Angela Burns AM has raised serious questions in the National Assembly Chamber over why Pembroke Dock’s Mainport Engineering firm went into administration despite having been awarded Welsh Government grant worth £650,000.

It follows a statement issued by the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Ken Skates AM, confirming that Main Port had entered bankruptcy following a ‘winding up order’ by HM Revenue and Customs.

The statement also confirmed that out of 157 employees, 69 jobs had been made redundant.

Welsh Conservative Assembly Member Angela Burns sought assurances from Mr. Skates over what support the Welsh Government was offering affected workers and their families.

Speaking outside the Assembly Chamber, Mrs. Burns said: “I extend my deepest sympathies to the families affected by the closure of Main Port Engineering.

“I have met with workers and have made my representations to the administrators to ensure that maximum support is given to employees.

“I have called on the Cabinet Secretary to offer the same level of government support to Main Port employees as that received by Murco employees in 2014 following their redundancy, which greatly affected the operations of Main Port.

“One of the issues here is why the Welsh Government took the decision to award such a substantial sum of money to Main Port which had just lost a primary customer in the form of Murco and was already engaged in an ongoing dispute with HMRC.

“Was the Welsh Government aware of this situation when it awarded the grant and were there communication between government ministers and Finance Wales over this issue? If so, did the Welsh Government miss an opportunity to support Main Port through a more structured process?

“The Cabinet Secretary needs to examine how rigorously the long-term financial viability of Main Port was examined by officials before the decision was made to invest, and I look forward to further assurances from him on this matter.

“Given the loss of such a substantial sum of public money and the inestimable emotional cost of families now faced with an uncertain future it is vital that satisfactory answers are forthcoming.”

‘DEVASTATING BLOW’

Labour Mid and West AM Joyce Watson also questioned Welsh economy minister Ken Skates about the winding up of the high quality structural steelwork business.

Speaking in the Senedd, Mrs. Watson said the immediate priority must be supporting those who have lost their jobs; but said questions regarding the circumstances surrounding the winding up order must be answered, and called for a wider look at support for the energy industry.

She said: “Cabinet Secretary, I thank you for your written statement that you issued yesterday afternoon. And, as everybody here will agree, it is hugely disappointing news for the area which I represent and in which I live. It is a devastating blow, particularly for those families, and it’s those families and those individuals who will be facing a very uncertain future that I really want to focus on. So I was very encouraged to learn that you have already arranged a drop-in session with Jobcentre Plus and other agencies for 11 o’clock on Friday. I think we need to stay focused that this was particularly highly skilled and highly paid work, and so the loss of that income to the local economy will be felt almost immediately, and how we can work with anybody else to ensure the viability of their businesses if they were equally dependent on these workers for their own income.

“But I want to move on and think about the future, and I will ask you, Cabinet Secretary, to look at the wider issues about the future of that area and, of course, the Haven enterprise zone and any strategy that we will need to put in place to support the well-established west Wales energy industry, because it is well-established and it is also vital to the region. But, as I say, the immediate thoughts and the immediate action have to go towards those who have now an uncertain future.”

Mr. Skates, the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure, replied: “I’d like to thank the member for her comments and, again, I share her concerns for those families who are facing considerable anxiety at this moment in time. I can say that my officials are in close dialogue with PwC and are aware that there is some developing interest in the Main Port business and, potentially, the remaining employees. So, all is not yet lost, and we will do everything we can to ensure that those people who have been working at the business have employment, either there or within the local area. I think it’s essential that the enterprise zone continues to perform successfully. It’s created and secured hundreds of jobs since it was formed, but I recognise that, in the context of a post-Brexit Britain, we do need a new economic strategy for Wales, and I very much hope that, with a focus on place-based economic development, the enterprise zone area of the part of Wales that my friend so proudly represents will have a very, very strong future.”