Janet Finch-Saunders MS has said the Minister for Economy should offer a clarification and correction over a comment he made in Plenary today (June 10).
During an exchange, Mrs Finch-Saunders asked the Minister if he would re-open the Welsh Mountain Zoo. The Minister replied:
“Now, in the meantime, the sort of support that's being offered to zoos in Wales, I think, has been extraordinary, bearing in mind that we did not get a single penny of consequentials, based on the UK Government's zoos fund announcement.”
Mrs Finch-Saunders said that the response is incorrect, and may have misled the Welsh Parliament.
She quoted Written Question 52084, Parliament:
“The Zoos Support Fund (ZSF) is £14 million in total for England. The ZSF qualifies for Barnett consequentials. As a result of this package, the Devolved Administrations will receive £2.1 million in additional funding.”
Mrs Finch-Saunders has asked the Minister to confirm that there is a Barnett consequential coming to Wales from the £2.1m for the devolved administrations as a result of the ZSF, and to correct the record in Plenary next week.