Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:31 pm on 16 March 2021.
Well, many tens of thousands of pounds of evidence demonstrate that if it were not for the support of this Welsh Labour Government, there would be no scheme at all in Swansea to take forward in any way. When the UK Government stepped away from the investment that they had promised in the Swansea bay tidal lagoon, the Welsh Government intervened to support both the local authority and other local players with the funding they needed to be able to develop the Dragon Energy Island concept. Now, I know that the Secretary of State for Wales and the Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy have been having discussions with the leadership of Swansea council about how this concept can be taken forward. Unfortunately, despite lots of warm words, there was no funding at all identified in last week's budget to be able to back up what the UK Government had been suggesting was their positive interest in the new set of proposals.
Now, I wrote to the Secretary of State for Wales on 20 October last, proposing a partnership approach, where the Welsh Government would be at the table alongside the UK Government and local interests. The Secretary of State replied to me very quickly—it was a positive reply—on 2 November, saying he was more than happy to meet. Unfortunately, no time has been available in the Secretary of State's diary since then for such a meeting. It was due to take place with my colleague Lee Waters, the Government's lead on the Swansea bay city deal. It was meant to happen last week on 10 March. Unfortunately, the Secretary of State was unable to keep that commitment. It's back in the diary for 23 March and, this time, let's hope that the meeting that the Secretary of State was more than happy to agree to months ago will take place, because we need the UK Government to be at that table if we are to match the support that the Welsh Government has provided and the local authority has provided, with the help that only the UK Government can bring to that table.