More needs to be done to develop Welsh ports and airports as economic drivers

04 July 2012

There are many opportunities for the Welsh Government to capitalise on the potential of Welsh ports and airports as a means of boosting the economy, according to a National Assembly for Wales Committee.

An inquiry by the Enterprise and Business Committee found that Welsh Ministers could play a role in supporting an infrastructure that would enable Welsh ports and airports to prosper.

The Committee has called on the Welsh Government to formulate an evidence-based strategic plan for developing air transport in Wales. It also calls on the Welsh Government to press Cardiff Airport managers to invest in its development and devise a new plan which would prioritise air services to support inward tourism and business needs.

The Committee also recommends that the Welsh Government should consider the importance of ports in the renewable energy supply chain and support measures to increase Wales’s share of the cruise tourism market.

The report recognises that while responsibility for ports and aviation policy lies with the UK Government, use of the Welsh Government’s powers and policies can do much to develop Welsh ports and airports in the future.

“Welsh ports and airports are vital to the future of the Welsh economy, and have a crucial part to play in developing international trade and tourism links,” said the Chair of the Enterprise and Business Committee, Nick Ramsay AM.

“There is a need for a more holistic approach so that policies for ports and airports can achieve greater synergy with policies that aim to improve the whole transport network.

“We are aware that the Welsh Government cannot achieve all this on its own, but it needs to be fully engaged in policy development at a UK level. That includes advocating further devolution of powers to better shape and influence the sustainable development of ports and airports.”

The full report and more information on the Enterprise and Business Committee can be found here.