The National Grid

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:34 pm on 11 December 2018.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Rhun ap Iorwerth Rhun ap Iorwerth Plaid Cymru 1:34, 11 December 2018

(Translated)

Thank you very much. I’d like to take this opportunity to wish the First Minister well in his final question session, and to thank him for his courtesy over the last five and a half years in answering questions on behalf of my constituents.

A constituent from the Star, Gaerwen area was in tears on the phone to my office yesterday, feeling that she was under siege from the National Grid plans. That’s the feeling on Anglesey. Contrary to the wishes of the people of the island, and its representatives, the grid still wants to proceed with building a new row of pylons across the island. This National Assembly has voted against having pylons and in favour of undergrounding as a matter of principle. Will you therefore ask your officials in this forum, as one of your final acts as First Minister, to write to the Planning Inspectorate to encourage the rejection of these pylons, and also to write to Ofgem, as I have done this week, to insist that the grid must give real, meaningful consideration to putting its cables on the new bridge across the Menai, rather than tunneling at a possible cost of £200 million? It would save money for the Welsh Government as joint investor in the bridge, and would save money for the grid, which could then be invested in undergrounding.