4. Statement by the Minister for Economy: Developing Technological Clusters in Wales — Medical radioisotope production and nuclear medicine expertise

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:28 pm on 10 January 2023.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Ken Skates Ken Skates Labour 4:28, 10 January 2023

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Minister, thanks very much for your exciting statement. I think the ARTHUR programme has all of the potential to become an incredibly important, strategic part of the economy of north Wales and, indeed, the wider nuclear arc across north Wales and the north-west of England. Of course, as you said, north Wales is in a unique position of being the only part of the UK that is really getting ready to embrace this opportunity and the supply chain opportunities that it could open up.

I was just wondering, in terms of other projects that you're leading on, how does this fit with your work in prioritising magnet projects that crowd in investment, based on comparative advantages that we have in Wales, for example the advanced manufacturing research centre and advanced technology research centre? And also, as you've outlined, this programme has come as a result of Ministers and officials across Welsh Government departments working very closely over quite a significant period of time. Indeed, when you were in your previous role and when I was in the role that you now have, we worked very closely in developing the outline ideas for what you've proposed today. How far do you think we would have come by now had Ministers and departments at a UK Government level been working as closely as Welsh Government, particularly BEIS and the Department of Health and Social Care?