Jo Stevens said that ong NHS waiting lists in Wales present “a challenge”
The country needs to have “a green transition” to make it less dependent on fuel imports, according to Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens.
She also admitted that long NHS waiting lists in Wales present “a challenge” for the Wales and Westminster governments.
Stevens told GB News: “We need to have a green transition, we've got to get to renewable energy by 2030 and the reasons for that are threefold.
“Firstly, that it will bring down bills permanently for businesses and households across the United Kingdom, because renewable energy is far cheaper than fossil fuels. Secondly, it will create masses of new jobs.
“In Wales, we've got huge capacity for offshore wind in the Celtic Sea, where we can create 5,000 new construction jobs and we can create a £1.4 billion boost to the economy. Our number one mission is economic growth.
“And thirdly…so that we're not ever in the position where we have been when Putin invaded Ukraine and we were in hock to Russia, relying on imports of gas.
“We're going to do onshore wind, we're going to offshore wind, we're going to do new nuclear, so all types of renewable energy, solar, for example.
“This is what we've been doing in Wales, in terms of local communities that host infrastructure then gain a benefit through cheaper bills.
“They will get an additional discount on their bills as a result of hosting the infrastructure that is helping to deliver renewable energy, clean power by 2030 across the United Kingdom.
“So what the project that the Prime Minister and the First Minister are seeing today in Carmarthenshire is exactly one of those projects where the local community are benefiting through discounts to their bills.”
Asked about NHS waiting lists in Wales, she added: “Yes, there are challenges in Wales, just like there are in England on waiting lists, and it's a shared challenge, and one that you know, the two governments, both governments, will face together.
“That's why I'm really pleased that we are working closely with the First Minister to look at those shared challenges and how we help each other bring down those waiting lists, because we know that by bringing down waiting lists, we get more people back to work, that creates a boost for economic growth as well.
“There are win-win situations, but the reset of the relationship, having two Labour governments working together, is going to deliver big benefits, not just for Wales, but for the rest of the United Kingdom.”
