Plaid Cymru’s Leanne Wood has expressed her dissatisfaction at the First Minister for failing to keep a promise to read a job creation programme for the South Wales valleys.
Carwyn Jones revealed this week he had failed to read Ms Wood’s Greenprint for the Valleys in its entirety despite giving an undertaking in plenary in October of last year that he would read the document. When Ms Wood, AM for South Wales Central, asked this week whether the First Minister had got round to reading the document, he replied: “I certainly read some of it with interest…….I cannot say that I have read it all.”
The consultation document, Greenprint for the Valleys, was produced last year by Ms Wood as a means of reversing the economic decline in the former coalfield communities of South Wales. The proposals include the establishment of a green construction skills college, the implementation of an integrated transport plan for the valleys, providing financial support for a large-scale home energy efficiency programme, the setting up of co-operatives and the creation of a land bank for renewable energy and food production.
Ms Wood said: “It is disappointing that the First Minister has been unable to find the time to read a policy document that has just 14 pages of text. He vowed to read the document more than four months ago – how much longer does he need?
“After much research consulting with people inside and outside Plaid Cymru, I put together the ‘Greenprint’ which contains ideas as to how we can make our Valleys communities thrive once again. If it proves a success, it is a plan that can be rolled out right across Wales.
“It is unfortunate therefore that the First Minister is not prepared to even consider these proposals. If the First Minister is saying he is content with the level of employment, average salaries, housing conditions and opportunities within the Valleys then perhaps he does not feel the need to be proactive.
“If that is the case however, he is letting down the thousands of people who have made the Valleys their home and want to live in viable communities.”
Ms Wood added: “If the First Minister agrees with me that action needs to be taken in the former coalfield communities to boost the local economy then he needs to come up with an alternative programme as a matter of urgency if he is going to shun ideas from outside his own party.”
