Emergency Question: Bridgend Engine Plant

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:10 pm on 15 January 2019.

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Photo of Ken Skates Ken Skates Labour 2:10, 15 January 2019

Well, can I thank the Member for his questions and say that it's largely as a consequence of the support that the Welsh Government has been able to provide over many years and the public-private collaboration that we've seen between Ford and the Welsh Government that the site is still in Bridgend, alive and well, producing some of the world's most cutting-edge engines? And we stand ready to support further production at the Bridgend plant, and we are certainly keen to ensure that further investment is secured for the area. Indeed, the investment that we could be looking at from Ineos amounts to many hundreds of millions of pounds, and that would be a huge win for the Welsh economy if we can secure it next month.

The Welsh Automotive Forum acts as a very important forum for horizon-scanning of trends and emerging technologies and for advising Government on the situation that the sector is currently positioned in and also the potential challenges and opportunities that are coming down the line. The forum continues to do excellent work in advising Ministers, both here in the Welsh Government and in the UK Government. And in terms of working together—if you like, a summit to assess future trends and opportunities and challenges—well, I can tell Members that a working group had already been established prior to this week's news to look at what the potential opportunities are, particularly for Ford in Bridgend in the context of a rapidly changing automotive sector.

I can also assure the Member that, with regard to other major projects that there is considerable speculation over at the moment, I have asked for the North Wales Economic Ambition Board to convene urgently, and I'm keen to meet with the ambition board to discuss the decision that Hitachi is due to make on Thursday. It's my intention to be in north Wales on Thursday, ready to meet with the economic ambition board, if all stakeholders and local authority leaders are available. If that can't take place immediately after the decision taken by Hitachi, then I will be asking for that board to be convened at the earliest opportunity.

I spoke with UK Government Ministers today about the situation at Wylfa. I also spoke with Horizon. I think that what's pretty clear is that the Prime Minister let Wales down, I'm afraid, last week in failing to raise this crucially important matter with the Japanese Prime Minister and with key stakeholders in Japan. The Prime Minister said that this was solely a commercial matter for Hitachi. That is not true—that is not true. This project is something that the UK Government is willing to take a £5 billion-stake in. It could provide up to 10 per cent of the UK's energy. It could provide hundreds upon hundreds of incredibly valuable jobs for generations to come. It is not purely a commercial matter for Hitachi. This is about securing our security over energy, and it's about securing the economy of north Wales, Wales and beyond.