St David’s Day and Welsh Affairs

Thursday 26th February 2026 Commons Chamber

12:33

[Ruth Jones (Newport West and Islwyn) (Lab)]

I beg to move,

That this House has considered St David’s Day and Welsh affairs.

It is a real privilege to open this debate as we come together to mark St David’s day and discuss Wales’s past, present and, critically, its future. I may not use my full 15 minutes to speak, because other colleagues will want to speak in this important debate. This is my seventh St David’s day debate and my second as Chair of the Welsh Affairs Committee. I thank my colleagues the hon. Member for Ceredigion Preseli (Ben Lake) and the hon. Member for North Dorset (Simon Hoare), who sadly is not in his place today, for helping to secure this debate.

It continues to be an honour to Chair the Welsh Affairs Committee and to facilitate the effective cross-party working that makes the Committee so special. We work together to achieve the best for Wales, and I must thank all current and former members of the Committee for their valuable and constructive contributions over the past year. I particularly commend the hon. Member for Caerfyrddin (Ann Davies) for her practical support of Welsh cakes for our Committee meeting yesterday—they were very useful. I would also like to pay tribute to the fantastic team of Clerks, led by Alison Groves, who support the Committee. We simply could not function without them and are incredibly lucky to have such a diligent and skilled team assisting us.

It has been a busy year for the Committee since our last St David’s day debate. We have four ongoing inquiries, with two reports set to be finalised in the coming months. We also published the conclusions of our inquiry into farming in Wales in November, and following it, the Treasury made very welcome changes to the thresholds for agricultural property relief and business property relief.

Let me move on to the namesake of this debate: St David, who adorns the entrance to this Chamber coming from Central Lobby. He faced adversity from an early age, having been born in the middle of a violent storm as the child of an act of rape. Nevertheless, he would rise to become the first Bishop of Mynyw and establish new churches throughout south Wales, 50 of which are still named after him. St David is commemorated as a great orator and preacher who spread the Christian message. Indeed, one of his recorded miracles was forming a hill beneath himself as he preached to a large crowd to enable them to see and hear him more clearly.

As a nation, we are proud of our rich and storied past, kept alive by our vibrant oral tradition. The Eisteddfod each summer forms a key celebration of this oral tradition, our Welsh culture and the Welsh language by attracting 170,000 visitors each year. From the chapels to the miners’ welfare halls, Wales is renowned for being a land of song. Regardless of the rugby score—we are trying to forget some of the latest scores—Members can be sure that we are the loudest and proudest on and off the field. Our choirs are not only a source of national pride but often the bedrock of community solidarity.

Wales has an enduring history of valuing fairness, solidarity and respect—values passed down from generation to generation and shaped by our history, but employed time and again in our everyday lives. Indeed, before there was an NHS or a welfare state, Welsh communities came together to ensure dignity and respect for all.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

I commend the hon. Lady on securing this debate; she is right to praise St David’s day, and everyone is here for that purpose. While we can be Welsh, Northern Irish, Scottish or English, what brings us together is this great United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and our Gaelic cousins in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are all part of that. I commend her on her speech today, and I am sure others will also make good contributions. We are always better together. Does she agree with that?

[Ruth Jones]

The hon. Member is quite right; we are always better together. As a Gaelic colleague, I welcome him to this debate today and I look forward to his contributions later on.

St David was known for his austere lifestyle, surviving on a vegetarian diet of mostly leeks and water. I am not necessarily advocating that today for all here, but his resilience has come to symbolise Wales’s resilience in the face of social challenge, including inequality and social disadvantage. Wales has strong communities that are rooted in the place where they live. This is a legacy of our rich working-class heritage—a pride in place founded upon pride in work. Wales played a leading role in Britain’s last industrial revolution as a centre of heavy industry, including mining, quarrying, smelting and steelmaking. This was recognised by our communities.

In continuing this place-based story, I welcome the Government’s focus on restoring pride in place and driving investment into our former industrial communities. Welsh councils are set to benefit from £280 million of Pride in Place funding, alongside over £30 million of capital funding to invest in Wales’s public realm.

While manufacturing might have defined Wales’s past, it will also shape its future. Wales is still a proud manufacturing economy, and manufacturing continues to be the biggest contributor to the Welsh economy in terms of output, employing over 150,000 people. This makes Wales an outlier in the UK and an international leader in advanced manufacturing. Whether it be aerospace, automotive, defence or electronics, we know that Wales is leading the way.

I am extremely proud that my constituency of Newport West and Islwyn is an exemplar in many of those industries of the future. Duffryn is home to the world’s first compound semiconductor cluster, which includes Vishay, IQE, Catapult and KLA. Just across the road, Airbus is innovating cyber-security solutions for aerospace, and Safran provides deluxe seats and even beds for airlines. In Blackwood, General Dynamics is busy outfitting the future of Britain’s mechanised defence forces, and in Marshfield, Microsoft and Vantage are building a number of data centres as part of the new South Wales AI growth zone.

As Wales positively embraces the fourth industrial revolution, I welcome the efforts by the Welsh and UK Governments to address the adverse impacts of the last. As a former physiotherapist, I have treated miners with lung conditions such as pneumoconiosis and silicosis, so I know how profound and lasting the impacts have been. The human and environmental impacts have been great and long-lasting, and we are not going back there.

In Islwyn, I am proud to represent a former mining area that will greatly benefit from the Government’s decision in the autumn Budget to return £2.3 billion to former British Coal staff. Those pensions are long overdue and I welcome their return. Though the pits may be gone, the bonds of solidarity and community spirit embedded within Islwyn are still clear for all to see. A prominent example of that is the Cefn Fforest Miners Institute. First built in 1935 and funded by contributions from local coalminers, it has been lovingly restored by the village. It reopened in November after being closed for 15 years and now acts as a renewed hub for the community, hosting shows and events. At the same time, I pay tribute to the fantastic Cross Keys silver band, which was formed in 1902 by the local mining community and is still going strong today. I would recommend any concerts they provide—really, I would.

I welcome the strong, co-ordinated response by the UK and Welsh Governments in putting forward a record combined £230 million over the next four years to improve coal tip safety. The new multi-year approach being taken by both Governments was much needed.

The Welsh Affairs Committee has been looking in detail at prisons, probation and rehabilitation in Wales. That is an area of significant public policy concern in Wales because we have the highest incarceration rate in western Europe, with 177 Welsh residents in prison per 100,000 of the population. The Committee was pleased to receive oral evidence from the Prisons Minister, Lord Timpson, who I know is committed to driving forward work to address reoffending and improve our prison system. As part of our inquiry, we have looked at a wide range of issues, including prison management, housing and education support, as well as the provision of healthcare and services in the Welsh language.

The Committee has also considered the specific experiences of women in the criminal justice system, but of particular concern has been the ongoing management of issues at HMP Parc following the 17 deaths there in 2024. We will continue to scrutinise the working arrangements there to ensure the safety of inmates and staff alike. Despite our inquiry being ongoing, the Committee has already had some early wins, with the Ministry of Justice agreeing to our request for the publication of an annual Wales-specific justice dataset, the first of which was published in September.

I will close by talking of the future and the big choices facing the people of Wales in just a few months’ time. In May, Wales faces a profound choice about its future: to move forward with a clear plan and a track record of delivery with Eluned Morgan and Welsh Labour, or to turn inward and embrace a politics of grievance and division. While Wales relied on devolution to protect itself from the worst of the Conservative and Lib Dem austerity for 14 years, that period thankfully has ended and Wales can face the future and invest. We now have a Labour Government at each end of the M4 working together for Wales, providing a record devolved financial settlement for 2026 and year-on-year increases in borrowing powers for the Welsh Government, delivering on our manifesto. That means an additional £6 billion of funding for our schools, hospitals and public services.

In the Senedd, that record funding is being put to work. Waiting lists in Wales have fallen for the last seven months in a row and are the lowest they have been in three years. We are seeing serious long-term investment in improving literacy and numeracy in our schools, and significant additional support for local businesses seeking to grow. Just last week, we saw our two Governments in partnership announce the end of the historical under-investment in Wales’s railways, with a shared ambition for £14 billion-worth of upgrades across north, south, mid and west Wales, including new stations at Newport West and Cardiff Parkway, near Marshfield in my constituency.

This week, the House voted to abolish the cruel two- child limit, which is set to benefit almost 70,000 children across Wales, including over 2,000 in my constituency. From April, that change will slash child poverty in Wales by 10% overnight. None of that is an accident; it is the product of a joint vision of a fairer future for Wales, rooted in social justice and delivering the jobs, transport and opportunities people need to thrive. The path of progress may be slow and difficult, but that does not make it any less valuable. Now is not the time to put the partnership at risk, just as we are beginning to see good news and developments across Wales.

I thank the Backbench Business Committee for allowing this debate on St David’s day to take place, and I look forward to hearing the contributions of other colleagues. Diolch yn fawr.

12:44

[Ben Lake (Ceredigion Preseli) (PC)]

Diolch, Madam Deputy Speaker. I begin by thanking the hon. Member for Newport West and Islwyn (Ruth Jones) for opening the debate, and indeed for her work as the chair of the Welsh Affairs Committee. As she mentioned in her speech, we work as a team for Wales on the Committee, and it is good that we have this opportunity today not only to speak about the work of the Committee, but to talk to the wider House about the wonders of Wales and how great St David’s day is.

St David is famous for having said that we should do the little things, and it is in that spirit that I will dedicate my speech to small businesses, which, as is the case across Wales, forms the backbone of our economy. In my constituency of Ceredigion Preseli, as much as 81% of businesses are classified as small, making it the small business capital of Wales—an accolade that we are very proud to hold. Thirty-five per cent of those businesses are in the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors, and some 15% are in hospitality and tourism.

Although the winter months are always quite difficult for those industries, in recent weeks I have had a chance to meet a number of small business groups from Aberystwyth in the north of my constituency to Fishguard and Goodwick in the south. Unfortunately, they have all told a tale of the difficulties and challenges they face as small employers. I want to draw the House’s attention to the cumulative pressures that are having a severe impact on their ability to trade and to continue in business.

Businesses cited the impact of rising energy costs, higher employment costs and the burden of increased business rates. That is not a problem that is unique to Ceredigion Preseli, with the Federation of Small Businesses having found that to be equally true across the whole UK. Indeed, according to recent FSB research, from April this year the typical high street business will face an estimated £25,000 in extra unemployment costs and £1,600 in higher energy standing charges. We all agree that that sort of incessant rise in costs for small businesses is simply unsustainable. Unfortunately, too many are now citing that the pressures have become so acute that 35% have said that they are planning to close or contract over the coming year. That would be devastating for economies across the United Kingdom, but specifically so in the small business capital of Wales that is Ceredigion Preseli.

In the spirit of doing the small things and in advance of the spring statement next week, I draw the attention of the House to some measures that those businesses have suggested the Government could take to help them build a firmer and more prosperous future. On energy costs, businesses with an annual electricity consumption of around 40,000 kWh, which is a typical small restaurant, gym or café, are currently looking at a potential rise in their standing charge of some 40%. One proposal that the Government could entertain is to mirror the support that they are offering on household bills—the 75% reduction in renewable obligation costs—to non-domestic bills. That would offer much-needed support to many of the businesses in Ceredigion Preseli.

Another point that they wanted me to raise was the rising pressure of employment costs. Between January of last year and April this year, an employer with nine people on the national living wage will see their annual employment costs increase by an equivalent of 12.9% and the employer national insurance bill over that two-year period would have increased by 46%. One proposal these businesses have suggested that the Government could entertain next week is to uprate the employment allowance, so that it continues to cover the employer national insurance contributions of four employees on the national living wage. That would offer great support to the businesses I have spoken to in Ceredigion Preseli.

The final thing is business rates, and colleagues from across the House will have had a lot of concerns on this appear in their postbags and inboxes in recent weeks. It is for the Welsh Senedd and Welsh Government to look at the reliefs and how they offer additional support to small businesses. The one thing it would be worth this House and Government considering is the way in which the valuation process operates. One common concern is that the process lacks transparency and clarity as to how valuations are calculated. Some businesses in hospitality and trade, for example, cite that their rates are primarily driven by turnover as opposed to profitability, whereas in retail it is primarily fixed on the square meterage of their shops. This inconsistency is troubling, and the lack of clarity of how the Valuation Office Agency, as it was, has come to make the calculation is causing a significant degree of concern.

I turn to the measures that could help businesses in the tourism and hospitality industries. The VAT rate, currently set at 20%, has long been a concern for these businesses. Again, they would be grateful if the Government could look again at the rate. Decreasing it to 15% would offer them much-needed breathing space to withstand some of these increased pressures and costs, but also the opportunity to invest in their businesses and their staff—something we all want to see if we are to bring about economic growth across the land. Indeed, other countries have shown that a reduction in the rate of VAT for tourism and hospitality can bring significant benefits.

I also want to raise the removal of the automatic 10% “wear and tear” tax allowance for childminders, which will come into force from April. Childminders in my constituency have long used this provision to meet the costs of the inevitable damage, and maintenance costs, that arise from hosting their businesses in their homes. They have told me that the move to this new system is forcing them to reconsider their ability to continue in this critical sector. If the Government could look again at that, I know that a lot of childminders in my constituency would be grateful.

[Catherine Fookes (Monmouthshire) (Lab)]

Does the hon. Member not agree that we have the green shoots of recovery already in the economy? We have interest rates going down and retail sales up. The recent massive £14 billion investment in rail will help every single small business and every single person across Wales.

[Ben Lake]

I agree with the hon. Member that the investment in rail will do a great deal of good for businesses in her constituency. Of course, it is sadly not the same for mine due to historical structures of the railway network—the hon. Member nods. The fact of the matter is I only have three stations, and they are all terminals, so sadly the investment that has been announced will not quite reach us yet, but I hope that in due course we will receive further announcements of investment in the Cambrian and west Wales lines. I would very much welcome and applaud the Government if they were to do so.

For rural areas such as those of the hon. Member and mine, the outflow of young people is a big concern. In my part of the world, the 6% decline in the overall population from the last census is a real worry for us. That is why it is so important to ensure that we support these small businesses.

It would be remiss of me not to brandish my constituency’s links with St David. He was, of course, born just to the south of my constituency boundary in the area of St Davids, but he was—according to legend—raised along the Ceredigion coast. Of course, as the hon. Member for Newport West and Islwyn mentioned, he performed one of his most famous miracles in the village of Llanddewi-Brefi. If I needed to really underline his Ceredigion credentials, he was the grandson of a Ceredigion king. Perhaps it is because of that that we have so many St David’s day events across Ceredigion Preseli, from parades in Aberystwyth, Cardigan, Fishguard and Goodwick, as well as in the towns of Lampeter, Tregaron and Aberaeron. The ladies of the Celtic longboats at Aberporth did the voyage from Aberporth to Llanon, the village named after St David’s mother, Non. Of course, there are the cawl evenings held across my constituency and the eisteddfods—this weekend in Swyddffynnon and Crymych, but also in schools across the constituency.

I would like to place on the record my gratitude to all those community volunteers and champions who have put on these events and who ensure that St David’s day is a joyous occasion. I wish you, Madam Deputy Speaker, a dydd gŵyl Dewi hapus iawn.

12:54

[Gerald Jones (Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare) (Lab)]

It is a pleasure to speak in this St David’s day and Welsh affairs debate. I will raise a number of issues affecting my constituency.

I was so pleased that this Labour Government are making huge steps in tackling child poverty. The removal of the two-child cap represents the biggest action to tackle child poverty in any single Parliament. My constituency has some of the highest levels of child poverty in Wales, and this single act will lift around 2,600 children in my constituency, and nearly 70,000 children across Wales, out of poverty. The previous Minister for Employment, my hon. Friend the Member for Birkenhead (Alison McGovern), came to meet local organisations and charities as part of the Government’s consultation on the child poverty strategy last year. The single message from that event was that the removal of the cap would be the most important thing to tackle child poverty locally. It is a huge step forward and shows the difference of a Labour Government in action.

In the Budget debate in November, I mentioned the high fuel prices in my constituency, and in Merthyr Tydfil particularly. I first wrote to fuel suppliers around two years ago, highlighting that fuel prices in Merthyr Tydfil were around 10p per litre more expensive than anywhere else across the valleys. In fact, fuel here in London is cheaper than in Merthyr Tydfil. In 2024, I wrote to all the fuel suppliers locally, highlighting the unfairness of their prices. I also wrote to the Competition and Markets Authority asking it to look into the matter, and so far it has not felt the need to act. All the while, my constituents are paying over the odds, and some have questioned whether some local suppliers are colluding to keep prices higher than they need to be.

In January, I met Asda to stress that its Merthyr Tydfil store was selling fuel at 8p to 10p per litre higher than any other nearby Asda store—in fact, 10p higher than the Asda store in the Aberdare part of my constituency—and higher than any other store in south Wales. To be fair, Asda agreed that its prices were high and agreed to reduce them. Within three days of that meeting, it dropped its fuel prices in its Merthyr Tydfil store by 5p per litre. That is a step in the right direction—absolutely—but it is still higher than elsewhere. Meanwhile, prices at other petrol stations, such as Esso, Texaco and Applegreen, continue to be significantly higher than elsewhere.

For many of my constituents, if they need to go out of town for work or leisure, they do not fill up locally any more. Many people work locally, though, and many older people may not have a choice and end up paying over the odds. Given the deprivation and levels of child poverty that exist in Merthyr Tydfil, it is immoral that fuel suppliers continue to appear to rip off local people. This is not a short-term situation; it has been the case for almost two years now.

In the Budget, the Chancellor introduced the fuel finder scheme, which forces suppliers to publicise their fuel prices within 30 minutes of increasing them or, for that matter, decreasing them. That will help consumers find cheaper fuel, but sadly, consumers in Merthyr Tydfil do not have too many options, other than travelling to other towns and villages to fill up. By raising this issue today, I hope that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State may be able to add her voice to the call on fuel suppliers to do the right thing by my constituents and act in a fairer way. While we as MPs do not have the authority to tell private suppliers what they can charge for their products, by calling this out for what it is, I hope that suppliers will recognise that they need to act, and I hope that the CMA will also come to the table to take whatever action it can.

My constituency is home to General Dynamics where the Ajax vehicles are being assembled. Recently, the Ministry of Defence conducted investigations following noise and vibration concerns from Army personnel. While I and the Government rightly prioritise safety, we need an outcome soon, as the 700 workers in my constituency need assurances on their future and the future of that work. The £50 million Wales defence growth deal signed by the Secretary of State, the Defence Secretary and the Welsh First Minister just last week signifies this Government’s intent to invest in defence. I very much welcome that investment, which also provides yet another example of two Labour Governments working together to create jobs and prosperity for the people of Wales. I am keen to ensure that my constituency continues to play a part in supplying defence capabilities for the nation.

In the 19th century, Merthyr Tydfil, at the height of the industrial revolution, was the largest iron-producing town in the world. The ironworks in my constituency supplied cannons and cannonballs to the Royal Navy, and in the 21st century the workforce at General Dynamics are keen to continue in that tradition. I hope that we can soon move on with Ajax and secure and grow the much-needed jobs in my constituency and across the south Wales valleys.

There is much to be positive about this St David’s day. This Government have delivered the largest budget and spending review settlement since devolution, providing the Welsh Government with a record £22.4 billion a year on average, and the Welsh Government are investing in public services and driving down waiting lists. After years of under-investment under the Tories, the NHS is improving across Wales and right across the UK. As we have heard, waiting lists in Wales have gone down for seven consecutive months, and out-patient appointments are increasing all the time.

The increased national minimum wage and living wage have given a pay rise to 160,000 Welsh workers. For the second year in a row, the state pension is due to increase. From April, the full state pension will increase by 4.8% to £241. Also welcome is the decision to right a historic wrong with the mineworkers’ pension scheme and the British Coal staff superannuation scheme— a real boost to hundreds of ex-miners and their families who will benefit in my constituency.

The last issue I would like to talk about is tourism and the role the valleys play in attracting visitors to Wales. Although tourism is largely devolved to the Welsh Government, there is a role for the UK Government too. In my area, to name a few attractions, we already have Zip World, BikePark Wales, the Summit indoor climbing centre and the new Old Drift wellness centre, which I visited during the February recess. The centre includes a sauna room, but also outdoor tin baths with cold water, which I did not partake in because it was around 2°C and raining. However, there were people enjoying that facility, and the centre is becoming a real attraction in the local area. I am told that that new venture is getting visitors from across Wales and beyond. I very much welcome that new addition to the constituency.

Members may know that earlier this year, Merthyr Tydfil county borough council agreed planning permission for Rhydycar West, a £300 million project that will create the UK’s largest ski slope and a tropical waterpark. That has created huge excitement locally and will also be a very welcome addition to our tourism offer.

The Abernant tunnel is a historic disused railway tunnel built in the 1850s as part of the Vale of Neath railway that links both parts of what is now my constituency, Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare. It has huge potential as a tourist attraction and a new walkway and cycleway link in both communities. Both Rhondda Cynon Taf council and Merthyr Tydfil council are keen to develop its potential. I am working with them to offer support. The tunnel is currently owned by the Department for Transport, but discussions are currently under way to transfer ownership of the tunnel to convert it into a tourist attraction and cycle and walkway.

Cyfarthfa castle is an iconic part of Merthyr Tydfil’s industrial past. It was the home of the Crawshay family and the base for their ironworks, which transformed Merthyr Tydfil during the industrial revolution. Last year, the castle celebrated its 200th anniversary. It received a very welcome royal visit from their Majesties, the King and Queen, on the King’s birthday last November, when the King cut a cake in the shape of a castle that was made by a local person. It was very impressive, I must say—it was a pity to cut it. His Majesty enjoyed the cake, as did all the other people there.

Sadly, the castle and museum are in need of significant repairs. The local authority and the Welsh Government have made financial contributions, and urgent work is under way. A heritage lottery bid is in progress and other forms of funding are being considered. As I said, tourism is mainly devolved to the Welsh Government, but the UK Government may have an interest too, because they occasionally support projects across Wales. Hopefully, all efforts can be looked at to safeguard this historic castle for future generations. It truly is an iconic focal point in the town of Merthyr Tydfil.

In closing, St David said, “Do the little things.” Lots of little improvements, and indeed larger ones, across Wales are gradually improving the lives of my constituents and many others across Wales.

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)]

I am surprised that the hon. Member for Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare did not suggest an awayday in the tin baths for his party—maybe next time.

13:05

[Ann Davies (Caerfyrddin) (PC)]

Diolch yn fawr, Madam Dirprwy Lefarydd. I refer the House to the Register of Members’ Financial Interests—I am co-chair of the anti-pylon group in Llanarthne and the president of the Farmers’ Union of Wales in Carmarthenshire. From the Arglwydd Rhys of Dinefwr’s first Eisteddfod, which was held in Aberteifi in Ceredigion, to the Rebecca riots, the coal mines and the tin and copper works of decades past, my constituency of Caerfyrddin is marked by history. We are proud of our shared stories, our communities and our beautiful landscape, which we do our best to protect.

I was elected in July 2024 on the back of a local campaign against new electricity infrastructure, not because we are nimbys—I will get that in straightaway—but because we found a factual, feasible alternative that put our land and our communities first: undergrounding the cables instead of using pylons. Three years on, we are still working hard to persuade the Labour Welsh Government that this is the way forward. When we started this journey, the cost comparatives were around seven to 10 times more expensive. The latest figures are around three to four times more expensive, and in Norway one study says that undergrounding is an average of 1.8 times more expensive than pylons. In just three years, the comparatives have drastically reduced, but all costings are time and project-specific.

Plaid Cymru’s policy on new infrastructure is clear: all 11kV to 132 kV lines should be underground unless there is a specific reason that cannot happen, for example that they go through peatlands, where a 10-metre pole would be used. All the usual impact assessments would also need to be considered, as per current planning policy: visual, ecological, language and community. We would work with communities, not against them, while safeguarding our heritage, chain of castles, ancient hill forts and viaducts. This is our land and our history that we need to protect.

It is not just pylons. Over 400 wind turbines are planned to be built across my constituency and the neighbouring constituencies of Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe and Ceredigion Preseli. The turbines are huge—up to 230 metres tall. The London Eye over the river is 202 metres high. The turbines are even taller than that and 400 of them are planned across the horizon in my constituency. Plaid Cymru supports green energy that delivers real benefits to our communities, but the transition must be shaped around people and place, not imposed at a scale that alienates those being asked to host it. Instead of concentrating development in vast projects that dominate our landscapes, a Plaid Cymru Government would prioritise community-centred solutions. We would refocus efforts on community energy and introduce retrofit standards to upgrade more homes more quickly.

Green energy in Wales is a success story and our communities understand the need for it. Indeed, most people are passionately committed to playing their part in the transition. My concern is that the sheer scale of these proposed developments, combined with the bullish approach taken by some developers, risks undermining the good will and the positivity that has defined Wales’s green energy journey so far. This extractive economy needs to change and, again, we have a solution. Having a 10 km gap between each wind farm would significantly reduce the number and still generate more than enough electricity. That would safeguard some villages in my constituency, including Pencarreg, Cwmann, Ffarmers and Pumsaint, and up towards Mynydd Mallaen. Two huge wind farms are already licensed in the Celtic sea, and the Crown Estate is proposing another three, so we know that we will generate far more electricity than we need. I ask gently whether we need to spoil our more rural landscapes by placing turbines in areas in which people still live, still farm the land and still have vibrant Welsh-speaking communities. Do we need 400 turbines in one relatively small area?

Speaking of rural communities, the next battle on our hands in Caerfyrddin is to secure a banking hub in Rhydaman—or Ammanford. The last bank has closed. To be honest, I do not blame Lloyds, which had remained when others had long gone. However, I just wish that we had been able to secure a banking hub before they had closed. Although 23,709 people live in the Ammanford area, only 7,444 live around the high street, so we fall short of the 10,000-person threshold for a banking hub. As we all know, the valleys are part of and merge into our post-industrial towns—the two cannot be separated—and that is certainly true of Ammanford. Blaenau, Llandybie, Saron, Penybanc, Glanaman, Brynamman and many others all form part of Dyffryn Aman.

Deprivation is high, unemployment is high, and there is a significant lack of opportunities. Since Lloyds closed at the beginning of January, on Fridays—market day—residents queue outside the post office to access cash. They are mainly elderly and the digitally excluded, and are unable or do not wish to use a laptop or tablet. Some older constituents go to extreme lengths just to access their own money by paying extortionate amounts for a taxi into town, and giving the driver their card and PIN to get cash out of the ATM for them.

LINK might say that the nearest ATM is close enough—and it is for those who are fit, mobile and able to get there independently—but that simply is not the reality for many elderly or disabled residents who cannot make that journey safely, easily or affordably. There should be access to cash for all, so I have started a petition to set up a banking hub, and I would be grateful if the whole House shared it. I will be in touch with the Financial Conduct Authority to arrange a meeting to discuss that further. I have no doubt that I will work closely with the hon. Member for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe (David Chadwick) and my hon. Friend the Member for Ynys Môn (Llinos Medi), who have secured banking hubs in Ystradgynlais and Caergybi respectively. Post-industrial town such as Rhydaman need our support. I ask Members to share my petition; let us get as many signatories as possible.

[Tonia Antoniazzi (Gower) (Lab)]

I am very close to the hon. Lady’s constituency, so a banking hub in Rhydaman would benefit my constituents too. I thank LINK for working with local councillors to bring banking hubs to Mumbles and Gorseinon. I think she will be successful in her bid to secure a banking hub in Rhydaman.

[Ann Davies]

We are working closely with LINK and the FCA to get as much information as we can to secure a hub. That is what our communities need. They deserve to be able to get to their cash safely.

My community means everything to me. The interwoven history and heritage of Caerfyrddin run through my veins. As I have said before, I have moved only 4 miles in my entire life, and I have no intention of moving any further than that—I love where I live and I love the people there. It is a privilege to live there, and, like others, I want the best for my patch, so I was delighted when a new post office was opened in Whitland after a sustained period of absence.

When we consider access to cash, let us look for opportunities to place a post office within local shops, convenience stores and even pubs. That increases footfall and gives businesses an opportunity to increase turnover and expand naturally. A few villages in my constituency are currently looking for that opportunity. One of them is the township of Laugharne, which is of course famous for the Dylan Thomas boathouse—it is where he wrote “Under Milk Wood”, and he and his wife Caitlin are buried in the churchyard there. These are inevitably decisions for the local community, and I hope that they find a resolution soon.

As David’s last words were “Do the little things”—gwnewch y pethau bychain—I ask for large organisations, such as LINK, the FCA and the Post Office, to collaborate closely with our communities to ensure that access to cash is a reality for everyone. Rural communities are unique, and what works in a city or a large town does not automatically work there. There is no one-size-fits-all solution.

That brings me back to my community. Caerfyrddin is filled with castles, history and heritage, but it is also filled with talent, entrepreneurship and vision. Let us harness those qualities and work together to help the places that we are so proud of to thrive and prosper, in line with what our communities need, want and deserve. Let us do the “pethau bychain” together.

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Ms Nusrat Ghani)]

I do not want to disappoint you, Ms Davies, but I cannot sign your petition, because I have my own petition for a banking hub in the town of Crowborough, which colleagues are more than welcome to sign.

13:15

[Jessica Morden (Newport East) (Lab)]

I wish a happy early St David’s day to all. I congratulate my constituency neighbour, my hon. Friend the Member for Newport West and Islwyn (Ruth Jones), on an excellent opening contribution to the debate.

We will all say it:

“Be joyful, keep the faith and do the little things”.

Those were the final words of our patron saint. The Prime Minister repeated them in his remarks at the St David’s day reception at No. 10 on Monday, which was an excellent event. It afforded us the opportunity to invite people who do extraordinary things in our constituencies. I brought along Mark Seymour, who, alongside his team in Newport, runs the Sanctuary project, which works with refugees and asylum seekers.

In that vein, I want to begin by recognising some more extraordinary Newportonians who perform small, kind and positive acts that help make our community what it is. First, I pay tribute to my constituent Martyn Butler, who sadly passed away last weekend. Martyn was a co-founder of the Terrence Higgins trust, setting up one of the first AIDS helplines in 1983 using his home telephone. His tireless work, right up until his death, to raise awareness of HIV testing and pre-exposure prophylaxis helped to contribute to the 20% fall in new HIV cases in Wales in 2024. More people than ever before are being tested. That legacy will be felt for generations. We send our love to his family—he was a lovely, lovely man.

Emma Webb is a bereaved mother whose daughter took her own life in 2020 aged just 16. From the depths of her grief, Emma has spent every day since campaigning to raise awareness of suicide prevention. She has walked hundreds of miles with a life-size model pony, raised thousands of pounds and worked relentlessly to save lives. I thank her from the bottom of my heart.

I have also had the pleasure of welcoming 11-year-old Sophia from Newport East to Westminster this year. She lives with juvenile arthritis and uses her incredible energy and infectious positivity to raise awareness and improve support for children like her. She will clearly rule the world; she is a brilliant example to us all. The great privilege of this role is meeting and working with such remarkable people who show so much resilience.

It is that resilience that has carried out city through challenging times. After more than a decade of austerity, I am glad to see that the damage done by the Conservatives is beginning to be undone. The recent announcement that work will begin this year to build two new railway stations in Newport East has been warmly welcomed by businesses and residents alike.

[Catherine Fookes]

Will my hon. Friend give way?

[Jessica Morden]

I will, and I know what my hon. Friend is going to say.

[Catherine Fookes]

My hon. Friend mentioned her new railway stations. She used to be the MP for part of my constituency, and I want to pay tribute to her. Will she join me in welcoming the new Magor and Undy railway station? I want to say a big thank you to her for all the work she has done with the Magor Action Group on Rail to make that station a reality.

[Jessica Morden]

I thank my hon. Friend for being so generous, and indeed for the work she has done to carry that on—she has been relentless in this Chamber, at every single opportunity—and the fantastic Magor Action Group on Rail, which it is a privilege to work with. Well done to them.

I was also pleased to see the proposed Caerleon station included in the rail vision for Wales. My hon. Friend the Member for Newport West and Islwyn has been very supportive of that, as has our MS, Jayne Bryant. I commend the TRACS—Towards Restoring a Caerleon Station—group for its commitment to securing a station for the town, and I support it all the way.

This investment of many millions of pounds—part of a £14 billion commitment to rail in Wales—is just one example of how the people in Newport East are feeling the benefit of two Governments working together. That is really important. Another example of that, due to a good settlement, is the fact that the Labour-run council in Newport, under the energetic and resourceful leadership of Dimitri Batrouni, has this week announced the biggest investment in roads, infrastructure and schools in living memory, with a £40 million commitment. That includes £15 million to repair and resurface our roads and pavements, all of which are showing the impact of 14 years of Tory austerity. There is also half a million pounds for our city centre’s invaluable grassroots sports clubs, match funding for teams like Newport County and the Dragons, more funding to tackle fly-tipping and much more. Those are the kinds of priorities that residents tell us matter to them, and this action is due to the massive 6.1% funding increase from the Welsh Government, thanks to the Chancellor’s decisions flowing down to them. That partnership working is really important.

Crime and antisocial behaviour in our city centre remains one of our top concerns, so I was really pleased to hear from Gwent police that reported crime has fallen over the past year, with shoplifting down 20% across our city and antisocial behaviour seeing a steep decline during November. That is due to increased investment from the UK Labour Government, the hard work of Gwent police and the extra measures it is deploying, including the new Project Vigilant scheme, which will help to protect women and girls who are out and about in the night-time economy in our city centre. I commend that really good initiative. Gwent police has also confirmed that, by the end of March, every single neighbourhood policing team in Newport will be up to full establishment, delivering on a key and very important manifesto pledge, so I commend that.

The news of £20 million of Pride in Place money for Newport has been warmly welcomed, allowing us to invest in regeneration of the city centre and surrounding areas. That complements the work already going on in the city centre around the leisure centre, which I think my hon. Friend the Member for Newport West and Islwyn would agree is going up at an alarming rate, and the ongoing restoration of our Newport transporter bridge, which benefited from a further £5 million of UK Government funding. It is the Friends of Newport Transporter Bridge annual general meeting tonight, and my hon. Friend and I hope to get there in time.

I support Newport city council’s expression of interest for the town of culture competition, and particularly Caerleon’s bid. As one of the most significant and best understood Roman legionary sites in the former empire, with a strong community, it would be a really worthy winner, so let us hope that happens. [Interruption.] I hear a bit of competition there.

Turning from Newport’s significant history to its really promising future, the UK Government’s announcement of the AI growth zone represents a really exciting prospect for our city that we want to grasp. As my hon. Friend the Member for Newport West and Islwyn said, we have globally significant tech companies already based in Newport, including KLA and Vishay, which were here yesterday for an event. Further investment in sites and jobs is really welcome, particularly given that we are the fastest growing and the youngest city in Wales, with the fastest growing population of under-16s.

Sitting at the heart of cwm silicon, Newport is not just part of the new industrial revolution; it is driving it. With a strategic location, vital grid connections and a talented workforce, we have all the assets that modern industry is competing to secure. Of course, all this development and new infrastructure needs steel—I always have to mention steel—so I look forward to seeing the Government’s steel plan when it is published in the next few weeks. As always, I pay tribute to those who work in the steel industry in Newport East.

Its people, its geography, its grit and its determination set Newport apart from anywhere else, but it has something else: momentum. Under the inspired leadership of our council, and with support from the UK Government and the Welsh Government, we are seizing the opportunity of the moment. Newport is ready for this moment. Huge investments are coming, innovation is accelerating and the city’s strong communities are leading the way. We are not looking back. We are not about the politics of grievance and division; we are positive and ambitious for the future of Newport, and we will take every opportunity to build it.

11:29

[Dame Nia Griffith (Llanelli) (Lab)]

A very happy St David’s day to you, Madam Deputy Speaker, and to everyone here. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Newport West and Islwyn (Ruth Jones) on taking the initiative for this debate. It is a pleasure to have the opportunity in the St David’s day debate to highlight some of the very positive steps that this UK Labour Government are taking to drive economic growth in Wales, create more and better jobs, and help people cope with the cost of living crisis.

Of course, it is our job as politicians to face up to the problems and tackle them, but too often we overlook the success stories—the real drive and determination of factory managers and business owners whose enterprises are doing well in spite of what are often challenging circumstances. Just in the last couple of weeks, I visited three such businesses. It was inspiring to see Shufflebottom Ltd in Cross Hands. Well known locally for its steel-framed agricultural buildings, it is now winning contracts for school buildings, the Ministry of Defence and leisure centres, including the splendid new Pentre Awel building in Llanelli, a Swansea bay city region project financed by both the UK and Welsh Governments.

Then we have Dave Timbrell-Hill, whose Beer Park located at Dafen trade park in Llanelli—

[Tonia Antoniazzi]

Hear, hear!

[Dame Nia Griffith]

I know my hon. Friend knows it well. Beer Park was named last year as the best independent beer and cider retailer in the UK, and it was shortlisted again this year for the prestigious drinks retailing awards.

Then we have DesignYO!, a design company that has gone from being a work-from-home start-up to taking on another full-time employee and opening premises in Llanelli town centre. Those are three very different businesses, but each provides quality goods and contributes to our local economy.

We must be under no illusion that the task we faced after 14 years of Tory austerity, which saw not only swingeing cuts to our public services but wage freezes and benefit freezes, coupled with the Tory cost of living crisis, has made life very, very difficult for my constituents in Llanelli. Time and again, I hear from people across my constituency that the cost of living crisis is their biggest concern, as they work every hour they can and still struggle to make ends meet. Tackling that cost of living crisis is an absolute priority for both the UK and Welsh Labour Governments. That is why it is so important that we have put up the national minimum wage and the national living wage. It is important to ensure that work pays, and workers need and deserve those increases. Moreover, we have made a particular increase to the 18 to 20-year-old rate as a step towards bringing it up to the rate for 21-year-olds.

I am delighted that we are now removing the two-child benefit cap. I had the privilege of working on the child poverty taskforce. We looked at the full range of possible ways of taking children out of poverty, and this is the most effective change we can make. The imposition of the two-child limit by the Conservatives when they were in power has pushed hundreds of thousands of children into poverty, damaging their health, education and life chances. In Llanelli alone, an estimated 2,200 children will benefit from the change, giving them the foundation they need to succeed in school and go on to get secure, well-paid jobs.

We are also uprating the universal credit standard allowance by 6%, the first ever permanent real-terms increase, benefiting some 320,000 households in Wales. We are keeping the triple lock on the state pension, meaning that it will increase by 4.8% this April, raising incomes for 700,000 pensioners in Wales. We are sticking to our pledge of no increases in income tax, employee national insurance contributions or VAT. Furthermore, we have seen many cuts in interest rates, bringing down the cost of mortgages and business loans.

I welcome the decision by this Labour Government to save householders some £150 on their domestic energy bills from April this year. That will be particularly beneficial to those who rely heavily on electricity, such as those whose homes are not on the mains gas network, of whom there are many in the more rural parts of the Llanelli constituency. Let us not forget that the Welsh Government have rolled out the universal free school meal programme for all primary school pupils in Wales, which is a real help to many families.

The UK Labour Government are ending Tory austerity and providing the Welsh Government with the best settlement since devolution—some £22.4 billion on average for each of three years—so that they can plan ahead and begin to rebuild and improve public services, but that will take time. In some instances, additional work can be started immediately but in other areas, such as specialist areas of the health service, more personnel will have to be recruited in order to speed up the process of bringing down waiting lists. I appreciate that we all want to see waiting lists come down more quickly, but it is no mean feat that they are now consistently falling. Whether it is creating more and better paid jobs, filling potholes, bringing down waiting lists or tackling the cost of living crisis, I know that our two Labour Governments, in Westminster and Cardiff, are relentlessly focusing on improving people’s lives.

We must also remove barriers to people’s getting to work, one of which is lack of transport for them to get from where they live to where they work. I welcome the UK Government’s massive investment in rail in Wales, but Welsh Labour and the UK-wide Labour Government are also absolutely committed to investing in our bus services so that people can get to job opportunities. This is not to be anti-car—far from it; we recognise how vital car transport is, particularly in rural and semi-rural areas, and we have frozen fuel duty for two years running and now petrol is the cheapest it has been for five years—but it is to recognise that we need good bus services, too, and to understand that many households do not have access to a car at all or, if they do have a car, that different members of the family need to go in different directions to work or leisure activities.

Our bus services, particularly in semi-rural areas, have been badly eroded over the years. First, we had the Tory privatisation of bus services, which led to companies prioritising only the more profitable routes; then we had Tory austerity, which cut local council budgets, leading councils to cut back on subsidies for less profitable services; and then we had covid, and some services have struggled to pick up since that time. I very much welcome the initiative introduced last year by the Welsh Labour Government to enable 16 to 21-year-olds to pay just a £1 flat-rate bus fare, which is so important to help them get to education, training and job opportunities. If Labour is returned to government in the Senedd elections in May, we are absolutely committed to enabling all adults of working age to pay a flat-rate bus fare of £2.

Hand in hand with that is our election commitment to provide over 100 new bus routes across Wales. The Welsh Government have already passed legislation to bring bus services under public control, and we in south-west Wales will be one of the first areas where that will happen. If Labour is returned to government at the Senedd elections, the public will have an opportunity to be involved in shaping our bus services. I have already talked to First Bus and officers at Carmarthenshire county council about this future model.

I do not want to pre-empt what services the public will want, but I know, for example, that many residents in Tycroes would like a bus service from Ammanford to Llanelli. That could be one of the new routes, but, likewise, the public could have views about timetabling, evening services or frequency. What about Sunday services? Our Sunday bus services seem to reflect a bygone era, when everything was closed and people just walked to chapel, but now shops and hospitality venues are open, sporting events happen, and it is a popular day to get together with family and friends. People need buses to get to work in those places, and to go and enjoy them.

What is important is that Labour is committed to increasing these services and to giving local residents opportunities to shape the services of the future. I thank my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales for securing a good Budget settlement for Wales and allowing the Welsh Government to prepare these sorts of plans. If Labour is in government after May, I very much look forward to the additional bus services.

I will finish on a note about the Pride in Place programme. I very much welcome the funding that has been allocated to Llanelli. At some £20 million over 10 years, it will help us to regenerate Llanelli town centre and the area around it, and to create job opportunities. This is a real chance for Llanelli people to shape the town’s future, because it is Llanelli people who know what is best for Llanelli. We will want to hear from everyone who lives or works in Llanelli, or would like to have more reason to come into the town centre and the surrounding area: local businesses, residents, education establishments, third sector organisations, public sector, private sector, young people, older people. We really want to make the most of this opportunity. Once again, I thank my colleagues in Government for giving us the investment that we have needed so badly in Wales.

09:30

[Mr Alex Barros-Curtis (Cardiff West) (Lab)]

Thank you very much for calling me, Madam Deputy Speaker—diolch yn fawr iawn. I thank the hon. Members for Ceredigion Preseli (Ben Lake) and for North Dorset (Simon Hoare), and my hon. Friend the Member for Newport West and Islwyn (Ruth Jones), for securing this important debate and for their vocal championing of Wales. I particularly thank my hon. Friend for her stewardship of the Welsh Affairs Committee. Let me also take the opportunity to pass on my best wishes to colleagues from north Wales who, through no fault of their own, could not be here today, including the hon. Member for Ynys Môn (Llinos Medi) and my hon. Friends the Members for Clwyd East (Becky Gittins) and for Bangor Aberconwy (Claire Hughes).

On this day last year, I was proud to speak in my first St David’s day debate, and a lot has taken place since then, including record investment in Wales, both internationally and domestically; record investment in rail for a modern Wales; a pay rise for 150,000 Welsh workers; and Pride in Place funding, to which I shall return shortly. We will lift 450,000 children out of poverty in this Parliament, including 69,000 children in Wales and 3,180 in my constituency of Cardiff West. We also have a new team at the Wales Office: I welcome the Under-Secretaries of State for Wales, my hon. Friends the Members for Cardiff North (Anna McMorrin) and for Bangor Aberconwy, and I pay tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for Llanelli (Dame Nia Griffith) for the great work she did in that role.

Since the debate last year, I have been proud to introduce my Registration of Birth, Deaths and Marriages (Welsh Language Provision) Bill. In a nutshell, it is about giving people living in Wales and Welsh people living in England the right to have their or a family member’s birth or death certificate issued in Welsh or English, or bilingually, after registration. If no preference is given, such birth or death certificates should be issued bilingually by default. As for marriage certificates issued in Wales, those too should be issued bilingually by default.

All that was a policy aim under the previous Labour Government, and it is a policy that still has cross-party support. However, rather than that being the default position, in 2026, Welsh people are left to fight for those rights. That cannot be right in a modern Wales—a Wales proud of its language and a population proud of its country. I am grateful for the conversations I have had with the UK Government about my Bill, and I can assure my constituents that those conversations continue. In so doing, I want to take the opportunity to thank my constituent Afryl Davies for bringing the matter to my attention, and for channelling her grief about the tragic loss of her husband into trying to bring about change for the better on this very important topic.

We know that Wales regularly punches above its weight in music, arts, culture and sport—

[Carolyn Harris (Neath and Swansea East) (Lab)]

Our Welsh culture and community are a huge part of our heritage. However, decisions being made by the Welsh Rugby Union—specifically the chairman, who does not understand either our Welsh communities or our culture—are putting that heritage at risk. Does my hon. Friend agree that those decisions are putting wallets before Wales and threatening to rip out the heart of our Welsh rugby union?

[Mr Barros-Curtis]

While I will always say that Cardiff Rugby is a brilliant team, I take very seriously the campaign that my hon. Friend and other colleagues have fought on this issue. I too care about the future of our sport, especially when it comes to rugby, so I commend her for her ongoing work in this area.

As I was saying, we know that Wales regularly punches above its weight in music, arts and culture and sport, in invaluable contributions to our society such as birthing the NHS, and in the collective defence of all four of our home nations. Last week, as part of the armed forces parliamentary scheme, I was privileged to be able to spend some time with our troops in Norway and the Arctic circle. The strategic defence review highlighted the necessity of our strategic and operational focus in the High North; thousands of our troops are rising to that challenge every day, and I pay tribute to each and every one of them.

I spoke with many officers while I was there for the week, including troops from Cardiff—Welsh men and women serving together as part of our collective defence. We have officers from all four home nations, not separated by their nationality but united by our common values—values that Wales evidences every day. We are a modern nation that is diverse and outward-looking. There is no better example of that than in my own constituency, with its variety of cultures, communities and languages; people can walk the streets and, within a couple of metres, hear Welsh, English and Bengali. I was pleased to discuss this point, and how we all have a responsibility to work to emphasise our common humanity over division, recently with the leaders of City Church Cardiff in my constituency.

This modern Wales should be celebrated. While we are far from perfect and there are great improvements to be made, we have come a long way from the days, described by our First Minister, when rocks were thrown at school buses on their way to Welsh language schools. Some would like to take us back there, whether by dismissing our language and culture as trivial or by trying to divide our communities with hatred and pitting us against each other. We must never submit to such division and separation.

It was the Labour party and Welsh Labour Members of Parliament who drove the debate for devolution. It was the Labour party that established the office of Secretary of State for Wales. It was the Labour party that, at long last, as the party of devolution, brough the then National Assembly into being. The Labour party’s commitment to devolution is rooted in its belief in Wales and the Welsh people and in our confidence as a nation to shape our own path when we choose. We reject the idea of being treated as an afterthought, as some would prefer, or isolating ourselves completely by taking the route of separation, as others would have it.

I said that I would return to Pride in Place. When I began campaigning for Pride in Place funding to be invested in Ely and Caerau in my constituency, I did so because I knew that those communities wanted greater investment. I am immensely proud that this UK Labour Government have committed up to £20 million of Pride in Place funding to Ely and Caerau. This is a moment of real significance for our area and a clear signal that the Government are serious about backing communities that have too often been let down by politicians of all stripes.

There are those who talk down Ely and Caerau, judging without any real attempt to get to know the communities, but they are wrong. Ely and Caerau are full of good people doing remarkable things for their community, often with limited resources and against significant odds. Time and again, I see residents stepping up, volunteering their time, supporting their neighbours or running sports clubs. It is a privilege to learn from them every day and to represent them in this place.

Without a doubt, part of the reason for correcting historical under-investment through this programme lies in the wider funding context that Wales has faced over the past decade. Previous UK Governments reduced funding to Wales, which had a significant knock-on effect on Welsh Government and council budgets, and communities such as Ely and Caerau inevitably felt the impact of those decisions. The UK Labour Government have recognised that and delivered the largest real-terms funding settlement for Wales in its history of devolution. This Pride in Place funding is so important to restore opportunity, rebuild local infrastructure and ensure that communities receive the investment that they deserve. That is why Pride in Place funding matters.

I firmly believe that when people feel good about where they live, they feel better about themselves. If we are serious about improving health outcomes, supporting people into work and raising aspirations, investing in the quality of local neighbourhoods is essential. This £20 million investment will help to provide the spaces, confidence and opportunities that people need to thrive. One of the best things about the Pride in Place programme is that it is not politicians, councils or Governments who decide where the money will be spent, but the people themselves. My constituents have my assurance that I will work at speed to collaborate with them so that they can inform us about where and how the money should be spent.

Our nation has come so far in 27 years of devolution. In my eyes, devolution has always been, and will always be, a process. This week, a new moment in that history was marked, as Senedd Members returned to the newly renovated Chamber—the Siambr—as our country prepares for its next chapter of devolution following May’s elections. In May, Wales has the opportunity to reject division and separation and support the power in partnership between our UK and Welsh Labour Governments, and I trust that it will do so.

To you, Madam Deputy Speaker, and to everyone celebrating our nation’s holiday, in Cardiff West and beyond, I wish a dydd gŵyl Dewi hapus.

13:39

[Steve Witherden (Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr) (Lab)]

I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Newport West and Islwyn (Ruth Jones) on securing today’s debate and thank her for all her work as the Chair of the Welsh Affairs Committee.

In last year’s debate, I spoke about the pride that I feel in representing Glyndŵr, the area that I have lived in my whole life. While it is a great honour to do so from these Benches, I am always at my happiest in my work when the train pulls up in Chirk or Ruabon, at a factory in Glyndŵr, on a farm in Montgomeryshire or meeting people in the towns and villages and hearing about their concerns and aspirations and how best I can help them. Although I could speak for hours on the historical significance of that great pre-Marxist socialist Robert Owen and Newtown, or the unique place in world history that Bersham holds, I will focus on what has been achieved by our Labour Government since last St David’s day.

On 1 April 2025, our first Budget came into force for Wales. We saw pay rises benefiting 160,000 workers in Wales, significant uplifts for people aged 21 and over on the national living wage, and a double-digit percentage pay rise for 18 to 20-year-olds on the national minimum wage. We had a record-breaking devolutionary settlement for Wales. I was especially pleased with the £25 million allocated for coal spoil tip safety, which is especially important for the Pentre Bychan side of Rhostyllen, with its closeness to our big spoil tip. Non-doms were made to pay tax. We had huge tax increases on private jet owners and a windfall tax for greedy energy companies.

What about the forthcoming Budget, which was announced in November? We have the implementation of a mansion tax, a 67% increase in taxes on online gambling companies and the jewel in the crown that is the lifting of the two-child benefit cap. That will lift more children out of poverty in the life of this Parliament than has happened in any other Parliament since records began in 1961. Do not be deceived by the naysayers: the majority of the families in Wales who will benefit from the lifting of the two-child benefit cap are in work. This measure alone will improve the lives of 2,270 children affected by the limit in Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr, and 69,000 children in Wales as a whole. In Wales, we have greater poverty and deprivation than in England, and measures to tackle wealth inequality will always have my full-throated support. That is what I came here to do.

Let me turn my attention to Welsh rail. The £14 billion commitment from our UK Labour Government to Welsh rail will be transformative. I was overjoyed at the news that Deeside industrial park will get its own railway station, as many of my constituents commute to it; some 135 constituents in Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr work for Airbus. The changes at Padeswood will lead to increased frequency by separating freight from passengers, with more trains to Liverpool and the north-west of England and much less time taken to get there. Designs are also being drawn up for disabled access at Ruabon station. People in my constituency already have to travel far further than most to access work and opportunities, and this will make a massive difference.

My constituency, the birthplace of British ironmaking where the cylinders of James Watt’s steam engine were built, will now once again be connected by rail to where the growth is—where the jobs and opportunities are. Yes, we should celebrate the rich histories of our Welsh constituencies, but we should also be celebrating what we have been able to achieve for our constituents, only 19 months in and with just one Budget implemented. Diolch yn fawr.

13:50

[Catherine Fookes (Monmouthshire) (Lab)]

“Gwnewch y pethau bychain,” were the famous words of St David, meaning, “Do the little things.” I do hope I have not mangled the pronunciation too much; dw i’n dysgu Cymraeg—I am learning Welsh—so I am getting there. That is the message that many of my colleagues have talked about today: take those compassionate daily actions, even if they do not feel like much in the moment. Our community in Monmouthshire put this into action hugely in our response to the dreadful flooding that affected us as a result of Storm Claudia in November last year; everyone did their bit, big or little. I thought I could not be any prouder to represent my constituency, but I have been proven wrong. Seeing our community pull together was yet another brilliant reminder of the privilege it is to represent them; they are resilient, generous and determined.

The flooding in Monmouthshire was devastating. Hundreds of homes and businesses were flooded, and they are still dealing with the after-effects, including anxiety every time it rains—which as we know, sadly, has been pretty much all day, every day recently. Particularly among our older community, there is anxiety about when, if ever, they will get back into their homes or residential spaces. People who have replaced every single thing in the ground floor of their flat or house are anxious about maybe losing it once again in a future flood.

Let me take the House back to the early hours of the morning on that November day. What was described by constituents as a tidal wave came down Drybridge Street and Monmouth’s high street, leaving shops and houses badly damaged, a stinking mess, and a fine brown silt everywhere. Osbaston, Overmonnow, Little Mill and Rockfield Road were affected, as were parts of Abergavenny. For some, this was not novel; sadly, the communities in Skenfrith and on Forge Road in Monmouth flooded yet again, as they have every single year for the past few years. It was awful, but from that awfulness rose an astonishing response. It was not only the council, charities and emergency services that intervened immediately and did those little things; it was volunteers, ordinary members of the local community who heard the calls for assistance and answered them. Pets were rescued by Sara from Paws pet shop, and an elderly resident was also rescued by boat from Chippenham Court by Sara. I want to say a massive diolch yn fawr iawn to our emergency services, and to everybody who helped and continues to help.

However, recovery is incredibly long and arduous. The media have most definitely moved on, but the people who live and work in Monmouthshire—especially in Monmouth—are still struggling, particularly with their mental health. Businesses have seen insurance costs jump, in one case from around £1,000 a year to £20,000 a year. As such, I am exceptionally relieved that additional funding was made available for the first stages of recovery, in part through the mayor’s fundraiser, which she set up and which people donated to, not just from the local area but from all around the world. Of course, I am also grateful for the emergency funding from Monmouthshire county council and the Welsh Government, and thank goodness for the £1.5 million Pride in Place funding from this UK Government. Alongside the Welsh Government’s town transformation grant, it will help to regenerate some of those areas affected by the floods. I was also delighted and very thankful that our Secretary of State came to visit and see for herself the community support in action, and the high street and what was going on there.

In yet another show of resilience, businesses have been fighting to reopen as quickly as possible, and I am proud to say that Monmouth is very much open for business. Salt and Pepper, one of our lovely coffee shops, was quick to get back on its feet, thanks to the owner Catherine and her fantastic team, as was Bar 125. These became a visible sign of resilience in the town centre. Bee Beautiful nail bar is back—I had my lovely nails done there—and Harts of Monmouth, which was established over 50 years ago, showed real determination by continuing to trade from the first floor of its premises the weekend after the floods while flood repairs were still under way downstairs. Alex Gooch’s artisan bakery is now selling from a converted horsebox outside on the pavement while the damage in the shop is assessed.

However, many places are still on the journey to reopening. The Robin Hood Inn, Monmouth’s oldest pub, remains closed; despite the challenges of repairing that listed building, it is working hard to reopen. Handyman House and the Bridges community centre are also working on their recovery after their premises were badly damaged, so now we need to apply that lesson—“Gwnewch y pethau bychain”—once again. I invite any of my constituents who can, as well as those living just outside Monmouthshire’s bounds, those from further afield and all fellow Members of this House, to please come and visit Monmouth. Come to our high street; come and have a coffee, have some lunch, and buy some gifts in our wonderful independent shops that need our support. I know you will be given a brilliant welcome.

Finally, I wish a happy St David’s day to all in the House.

13:55

[Tonia Antoniazzi (Gower) (Lab)]

I draw the attention of the House to my lovely little badge. Everybody has been calling it a gingerbread man, but it is actually a handmade felt Welsh lady to celebrate St David’s day, made by somebody from Penyrheol primary school in my constituency.

I am going to talk about something quite niche today. I probably will not take up too much time, but I want to draw the House’s attention to a serious and entirely preventable animal welfare issue that is affecting our coastlines, particularly in Gower. It is the harm caused to seals by discarded flying rings. Once lost to the wind or tide, these lightweight toys frequently end up at sea, where they become deadly. Rescue centres are increasingly treating seals with flying rings embedded in their necks—injuries that cause severe tissue damage, infection and, in most cases, death.

These seals, the grey seals, are a very rare species, and are found off the coastline of Gower. Gareth Richards, my constituent, is the founder of Gower Seal Group and vice-chair of the UK’s Seal Alliance. There is quite a lot we could do, because these flying rings are imported into the UK in their thousands and sold in many retail outlets for as little as £1. They are often left discarded on our beaches or near waterways, where they end up in the ocean. To a curious little seal, these floating flying rings—our toys or playthings—are seen as attractive, as any child would find a new toy, but soon that natural curiosity of maybe a few seconds will turn into a lifetime of pain. When the flying ring is in their neck, it will grow into the skin over time. It is really awful, and I have seen some terrible pictures.

It is difficult to rescue or disentangle seals that are trapped in such rings, and those fortunate enough to be rescued require many months of rehabilitation at a specialist wildlife rehab centre, such as those provided by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals at one of its four centres located across England. As an aside, we do not have a specialist RSPCA centre in Wales; it has to utilise one of those four centres, with the nearest to Gower located in Taunton, Somerset. A single seal caught in a flying ring will cost the RSPCA up to £15,000 during its time in rehabilitation before it is fit and healthy enough to be let out into the wild again. That is a massive expenditure for a charity that relies on public donations. To put that in context, one flying ring costs the retailer a wholesale unit price of 33p, so it is costing charitable wildlife centres 45,450 times more than the cost of one of those rings to rehabilitate just one seal.

However, there is a solution. I am very proud of Swansea council, which unanimously voted in favour of a motion to voluntarily ban the sale and use of flying rings in Swansea via one of our councillors, Councillor Andrew Stevens, who supported the application. Neath Port Talbot council and Vale of Glamorgan council have also voted for such motions. That shows the grave concern about the sale of flying rings. I would like the Secretary of State and the Minister to help me and Members across the House to get all 22 unitary authorities in Wales to ban flying rings, which would make Wales the first country in the world to ban them. Other unitary authorities across the UK, such as Cornwall and several on the Norfolk coast, have banned them, and action from other councils is pending. We can do this.

There has been a huge amount of media coverage of the issue—from mainstream BBC and ITV to BBC Wales, ITV Wales, Radio Wales and programmes such as “Countryfile” and ITV Wales’s “Coast & Country”. There is significant public interest in the campaign. There is also a petition from the Save Our Seals from Flying Rings campaign.

Many major retailers are really leading the way—Tesco, John Lewis, Pets at Home, Halfords and Sainsbury’s, as well as a number of smaller retailers. Retailers in Gower, particularly on the coast, have been absolutely fantastic in supporting the campaign. Vets are taking part, as well as Kennexstone caravan park and Pitton Cross farm in particular. People can also read the children’s book “Sammy and the Flying Ring”, written by Sandy Brown and illustrated by E.J. Henderson.

Anyone planning a trip to the beach, whether they live in Gower or not, should buy a traditional frisbee, which were created in the 1930s and are fantastic. Do not buy a flying ring. It is a big ask for the Secretary of State to get the local authorities on board and make us the best in the world. Grey seals are the sentinels of the sea: a globally rare species found off the Gower coast, which is a unique destination—not only because it was the first designated area of outstanding natural beauty, but just because it is a great place. Did hon. Members know that seals swim 60 to 80 miles in just one day? There are no boundaries on these flying rings—they should be banned.

Earlier, I bigged up some of the major retailers. I would like to call out Asda and Home Bargains. They are two of my favourite places to go and shop, but they have not banned flying rings. I call on the Secretary of State to urge them to be more like St David: do the little things, and save the seals.

14:02

[Andrew Ranger (Wrexham) (Lab)]

Diolch yn fawr, Madam Deputy Speaker. It is a real pleasure to speak in my second St David’s day debate in this Chamber. I begin by thanking my hon. Friend the Member for Newport West and Islwyn (Ruth Jones), Chair of the Select Committee, and the hon. Member for Ceredigion Preseli (Ben Lake) for securing this debate today.

The story of St David began about 1,500 years ago, when, in the wake of the Roman empire’s departure from Britain, a unique Welsh identity began to take shape—one identity around community, language, culture and a resilience that lives on today. There is no better place to see that identity in action than Wrexham this weekend. At 12.40 on Sunday, the bells will ring out from St Giles church, marking an end to the traditional St David’s day church service and the beginning of our now regular St David’s day parade. The parade will be led by the Cambria band. It brings an array of colour and music to our streets, with community groups, schools and other organisations all playing their part. All weekend, there will be special events, including St David’s day markets in Queen’s Square and the surrounding area, where our fantastic local businesses and independent traders offer delightful products, food and drink, including what I am sure are the best Welsh cakes across the whole of Wales.

[Ben Lake]

indicated dissent.

[Andrew Ranger]

It’s a close-run thing.

There is also a range of interactive and engaging cultural and educational activities for everyone to enjoy and take part in. Wrexham is bidding to become the city of culture in 2029 and our annual St David’s day celebrations, which are now embedded in our city and growing every year, demonstrate so much about what makes Wrexham a welcoming place for everyone.

Last summer, Wrexham was the very proud host of the National Eisteddfod, reportedly attracting around 160,000 visitors over its week-long celebration of Welsh arts and heritage, drawing people from across Wales and the UK to enjoy all that Wrexham has to offer, as well as the plethora of fantastic events on the Maes. This year is also Wrexham’s “Year of Wonder”, marking 150 years since a significant number of events happened in what was then our town, back in 1876. That included the establishment of the Football Association of Wales. There was an art treasures exhibition, which shone a spotlight on Wrexham for the rest of the country. The first National Eisteddfod to be held in Wrexham also happened in that year.

You would not expect me to speak about Wrexham, Madam Deputy Speaker, without mentioning a certain local football team that you may have heard of. Another reason to celebrate: this year, it has reached the fifth round of the FA cup for the first time in 29 years. We will be welcoming Chelsea in the next round, in a week or so’s time. We have past history of causing upsets against top-tier teams from London—I won’t mention which.

We are also sitting in the play-off spots of the championship. It is a real football fairytale story, if ever there was one—back-to-back promotions and all that success. That has made a real difference to Wrexham: how we think about the place where we live and how we welcome people there from all over the world. We cannot walk around Wrexham now without bumping into Americans, Australians, South Americans or people from Europe. It is absolutely fantastic; things have changed in the last four or five years.

Beyond the pitch, the Wrexham Association Football Club Foundation is impacting young lives through its programmes such as the Street Dragons and the Young Leaders programme. To continue this sporting theme, I also welcome recent confirmation from the Welsh Minister for north Wales, Ken Skates, that north Wales will be joining discussions alongside the northern mayors in England about a possible joint Olympics bid for 2040, in which Wrexham’s very own StōK Cae Ras would be a possible venue, along with many other venues across the whole of north Wales, north-west England and right across the other side. Let us go for that bid—we can do it, with the north of England and north Wales working together in partnership. We can build on the success of 2012 in London and do it even better.

I turn back to 500 A.D. As many Members have mentioned today, one of St David’s most notable remarks was about doing the little things. In 2026, that phrase still holds dear in Wales: a nation of community, where people look after not just themselves but their neighbours too. People may try to divide us, but they will fail. That is at the core of our Welsh Labour politics. We believe in partnership working, which we saw at its best only last week with the announcement of the seven new railway stations across Wales—including the one at Deeside industrial park, which will make such a difference to people in Wrexham getting to and from work and other places.

Alongside the improvements to the Wrexham-Liverpool line, there is the electrification of the north Wales main line and ambitious plans for North Wales metro. The £14 billion investment from the UK Government will be truly transformative for communities, our economy and the future of Welsh rail. We have seen many other further investments in Wrexham and across north Wales; they are transforming jobs, education, opportunity and north Wales as a whole. We talk about the AI zones, the small modular nuclear reactors in Ynys Môn, the Flintshire and Wrexham investment zone and Pride in Place, through which a total of £21.5 million has been invested in Wrexham. Local people will decide how money is spent, for the best of Wrexham.

A big key to our Welsh identity in Wrexham and north-east Wales is our very proud links between north-east Wales and north-west England. That is about work, family, social life and culture—a two way relationship that we are stronger for, not poorer. At the heart is how the Welsh Government have delivered since devolution: small things—maybe big things—such as free prescriptions, keeping and not cutting student maintenance grants, the bus fare caps discussed today and the first wellbeing of future generations Act in the UK, never forgetting that a decision, however big or small, is important for what it does for the people of Wales. As we once again gather to celebrate our national day, I will remember to do all those little things. Of course, I wish everyone a dydd gŵyl Dewi hapus—a happy St David’s day.

[Madam Deputy Speaker]

I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

14:09

[David Chadwick (Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe) (LD)]

Wales is ready to move on from 27 years of failure and a century of Welsh Labour dominance. Labour’s failures in Wales represent the greatest failure in democratic governance anywhere in the world. Wales lies at the bottom of every British league table: it has the lowest education scores, the lowest wages and the longest waiting times. What explains this complete failure of democratic governance? Welsh politics has been too chummy, with people moving freely between journalism, public affairs and political parties. Wales has lacked proper scrutiny. It needs fresh thinking, which is why Wales needs Welsh Liberals.

I wish to be clear: for over 100 years, Welsh Liberals fought for Home Rule, Cymru Fydd and a Welsh Parliament. Devolution is a sacred flame that we will follow, but the Labour party has done irreparable damage to it. Recent polling shows that only 36% of people in Wales think that devolution is worth it. Why is that? Why has Welsh devolution failed to improve outcomes? First, Wales should have powers equal to those of Scotland, because we are an equal nation and should be treated as such. The galling gap exists most obviously in the funding and powers made available for rail and those of the Crown estate. Until the Westminster Government acknowledge that Wales gets a raw deal, this constitutional question will rumble on, fanning the flames of populism and nationalism.

[Andrew Ranger]

In the hon. Member’s response to our Labour Government’s record-breaking £14 billion commitment to Welsh rail, he stated that there was no mention of the electrification of the north and south Wales main lines in the plan. I assume that he has now had a chance to read the full Transport for Wales vision document, which does in fact include that. Would he now like to take the opportunity to row back on his previous comments and instead welcome the benefits that his constituents will incur from it?

[David Chadwick]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his contribution, and I am coming to that.

Secondly, we need a Government with plans to empower people across Wales. Devolution was intended to bring power closer to people, but the Welsh Government has instead hoarded power in Cardiff. We need a Government in Wales who trust councillors and council officers to make their own decisions, without demanding that the Welsh Government sign off on minor changes to bus routes; a Government who do not try to hide behind a £2 million a year Future Generations Commissioner; and a Government who ensure that health boards are truly accountable to the people they serve. In short, to put things right, Wales needs more than just a change of Government; we need a change in the style of government. Most importantly, people need the truth from us—politics depends on it. What happens to the spirit of democracy when people are not told the truth? It erodes trust, leading to populism.

Last week, the Government sought headlines by saying that they were spending £14 billion on Welsh rail projects. Well, Labour knows, and we know, that they are not doing so. What did that announcement achieve, other than creating further distrust in politicians? This will be their legacy: a Wales that is so tired of broken promises that people have stopped tuning in or turning up.

The Government are not the only ones who have broken their promises. The Brexiteers told Wales that leaving the European Union would save our steel industry, save Welsh farming and boost our international links. Ten years on, our steel industry is on the brink of collapse, Welsh farmers are being undercut by lamb imports from Australia and New Zealand, and Welsh universities are cutting jobs. The Brexiteers cost us the last decade, and Reform cannot be trusted with the next. If this Government wish to see off the threat from Reform and restore some faith in democracy, they must do two things: first, fix our health care system, and secondly, grow the economy. I will start with healthcare.

At the start of this Parliament, we were told that the two Labour Governments would work together. The Government said that they would use spare capacity in England to drive down waiting lists in Wales, and that proposal was welcome. Cross-border healthcare has long been an everyday reality for my constituents. My predecessors, Richard Livsey and Roger Williams, fought to ensure that Powys patients could go to Hereford hospital for treatment. But last summer, faced with a mounting deficit that is now approaching £50 million, Powys teaching health board asked English hospitals to slow down treatment times for Powys patients. Waiting times for some procedures have now doubled.

On Saturday I spoke to Dorothy Griffiths, who has been waiting since June 2024 for a knee replacement, and she is not alone. Patients who could have had hip or knee operations months ago have been left in pain because no one will take responsibility for ending this cruel policy. Nobody waiting for a knee replacement gets better with time, and the financial, physical and emotional costs will only mount. I have pressed the Welsh Office and Welsh Government Ministers for a plan to end the pain, but it is clear that there is no plan. Denying healthcare to people who need it is a moral outrage.

Growing our economy is how we can pay for the NHS that we need. Agriculture, heavy industry and tourism are key sectors of the Welsh economy. The Welsh economy is driven by small family-owned businesses, and I wish to emphasise this point: the best long-term approach to tackling poverty in Wales is to build an economy with good jobs. Businesses are allies in the war on poverty, not foes, yet rather than seeing those sectors as an asset, this Labour Government have all but declared war on them. First, despite the low earnings of Welsh farmers being well known to anyone who knows anything about farming, the Government launched a tax raid on family farms. Secondly, they introduced a jobs tax and rateable value changes for pubs, restaurants and hospitality venues, prompting closures and lost jobs across Wales.

Thirdly, there is the great betrayal of our steel industry. Before the general election, Welsh Labour MPs lined up in front of signs saying that they would “Save Our Steel.” They had a manifesto commitment to spend £2.5 billion on rebuilding our steel industry. Then they let the blast furnaces be turned off and said there was nothing that they could do. Yet months later, when the blast furnaces in Scunthorpe were under the same threat, Labour intervened and nationalised the steelworks. It was one rule for England and another for Wales.

We were told during that debate that a steel strategy was forthcoming. In September last year, I asked the Government where it was. Their answer was that it would be published by the end of the year, but it still has not been published. Why not? How much money has been spent on shoring up the English steel industry in the meantime? Will the Government commit to spending that £2.5 billion in Wales? If they do not, our economy in south Wales will be in danger of withering away, and the anger that will follow will wash Labour Members away. They must fight their colleagues for that funding.

There is huge demand for the skills that exist in south Wales, particularly around Neath Port Talbot. Welders are in big demand and can command six-figure salaries. We need an abundance of welders to build the big infrastructure projects that we need on time and on budget, and therein lies the opportunity to tackle poverty and build the industries of the future. Let us get Welsh children welding.

I support the Government’s aim of building supply chains and providing green jobs, but they must hurry up, because Wales is missing out. The tidal lagoon project in Swansea bay, which the Conservatives cancelled, would have created thousands of jobs, generated tons of green energy and given us an industrial lead. The Liberal Democrats agree with the Government that green industrial leadership is ours for the taking. Take offshore wind: Wales has the coastline, the ports and the industrial skills to lead the renewable transition, but parts of the supply chains have now been built elsewhere, which means that Welsh companies will have to import steel to build the necessary parts. We should not be importing steel into Port Talbot—that defies all logic. The Government have given themselves a deadline of 2035 to get floating offshore wind ready. What are they waiting for? This sluggish attempt at industrial development is costing us jobs.

[Dame Nia Griffith]

Does the hon. Member not recognise that there have been two very successful auctions for offshore floating wind, and the electric arc furnace has already started to be built in Port Talbot? We have the development of the ports in Milford and Port Talbot, plus the defence college and the associated factories that will go with that industry, plus the amazing semi- conductor industry, which I do not pretend to understand. Yes, of course we want welders, but we also want people highly skilled in the many new technologies that we are already bringing to Wales. He just does not seem to be living in the same country as the rest of us.

[David Chadwick]

It will be news to people in Port Talbot that the electric arc furnace is ready, because that is not what they are seeing on the ground. It is not ready. They were told it would be ready in 2027, but now we are hearing that will not happen until possibly 2028. This failure in industrial development is costing us jobs and damaging Welsh communities.

I am glad that the hon. Lady mentioned the Crown Estate, because the Crown Estate should have been forced to prioritise domestic supply chains, as has happened in the Netherlands and Germany, in its offshore leasing rounds. That is why devolution of the Crown Estate matters. It must be held accountable for its actions in Wales, and for its utter failure to build Welsh supply chains using Welsh businesses. I would like to distance myself from my predecessor, who said in this place that

“moving away from steelmaking would not have a direct impact on national security.”—[Official Report, 31 January 2024; Vol. 744, c. 849.]

I disagree, and I think it shows that the Conservatives do not understand Wales and never have done.

Finally, the Welsh Liberal Democrats believe that the green transition must be a Welsh jobs strategy. That means anchoring supply chains here, and investing in steel capacity, heavy plate manufacturing and port infrastructure, so that Welsh communities benefit directly from the energy revolution happening off our shores.

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Judith Cummins)]

I call the shadow Secretary of State.

14:21

[Mims Davies (East Grinstead and Uckfield) (Con)]

Diolch yn fawr, Madam Deputy Speaker, and dydd gŵyl Dewi hapus—a happy St David’s day—for Sunday. It is a delight to be in the Chamber, a year on, for another discussion about wonderful Wales. All of the Members who have spoken have shown a deep affection for this truly special place, and in that spirit I am absolutely delighted to contribute to this vital debate and pay a heartfelt tribute on behalf of His Majesty’s loyal Opposition.

I thank the Chair of the Welsh Affairs Committee, the hon. Member for Newport West and Islwyn (Ruth Jones), for opening the debate so strongly and for the great work that she and her Committee are doing. She was absolutely right to say in her conclusion that the future of Wales and big choices will come up in May, and every single vote matters.

I have told this House on many occasions, and I am pleased to affirm it once again today, that my love and passion for Wales endure and are long-lasting. It has shaped my life in every way. It gave me life chances and a determination to succeed. Some of my happiest memories are from my nearly 10 years of living and working around Swansea. It was lovely to hear the hon. Member for Wrexham (Andrew Ranger) talking about future sporting aspirations and the impact of US football. My time in Swansea was long before Snoop Dogg, but I hear there was one heck of an atmosphere this week— I had family there, and they had a great time. On the sporting front, which was raised by the hon. Member for Neath and Swansea East (Carolyn Harris), the clouds on the horizon for rugby in Wales are not necessarily what we would have expected this time last year.

The hon. Member for Monmouthshire (Catherine Fookes) rightly raised the impact of Storm Claudia on her constituency, particularly those parts that were flooded. My heart goes out to those who are still living with the effects, and I was pleased recently to meet many of her constituents and those affected. They are living with this and are terribly worried about it, and I am sure they will have been pleased not to have been forgotten in this debate.

When the Leader of the Opposition asked me to look after Wales for her, I was ecstatic, because my opportunity to champion Wales continues. Much of my experience was pre-devolution, and I was reflecting during this debate on the opportunity I had at the Government Dispatch Box, working with my Welsh colleagues, of whom I hope to have many more in the future. When I was a Minister in the Wales Office, with my friend Alan Cairns, we abolished the tolls on the Prince of Wales bridge, and that is one of our legacies. There is this feeling that nothing happened for 14 years, but guess what happened on the bridge? We made life easier for everybody crossing the border, so there is some positivity.

Members have mentioned the challenges facing the NHS in Wales. Everybody knows somebody waiting in pain and in vain in Wales, including perhaps in the families of those of us in the Chamber. Yes, waiting lists are improving, but they are still outrageously high. Nearly one in four people remain stuck on a waiting list. We hear the cross-border stories, and we recognise the challenges when the NHS in England is involved. People are often told to hold back because the additional treatment cannot be followed up, and that is absolutely wrong.

There is the ongoing Betsi Cadwaladr scandal, and with the NHS still limping from one scandal to another, it is absolutely right that these scandals are tackled. Something needs to happen between Westminster and Cardiff Bay, because it is heartbreaking that hundreds of thousands of mothers, fathers, grandparents, children and loved ones living with ongoing pain feel that they are voiceless. It is unacceptable that, despite two fabled Labour Governments at either end of the M4, responsibility is still not being taken for those public services.

It is vital that, 27 years on, we look at what has happened with the powers devolved to Cardiff Bay. As we have heard, it is Welsh Labour, ably assisted by Plaid and the sole Liberal Democrat in the Senedd, that is responsible for the challenges we have seen in health, education, transport, schools, economic development—you name it—although we would not have recognised that from some of the speeches this afternoon.

I have mentioned the tremendous work of the last Conservative Government, and it was the record sums in investment that saved Welsh steel in Port Talbot and plotted its future. As the hon. Member for Llanelli (Dame Nia Griffith) rightly said, the electric arc furnace is going in, but that needs to happen on time, as promised to the community. We also saved 100,000 jobs with our furlough scheme and launched two freeports and investment zones. In fact, Members have pointed out many of those policies this afternoon. The problems holding back Wales have been caused not by the excellent people of Wales, including our excellent doctors, nurses and teachers—I have family members who are superb and passionate members of the teaching community— but, frankly, by the arrogance sometimes coming from Cardiff Bay.

The sanctity of our schools and the opportunities for young people have not escaped Labour’s clutches. I note that the shadow Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Sevenoaks (Laura Trott), is now in her place, which is perfect timing. In mathematics, science and reading, schools in Wales continue to sit at the bottom of the PISA scores for the whole United Kingdom, as has been the case for a decade. It is absolutely wrong that we are not doing something about that.

Labour has now turned its attention to private schools. The ideological decision to hammer private schools with 20% VAT on fees is destroying jobs and livelihoods in Wales, and putting more pressure on state schools. I have been warned by anxious headteachers in the independent sector that nobody in the Wales Office or in Cardiff Bay is listening to their pleas. These schools may collapse soon, but they are key employers, often in rural areas, and they are vital for people’s pay packets and for communities.

[Gerald Jones]

The shadow Minister is talking about public services in Wales. Would she care to reflect on the 14 years of austerity and the damage that the Conservatives, along with the Liberal Democrats, did as the architects of austerity to Welsh public services, which we are rebuilding?

[Mims Davies]

We left office with the best readers in the western world, apart from in Wales. I think this trope about those 14 years is deeply unhelpful. Eighteen months on from entering government, it is now Labour that is in control. It wanted the levers—get on with it.

While my constituency is obviously not in Wales, it is the home of the Caravan and Motorhome Club. We talked about tourism and the importance of the economic situation, and we heard from some Members concerns about the economy. The club has 1 million members, and 15 of its campsites and motorhome sites are in Wales, supporting the three beautiful national parks and five areas of outstanding natural beauty.

The hon. Member for Gower (Tonia Antoniazzi) talked about grey seals and flying rings. I had no idea what they were, but they are posh frisbees. Asda has been called out twice in the Chamber this afternoon to get a grip of them. I congratulate her on her important campaign.

The hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon), who is no longer in his place, highlighted the power of our Union. All our nations make up the great United Kingdom. The danger is that, in May, we could be sleepwalking into separatism. I hope that that has been drawn out strongly enough in this afternoon’s debate.

That leads me to the hon. Member for Ceredigion Preseli (Ben Lake). He talked about Welsh wonders, which I think we can all agree on, and the power of small business and tourism. He told the tale of businesses struggling to trade, the insecurity of higher energy prices and business rates, and the challenges to the high streets in his constituency. I am very much looking forward to pictures of him parading for St David’s day and making it so joyous. Did he mention a cawl-eating competition? I think I have been in many of them myself.

The hon. Member for Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare (Gerald Jones) rightly called out the cost of fuel and asked for the CMA to get involved, and Asda was called out. I am not sure that tin baths and tourism are a happy marriage, but Zip World certainly sounds great.

The hon. Member for Caerfyrddin (Ann Davies) spoke about the importance of new electricity and the reality of green energy for the people of Wales. People are being overlooked when it comes to vast projects, and absolutely—I agree with her—they need to be heard. Two banking hubs are coming to my patch—yes, I am showing off—but keep pushing, because they are well worth it and they mean so much. She also rightly highlighted talent, which is everywhere.

The hon. Member for Newport East (Jessica Morden) talked about Newportonians. May I please pass on my condolences on the passing of Martyn Butler? He was a fantastic advocate for the Terrence Higgins Trust, and he did so much around HIV testing and PrEP. I am very sorry to hear of his passing.

On transport in Wales, a lot of figures have been bandied around. I have the same view as the hon. Member for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe (David Chadwick). Let us see the reality, because that is extremely important.

Before I conclude, I want to highlight the Labour UK Government’s decision to allow their colleagues in the Welsh Government to include glass in their deposit return scheme from 2027. That will have serious ramifications for the whole of the United Kingdom and jeopardise the integrity of our internal market. With all other areas of the UK not including glass in their DRS, there could soon be a significant new trade barrier for Wales and, as a result, a significantly less competitive market. This decision will not do.

We need to keep Wales in the United Kingdom. We need to stop attempts to divide us. That means voting for the Welsh Conservatives in May and, in doing so, backing our family firms and farms, and stopping wasteful and unnecessary spending—plenty of money has gone to Wales, but spent wastefully. Wales needs more doctors, dentists, nurses and teachers. We have a health emergency; we need to put the NHS first and focus on the long waits. We also need to scrap the default 20 mph limit and look at a proper road building programme.

I hope my speech has not sounded defeatist or pessimistic; it is just that I and the whole Conservative and Unionist party know that after 27 years of Labour, Wales deserves better.

14:34

[The Secretary of State for Wales (Jo Stevens)]

I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Newport West and Islwyn (Ruth Jones) and the hon. Member for Ceredigion Preseli (Ben Lake) for proposing today’s debate, the Backbench Business Committee for granting it, and everyone who has taken part in it.

In preparation for closing the debate today, I reflected on last year’s Welsh affairs debate. Still then less than a year into the new Labour Government, I updated the House on some of my priorities for Wales, but also those across the Government. I spoke of our plans to end Tory austerity, with investment in Welsh public services and infrastructure; to seize the golden opportunity of Wales’s new green industrial revolution in floating offshore wind and new nuclear; to rectify historic under-investment in Welsh rail; to deliver an industrial strategy with key Welsh sectors at its core; and to do whatever it takes to protect Welsh steelworkers and build a strong future for Welsh steel. It is fair to say it has been a very busy year. The UK Government and the Welsh Labour Government have worked together to deliver huge change on every one of those priorities and more.

Take, for example, this Government’s announcements in the past week alone. On Tuesday, we launched a new £11 million fund to help businesses affected by the steel transition at Port Talbot, to create new jobs and attract investment. Some £122 million has now been allocated by the transition board. I promised that the Government would do whatever it took to protect Welsh steelworkers and we will always keep that promise.

On Wednesday, the Prime Minister, the Transport Secretary and I were at Transport for Wales’s headquarters, with the First Minister and the Welsh Transport Minister, Ken Skates, to announce a generational commitment by the UK Government to deliver our long-term plan for Welsh rail as quickly as possible, building on the nearly £445 million announced last year. After years of under-investment by previous Conservative Governments, this is a plan to deliver the rail network Wales deserves, with up to £14 billion of projects in every corner of our country: seven new stations, including the first new station in north Wales for many decades; extra capacity; and more and faster trains, transforming the experience of passengers. That commitment will unlock 12,000 jobs in rail and our industrial parks, better connecting people with the tens of thousands of well-paid jobs we are creating across Wales.

On Thursday I was at Cardiff castle with the Defence Secretary to sign the new £50 million defence growth deal for Wales, with the Welsh Government. That will back our growing Welsh defence sector, drive innovation and create even more high-skilled jobs, using our increased defence spending as an engine for economic growth.

[Mims Davies]

Will the Secretary of State give way?

[Jo Stevens]

No, I am going to carry on, because I do not have much time left.

Just before Christmas, we announced one of the biggest public investments in Welsh history: the siting of the UK’s first fleet of small modular nuclear reactors at Wylfa, creating 3,000 direct jobs and thousands more in the supply chain. After a decade of inaction from the Conservatives and the inability of Plaid Cymru to agree among themselves whether they support nuclear or not, I am beyond proud that this Labour Government have made that game-changing commitment to Ynys Môn and the whole of north Wales. We have secured the most successful auction round in European history, backing the Awel y Môr offshore wind farm in north Wales, and the first floating offshore wind project in the Celtic sea, Erebus, to support thousands of jobs in our renewable energy industries.

On tackling the cost of living, which lots of hon. Members mentioned, our relentless focus saw wages rise faster in the first 10 months of this Government than in 10 years of Conservative rule. Interest rates have been cut six times, meaning significant savings in mortgage payments for Welsh households and businesses. The lifting of the two-child limit will benefit 69,000 children in Wales. Well over a quarter of a million families in Wales—320,000 of them, in fact—will benefit from the first ever sustained real-terms increase in the universal credit standard allowance, which will help many working families.

Our support for communities in every part of Wales includes over half a billion pounds for the new local growth fund to create jobs and put more money in people’s pockets; £143 million for the Welsh Government to ensure that coal tips remain safe, supporting families living in the shadow of the tips; and bringing economic growth and employment opportunities to some of the most deprived communities in Wales. There have been a lot of mentions of Pride in Place funding: with £280 million for 14 communities, as well as at least £1.5 million for every single one of the 22 local authorities in Wales through the Pride in Place impact fund, we are putting decision making about communities in the hands of communities. In addition, this year all our Welsh police forces will receive a real-terms funding increase to help them keep our streets safe.

As we have heard, Labour is the party of devolution: we delivered it, we have protected it and we are enhancing it. We have updated the Welsh fiscal framework and worked with the Welsh Labour Government on the future of water regulation and devolution. We are devolving employment support funding and delivering in partnership our economic trailblazers and city and growth deals. We have restored the Welsh Government’s decision-making role over the local growth fund. Just two weeks ago, I announced plans to devolve new powers for the Senedd to create a vacant land tax to encourage house building.

Hon. Members across the House will know that the ultimate proof of that successful partnership between our two Governments is seen in the nearly £6 billion of additional spending power that the UK Labour Government are providing to the Welsh Labour Government. Through the largest funding settlement in real terms since devolution began, we have ended Tory and Liberal Democrat austerity, making sure that Wales is funded properly and fairly, and enabling the Welsh Government to invest in our NHS and schools and across our public services.

We are now less than three months away from the Senedd election, at which Wales faces an important choice. Together, the UK and Welsh Labour Governments are strengthening public services, building new infra- structure, creating new jobs, increasing wages and tackling the cost of living. We can continue to build the next chapter of Wales’s future with two Labour Governments focused entirely on the real and pressing priorities of the people of Wales, or that future can be put at risk with the division and destruction of Reform, or distraction and separation from nationalists. We on the Labour Benches will continue to campaign in the months ahead to secure the next chapter of Wales’s future with Welsh Labour.

We had some fantastic contributions to the debate. The Chair of the Select Committee, my hon. Friend the Member for Newport West and Islwyn (Ruth Jones), gave a wide-ranging speech covering the Welsh cakes made by the hon. Member for Caerfyrddin (Ann Davies), churches, choirs, the NHS, Pride in Place and pride in work. My hon. Friend the Member for Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare (Gerald Jones) spoke about his campaign for fair petrol pricing in his constituency. To me, the higher prices he referred to appear completely unjustifiable. I wish him lots of luck with that good campaign.

My hon. Friend the Member for Newport East (Jessica Morden) talked about how Newport is definitely on the up. It is Wales’s fastest growing and youngest city, in large part thanks to the dynamic leadership of its Labour council, its MPs and its MSs. My hon. Friends the Members for Llanelli (Dame Nia Griffith) and for Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr (Steve Witherden) spoke about the impact of the UK Government’s child poverty strategy measures and policies on tackling the cost of living.

My constituency neighbour, my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff West (Mr Barros-Curtis), spoke powerfully about his ten-minute rule Bill and the right to have birth, marriage and death certificates issued bilingually, as well as about the Pride in Place programme in Ely and Caerau. My hon. Friend the Member for Monmouthshire (Catherine Fookes) talked about the incredible community response to the floods in her constituency caused by Storm Claudia. It was a real privilege to meet many of her constituents when I visited straight after the floods.

My hon. Friend the Member for Gower (Tonia Antoniazzi) gave, as she said, a niche speech on flying ring toys and their impact on grey seals on the beautiful Gower coast. That campaign sounds like a good one; I would be happy to have a conversation with her after the debate. My hon. Friend the Member for Wrexham (Andrew Ranger), who always gets in a mention of the football club, also talked about north Wales joining forces with northern England to bid for the 2040 Olympics. That is an exciting prospect, befitting of north Wales’s ambition and sporting prowess and a great example of the potential of collaboration across the borders of our Union.

I thank all hon. Members who have contributed to the debate. All of us here are committed to serving our constituents, and we are dedicated to the continuing success of Wales. This week, on the 10th anniversary of Wales Week London—I know that many hon. Members across the House will have been to its events this week and will do so next week; it is a fantastic platform for promoting Wales not just across the United Kingdom but globally—I wish you, Madam Deputy Speaker, all hon. Members and everyone across Wales a very happy St David’s day on Sunday.

14:44

[Ruth Jones]

It has been an honour to open and close this debate. I thank everybody who made a contribution. I will not go through the list as the Secretary of State just did that admirably, but each Member spoke with passion and pride about their constituency and highlighted the great aspects of the people and the places within their constituencies. Sadly, none of them can compare with Newport West and Islwyn, but well done for trying.

We have also been educated. Madam Deputy Speaker, I think you might have missed the references to St David when we learned about his diet, where he lived and what he did. We also had animal welfare lessons from my hon. Friend the Member for Gower (Tonia Antoniazzi), which we will all go away with, about the flying rings. None of us will buy those ever again.

It is really important that we have been here for the debate. Madam Deputy Speaker, you were not in the Chair when the previous Deputy Speaker was invited to the tin baths of Merthyr, but I am sure you would be welcome to go along as well. We will all be there to cheer you on as you get into that ice-cold water—it will be lovely, I am sure.

I thank all hon. Members for their contributions. I am so proud that our country can be spoken about so well and so warmly in this Chamber. I thank everybody. It remains only for me to wish you, Madam Deputy Speaker, a very happy St David’s day—dydd gŵyl Dewi hapus. Diolch yn fawr iawn.

Question put and agreed to.

Resolved,

That this House has considered St David’s Day and Welsh affairs.

[Mims Davies]

On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. Could you please advise me on how I can seek clarity, given that we have the Secretary of State for Wales here in the Chamber? I have been seeking clarity on which financial year each tranche of rail funding is expected to be spent in. That has been challenged by the media and indeed by hon. Members in the Chamber this afternoon. I seek clarity on where the £14 billion figure comes from and whether it is governmental. Could you please advise me?

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Judith Cummins)]

I thank the hon. Lady for her point of order. The point that she raises is a point of debate rather than a point of order.