Further to WQ100056, will the Cabinet Minister provide the source for the £700 million figure cited in the answer, and does she recognise that the Crown Estate being devolved to the Scottish Government has meant no actual cash increase to its overall budget since it is deducted from their block grant?
The Welsh Government estimated the figure of £700m in WQ100056 based on the financial information published by the Crown Estate in their recent Annual Report together with evidence gathered from the Group on the Future of the Crown Estate in Wales.
To date, the Block Grant deduction in Scotland is significantly less than the income generated from Crown Estate activity in Scotland. Between 2017-18 and 2024-25 the Crown Estate raised around £900m in income (of which around £800m relates to offshore wind option fees). The related deduction to the Scottish Government’s block grant totalled less than £60m over this period.