Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:27 pm on 16 November 2021.
Well, Llywydd, I have repeatedly offered the UK Government to become involved in this programme on the basis of co-decision making. I did that reluctantly, Llywydd, because those decisions should be made here; these are devolved responsibilities, confirmed in two referendums by the people of Wales. It is funding that belongs here for this Senedd to decide on, but because of all the arguments that Huw Irranca-Davies makes, Chair—and he makes them with authority because he is chair of the strategic forum for regional investment in Wales—because of all those arguments about wanting public money to be used to best effect, to make sure that the projects that are selected are in tune with the other things that are being funded in that area, I have offered Welsh Government engagement in it, provided that we are co-decision makers. The UK Government is not interested in that offer. It wishes to proceed as it has demonstrated in recent weeks; it wants decisions about Wales to be made in London. It wants Whitehall to know better than we do about the things that matter the most here in Wales, and while that continues to be the way in which it approaches these things, I'm afraid that whatever offers we would make as a Welsh Government to assist, they're unlikely—and I'm very sad; I'm genuinely sad to say—they're very unlikely to be heard with any receptivity.