Referral of proposed Holyhead Breakwater subsidy by the Welsh Government
The Subsidy Advice Unit (SAU) has accepted a request from the Welsh Government for a report concerning a proposed subsidy to Stena Line Ports Ltd to support them to meet the costs of refurbishing the breakwater at the Port of Holyhead, Anglesey.
This page is also available in Welsh: Atgyfeirio cymhorthdal arfaethedig Morglawdd Caergybi i Stena Line Ports Ltd gan Lywodraeth Cymru
The Subsidy Advice Unit (SAU) has accepted a request from Welsh Government for a report concerning a proposed subsidy to Stena Line Ports Ltd to support them to meet the costs of refurbishing the breakwater at the Port of Holyhead, Anglesey.
| SAU referral type | Mandatory referral |
Administrative timetable
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| 9 August 2023 | Report published |
| 12 July 2023 | Deadline for receipt of any third party submissions (submissions after 5pm on this date cannot be taken into account) |
| 28 June 2023 | Beginning of reporting period |
Final report
9 August 2023: The SAU has published its report providing advice to the Welsh Government concerning the proposed subsidy to Stena Line Ports Ltd for refurbishment of the Port of Holyhead breakwater. The report sets out our evaluation of the Welsh Government’s Assessment of Compliance of its proposed subsidy with the requirements set out in the Subsidy Control Act 2022.
- Final report (9.8.23)
Request from the Welsh Government
27 June 2023: The SAU has accepted a request from the Welsh Government for a report concerning a proposed subsidy to Stena Line Ports Ltd. for refurbishment of the breakwater at the Port of Holyhead. This request relates to a Subsidy of Particular Interest.
The SAU will prepare a report, which will provide an evaluation of the Welsh Government’s assessment of whether the subsidy complies with the subsidy control requirements (Assessment of Compliance). The SAU will complete its report within 30 working days.
Information about the scheme provided by the Welsh Government
The Welsh Government is proposing to contribute public funding to Stena Line Ports Ltd (Stena) to support them to meet the costs of refurbishing the existing 2.4 kilometers Victorian breakwater at the Port of Holyhead (the Port). The breakwater was constructed between 1845 and 1873 and has been under Stena’s ownership since 1991.
The refurbishment is expected to cost more than £100 million and public support will comprise a total subsidy of around £28 million.
It is understood that if refurbishment is not undertaken, this would eventually lead to the loss of the breakwater, reducing the ability of the Port to provide reliable ferry services, increasing the delays and cancellations to services caused by bad weather. This could lead to a closure of the Port which would have significant negative social and economic impacts.
The proposal is to provide the subsidy over the life of the refurbishment project itself, which is expected not to exceed 2 years. The grant will be paid to Stena in installments that reflect progress made.
Information for third parties
If you wish to comment on matters relevant to the SAU’s evaluation of the Assessment of Compliance concerning the proposed subsidy from the Welsh Government to Stena Line Ports Ltd., please send your comments before 5pm on the date stipulated in the timetable above. For guidance on representations relevant to the Assessment of Compliance, see the section on reporting period and transparency in the Operation of the subsidy control functions of the Subsidy Advice Unit.
Please send your submissions to us at sau-holyheadbreakwater@cma.gov.uk, copying the public authority: subsidycontrolunit@gov.wales.
Please also provide a contact address and explain in what capacity you are making the submission (for example, as an individual or a representative of a business or organisation).
Notes to third parties wishing to make a submission
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The SAU will only take your submission into account if it can be shared with the Welsh Government. The SAU will send a copy of your submission to the Welsh Government together with its report. This is to allow the public authority to take account of the submission in its decision as to whether to grant or modify the scheme or its assessment. We therefore ask that you provide express consent for your full and unredacted submission to be shared. We also encourage you to share your submission directly with the Welsh Government using the email address provided above.
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The SAU may use the information you provide in its published report. Therefore, you should indicate in your submission whether any specified parts of it are commercially confidential. If the SAU wishes to refer in its published report to material identified as confidential, it will contact you in advance.
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For further details on confidentiality of third party submissions, see identifying confidential information in the Operation of the subsidy control functions of the Subsidy Advice Unit.
Contacts
SAU project team: sau-holyheadbreakwater@cma.gov.uk CMA press team: 020 3738 6460 or press@cma.gov.uk