00:00Will the Welsh Government make a statement on the closure of Oakwood theme park in Pembrokeshire?
00:06The Welsh Government is aware of the situation and is awaiting further details of the impact
00:11on job losses and on the future of the site.
00:15We sympathise with those affected by this decision and stand ready to provide support
00:19to the workforce and to the supply chain.
00:22Thank you very much for that answer, Cabinet Secretary.
00:24It's really sad news because Oakwood holds a really special place in the hearts of many
00:29in Pembrokeshire and across Wales as well, and I've got really fond memories of my time
00:33visiting as a child, and even more recently with Andrew R.T.
00:35Davies, where he shared the photo of us both on megaphobia enjoying.
00:39He enjoyed it a little bit more than I did.
00:40I'm not one for roller coasters, but it has been a really important part of our tourism
00:46offer in west Wales, and people shared their memories on social media following the announcement
00:51yesterday.
00:52Lee Day, who I used to work with, shared the story of the time that he had to hide East
00:56Enders actor Dean Gaffney in a restaurant in Oakwood because he was being followed around
01:01by teenagers throughout there.
01:03It's been really nice, but it comes at the cost and the price of this park closing, which
01:08is deeply sad.
01:09Now, Aspro, the parent company, have cited the unrelenting economic challenges as the
01:14reason for the closure, and they've invested over £25 million there, £1 million in the
01:18megaphobia ride that I mentioned earlier, and they say that national insurance contributions,
01:24inflationary costs to food and drink, and the cost of ride parts and electricity have
01:28all been affected.
01:30So, we can't ignore the impact of what's happened in the budget on the decision by Aspro to
01:36close Oakwood.
01:37So, I'm just wondering what discussions you're looking to take forward following this closure
01:41with counterparts, with the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and those counterparts of yours
01:45up in the UK Government around the impact of NICs, and we can't ignore the shadow that
01:51tourism tax casts across these sorts of businesses as well.
01:54So, is this an opportunity for the Welsh Government to review and reset the tourism tax discussion
02:01given the closure of Oakwood?
02:03On the second point around staff, I've written to the management team locally and the head
02:07office in Madrid asking that staff are supported.
02:11Now, I'm aware of a business who I've spoken to this morning who are looking to take on
02:15staff who are losing their jobs, but what I'd quite like to hear from the Welsh Government
02:20is what they're doing to support staff in the area who are impacted by this closure,
02:25because we know, without staff, these sorts of attractions don't have the heart and soul.
02:29They're the people that really care about this, and the staff that we met on our visit
02:33to Oakwood most recently really loved being part of the Oakwood story.
02:39The future of the site as well.
02:41This is a really prime site, and it's been developed over the years, and I'm aware that
02:46there could potentially already be buyers looking to come in and use the site for commercial
02:51purposes, either keeping it as a theme park or other things as well.
02:55What I'm looking for is a commitment from the Welsh Government to work with me and other
02:59stakeholdersóbusinesses have been in touch with me, I'm sure businesses have been in
03:02touch with the Welsh Government as wellóto try and find a buyer as soon as possible,
03:06because the last thing we want in Pembrokeshire is a site of that size being left derelict
03:10for a number of years.
03:11We saw that with the old CC2000 site.
03:14It became an eyesore.
03:16We don't want that to happen.
03:17So, anything that can be done to support and bring more together to try and buy the site
03:23and continue to run it would be most welcome.
03:26The final point, then, I really hope this isn't the start of a decline of tourism attractions
03:31in Wales and that this is an isolated incident and impact.
03:35So, what I'd quite like is if the Welsh Government could convene a tourism summit with other
03:40large attractions from across Wales to hear their views, to reset the relationship with
03:45them and to hear what's really affecting you following this closure by Oakwood, to make
03:49sure that the tourism sector in Wales is supported the very best that it can be so this remains
03:54an isolated event and not the start of something more sad.
03:57Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd.
03:58Julie James AM I'm very grateful for the question this afternoon.
04:03It is indeed a sad day.
04:04I know that many people across Wales will have very, very many happy memories over the
04:10last 40 years, and it is absolutely a much-loved attraction and has been for many decades.
04:17I think that the business itself, as we've heard, has recognised that there are a range
04:21of factors behind the decision today.
04:24It mentioned also the costs in all areas of the operation.
04:28So, we've heard about ride parts, but then it also extended to the cost of electricity
04:32and inflation in terms of food and beverage.
04:36I don't think that there's anything in relation to the announcement today that suggests that
04:40this is a Wales-specific issue.
04:42I think that the issues that were described are certainly wider than things that the Welsh
04:47Government can have a direct impact on.
04:51I do think the reference across the tourism levy might have been a little bit of a stretch
04:56this afternoon, given the fact that the tourism levy can't even come into place until next
05:01year at the earliest, and the purpose of that levy is to invest in the conditions that make
05:06tourism a success locally.
05:08So, I know that we'll have to continue to disagree on that particular point.
05:13But I think that our main concernóand I think this goes for all of usóis really about the
05:17staff at the site, and, of course, our Welsh Government team works closely with our key
05:23stakeholders, including the Department for Work and Pensions, local authorities and Work
05:27in Wales, to ensure that people who are at risk of losing jobs or at risk of redundancy
05:32do receive the information, support and guidance that they need.
05:36We know that lots of the team is made up of seasonal workers, so I would point to some
05:42of the innovations that we have, such as Big Ideas Wales, for example, which is a really
05:47great opportunity for those young people to consider who might otherwise have been employed
05:53during the tourist season at Oakwood.
05:56So, that's just one idea that might be useful to some people.
06:02But then, in terms of the future of the site, I also share that concern that we wouldn't
06:06want to see that site derelict, and just provide reassurance to colleagues that the Welsh Government
06:13is in contact with those people who might have a commercial interest in the site, and
06:20we'll certainly do what we can to facilitate a quick sale if we're able to contribute to
06:25those discussions.
06:27And then, in terms of the kind of wider tourism sector, I'm really pleased to say that we
06:32do have that kind of large summit, which you referred to, on the horizon.
06:37So, on 27 March, we have our national tourism conference.
06:41It's a Welsh Government conference that is provided through VisitWales, and that will
06:45have some of those large tourist attraction owners at that, amongst others, and part of
06:52the key issues that we're trying to grapple with at that conference will be around sustainability
06:56and resilience for the sector.
06:58Y Llywydd, diolch yn fawr iawn.
07:00Y Llywydd.
07:01Thank you very much, Temporary Llywydd.
07:03Yes, I want to echo the feeling.
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