Select committee: Welsh Affairs Committee
Recommendation 11
Second Report - Renewable energy in Wales
Published 29 Jul 2021
Paragraph 48
Addressed to Wales Office
Welsh Affairs Committee Renewable energy in Wales All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
While Wales has the potential to benefit from the Ten Point Plan, it will not do so automatically or by right. Rather, it will require a clear vision, and a specific plan, for job creation from the UK Government. Using the Ten Point Plan as a starting point, 28 Renewable energy in Wales the UK Government should develop a Wales specific plan that provides a detailed route-map and aspirations, including in terms of job numbers, for the Ten Point Plan in Wales. The UK Government should also commit to set aside parliamentary time for this Wales specific plan to be debated by MPs. This plan should be published, and time made available for a debate on the floor of the House of Commons, or in a special session of the Welsh Grand Committee, before the end of the current year.
From: Welsh Affairs Committee, Second Report - Renewable energy in Wales (HC 439), paragraph 48, 29 July 2021
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 26 October 2021 (deadline 29 September 2021).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government says it "remains firmly committed to the renewables industry across the UK, including in Wales" and responds to each recommendation by setting out existing policy and activity, with several matters left to independent bodies.
- On seabed leasing, it says this is the responsibility of The Crown Estate, which is "independent of the UK Government", and notes that TCE has confirmed its intention to hold a new floating offshore wind leasing round in the Celtic Sea.
- On small-scale generation tariffs, it states "We believe that the market should determine prices" and says the Government will review an annual Ofgem report on the Smart Export Guarantee to monitor whether the market is delivering.
- On grid constraints, it says regulation is a matter for Ofgem and that Government supports Ofgem's work to enable investment ahead of need "where the need is sufficiently certain to justify this".
- On a Welsh freeport, it says "We remain committed to establishing a Freeport in Wales as soon as possible."