7. Debate: The Draft Welsh National Marine Plan

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:40 pm on 9 January 2018.

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Photo of Mike Hedges Mike Hedges Labour 5:40, 9 January 2018

The Wales plan has been a long time in the making. It started initially with the Countryside Council for Wales back in 2009, advising the Welsh Government on its initial approach to maritime planning. I'm not going to criticise it for taking that length of time. It's always better to get a policy right than to get one quickly, so I make no criticism of the length of time; I think it's important that we've managed to get it right. Wales is not alone. England, Scotland and Northern Ireland also have plans at various stages of development, as I said earlier. I think we need to give some thanks to the work of the European Commission in driving this agenda forwards—an agenda that the UK has established a world-leading reputation in. I hope that leaving the European Union will not affect the commitment of all four nations to create a long-term plan for the sea around our isles—and especially Ireland and England. What they do will obviously have an effect on Wales. If planning works successfully, it will fulfil the Welsh Government's ambitions. And I think that really is—. The ambitions, I think, they don't have much of a problem with, have they? It's the fact that—. It's some of the bits in there. I think the ambitions are good, and I hope people will accept and support the ambitions.

Can I just talk about renewable energy? I know Simon Thomas mentioned it earlier. I think that he and I have mentioned tidal lagoons very many times in the Chamber. I make no apologies for mentioning it again. I think the tidal lagoon is incredibly important, not only as a source of energy, but as a means of developing an industry based in south-west Wales, and having all of the benefits of being the first. I think it really is important that we do everything we can as an Assembly to put as much pressure as we can on the Westminster Government to finally say 'yes' to this tidal lagoon. As people are aware, Charles Hendry produced his report. Many of us were fearful when he was asked to produce the report that it would just be an opportunity to kick it into the long grass. It's the most positive report I've ever read, when he says it's a no-regrets policy—if you try it and it doesn't work, at least you've got a sea wall, effectively. So, it's a no-regrets policy, and I think it really is important that we get that, and I think we all support having that tidal lagoon in Swansea. Just think: it's the first anniversary of the Hendry report. Many of us thought that something would have happened well within the first year. Let's hope, by the time we get to the second year, it will be under construction.

Can I also—? If we're talking about the cost of the tidal lagoons, can they be judged by the same rules as nuclear? Nuclear get huge subsidy, and then they're told, 'Yes, we'll pay for all your decommissioning at the end'. No nuclear plant would ever have been built if they had to pay for their decommissioning. Calder Hall would never have been built if they'd had to follow the same rules as we have now for our tidal lagoon. I think that the most important thing for my part of south Wales at the moment is having the tidal lagoon being given the go-ahead, and I hope very much that it will do.