, then it’s likely that the residents of north Wales will still be waiting for fair play, and that for many years to come, unless there’s a significant change of direction.

Forcing the Government to invest significantly in our corner of Wales very often feels like trying to get blood from a stone. As the plans for the bypass in Bontnewydd demonstrate, significant investments of this type only come because of the tireless campaigning by Plaid Cymru over a number of years.

We do need to invest in the north Wales infrastructure, but also to invest in jobs. And here, there is an opportunity for the Government to show its commitment to the distribution of wealth by ensuring that jobs in the public sector and national institutions are distributed throughout Wales. But even having published the location strategy, with the aim of creating and sustaining jobs outwith the M4 corridor, they’ve failed to actually meet that goal, particularly in the north-west.

In 2010, 127 jobs were located in Caernarfon town. By now, there are only 82 jobs in Caernarfon, and there is more uncertainty on the horizon for workers in the Welsh Government offices in the town. The Government is going to sell the current site in order to lease part of a smaller building in another part of town—lease, not acquire or purchase a new building, with the right to end that lease after five years. To me, this raises big questions about the security of those jobs in the long term.

I was very pleased when Welsh Government agreed to the Plaid Cymru demands to include £2 million in funding in order to promote collaboration amongst the four local authorities in the west as part of the budget agreement. We have an opportunity now across the west to share good practice, and an opportunity to work strategically and to begin attracting new investment to the west, because leaving the European Union without any kind of deal would be no less than a disaster for these poor, rural, westerly, Welsh-speaking regions. So, we must redouble our efforts on behalf of the area, and one clear step that these westerly counties have to take is to collaborate in order to attract investment in modern infrastructure and quality jobs in these deprived areas.

The concern of people in my constituency is that the growth deal won’t actually extend to the north-west, and so I look forward to seeing a powerful new region coming into play in the west in order to counterbalance the failures of Welsh Government and the United Kingdom Government to invest in a large part of our country. Perhaps then we can create a nation where every part of the nation has the opportunity to prosper.

I endorse the sentiments expressed in points 1, 2 and 4 of Plaid’s motion. It’s very true that the performance of the economy in north Wales needs to be strengthened. In particular, we need to build an economy in north Wales that allows its people to earn more while allowing them to keep more of their own money. I also regret the historic underfunding of north Wales, as do so many other people in north Wales. However, although Plaid are making the right noises, when it comes to action, they’re doing the opposite and supporting a Labour budget and a Labour Government that has let down north Wales in the past and will let down north Wales in the future. So much more could have been achieved for north Wales if Plaid had stayed true to their voters’ wishes and helped throw that budget out. But now they expect us to applaud them for successfully begging for the crumbs that are left after Cardiff and the rest of the south have once again taken the lion’s share from this south-centric Government.

The rest of the motion does seem agreeable, but, again, this does seem a little bit odd coming from Plaid, given their current track record. They mention the extra crumbs their betrayal of Plaid voters has secured for Visit Wales but somehow forget to mention the tourism tax, which they either support or have been powerless or unwilling to stop, which will make things even harder for those running tourist-related businesses in Wales. Since the advent of cheap holidays abroad, Welsh tourism businesses need every bit of help they can get, not moves that will push up costs and overheads, especially in comparison with their English counterparts. This is not just a tax on tourism businesses, but on all of the non-tourism businesses that are involved in the supply chain or that benefit from a healthy tourism sector and the employment it supports. Therefore, the proposal is in effect a levy on pretty much all local businesses in north Wales. But the tourism tax does have one useful function: it helps voters see what happens when you devolve tax powers to Labour and their supporters, Plaid—they raise them. They look to find anyone who is making a living and grab what they can while they can with no consideration for the long-term effects.

We can’t support point 3 of Plaid’s motion, by which Plaid seeks to give itself a massive pat on the back for negotiating concessions secured from the Welsh Government in return for propping up the Welsh Government again, whilst at the same time pretending to oppose that Government. Consequently—

Will you take an intervention?

Yes, go on.

You’ve seen the list that we’ve outlined in our motion. Which ones do you disagree with, then?

Point 3.

So, consequently, UKIP will be supporting amendment 2. As regards the other amendments to the motion, relating to amendment 1 by Labour, I note that Welsh Labour may now be spending some money in north Wales—at least they promised to, and we’ll see if those plans come to pass—but I don’t think that Welsh Labour have anything really to boast about, though. Yes, money is being promised to north Wales in some limited ways, but that’s a drop in a puddle compared with the moneys that are being invested by Welsh Government in south Wales. The benefits of the so-called improvement to the A55/A494 corridor to the local economy remain to be seen. I and many others believe that the decision to implement the red route will merely move the traffic problems currently in Queensferry further west, which will help no-one and certainly not the wider community. So, I will be reminding voters whose lives and livelihoods will be damaged by the decisions and the neglect of north Wales by Welsh Labour that they should not only blame Labour, but also the equally culpable Plaid.

Turning to the other amendments proposed by Labour, as regards an additional crossing over the Menai strait, when will these plans actually see the light of day, and when will construction actually start? How soon can people on Anglesey expect the third crossing? When will this advanced manufacturing research institute start showing dividends? No economic benefits can be felt until the plans come to fruition, so when will we actually see some improvements in the real world? I recognise that some of the powers called for by the North Wales Economic Ambition Board would need to be devolved by the UK Government first. However, the proposals of the North Wales Economic Ambition Board are very interesting ones that should be taken on board by Welsh Government, but I fear they won’t be. It would make sense for such decisions to be made by those most closely affected by them and by people who understand the area and put north Wales first.

Powers should be devolved to the lowest level of government feasible, and therefore we will be supporting amendment 3. Perhaps if investment decisions had historically been made by those most affected by them, we would not now be bemoaning the neglect of north Wales in comparison with other regions of Wales.

So, in summary, although I support the sentiments expressed in Plaid’s motion, I do find it a bit rich coming from a party that has propped up a Labour Government for years, that has treated north Wales as a poor and remote relation, and continues to do so. Thank you.

I have to say that, in debates like this, I find myself on very abstract ground, and sometimes I wonder where north Wales starts and ends. But this time I just followed the discussion, and I’m wondering which world an which Wales I live in, because that was unreal compared to the world that we live in, particularly in discussing a tax that doesn’t exist yet and hasn’t even been proposed formally, and where the Government in Westminster can say ‘no’ to that at any time.

But what is happening in north Wales of course is that tourism is very important to the coastal and rural areas, and it would make a world of difference there if VAT was cut to 5 per cent, as Plaid Cymru has campaigned for. The Conservatives, who have been so fluent on the subject of tourism over the last few weeks, have kept VAT at 17.5 per cent, and then increased it to 20 per cent on tourism businesses, after promising in an election that they wouldn’t do that to north Wales, and the rest of Wales. That’s the truth about that party.

But there is one thing that can be seen as a link that links north Wales, wherever you think it starts—some people feel that the language starts to change above Aberystwyth, and other people feel that you have to go past Dolgellau; I’m not really sure where exactly north Wales starts. But I do know that there is something common in that area, namely that it’s rural, with farming, agriculture and natural resources, particularly wind and rain. I just want to talk about the opportunities that we should try and take advantage of to establish a stronger economy using our natural resources in those areas to ensure a prosperous future for rural Wales.

Sian Gwenllian has touched on this, but I hope she will forgive me just saying a little bit more about the fact that we now have some very specialist reports about the different scenarios that could stem from Brexit, without a deal, or with a deal of a certain kind, or with a continuity of the customs union and the single market. Of all those scenarios, there’s no doubt that north Wales is going to suffer very badly unless we have some kind of agreement that keeps access or something very similar to the single market and the customs union. It’s very important to put it on record that the Farmers’ Union of Wales have said that we need to stay in the single market and the customs union, and the NFU haven’t mentioned this specifically, but have mentioned specifically about staying in the customs union, at least for now, to ensure that trade happens. One of the scenarios that are mentioned in the report by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board says very clearly that those areas that are less favoured, namely most agricultural areas in north Wales, are not only going to lose money, but are going to be in a negative position if that agreement does happen.

It is important, therefore, and we’re not going to apologise to anyone for putting in a Plaid Cymru motion some of the things that we’ve succeeded to secure from the Welsh Government. Among them is £6 million for new farmers and new entrants into the agricultural industry, and support, I hope, through discussion with the Welsh Government, that we’ll be able to see a prosperous scheme to ensure that we do send out the right message to people. As we leave the European Union, there are opportunities for new blood in the industry, there are opportunities for new people to enter the industry and, more than anything else, there are opportunities for new ideas to enter the agricultural industry. We need that revolution, of course, in order to deal with the challenges of the future.

Of course, we have had success in trying to mitigate some of the problems that have stemmed from changing business rates and the effect on hydro schemes. We’ve managed to get tax relief for community companies. There are justifications for tax relief for all kinds of hydro companies. We’ve pushed the Government as far as they can go in this budget deal and there are long-term implications from business rates. It’s obvious that the Government doesn’t want to see business rates killing prosperous businesses in the renewable energy sector—I’m sure they don’t want to see that—but those will be the implications that’ll stem from those business rate changes, and any report now needs to ensure that there is prosperity. I see, for example, that the Westminster Government is looking at stamp duty relief for residential properties that have renewable energy. Well, we could easily do the same thing here in Wales. In fact, Plaid Cymru did propose that in looking at the tax going through the committee, but the Government wasn’t willing to accept that at the time.

So, just to close on a note of hope, I think: there are great opportunities to grow the north Wales economy if we have our own resources and our own future, and that means more power for Wales as a whole.

Thank you very much. I now call on the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure, Ken Skates.

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I’d like to thank Members for their respective contributions to today’s debate. I am incredibly proud of north Wales and the dynamic, forward-looking economy that it has: advanced manufacturing hubs in north Wales, a flourishing tourism sector, a booming food and drink sector, outstanding skills providers; they all contribute to a hugely prosperous part of Wales, one that we wish to see develop in the coming years, but one that is built on existing strength and capabilities.

Incidentally, I think I should draw attention to the fact that right now in the middle east, WorldSkills is taking place. There are approximately 30 competitors from the UK there and I’m pleased to say that two are from Wales: two are from Coleg Cambria in north Wales. Both represent occupations in the advanced manufacturing sector. One lives in Manchester, one lives in Wales and both work in north Wales, contributing to that sector and to the regional economy. I’m pleased to say as well that both economic output and household incomes in north Wales are higher than the average in Wales. This shows that the economy of the region is buoyant, is strong, but we do not wish to rest on our laurels and we will be investing heavily in the region in the years to come.

From Wylfa to Airbus, from Zip World to Chetwood Financial, we’ve some of the best skilled workers, we’ve some of the biggest attractions and brightest prospects in the UK. And I say all of this because I do think it’s too easy in debates such as this to focus on the negatives. We rightly focus on what we can do better, but rarely do we take a moment to actually reflect on what we’re doing very well. And so I’d like to start my contribution by talking about the positives, and I do think that the fundamentals of the north Wales economy are strong. Our task now is to look forward and to build on the strengths of the region, to promote north Wales and to strengthen its confidence, not to turn north Wales against other parts of our country.

I’m proud of what the Welsh Government has done to support the success of north Wales in recent years. Our programme for government investment portfolio in north Wales is hugely ambitious—far, far more ambitious than during the period in which a Plaid Cymru Member held the economy and infrastructure levers. Across the region, we have plans for investment in 78 schemes, totalling a capital investment of more than £1 billion for north Wales. That certainly is no small fry. We’re investing £0.25 billion in the Deeside corridor, or Flintshire corridor as my colleague Hannah Blythyn rightly calls it, to address the chronic congestion—chronic congestion that I’m afraid was only worsened when a previous Minister decided to cancel the project. We’re creating an advanced manufacturing and research institute to deliver game-changing support to key manufacturing companies, which will potentially grow the regional economy by £4 billion pounds. And we’re investing £50 million to take forward the first phase of the north-east Wales metro. We are creating, as Members are aware, M-SParc in the north-west, we are locating the headquarters of the Development Bank of Wales in the north-east, and the Welsh Government has led the way in pressing the UK Government to ensure that High Speed 2 has regular and accessible links into north Wales to support the economy, and I would ask opposition Members whether they have done as we have, which is to urge the UK Government to support scenario 3.

As I outlined in March, we are progressing with developing a third crossing of the Menai straits, and I do think, as Hannah Blythyn said, there is a need to take a mature view of the position of the north Wales economy and develop a strategic agenda for the region that develops the significant cross-border opportunities we have to ensure that the region plays a bigger role in the Midlands Engine and the Northern Powerhouse. It’s a fact that the GVA of the north Wales and Mersey-Dee region is more than half of the entire Welsh economy. Hannah Blythyn was right to state that it’s difficult to travel from Delyn to Cardiff in less time than it is to travel from Delyn to London, but the reality is that it takes less than an hour now to travel from Delyn to Liverpool, Delyn to Manchester, or Delyn to Chester, and so cross-border collaboration is a necessity, and it is surely desirable for our improved economic well-being. For that reason, the Welsh Government has played a leading role, with our partners in north Wales and on both sides of the border, to develop proposals for a north Wales growth deal. It gets added benefit from deals that are being formed across the border in the north-west and the midlands of England. And I’ve been very clear that any growth deal must be used to bring together the UK Government and the Welsh Government with a shared purpose to capitalise on the strategic potential of the region, with a relentless focus on improving productivity, raising skills and improving infrastructure, with Growth Track 360 asks at the very heart of any deal. As constructive as Mark Isherwood’s contribution today might have been, I do think that getting his political masters in London to address the shameful—shameful—underfunding of our railways would be far more beneficial to north Wales.

As great as north Wales is, though, there are challenges that we have faced in recent times. Last year, we intervened to support our steel industry, including the important site at Shotton, by making available over £60 million of support to Tata to keep steel jobs and steel production here in Wales. Our investment is helping the Shotton plant develop a sustainable future and, in turn, is helping that community to make a vital and vibrant contribution to the local economy.

But, of course, the most significant investment in north Wales—indeed, the whole of Wales—in the years to come will be the £14 billion Wylfa Newydd project. This is the largest private sector investment since the dawn of devolution, and we are absolutely committed to ensuring that this project—of course, subject to necessary consents—delivers a lasting legacy for Ynys Môn, and to ensure that this development is reflected fully and wholly in the growth deal.

Deputy Presiding Officer, you’ll be pleased to learn that last week appointments were made to our new regionally focused economic development units, with Gwenllian Roberts appointed as deputy director to the north Wales region. Our model of regionally focused economic development will build on the work that we have been undertaking with our partners in north Wales to develop new structures of co-operation. And so, to conclude, we are committed to doing everything possible to support jobs and growth across north Wales, from Cemaes Bay to Saltney Ferry, and indeed to all parts of Wales.

Thank you very much. I call on Llyr Gruffydd to reply to the debate.

May I thank, Deputy Presiding Officer, everybody who’s contributed to this debate? I believe that I spoke for too long at the outset to be able to respond to every point made.

Fe nodaf un neu ddau o’r cyfraniadau, a diolch i chi am wneud y cyfraniadau hynny. Soniodd yr Aelod dros Delyn, wrth gwrs, am bryderon ynghylch datgysylltiad datganoli a gofynnai am eglurder ynglŷn â’r amgueddfa bêl-droed genedlaethol arfaethedig. Fy nymuniad, yn sicr, yw y byddai’n rhan o’r rhwydwaith o amgueddfeydd cenedlaethol sydd gennym yng Nghymru. Yn sicr, pan edrychwch ar y map, mae bwlch mawr yng ngogledd-ddwyrain Cymru o ran cael amgueddfeydd cenedlaethol ym mhob rhan o’n gwlad. Cafwyd cyfeiriad at y diffyg sefydliadau cenedlaethol yng ngogledd-ddwyrain Cymru yn gyffredinol, ac rwy’n meddwl efallai dros y blynyddoedd fod hynny wedi bwydo ychydig mwy ar y datgysylltiad datganoli y mae rhai pobl yn ei deimlo. Felly, dyna fy ymateb i’ch pwynt yn hynny o beth.

Ac mae’n rhaid i mi ddweud, mae’r cyfraniad a gawsom gan yr Aelod UKIP dros ogledd Cymru—fe gadarnhaoch i mi nad ydych yn cefnogi trydydd pwynt ein cynnig heddiw. Mae hynny’n golygu nad ydych yn cefnogi cysylltiadau gwell rhwng gogledd a de Cymru, nid ydych yn cefnogi gwelliannau i groesfan y Fenai, nid ydych yn cefnogi cymorth ychwanegol i ffermwyr ifanc yn eich ardal, mwy o hyfforddiant meddygol yn eich rhanbarth, rhyddhad ardrethi busnes i gynlluniau hydro cymunedol yn eich rhanbarth, cyllid ychwanegol ar gyfer Croeso Cymru yn eich rhanbarth. Fe’i clywoch yma gyntaf, ac mae hynny’n dweud popeth sydd angen inni ei wybod am eich plaid, rwy’n credu.

Hoffwn ddiolch i Simon Thomas am ei gyfraniad hefyd. Yn sicr, mae llawer y gallwn adeiladu arno o ran yr economi wledig, ond hefyd y pwynt a wnaed am dwristiaeth. Yn amlwg, os yw pleidiau yn y Cynulliad hwn am wneud rhywbeth i gefnogi’r sector twristiaeth yng Nghymru, yna yn sicr gallant ddechrau gyda TAW a gall Canghellor Torïaidd y Trysorlys ddechrau fis nesaf yn ei gyllideb. Edrychaf ymlaen at weld Aelodau Seneddol Ceidwadol yn pleidleisio yn erbyn ei gyllideb os nad yw’n gwneud y peth iawn, neu gefnogi gwelliannau Plaid Cymru hyd yn oed, a hyderaf y bydd gwelliannau i’r perwyl hwnnw mewn perthynas â TAW. Yn y cyfamser, mae’r blaid hon yn bwrw ymlaen â bod yn wrthblaid effeithiol, gan sicrhau miliynau o bunnoedd o fuddsoddiad ychwanegol ar gyfer Croeso Cymru y llynedd, miliynau o bunnoedd o fuddsoddiad ychwanegol y flwyddyn nesaf, yn ogystal; dyna beth yw bod yn wrthblaid effeithiol.

I sôn am rai o’r gwelliannau, sef rhywbeth na wneuthum yn fy sylwadau agoriadol, gwelaf fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi dewis defnyddio un o’i gwelliannau ‘dileu’r cyfan a rhoi yn ei le’ mewn ymgais i dynnu sylw at rai o’u llwyddiannau, ac rwy’n cefnogi llawer ohonynt, wrth gwrs. Ond tybed pa mor hir y byddai’r rhestr ar gyfer rhannau eraill o’r wlad pan edrychaf ar y rhestr honno. Ni fyddwn yn cefnogi’r ail welliant gan y Ceidwadwyr, sydd, unwaith eto, yn ceisio dileu cydnabyddiaeth o’r buddugoliaethau niferus a sicrhawyd gennym yn y gyllideb hon, ac yn wir, buddugoliaethau i rai o’r bobl yr ydych yn eu cynrychioli fel plaid hefyd. Rydym yn hapus i gefnogi’r trydydd gwelliant o blaid datganoli y tu hwnt i Gaerdydd. Gallech ddadlau, wrth gwrs, pe bai gennym Lywodraeth sy’n cynrychioli Cymru gyfan go iawn ac sy’n sicrhau buddsoddiad teg i bob rhan o’r wlad, efallai na fyddai angen y gwelliant hwnnw, ond rydym yn hapus i’w gefnogi.

Felly, gyda’r sylwadau hynny ac ar ôl cael gwybod bod gennyf dri munud a 25 eiliad i grynhoi, diolch i bawb ohonoch am gyfrannu.

Thank you very much. The proposal is to agree the motion without amendment. Does any Member object? [Objection.] Right, thank you. We will now defer voting on this item until voting time.

Voting deferred until voting time.