Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Crown Estate: Devolution

Wednesday 12 March 2025 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Crown Estate devolution is credited by SNP for meeting renewable energy targets and job creation in Scotland.
  • Labour MP criticizes the idea of devolving the Crown Estate, emphasizing job creation in Wales through floating offshore wind.
  • Secretary of State supports Welsh job creation and economic boost, rejecting distractions and calls for further devolution of the Crown Estate.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Stephen Gethins SNP Arbroath and Broughty Ferry
Scotland Wales
Context

The SNP committed in their 2011 manifesto to generate 100% of Scotland’s electricity from renewables, which they claim was achieved due to devolving the Crown Estate and working with industry. The question arises as to why Wales should not have similar opportunities.

Question

In the 2011 Scottish National party manifesto, we committed to having the equivalent of 100% of Scotland’s electricity generated from renewables. The SNP met that target and then some, thanks to the devolution of the Crown Estate and to working with industry. It is now delivering jobs and clean, green energy to Scotland and throughout the UK. Why should Wales not have the same opportunity?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Wales (Jo Stevens)

I will not take any lectures on the Crown Estate from the hon. Member, whose party’s mismanagement of the Scottish seabed resulted in Scottish assets being sold off on the cheap. We are focused on doing whatever it takes to secure more than 5,000 jobs in Wales and the billions of pounds of investment that the Crown Estate can unlock for Wales.

Not addressed: The questioner's request about devolving the Crown Estate was not directly addressed. Instead, the answerer criticised the Scottish National Party’s management of the Crown Estate assets in Scotland.

How: Criticising Opposition, Changing Subject

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Q2 Tonia Antoniazzi Lab Gower
Wales Energy
Context

The Secretary of State previously mentioned that the Crown Estate can unlock over 5,000 jobs in Wales through floating offshore wind development. This question seeks to confirm if devolving the Crown Estate would hinder these developments.

Question

Does the Secretary of State agree that the Government’s priorities should be ensuring that the Crown Estate can unlock thousands of new well-paid jobs in Wales that will come with floating offshore wind, rather than being distracted by calls to devolve the organisation in the middle of this national mission, which would risk the investment, jobs and lower energy bills that Wales desperately needs?

Answer from The Secretary of State for Wales (Jo Stevens)

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Like her, I want people in Wales to benefit from those 5,300 new jobs, particularly young people, so that they do not have to leave Wales, where they have grown up, to earn or learn. I want that £1.4 billion boost to the economy. We are not prepared to put all that at risk of market fragmentation, undermining or potentially destroying developer confidence in FLOW, and have to watch that investment go elsewhere in the world.

Answered

Not addressed: null

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