Business

New row over Circuit of Wales

Published

6 years ago

February 14, 2018

Circuit of Wales: Welsh Government 'did not tell' company of moved goalposts

THE WELSH Government has been accused of leading Circuit of Wales promoters ‘up the garden path’ by UKIP Leader Neil Hamilton.

Mr Hamilton’s words followed the revelation that the Welsh Government were not prepared to offer the level of guarantee which it had told the Heads of the Valley Development Corporation it would consider.

In evidence before the Welsh Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee on Monday, the Permanent Secretary to the Welsh Government told surprised AMs that the amount of the guarantee the Welsh Government was actually prepared to consider offering was under one half of that it had told the company it would consider.

In addition, under stiff questioning from Adam Price AM and Neil Hamilton, it emerged that the Welsh Government had ignored advice from the UK Treasury to seek advice from the UK Government infrastructure advisory service and had also failed to tell the company of its bottom line position.

The cross examination of two of the Welsh Government’s most senior civil servants also uncovered that the Welsh Treasury, despite ample notice of the evidence session, were unable to answer the most basic of questions – such as whether officials advising the Welsh Government were aware that the Welsh Government’s guarantees only came into play on completion of the project and whether or not officials handling the project for the Welsh Government had told the Heads of the Valleys Corporation about its changed position on the guarantee.

And the matter was made no clearer by questions directed to the Welsh Government’s Economy and Infrastructure Secretary, Ken Skates on Wednesday (Feb 7). Despite two days having elapsed since senior officials had fobbed off Adam Price and Neil Hamilton with a promise to provide the answers to questions they had failed to address, Mr Skates found himself in the identical position – kicking the can further down the road in the direction of civil servants in Mark Drakeford’s Finance Department.

In addition, despite holding out hope last year that a re-tooled project could receive support in the future, Mr Skates rather firmly closed the door on any prospect of the Welsh Government becoming involved in any racing circuit development.

The lack of preparation in response to questions for which both civil servants and Mr Skates should have been prepared is, perhaps, startling. It would certainly be unfair to suggest that neither civil servants nor Mr Skates wanted to give a straight answer to a straight question because they did not fancy the row that might follow.

Following Mr Skates’ performance, Mr Hamilton said: “Now we know the Labour Government never intended to give the kiss of life to this visionary scheme and transform the poorest part of Wales. They deceived the Circuit’s promoters into spending millions on a finance package that never had a chance of success.

“They deceived the voters of Blaenau Gwent and the northern valleys in last year’s General Election by delaying until after polling day the announcement of their decision to pull the plug.”

Mr Hamilton continued: “Welsh Government constantly moved the goalposts on their proposed guarantee. First, they told the Circuit they wouldn’t guarantee more than 80% of total project costs. That was reduced to 50% but, in truth, they were never prepared to guarantee more than 25%. Their deception is a major scandal. £9.3 million of Welsh taxpayers’ money was wasted because of the Government’s bad faith in negotiations. Worse still, was encouraging false hopes of economic revival in the heads of the valleys only to dash them after the General Election votes were counted.

“Labour politicians should hang their heads in shame and voters should take revenge on these cynics at the next election. UKIP will continue to fight to get the Circuit back on the road. We will fight for the true interests of working people against a Labour Party which has lost touch completely with its roots.”

Business

Paul Butterworth appointed Vice Chair of Regional Learning and Skills Partnership

Published

15 hours ago

May 7, 2024

Richard Lewis

Paul Butterworth, the CEO of Chambers Wales South East, South West and Mid, has been appointed as the new Vice Chair of the Regional Learning and Skills Partnership (RLSP) for south-west Wales.

Covering Carmarthenshire, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire and Swansea, the RLSP is dedicated to bridging the gap between education, skills, and regeneration. It aims to ensure that the skills provision is aligned with the economic priorities and opportunities of the region, as well as tackling the new skills landscape that is happening within the energy, construction, manufacturing and digital sectors.

As CEO of Chambers Wales, Paul brings a wealth of experience and a passion for the economic and skills development of Welsh businesses with him to the board.

As the voice of the business community with policymakers, Paul will advocate for enhanced skills training, infrastructure improvements and the creation of skilled jobs, all aimed at creating local economic growth.

Upon his appointment, Paul said: “I am determined to create a better and fairer business landscape for West Wales to ensure that the local economy has the best available skills development for future project development and the transition into the green economy and energy sector to ensure West Wales thrives.”

Jane Lewis, Regional Partnerships Manager at RLSP, said: “We are delighted to have Paul on the board. He will be instrumental in achieving our goals and look forward to the positive impact his appointment will have on the region.”

Business

Expansion for Ashmole & Co with acquisition of Jones Ward Accountants

Published

2 days ago

May 5, 2024

Tom Sinclair

CHARTERED, Certified Accountants, Ashmole & Co, are delighted to announce their expansion following the acquisition of JonesWard accountancy firm in Carmarthen.

Ashmole & Co Carmarthen has today taken over JonesWard who have closed their office in Lammas Street, Carmarthen. All JonesWard staff, including Ian Jones and James Ward, have transferred over to Ashmole & Co and will be based in the Old School, the Quay, Carmarthen.

JonesWard informed their clients that the administrative burden of running a practice had increased significantly over recent years due to the constant changing money laundering and tax regulations, software requirements and so on. Over the past 12 months it had become more challenging to maintain the level of service they had been used to providing.

Ian Jones said, “We feel Ashmole & Co share the same values as us and have the necessary expertise and resources to ensure we can continue to provide the personal touch and level of service clients have been accustomed to. Myself and James are not retiring but we will be supported by Ashmole & Co’s partners and staff from now on in their Carmarthen office.”

Ashmole & Co partners Sharon George, Carwyn Morgan and Vinal Patel will strive to ensure JonesWard clients will continue to receive the high quality of service they are used to.

Vinal Patel, Partner with Ashmole & Co said, “It is our priority to make the transition as smooth as possible with all employees of JonesWard having already transferred to Ashmole & Co and are now based in our office on the Quay in Carmarthen. We look forward to meeting our new clients and working closely with them to meet their needs in the future.”

Ashmole & Co Chartered and Certified Accountants have been established since 1897 and are one of the largest accountancies and auditing practices in south Wales, now operating from thirteen offices throughout south and west Wales including Swansea, Carmarthen, Haverfordwest and Ammanford.

Business

Dragon LNG explores integration of LNG and CO2 liquefaction processes

Published

2 days ago

May 5, 2024

Tom Sinclair

DRAGON LNG, based in Waterston, Milford Haven, recently announced a significant step towards sustainable energy solutions.

The company awarded a contract to Worley, global professional services company of energy, chemicals and resources experts, to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study.

The study is focussing on exploring the potential benefits of integrating LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas)
regasification and CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) liquefaction processes at Dragon LNG’s facilities. This integration holds promise for a more efficient operation, with the potential to reduce energy consumption, carbon intensity and the levelized cost of CO2 export not only at the Dragon site but also for Haven industry companies.

If feasible, the technology at Dragon would support wider collaboration with RWE Pembroke Net Zero Centre, whose CO2 would be transported to the Dragon facility for processing before being shipped via non-pipeline transport (NPT) to carbon sequestration sites.

Key aspects to be addressed in the feasibility study include:

Technical Solutions: Worley will evaluate various technical approaches to seamlessly integrate LNG and
CO2 liquefaction processes, ensuring optimal energy efficiency and effectiveness.
Carbon Intensity Reduction: Dragon LNG is committed to sustainability, and the study will assess how the integration of processes can contribute to lowering the carbon intensity of operations, aligning with broader environmental goals.
Economic Viability: Understanding the financial implications is crucial. The study will delve into the levelized cost of CO2 and other economic factors to determine the feasibility and financial benefits of the proposed integration.

Commenting on the partnership, a spokesperson for Dragon LNG stated, “We are excited to collaborate with Worley on this important initiative. As a responsible energy provider, Dragon LNG is continuously seeking innovative ways to enhance our operations while minimizing our environmental footprint. This feasibility study represents a significant step towards achieving those objectives.”

Worley’s expertise in engineering and consultancy services including in the CO2 and LNG sectors makes them an ideal partner for this endeavour. Their track record of delivering sustainability solutions aligns perfectly with the ambitious goals of Dragon LNG.

This collaboration underscores Dragon LNG’s commitment to driving sustainable practices within the energy sector. By exploring the integration of LNG regasification and CO2 liquefaction processes, the company aims to pave the way for a cleaner, more efficient energy future with their ambition of a net zero terminal by 2029.