Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru

National Assembly for Wales

Y Pwyllgor Menter a Busnes

Enterprise and Business Committee

Ymchwiliad i Botensial yr Economi Forol yng Nghymru

Inquiry into the Potential of the Maritime Economy in Wales

PME 09

PME 09

Cymdeithas Allforwyr Iwerddon

Irish Exporters Association

 

 

Consultation questions

 

Role of Government

Question 1 - Do you think the Welsh Government is taking a strategic approach to developing the potential of the maritime economy? 

 

 

It would appear so.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are there any examples of best practice in this area?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Question 2 - How can we use existing EU funding sources to support the sector?

 

EU TEN-T and Motorways of the Sea funding with related access to EIB loan funding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What should Welsh Government and others do to identify and make use of these?

 

The Commission’s DG Move office in Brussels have teams working on these funding mechanisms.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Question 3 - Please can you give an assessment of the way in which Wales is engaging with EU level initiatives such as the Ocean Energy Forum and Ocean Energy Europe.

 

 

 

 

 

n/a

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ports

Question 4 - How effective are the Welsh ports and hinterland connections in Wales in promoting connectivity to Ireland and the rest of Wales? 

 

 

The main ports concerned are, holkyhead, Fishguard, Pembroke and Cardiff. Port development projects in Holyhead relating to road access, rest facilities etc are developing well. It is, perhaps, unrealistic to see Holyhead as a location at which trailers can be loaded on trains for through running to the continent, but the development of Con-Ro services through the Port could be facilitated by ugprade of the rail links to W10 standard. Fishguard requires substantial investment if it is retain its role as a major southern corridor Ferry Port. This investment is within the Port and on the landside connecting infrastructure. It is unclear whether or not there is merit in consolidating services on this corridor in Pembroke and upgrading road and rail access there.

 

Cardiff operates as the only Welsh port with a Lo_Lo service to and from Ireland and appears to have potential to be further developed, possibly at the expense of Bristol.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How do the Enterprise Zones help to promote the ports and related businesses?

Port located Distribution centres and other manufacturing and Warehousing facilities have been shown to be successful in driving business through the Port. Care must be taken to ensure that these are not physically developed so that they can obstruct later strategic development.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Question 5 - How can Welsh ports, ferry operators and related businesses benefit from and support the development of the Maritime economy, including ocean energy?

 

 

The essence of this is in the answer to question 4. Enthusiasm for development projects must be tempered by the nature and size of competing sites such as the Liverpool 2 development currently nearing completion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What support should be provided to ensure this benefit is properly realised?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Question 6 -  What are the implications of the St David’s Day announcement which proposes to devolve the responsibility of ports policy to Wales? 

 

This would appear to offer opportunities to have a committed focus on Port and related developments in Wales while continuing to avail of the skills and resources of the UK Government.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How can this support connectivity and the development of the Maritime Economy?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Energy

Question 7 - How can Wales realise the strategic importance of planned initiatives such as the tidal lagoon projects in West Wales and the Anglesey Energy Island Programme?

 

The recent arrival on the scene of Data processing and holding Centres such as those developed by Apple, Microsoft and others change the dynamic of Power Station location and provide an opportunity for the economical development of the facilities mentioned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Question 8 - Please tell us what you think are the key barriers and risks to development of ocean energy and how Wales can help overcome these.

 

 

 

The main barriers are technical. The prevalence of strong tidal steams off parts of the Welsh coast do give a good opportunity for development in the future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please tell us anything else you would like to mention this topic, thank you for contributing to our inquiry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disclosure of information
The Assembly’s policy on disclosure of information can be accessed here, please ensure that you have considered these details carefully before submitting information to the Committee. This policy can be requested in other formats by contacting the Committee Clerk.

 

Submitting evidence

 

If you wish to submit evidence, please send an electronic copy of your submission form to SeneddEcon@assembly.wales.

 

Alternatively, you send it to:

Clerk,

Enterprise and Business Committee

National Assembly for Wales

Cardiff Bay, CF99 1NA.