Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist
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(6 years ago)
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Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
That may be a matter for jokes to some people but it is very important to the people of north-east Wales and their livelihoods. It is worth noting that the Welsh economy is growing faster than those of the other home economies.
Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist (Con)
My Lords, with jobs in mind, will my noble friend join me in commending the announcement from Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos of their plan to develop the Land Rover Defender in the Ford motor factory in Bridgend, thereby preserving the 1,700 jobs that would otherwise be at risk?
Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
My noble friend is absolutely right. I have no hesitation in saying how welcome that news is, but once again I stress the fact that we are not just protecting jobs in Wales, as many new jobs are being created there. The removal of the tolls on 17 December will be a welcome boost to the south Wales economy. Generally, the position in Wales is very healthy.