Welsh Conservatives today warned that the Welsh Labour Government’s plans for a Single Environment Body to replace the Environment Agency Wales, Forestry Council Wales and Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) could hit jobs.
On a visit to one of the UK’s largest timber businesses, Antoinette Sandbach AM, Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs, raised concerns that a lack of expert knowledge in the new body could harm Wales’ forestry industry.
BSW Timber, which manages seven UK sawmills, including five in Scotland and one in Wales, is currently creating 29 new jobs at its Newbridge-on-Wye sawmill in Powys.
There are fears that the Welsh Government’s proposals could make Wales a less attractive place for timber firms to do business and lead to businesses considering their options.
Antoinette Sandbach AM said, “There are widespread fears that if the functions of the Forestry Commission are brought in-house under the new environment umbrella body, that vital expertise in the forestry industry will be lost.
“Almost 20,000 jobs in Wales are dependent on the Welsh timber industry, so Labour Ministers should tread with care to avoid making Wales a less attractive place for the sector.
“The Forestry Council Wales is an arm’s length body, which currently has sufficient freedom to make commercial decisions in the best interests of Welsh firms.
“As Labour Ministers have learnt from their previous botched mergers of arm’s length bodies including the WDA and the Wales Tourist Board, there is a danger of losing expertise and experience.
“The last thing we want to see is damage to the timber industry and major and reputable firms uprooting and transferring their business to other parts of the UK.
“It is time for the Minister to start listening and acting upon the worries of the tens of thousands of workers whose jobs depend on the Welsh timber industry.”
