Oral Answers to Questions

Douglas Lumsden Excerpts

Wednesday 2nd September 2026 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State was asked—

[Douglas Lumsden (Aberdeen South) (Con)]

1. What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to strengthen Wales’s place in the Union.

[Sir Desmond Swayne (New Forest West) (Con)]

4. What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to strengthen Wales’s place in the Union.

--- Later in debate ---

[The Secretary of State for Wales (Stephen Kinnock)]

A stronger Wales in a stronger United Kingdom—that will be my driving principle as Secretary of State for Wales, building on the outstanding work of my right hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff East (Jo Stevens). Just last week, the Prime Minister and I saw the strength of our Union in action on a visit to Port Talbot, where the UK Government have invested nearly £700 million to secure the future of Welsh steel, protect jobs and re-industrialise Wales.

[Douglas Lumsden]

New figures from August show that being part of our strong United Kingdom is worth an extra £2,720 to every person in Scotland, compared with the UK average. Does the Secretary of State agree that this demonstrates the economic benefits of our Union, and what assessment has he made of the financial benefits to Wales of being part of the United Kingdom?