To submit
the report of the Council Leader (attached).
Minutes:
The Head of Legal Services
/Monitoring Officer withdrew from the meeting because of his statutory function
as Monitoring Officer.
Submitted - the Leader’s
report report which:-
(a) Sought the Council's viewpoint on the matter
of the referendum on membership of the
European Union and specifically the question regarding whether or not
there would be more benefit for Gwynedd residents of remaining a member of the
European Union.
(b) Recommended that the Council stated that it
was of the opinion that Gwynedd residents would derive more benefits by
remaining a member of the European Union.
Further to the content of
the report, the Leader noted:-
·
Gwynedd had benefited by £158m from European funds since 2000 and this
had created an investment of £300m for the county during this period.
·
He did not believe that it would have been possible for Gwynedd to
attract these amounts of funding from any other source.
·
Some of the projects in Gwynedd that had benefited from European funding
included Pont Briwet (worth approximately £20m); Plas Heli, Pwllheli
(approximately £9m); Blaenau Ffestiniog Rejuvenation
Scheme (£4.5m); Snowdonia Centre of Excellence (£4.5m); Llwyddo'n
Lleol (equal to £3.2m investment for Gwynedd).
During the discussion, it
was noted:-
·
This was the most important issue which had faced the UK in a generation.
·
Businesses in Wales had access to 500,000 customers in the European
Union. Thus far, this had been tariff-free but if the UK left the EU, a tariff
would be imposed on all the trade going to and from Europe such as exports and imports
which would mean an added cost for the consumer, higher costs for businesses
and damage to the economy.
·
71% of businesses which were members of the CBI stated that membership of
the European Union had had a positive effect on businesses and 67% of all
members which were small and medium businesses were also of the same
opinion.
·
It could also be
argued that we received £10 for every £1 we paid the European Union, not
necessarily directly as cash but in the form of benefits stemming from trading
with the European Union, e.g. low prices, growth of jobs and commerce.
·
Remaining in the EU could create 75,000 additional jobs in the EU over
the next 15 years.
·
An independent assessment had calculated that 190,000 jobs in Wales had
trading links with the EU, namely one in eight jobs.
·
In Wales, more than 50,000 were employed in agriculture and agriculture
was one of the main winners through the Common Agriculture Policy.
·
Leaving the EU would lead to a loss of all the grants and would mean more
costly imports and exports. Also,
there could be a possible tariff of 40% on farming.
·
The amount paid to
the European Union was very small compared with what was paid for other
essential services, but the gains in commercial terms and job opportunities
were far greater than what it cost.
·
There was a need to strengthen the powers of the Committee of the Regions
and the Leader and new Assembly Member for Arfon were
called upon to present the message to the Welsh Government that there was a
need for pressure to come from the Welsh Senedd to
strengthen the power and influence of the Committee of the Regions.
·
Wales was part of the European economic block and it was important to
maintain the block and strengthen it.
·
European funding was a trigger for communities to take responsibility for
themselves.
·
Wales had been
designated as a European Entrepreneurship Area in 2017 and as two of every
three jobs in the private sector in Europe were in medium or micro-businesses,
similar to Gwynedd, giving attention to the type of businesses found in Gwynedd
on a European platform would have a positive effect.
The recommendation of the
report was seconded.
A registered vote was called
for on the proposal.
In accordance with the
Procedural Rules, the following vote was recorded:
In favour: (48) Councillors – Stephen Churchman, Annwen
Daniels, Anwen Davies, Dyfed Edwards, Elwyn Edwards, Thomas Ellis, Aled Evans,
Gweno Glyn, Simon Glyn, Gwen Griffith, Selwyn Griffiths, Alwyn Gruffydd, Annwen
Hughes, Sian Wyn Hughes, Peredur Jenkins, Aled Wyn Jones, Anne Lloyd Jones,
Brian Jones, Charles W.Jones, Elin Walker Jones, Eric
Merfyn Jones, John Wynn Jones, Sion Wyn Jones, Beth Lawton, Dilwyn Lloyd, June E.Marshall, Dafydd Meurig, Dilwyn Morgan, Linda Morgan,
Dewi Owen, Michael Sol Owen, William Tudor Owen, Caerwyn Roberts, Gareth A.Roberts, John Pughe Roberts, W. Gareth Roberts, Mair
Rowlands, Dyfrig Siencyn, Gareth Thomas, Ioan Thomas, Hefin Underwood, Ann
Williams, Gruffydd Williams, John Wyn Williams, Owain Williams, R.H.Wyn Williams, Mandy Williams-Davies and Eurig Wyn.
Against: (3) Councillors – John Brynmor Hughes, Peter Read
and Mike Stevens.
Abstaining: (5) Councillors – Lesley Day, Aeron M. Jones,
Eryl Jones-Williams, Nigel Pickavance, Angela Russell and Elfed Williams.
RESOLVED to state that this Council is of the opinion
that more benefit will be derived from remaining a member of the European Union
for residents of Gwynedd.
Supporting documents: