Wales’ Crown Estate demands will get ‘fair hearing’, says Burnham
Nation.Cymru staff/agencies
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said Welsh Government demands for control of the Crown Estate will be given a “fair hearing” when he meets First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth in October.
The Plaid Cymru Welsh Government has made securing control of the Crown Estate in Wales a priority, arguing that profits generated from assets including the seabed used for offshore renewable energy should remain in Wales.
Scotland has controlled Crown Estate assets north of the border since 2017, with revenue generated from them retained in Scotland.
Plaid pledged in its Senedd election manifesto to open negotiations with the UK Government over securing the same powers for Wales, arguing there was “no reason” Wales should not benefit from its natural resources in the same way.
Welsh Labour also promised during this year’s Senedd election campaign to make the case for devolving the Crown Estate.
Asked about the issue during a visit to Port Talbot on Thursday, Mr Burnham stopped short of committing to devolution but said requests for further powers would be considered.
He said: “I’ve called the National Economic Council for October, and one of the messages that I will want to give to all of the first ministers, but including the new First Minister of Wales at that meeting, is that No 10 North is as much at your disposal as it is at the disposal of the devolved areas of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and as requests come for further devolution, they will be given a fair hearing.
“I’m not making any commitments today because it needs to be done carefully in a proper way, but obviously, that is what devolution should be about.
“I used to do it myself, as mayor of Greater Manchester, we would make requests and it’s proper for devolved entities to make those requests.
“But you know, there then has to be a process for considering the issues involved.”
The Crown Estate manages a portfolio of land and property belonging to the monarch, including much of the seabed around Wales.
Its role has become increasingly significant as offshore renewable energy development expands, with developers paying to lease areas of the seabed.
Mayoral model
Mr Burnham also suggested Wales and Scotland could consider further devolution within their own nations, drawing on the mayoral model being developed across England.
He said the issue would also be discussed when the leaders of the devolved governments gather for the National Economic Council in October.
Mr Burnham said: “Maybe there’s an argument for deeper devolution, so more power into the cities and the regions of Wales, to north Wales working more with the North West, or mid Wales more with the West Midlands, of the kind of devolution that is developing now quite quickly across England.
“I’m open to conversations, though, with the Plaid Senedd Government about those things, and I’ve called a National Economic Council with the devolved nations for October to discuss precisely those things.”
The comments came during Mr Burnham’s visit to Port Talbot, where he said he wanted to send a “big sign of support” for the reindustrialisation of Wales.
Rail infrastructure
The Prime Minister also said his government would honour the previous UK Government’s pledge to spend £14bn on upgrading rail infrastructure in Wales.
He said: “Growth comes if you’ve got good infrastructure, but without the infrastructure, often you know you are making the growth mission much more difficult.
“Setting Wales up for the future requires for that £14 billion to be honoured, and it will be.”
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I am sure Kinnock will be using his knowledge and experience of living in Wales to argue strongly for us with Burnham – although why they both need to travel 200 miles to meet is unclear.
Undermining our nation by talking about devolving powers further in Cymru and bypassing our Senedd. Westminster is keen to keep us under their thumb forever.
The problem here is that the UK government is, understandably, not going to say yes without a professional business case regarding what our plans are. I fear that neither PC – nor anyone else in the Senedd – has the business nous to make that case. We’ve had many years to come up with something and still haven’t. October is now but weeks away… And no, “it’s ours” is not going to cut it.
The fact that Scotland already has control of its Crown Estate undermines the idea that this is some radical or untested proposal. Wales is not asking for special treatment, it is asking for equal treatment. If the arrangement works for Scotland, then the burden should be on Westminster to explain why it would not work for Wales. If politicians in the Senedd fail to use devolved powers properly then we can vote them out.
Let’s see what happens when they meet. Until then, I am reserving judgement.
The Devil always smiles in this country, as does this ‘go-between’ fellow laughing at his own joke…
“Secretary of State for Wales Stephen Kinnock and Prime Minister Andy Burnham arrive for a visit to Tata Steel in Port Talbot”. Kinnock is there to make sure that Cymru gets bugger all!!