10. Short Debate: Securing the future of the Prince Madog: The case for having a national maritime research ship for Wales

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:16 pm on 11 July 2018.

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Photo of Mark Isherwood Mark Isherwood Conservative 6:16, 11 July 2018

I visited the School of Ocean Sciences at Bangor University in Menai. I did question the Cabinet Secretary about this in February, when I said:

'Sea bed surveying and mapping are of key importance to our economy. The Irish have already acted on this. The EU is now starting too. There's a danger that both Wales and the UK will be left behind. Bangor University has the biggest university-run sea bed research vessel in the UK, the Prince Madog, which is key both to our economy and to fisheries management as we look to the future. But, it's only funded to 2020. What action will the Welsh Government therefore take to ensure critical and sustainable future funding, and to incorporate sea bed research into a strategic national plan?'

The Cabinet Secretary replied that she was

'aware that Bangor University are looking to identify future strategic scientific work for the Prince Madog' but, she said:

'It is a commercial matter for the universities and others in the consortium' so she wasn't able to comment any further. Well, the School of Ocean Sciences told me that, although the vessel is jointly owned and run, future Welsh Government funding and development of a strategic national plan will be critical. So, we're talking about a key national strategic asset, not simply private or commercially sensitive discussions. I hope therefore the Cabinet Secretary's response now will be more reflective both of the threat but also the opportunity that we're discussing now.