Comments by Dafydd Trystan Davies MS, Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness and the Constitution.
The Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness and the Constitution said:
This report is further proof as to why the Crown Estate should be devolved to Wales, as it has been in Scotland. The First Minister and I met the chief executive of the Crown Estate earlier this week and made this point.
Today’s Annual Report underlines why reform is needed: Welsh land and waters are expected to generate hundreds of millions of pounds in options fees for offshore wind, and Wales is not receiving a fair return. Revenues from Welsh assets should support Welsh communities and Welsh priorities, not flow primarily to the Treasury.
While I welcome more Wales-specific reporting by The Crown Estate, transparency must be matched by accountability to Wales. There is a clear mandate for change: every Welsh local authority supports devolution of the Crown Estate.
As a Government, we also plan to work with the Crown Estate to develop a stronger formal partnership, so investment decisions better reflect Wales’s economic, social, environmental and community priorities.
We will continue to work constructively with The Crown Estate and the UK Government on our ambition of the full devolution for the Crown Estate.