Scrutiny, Energy and the National Assembly for Wales

For the last few months the Environment and Sustainability Committee has been undertaking work on an enquiry into energy in Wales, and in particular renewable energy in Wales.  I will not pre-empt the conclusions of that work.  However today we sat in private session.  That session was to discuss areas on which we may wish to ask questions of the Ministers concerned.  Next week we will have 4 Ministers in front of us. Carwyn Jones, Edwina Hart, John Griffiths and Carl Sargeant.  In total we will be given 30 minutes with each.  This undermines the democratic accountability of the Assembly.  It means that the Ministers will not have sustained and detailed questioning about current policies such as TAN 8.  For those who feel that there is a lack of accountability for Ministers decisions both to the Assembly, and outside the Assembly, I would say that you are right.  I have raised the issue of scrutiny and timetabling today....... we shall see what the result is later (if any). The public in Wales need to know that Ministers should be accountable and are being scrutinised, from my experience to date, I would say that the current new structure of Assembly Committees is not delivering that for the public in Wales.  The First Minister in the last 6 months has not made a single oral statement to the Assembly on Energy.  No one has held him to account for this.  He has not been properly questioned by Assembly Members, and when there has been a chance, there have been severe and inappropriate time constraints.    For communities accross Wales facing large windfarm and other energy developments, you should be aware that debate and scrutiny on these issues is not reflecting the concerns as expressed so publicly by you.  30 mintues for each Minister is not enough for proper democratic accountability.

High Voltage Power lines.

It would appear that finally Albert Owen MP has raised the question of submarine cables to be considered an option for Wylfa B and the new offshore windfarms that will form part of the Irish Sea development.  This issue has been raised on Anglesey with both me and Paul Williams since November last year.  I contacted National Grid on that point in November.  Where has Albert Owen MP been over the last few months?  Interestingly he has not picked up on the failure of Grid to consider that the Environmental Information Regulations apply to their projects.

The Electricity Networks Strategy Group (which includes National Grid) published a document in 2009 which shows that they are seeking to upgrade the Pentir 275kw line to a 400kw line apparently without any consultation with the local people that it will affect. (see pages 72-80 of the ENSG report.  For a more detailed discussion of Grid issues in Wales see the blogpost from Syniadau. 
http://syniadau--buildinganindependentwales.blogspot.com/2011/02/linking-north-and-south.html

Syniadau also highlights Welsh residents pay between 4 to 10 % HIGHER electricity costs as Wales is considered a net importer of electricity, despite the opposite being true.  How Labour's Welsh Assembly Government has allowed this to happen at a time of spiralling energy costs is beyond me.  Political pressure to force Grid and the Electricity Companies to accept that Wales is a net exporter of electricity could have meant money in the pockets of pensioners, families and businesses accross Wales. 

I find it surprising that Grid are now positioning themselves on the basis of  cost. bearing in mind the paragraph above.  They are running undersea cable from Scotland to Deeside at a cost of £780 million as the post from Syniadau shows.  It is vitally important that North Wales does not accept a second best option.    Why then are Grid not also considering running cable the 64 or so miles from Anglesey to Deeside.  Surely this would be a cheaper option than running cables down to Pembrokshire.