Financial Security

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:32 pm on 16 January 2018.

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Photo of Carwyn Jones Carwyn Jones Labour 2:32, 16 January 2018

Well, we've made representations very strongly. We get 1.5 per cent of railway infrastructure investment—1.5 per cent. On a balanced share, it would be over 6 per cent, but that's not what we get. And still the UK Government refused to devolve railway infrastructure plus a Barnett share of that spending to us. We still have no decision on the tidal lagoon. We made the point last week. We have put our cards on the table as a Welsh Government. We have said that we are prepared to make a financial contribution, take a stake in the lagoon. We make no apologies for that. Silence as far as the UK Government is concerned, silence from the Conservative benches—silence from the Conservative benches. This is a major project—[Interruption.] This is a major project, which needs a decision. Twelve months have gone by since the review was put in place to assess whether this project should go ahead. It has said the project should go ahead; still we have no response at all. [Interruption.] Oh, I'm being told by Darren Millar my attitude doesn't help, as if I was a schoolboy. I'm the First Minister of Wales; I've got every opportunity and right to represent the people of Wales in regard to the UK Government, and the UK Government isn't actually making progress. [Interruption.] I'm sorry, we have had 12 months of reasonableness, and nothing has been delivered. It is about time that we saw the commitment from the UK Government that the Welsh Government has made, and a commitment that is made to creating up to 1,000 jobs in Wales and a sustainable green energy sector. We stand ready to work with the UK Government, but we need the UK Government, and the Welsh Conservative Party, to be vocal in support of the lagoon.