Ukraine

Debate between Elizabeth Truss and Jonathan Edwards

Monday 28th March 2022 Commons Chamber

[Elizabeth Truss]

First, any media reports about what the Russians are planning to do should not be taken at face value. What we know is that Putin is not succeeding in his plan, that he is desperate and that he could go to any measures. I think we need to be clear about that. I agree with what President Zelensky has said, which is that he wants to see the entirety of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty restored, and that is what we are supporting him to do.

[Jonathan Edwards (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr) (Ind)]

The UN’s World Food Programme is warning that the war is creating a shockwave through the international food markets, further inflating prices and disrupting supply, which will lead to dire consequences for global hunger. Will the Foreign Secretary reassure the House that supporting international efforts to alleviate suffering in famine-ravaged countries is a priority for the British Government?

[Elizabeth Truss]

It is very much a priority. We are working closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and with our international counterparts to address that crucial issue.

Sanctions

Debate between Elizabeth Truss and Jonathan Edwards

Monday 28th February 2022 Commons Chamber

[Elizabeth Truss]

I have been very clear that we will absolutely include overseas territories in all the measures that we are taking.

[Jonathan Edwards (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr) (Ind)]

The sister of my constituent, Mrs Roach from Cwmann, has been travelling across Ukraine with her children for three days in an attempt to get to the Polish border. Based on what was said earlier, because it is not clear to me, will my constituent’s sister and her children qualify as immediate family in order to obtain access to the UK?

[Elizabeth Truss]

That is a matter for the Home Office, and I would be very pleased to raise the hon. Gentleman’s case with the Home Secretary.

Russia: Sanctions

Debate between Elizabeth Truss and Jonathan Edwards

Monday 31st January 2022 Commons Chamber

[Elizabeth Truss]

I am in regular touch with the Defence Secretary to make sure that, of course, we protect UK defence interests at the same time as we provide air support, particularly around the Black sea region, to make sure that we are working with our NATO allies to keep a free and safe Europe.

[Jonathan Edwards (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr) (Ind)]

President Putin is reported as saying:

“Whoever becomes the leader in this sphere”—

of artificial intelligence—

“will become the ruler of the world.”

Given the dangers posed by lethal autonomous weapons, will the Foreign Secretary explain why the British Government seem reluctant to support efforts to place legally binding instruments to control their development and use?

UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement

Debate between Elizabeth Truss and Jonathan Edwards

Wednesday 25th November 2020 Commons Chamber

[Elizabeth Truss]

My hon. Friend is a doughty champion of English sparkling wine and knows that this will be one of the geographical indicators that goes through the domestic process early next year, to be registered in Japan and recognised in Japan, and who knows how long it would have taken under the EU, because under its deal, it has to negotiate every new indicator. We have got agreement on those 70 indicators through the process, and the only circumstance under which English sparkling wine would not qualify is if English sparkling wine were produced in Japan, and I do not believe that to be the case.

This deal aligns with our high environment, animal welfare, labour, data and food safety standards, and it helps to position the United Kingdom as the world’s hub for services in tech trade and establishes us as a major force in global trade. Following Japan’s economic push on womanomics, we have also signed an entire chapter on women’s economic empowerment to help female entrepreneurs in both our nations—another chapter that was not included in the EU deal.

[Jonathan Edwards (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr) (Ind)]

I do not want to rain too much on the Secretary of State’s parade, but she will be aware that, according to the British Government’s own figures, the Welsh economy will grow by only 0.05% over 15 years, based on a WTO baseline, as a result of this deal. Also, the British Government’s policy of leaving the single market and the customs union means we will need over 70 deals to make up for that loss, and if we have no deal that figure will be considerably worse.

[Elizabeth Truss]

This deal is worth at least £15 billion in extra trade, not including the trade that was already increasing between our two nations, and there are significant benefits for Wales, including the recognition of Welsh lamb as a protected geographical indicator as well as more opportunities for manufacturing industries.

Japan Free Trade Agreement

Debate between Elizabeth Truss and Jonathan Edwards

Monday 14th September 2020 Commons Chamber

[Elizabeth Truss]

I will pass that call on to my colleague, the Defence Secretary. My hon. Friend is absolutely right about the central importance of TPP, not just as a huge economic opportunity for the United Kingdom, but as a beacon of free trade and fair play that will be vital as we seek to reform the global trading system.

[Jonathan Edwards (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr) (Ind)]

Based on the British Government’s own best-case scenario figures, am I right in calculating that it will take 71 deals of this nature to make up for what will be lost by pursuing the British Government’s policy of leaving the EU single market and customs union?

[Elizabeth Truss]

Mr Speaker, I think some hon. Members have got the wrong title of today’s statement. They seem to think that it is about the EU referendum, which I believe happened three years ago.

Public Sector Pay

Debate between Elizabeth Truss and Jonathan Edwards

Tuesday 24th July 2018 Commons Chamber

[Elizabeth Truss]

The hon. Lady will understand that we are conducting a review of further and higher education, and that is among the issues that we will be looking at.

[Jonathan Edwards (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr) (PC)]

Teachers’ pay is not devolved to Wales until September 2019, so can the Chief Secretary confirm that the British Government will make the appropriate transfers to Welsh local education authorities to pay for the increase?

[Elizabeth Truss]

I understand from my colleagues in the Department for Education that this will also apply to Wales.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Elizabeth Truss and Jonathan Edwards

Tuesday 3rd July 2018 Commons Chamber

[Jonathan Edwards (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr) (PC)]

Rail electrification and the Swansea Bay tidal lagoon have both been scrapped by the British Government because they were not deemed good value for money. When it comes to designing the criteria for the proposed UK shared prosperity fund, will an immediate return on investment be the priority, as with every project scrapped in Wales?

[Elizabeth Truss]

We are looking closely at the shared prosperity fund to make sure that it delivers best value for money right across the UK, and I am in discussions with the Welsh Secretary about that.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Elizabeth Truss and Jonathan Edwards

Tuesday 17th April 2018 Commons Chamber

[Elizabeth Truss]

My right hon. Friend the Chancellor recently made a speech outlining the future of financial services and making sure we get the best possible deal with the European Union. Let us remember that London is a global financial centre—it was recently rated the best in the world—and as well as getting the best deal with the EU, we need to make sure that we can trade with the rest of the world.

[Jonathan Edwards (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr) (PC)]

It seems to me that over recent months the UK has changed its position from negotiating the final deal before the transition period to negotiating the final deal during the transition period. Is not the reality that the British Government’s negotiating position will be considerably weakened once we have left the EU?

[Elizabeth Truss]

We have made huge progress in the European negotiations. We are seeing business confidence increasing and investment increasing, and by this autumn we should have agreed a clear framework with the EU so that businesses have certainty about future investment.

Exiting the EU: Costs

Debate between Elizabeth Truss and Jonathan Edwards

Wednesday 29th November 2017 Commons Chamber

[Elizabeth Truss]

I can assure my hon. Friend that we are not dancing to anyone’s tune. What we care about is the future of Britain’s economy, protecting the British taxpayer from excess payments and making sure we secure a good deal, which is why it is so important that we do not discuss these numbers while we are in the middle of a very important negotiation.

[Jonathan Edwards (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr) (PC)]

I have been informed by a former public finances auditor that international accounting standard 37, on provisions, contingent liabilities and contingent assets, requires the UK Government to account for the divorce payment as expenditure in their public finances—even if the exact amount cannot be calculated. Given that the Government accounts for 2016-17 did not adequately disclose the potential liability, as required by IAS 37, will the Minister give assurances that a liability of this magnitude will now be included in the supplementary estimates for 2017-18 and that that provision will be subject to a vote of this House?

[Elizabeth Truss]

That would be wrong according to accounting principles, because nothing has been agreed. The Office for Budget Responsibility followed the Prime Minister’s Florence speech in laying out its projections for the Budget. I suggest to the hon. Gentleman that he has misinterpreted those standards.

HMP Birmingham

Debate between Elizabeth Truss and Jonathan Edwards

Monday 19th December 2016 Commons Chamber

[Elizabeth Truss]

I have discussed the issue the hon. Lady mentions with Lord Woolf. She is right that the disturbance at HMP Birmingham was very serious; that is why we are investing £1.3 billion in our prison build programme to create extra capacity and eliminate overcrowding in the prison estate.

[Jonathan Edwards (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr) (PC)]

The Howard League published a report in the summer indicating all Welsh prisons had seen a fall in the number of officers compared with last year, so what is the Secretary of State doing to ensure the Welsh prison estate is equipped with sufficient staff, especially as it is the policy of the UK Government to build in Wrexham a Titan prison, one of the largest in Europe, primarily, as she has said in this debate, to house prisoners from overcrowded prisons in England?

[Elizabeth Truss]

We have great recruitment plans and programmes in place. We have already recruited a significant number for the first 10 prisons, including one in Wales, and we will follow that through with new apprenticeship programmes and graduate entry programmes and by making sure staff in our prison service are able to gain promotion and get the training they need to progress.