National Infrastructure Plan

Debate between Glyn Davies and Danny Alexander

Wednesday 4th December 2013 Commons Chamber

[Danny Alexander]

The hon. Gentleman’s party may not be very good at maths, but I am sure even Labour could work out that when a Government are in their fourth year in office and have promised to update a plan annually, they will give four iterations.

[Glyn Davies (Montgomeryshire) (Con)]

I, too, welcome my right hon. Friend’s statement, particularly his reference to a slight decrease in the strike price for onshore wind. Will he tell us exactly what that strike price will actually mean? Energy companies seem desperate to build wind farms on every hilltop in rural Britain, despite their impact on the landscape and the view of popular opinion. Does my right hon. Friend agree that there is scope for more than just a slight decrease in the subsidies to onshore wind and for a greater increase in those for offshore wind?

[Danny Alexander]

I am grateful for the question. The published strike prices are set out in table 3.D on page 50 of the national infrastructure plan. I do not intend to read out all the numbers, as I am sure you will be pleased to hear, Mr Speaker. The real point is that we are moving to competitive allocations for onshore wind and solar earlier than we thought, precisely because prices are coming down. There is a degree of competition to secure the best and most cost-effective projects, and that should help to secure the objectives that he and I share.

Investing in Britain’s Future

Debate between Glyn Davies and Danny Alexander

Thursday 27th June 2013 Commons Chamber

[Danny Alexander]

If investing in schools and houses was so important to the previous Government, why did they preside over a fall in affordable housing stock of 420,000 and cancel the survey to evaluate the maintenance needs of our country’s schools? It is also about getting the best value for taxpayers’ money, which, frankly, Building Schools for the Future was failing to do in a big way.

[Glyn Davies (Montgomeryshire) (Con)]

I greatly welcome the Chief Secretary’s announcement of investment in road infrastructure. I particularly welcome the reference to M4 improvement in the Chancellor’s statement yesterday. However, the mid-Wales economy depends on other improvements on the Welsh-English border at Llanymynech. The cost-benefit on the Welsh side is huge, but on the English side it is very weak. Will my right hon. Friend ensure that mid-Wales does not lose out on transport infrastructure improvement because of the way in which devolution works?

[Danny Alexander]

Many of these matters are devolved to the Welsh Assembly Government, and so it is for them to take them forward. I have regular and friendly discussions with the Finance Minister of the Welsh Assembly Government, and I will draw my hon. Friend’s concerns to her attention in my next conversation.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Glyn Davies and Danny Alexander

Tuesday 25th June 2013 Commons Chamber

[Glyn Davies (Montgomeryshire) (Con)]

T6. Devolution is a continuing process. Does my right hon. Friend agree that if the National Assembly for Wales is to develop into a fiscally responsible governing institution, it must have responsibility for raising a significant part of its own budget?

[The Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Danny Alexander)]

I do agree with that. The Government established the Commission on Devolution in Wales to consider, as part of its remit, how to increase the fiscal accountability and autonomy of the Welsh Assembly Government. We are carefully considering the commission’s recommendations and we will respond in due course, having discussed the matter with the Welsh Assembly Government.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Glyn Davies and Danny Alexander

Tuesday 14th May 2013 Commons Chamber

[Danny Alexander]

I do not think that it would achieve any of those objectives, which is why I do not support it.

[Glyn Davies (Montgomeryshire) (Con)]

T10. Perhaps the most welcome policy announcement in the Gracious Speech was the announcement that Ministers would“prioritise measures that reduce the deficit”.Does my right hon. Friend agree that that Government priority is crucial to my Montgomeryshire constituents, because it will keep interest rates low for home owners and for businesses?

[Danny Alexander]

I agree wholeheartedly with my hon. Friend. Dealing with the deficit and repairing the mess that the Labour party made in the public finances must remain the No. 1 priority for the Government, and indeed for all Members of the House.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Glyn Davies and Danny Alexander

Tuesday 6th November 2012 Commons Chamber

[Danny Alexander]

It is exactly that. The reserve price is £1.4 billion, of which £600 million has been allocated to important science projects, such as the Graphene institute in Manchester. Were we to follow the advice of the Opposition, we would have to cancel significant science projects which are vital to growth in this country. That would be the wrong policy for the British economy.

[Glyn Davies (Montgomeryshire) (Con)]

14. What fiscal steps he has taken to reduce the cost of living.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Glyn Davies and Danny Alexander

Tuesday 21st June 2011 Commons Chamber

[Danny Alexander]

The hon. Gentleman is right that we need to see the private sector lead the economic recovery. Many of the measures that we announced in “The Plan for Growth”, such as reforms to the planning system, the measures on regulation and some of the tax measures that we announced to support investment, will all help to encourage and support private sector businesses to lead the recovery that we all want to see.

[Glyn Davies (Montgomeryshire) (Con)]

19. What steps he is taking to reform the regulation of banks and financial institutions.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Glyn Davies and Danny Alexander

Tuesday 16th November 2010 Commons Chamber

[Danny Alexander]

I have to say that that sounds like rather an overestimate, but the hon. Lady is right to say that employers are spelling out their own plans for redundancies and for managing their work force in an appropriate way. I recognise that many staff will be very concerned about that, but I believe that it is right that they hear about specific plans from their own management, rather than draw conclusions from higher level aggregate numbers.

[Glyn Davies (Montgomeryshire) (Con)]

17. What recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the co-ordination of efforts to reduce Government deficits.