海角视频

The聽 replacement for European Union structural funding cannot be a competitive funding pot with the inherent risk of investment flowing to more prosperous parts of the 海角视频, say Economy Minister Ken Skates.

With the end of the transition period with the EU from January 1, Wales will no longer be in receipt of European structural funding.

As one of the poorest parts of the EU, even with the joining of states from Eastern Europe, parts of Wales have received billions of pounds in EU funding since 2000. It current equates to around 拢370m year for the Welsh Government.

The 海角视频 Government said it will replace EU funding with a new 海角视频-wide Shared Prosperity Fund. Last month the Welsh Affairs Select Committee of cross-party MPs, said that 鈥渘egligible鈥� progress has been made by the 海角视频 Government on the details of the successor fund, a position which former Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb and chair of the committee described as 鈥渦nacceptable.鈥� The committee said the Share Prosperity Fund should be needs-based and at least the current size of EU funding in real terms.

Mr Skates said the Welsh Government has concerns that it will have little, or any influence, on the criteria and distribution of the Shared Prosperity Fund in Wales, while if based on a competitive bid process would mean that the more disadvantaged parts of the 海角视频 could lose out.

Mr Skates said: 鈥淢y central concern is that we shouldn鈥檛 have a competitive fund because if we do if will only undermine the levelling up agenda that the 海角视频 Government says it is sincere about, because whenever you have a competitive element to centralised funding it is areas that are already successful in drawing down funding that have a competitive advantage.

鈥淎s an example if you look at research and development funding the spend per head of population in the south-east of England is four times what it is in Wales. Any competitive element to replacement EU funding would, I fear, undermine the levelling up agenda and lead to the strengthening of the economies of those regions in the 海角视频 that were strong going into the coronavirus and under normal circumstance with a recession then with a recovery, would emerge even more stronger and it would just compound the differences between other regions.鈥�

Mr Skates said that if competitive, parts of the Welsh economy would still benefit. He added: 鈥淲e are highly competitive in certain tech sub-sectors, in advanced composites, cybersecurity and in nuclear development where we are incredibly competitive, but equally a huge chunk of the economy would be left at a disadvantage if the same [competitive bid process] was applied to all sectors across Wales.

鈥淪o, there has to be the basic safety net for funding to come to Wales and if then we can add value and draw down more funding through competitive elements, such as through challenge funds in the industrial strategy [of 海角视频 Government]. then that is fine, but as a bare minimum we would expect to receive what we were getting beforehand [EU funding].鈥�

The Welsh Affairs Select Committee also recommended the fund should be administered in co-operation and as a partnership between the 海角视频 Government, the parliaments in Scotland and Wales, the Northern Ireland executive, and local authorities.

A 海角视频 Government spokesman said: 鈥淭he 海角视频 Shared Prosperity Fund will be better targeted than the EU Structural Funds and, as a minimum, will match the size of those funds in each nation and help to level up the entire 海角视频.

鈥淒etails of the programme are being developed and we will continue to work on it in collaboration with the devolved administration in Wales.

鈥淲e are conscious the EU funding will start to scale down in April 2021 and phased over the next three years, and details of the 海角视频 Shared Prosperity Fund] will be published well ahead of this date.鈥�