WELSH enterprise minister Andrew Davies was yesterday urged to set up a task force to combat the economic impact of the closure of Wylfa nuclear power station. Plaid's shadow economic minister and Caernarfon AM Alun Ffred Jones challenged the minister to respond to strong pleas from the North Wales economic forum. "We know that Wylfa is closing, whatever the immediate future, and there will be a terrible impact," he told the Assembly economic committee yesterday. The nuclear plant, which employs 600 people, is due to shut down in 2010 although there are calls for its life to be extended until 2012. That would give the nearby Anglesey Aluminium plant, where 600 more jobs are under threat, extra time to secure an alternative cheap energy supply. The forum was told that the twin threat could lead to 5,000 job losses and a £70m blow to the economy. Mr Jones said the relative impact would be the same as the closure of Corus steelworks in south Wales - for which the Assembly government established a special task force. The minister has held senior meetings with island council chiefs and visited the aluminium plant. "We have long recognised the challenge when Wylfa is proposed to close at the end of the decade," Mr Davies said. "We will look at the implications of the impact study and look for the most appropriate way we can respond," he said.. Mr Jones warned: "If the worst scenario happened, it's desperate times and we should think about it now." | 
