Questions Without Notice from the Party Leaders

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:52 pm on 12 December 2017.

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Photo of Mr Neil Hamilton Mr Neil Hamilton UKIP 1:52, 12 December 2017

I rise to the challenge that the First Minister gave to me. No, I would take exactly the same view of proposed opencast developments that intrude upon areas of outstanding natural beauty, and similarly with nuclear power stations. Indeed, there would be no Hinkley Point power station in prospect if it weren't for the UK Government's decision to pay ridiculous amounts of money for energy to be produced in many years' time, more than twice the going rate that we have at the moment. So, I agree with the First Minister in that respect. 

He'll know that there have been many controversial projects involving windfarms in mid Wales. There is one currently, in respect of which there's an appeal, at Hendy windfarm near Llandegley Rocks in Radnorshire. The chairman of the Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales in Brecon and Radnor says that

'The Hendy wind farm will have serious impacts, particularly on local landscape, historic culture, ecology and tourism. Let’s not forget one in six Welsh jobs depends on tourism.'

So, there is always a balance to be drawn in these cases, but I think the question of proportionality comes into play here. Wales is irrelevant, actually, in the context of reducing carbon dioxide emissions over the entire planet. We produce maybe 0.1 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions. The whole UK produces only 1 per cent, so it makes no difference in terms of carbon dioxide emissions globally if Wales participates in this grand green project or not, but it does make a vast difference to the people of mid Wales if their landscapes are desecrated by having forests of windmills all over the place, and that impacts also on the tourism economy. So, what I'm asking, First Minister, is for more proportionality in the Welsh Government's policy on green energy.