Labour blocks Crown Estate devolution to Wales

Emily Price

Plaid Cymru have criticised the UK Government for voting down an amendment to devolve the Crown Estate to Wales.

This week, Plaid Cymru Energy spokesperson, Llinos Medi tabled an amendment to Westminster’s Crown Estate Bill to transfer the management of the Crown Estate’s assets in Wales to the Welsh Government.

She argued that the devolution of the Crown Estate to Wales within two years of the commencement of the Act would be a vital step to ensure that profits generated from Welsh land and seabed benefit Welsh people directly.

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Revenue

The Crown Estate, which owns the UK seabed out to 12 nautical miles, is a £16 billion portfolio belonging to the reigning monarch.

Revenue from its holdings currently goes to the UK Treasury.

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

The Liberal Democrats announced yesterday that they would join forces with Plaid Cymru to push for Crown Estate devolution.

Devolving Crown Estate powers has also been the official stance of Labour ministers in Wales.

In a social media post prior to the Committee session, senior Labour Senedd Member Mick Antoniw said: "Lets hope there is complete Welsh and UK Cross Party unity for the devolution of the Crown Estate.

"Continued centralised administration is outdated and undermines growth agenda."

But despite widespread public and political support in Wales for the Crown Estate to be devolved, Labour MPs blocked the transfer of powers.

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Forces

Lib Dem MP Pippa Haylings voted in favour of Plaid Cymru's amendment.

All nine Labour Members of the Committee voted it down, whilst the Conservatives abstained.

During the debate, Treasury Minister James Murray argued that keeping the Crown Estate under Westminster control brought "greater benefit for the people of Wales and the wider United Kingdom."

This stance contradicts recent comments from Wales' First Minister, Eluned Morgan, who described the current arrangement as "unfair" and said she was "fighting very hard" for more control.

Medi criticised the Welsh Government for failing to submit written evidence to the Committee in support of devolution – despite publicly claiming to back it.

Control

She said: "Yesterday's vote was an opportunity for the Labour UK Government to show it was listening to the concerns of people in Wales about underinvestment and a lack of control of our resources.

"Instead, they chose to keep control of the Crown Estate in Westminster, depriving our communities of economic opportunities. Scotland has the powers - why not Wales?

"Once again, we see Labour saying one thing in Wales and doing another in Westminster. Just recently, the First Minister said she was ‘fighting very hard’ for the devolution of the Crown Estate. Yet, when given the opportunity to submit evidence to the Committee to support their position, the Labour Welsh Government failed to do so.

"This is not the end of the road. When the Bill returns to the House of Commons for its next stage, we hope to give all MPs the opportunity to vote on Plaid Cymru's proposal to put control of the Crown Estate in the hands of the people of Wales. I will be urging Labour MPs from Wales to consider the needs of their communities, not their party."

Future

Labour also voted down a Liberal Democrat amendment on the devolution of the Crown Estate.

Welsh Liberal Democrat Westminster Spokesperson David Chadwick MP said: "It is clear Labour aren’t even slightly interested in giving Wales the tools we need to succeed and build a more prosperous future.

"Welsh Labour MPs seem completely content with a managed decline for Wales and if people want to see a positive change for Welsh communities they aren’t going to find that with Labour.

"The Liberal Democrats will continue to push the Government to put Wales and our communities at the top of the political agenda."