Local MPs call for investment in North Wales during meeting with Chancellor

Shaping a better future for North Wales was top of the agenda when MPs from the region met the Chancellor at 11 Downing Street.

The meeting was secured by Wrexham MP Ian Lucas when he challenged Philip Hammond during Treasury Questions in the Commons in January.

Speaking about the suspension of the multi-billion-pound Wylfa Newydd nuclear power station project on Anglesey, Mr Lucas asked what the wider implications were for North Wales and requested face-to-face talks with the Chancellor.

Mr Hammond agreed and met a cross-party group of North Wales MPs on Wednesday, February 20.

The MPs were keen to discuss what impact the Wylfa decision would have on the North Wales Growth Deal, a major economic regeneration scheme for the region. The Deal is being funded to the tune of £120m from the UK Government and the same amount from Welsh Government.

Many of the planned projects for it are tied in with the Wlyfa development, but last month Hitachi announced that it was putting plans for the power station on hold due to fears over rising construction costs. The Japanese tech company had been in talks with the UK Government since June last year over how the project would be paid for.

Mr Lucas said Mr Hammond remains ‘hopeful’ Hitachi may still proceed with their plans to develop a nuclear centre on Anglesey, though the Wrexham MP said both he and his North Wales colleagues were more sceptical.

“We had detailed discussions concerning the North Wales Growth Deal, which were very helpful,” said Mr Lucas. “We talked about the impact of Hitachi’s decision and the project’s importance in relation to the Deal.

“More widely, we were able to make a case for long-overdue infrastructure investment in North Wales and it was good to get this opportunity to speak to the Chancellor. It was a useful meeting and I think we made a strong case for the region.”

Other items on the agenda included the Airbus wing-making plant in Broughton and the decision to close the HM Revenue & Customs office in Wrexham, which Mr Lucas is campaigning to have reversed.

The Chancellor has promised to report back to Mr Lucas and his North Wales colleagues regarding everything which was raised during the meeting.