WHERE'S CARWYN?

We live in interesting times, with extra powers either recommended to be devolved in the case of Northern Ireland or being negotiated for by the SNP Government and even being readily considered by the Con Dem government (in London) to be devolved in the case of the 50mw rule for planning consent for energy developments in Wales.

The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee report on Corporation Tax in Northern Ireland has recognised the benefits of being able to set corporation tax on a regional basis and would help stimulate the economy of Northern Ireland - similar moves may be underfoot in Scotland.

The Con Dem UK Government appears to have accepted the principle of regional tax variation through National Insurance holidays for new businesses outside of London, south-east and east England. A one size fits all tax policy offers no support to poorer regions. Certainly the idea of a lower corporation tax rate which would make Wales more attractive for inward investment and would help Welsh businesses by cutting some of their costs could well be on the cards.

So it seems pretty logical step to allow Wales to adapt to the needs of its businesses and one would like to think that the Labour government in Cardiff Bay would share similar sentiments. Can one ask where is Wales in all of this? Is anyone in Labour (in Wales) standing up for Wales? Or more to the point, where is Carwyn?

IF ONLY...

A couple of things caught my attention, one of which was the fact that the Westminster Northern Ireland Affairs Committee is investigating whether the rate of Corporation Tax should be cut. The UK Government chancellor is planning to reduce the tax in the UK from 28% to 24% over the next four years however corporation tax in the Republic of Ireland is only 12.5%. At the moment MPs are considering whether Northern Ireland should have a similar or lower rate of Corporation Tax, something that will help attract investment and provide opportunities for business growth...so why can we not do the same thing here in Wales.

In Scotland, plans for a huge tidal energy project which is set to be developed in the Pentland Firth after the rights to the site were awarded to a consortium by the Crown Estate. The Inner Sound, which lies between the Caithness coast and island of Stroma, as one of the Firth's "most energetic" tidal areas. The proposed scheme could involve up to 400 submerged turbines, generating enough energy to power 400,000 homes with a 25-year operational lease for the site was awarded to MeyGen.

This is a joint venture between tidal technology provider Atlantis Resources Corporation, International Power and investment bank Morgan Stanley. The news of the award of the lease comes after two years of feasibility work in the waters of the Pentland Firth. Obviously this is subject to planning consent, the consortium plans to install hundreds of turbines in the Inner Sound area and construction is expected to take place on a phased basis until 2020. The real good news is that project will be one of the biggest in the world, with the potential to generate up to 400MW of sustainable renewable power. So why not here in Wales...