Plaid makes final bid to amend Crown Estate Bill

Emily Price

Plaid Cymru has made a final bid to amend the Crown Estate Bill ahead of a debate in the House of Commons next week.

It comes after Labour voted down a previous amendment by Plaid’s energy spokesperson, Llinos Medi to transfer power over the Crown Estate’s assets in Wales to Welsh ministers.

The amendment was supported by the Liberal Democrats at the committee stage of the Bill but was voted down by Labour MPs.

‘Last chance’

On Monday (February 24) the Crown Estate Bill will be debated in the House of Commons at its report stage.

Llinos Medi has again tabled an amendment to the Bill which would place a duty on the Treasury to transfer the management of the Crown Estate in Wales to the Welsh Government within two years of the commencement of the Act.

The MP for Ynys Môn says it is the “last chance” to include devolution of the Crown Estate in the Bill.

Plaid Cymru are urging the people of Wales to ask their MP to sign the amendment and to show their support for “Wales’ right to control its own natural resources”.

Assets

The Crown Estate is a huge collection of assets owned by the British monarchy, which includes vast swathes of urban, coastal and maritime land worth £16 billion.

It is run as a business, independent of government, but its profits are delivered to the UK Treasury each year.

An annual payment is also made to the monarch in the form of the Sovereign Grant, currently set at 12% of the total.

Plaid Cymru argues that Wales has been treated unfairly by the Crown Estate with struggling councils forced to fork out for access to coastline and public footpaths whilst Crown Estate profits skyrocket amid investment in renewable energy projects, such as offshore wind.

In 2016, Scotland secured devolution of its Crown Estate, allowing its revenues to be reinvested directly in Scottish communities.

Battle

Devolving Crown Estate powers has been the official stance of Labour ministers in Wales for some time.

But Plaid Cymru says Wales’ First Minister has failed to win a battle with her Labour colleagues in Westminster over Crown Estate powers.

Baroness Eluned Morgan says she has been “fighting very hard” for more control.

Llinos Medi said: “Millions of pounds worth of profit generated from Wales’ natural resources are sent directly to the UK Treasury, leaving our communities without any benefit.

“The Crown Estate was devolved to Scotland in 2017, and since then, any profits from Scottish natural resources are transferred to the Scottish Government. In 2024 this amounted to £113.2 million for the Scottish Government’s budget.

“Devolution of the Crown Estate has strong support – from the Welsh Government, most Welsh councils, and 58% of the public. MPs are elected to represent the interests of their people, and it is time for Parliament to listen to the voice of the people of Wales and include devolution in the Bill.

“I’m urging the people of Wales to ask to their MP to sign the amendments to this Bill to support Wales’ right to control its own natural resources. This would allow us to generate wealth for our communities from assets that are ours to own. I cannot overstate the importance of the debate on the 24th of February – it could well be Wales’ last chance to bring our wealth home.”