Regional Investment

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:38 pm on 29 September 2020.

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Photo of Huw Irranca-Davies Huw Irranca-Davies Labour 1:38, 29 September 2020

Well, First Minister, I'm disappointed to find that no discussions have gone on at that very top level of Government, but I don't put it at your door whatsoever. In Wales, with our established reserved-powers model of devolution and the spending priorities flowing from clear, legally constituted policy framework underpinned by the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, we can argue in the Senedd over the social and economic and environmental priorities, our success and failures, in an open and accountable and democratic way, and we do. But, I have a worry, First Minister. In England, prior to the last general election, we now know that nine out of 10 of the top beneficiaries of increased education spend were Conservative marginal seats in affluent areas. And the National Audit Office has revealed that some of the most deprived parts of England were left out of a £3.6 billion scheme to regenerate town centres. Sixty-one of those towns were chosen by Ministers led by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Robert Jenrick. All but one were Tory-held seats or targets. 

So, First Minister, do you share my worries that, in the absence of clarity on the UK shared prosperity fund, the absence of engagement by the Prime Minister and the absence of a UK policy framework, there is a clear and present danger that Mr Johnson may be persuaded by those with—[Inaudible.]—and lack of understanding of devolution to view replacement EU funds as an opportunity for party political gerrymandering in Wales?