Oral Answers to Questions

Jo Stevens Excerpts

Wednesday 29th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Andrew Rosindell (Romford) (Con)]

12. Whether she has had discussions with the Welsh Government on the potential impact of the proposed visitor levy on the economy in Wales.

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

Ahead of the opening game of this year’s Six Nations in Paris on Friday evening, I know Members right across the House will want to join me in wishing the Wales team good luck in their campaign.

Wales has joined a long list of other countries that have introduced a visitor levy, including Germany, Spain and France. The Welsh Government’s Bill will enable local authorities to decide whether to implement a small levy locally. The money raised will be used to invest in Wales’s thriving tourist sector, and develop and maintain attractions for residents and visitors alike.

[Charlie Dewhirst]

Hospitality businesses in my constituency of Bridlington and The Wolds are rightly concerned about Labour’s plans for a tourist tax in Wales, so will the Secretary of State confirm to the House today whether it is her Government’s policy to roll out such a tax across the United Kingdom?

[Jo Stevens]

As the hon. Member may know, tourism is devolved, and we work closely with the devolved Governments. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport—my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for that Department is here—will carefully monitor the proposal by the Welsh Government. There are currently no plans to introduce a similar tax in England.

[Blake Stephenson]

I welcome the Government’s ambition to welcome 50 million visitors per year to the UK by 2030, but does the Secretary of State share my concern that a visitor levy, combined with ever more expensive electronic travel authorisations, will make it much more expensive for people to visit Wales, and indeed my constituency of Mid Bedfordshire, starving hard-working people of income at a time when they have to pay Labour’s jobs tax?

[Jo Stevens]

As far as I am aware, Mid Bedfordshire is not in Wales. The hon. Member raises objections to the Welsh Government’s policy, but he should perhaps check his own ranks first, because Conservative-run Great Yarmouth borough council has supported a form of tourist levy for years.

[Andrew Rosindell]

Like many of my constituents in Romford, I have always enjoyed visiting Wales. However, for many, this visitor levy will be a step too far; it is bound to deter tourism to the Principality. Does the Secretary of State agree with me that we should be encouraging and championing British domestic tourism, not inhibiting it?

[Jo Stevens]

There are a number of assumptions in the hon. Member’s question. As I say, more than 40 countries and holiday destinations around the world have introduced a form of visitor levy, and many of us have paid levies when visiting other countries. As I say, one of the Conservatives’ own councils is championing a tourist levy. They need to do their research better.

[John Grady (Glasgow East) (Lab)]

2. What recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on increasing economic growth in Wales.

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

Economic growth is the No. 1 priority for this Government. Our new industrial strategy and national wealth fund will boost economic growth, create jobs and drive up living standards across Wales. Working alongside ministerial colleagues, I was pleased to confirm £320 million of funding for the two investment zones in Wales, and to give the green light for Welsh freeports. Together, these will unlock billions in private investment and create over 20,000 jobs in our ports and communities.

[John Grady]

I, too, wish Wales luck in the Six Nations, but I wish Scotland more luck. Scotland, like Wales, is set to benefit from significant tax incentives and investment, under the UK Government’s freeports scheme. Does the Secretary of State agree that the scheme offers an excellent opportunity for economic growth?

[Jo Stevens]

I thank my hon. Friend for his question, and I wholeheartedly agree with him. The freeports programme will deliver economic growth and jobs across Wales. Anglesey freeport’s tax sites have gone live, which is excellent news. The freeport aims to attract over £1 billion of investment into the green energy sector and to create nearly 5,000 jobs by 2030. The Celtic freeport is set to attract £8.4 billion of private and public investment, and to deliver 11,500 jobs.

[Alex Easton (North Down) (Ind)]

Given the significance of trade relationships between Northern Ireland and Wales, particularly in agriculture and textiles, can we ensure that any economic prosperity for Wales is beneficial for Northern Ireland as well?

[Jo Stevens]

The hon. Gentleman may have heard the Chancellor’s speech this morning. Our No. 1 priority is economic growth right across all four nations of the United Kingdom.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the Chair of the Welsh Affairs Committee.

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

I welcome the recent announcement on the creation of artificial intelligence growth zones across the UK, which will turbocharge growth and boost living standards. As part of that AI development, Vantage Data Centres has plans to invest over £12 billion across the UK, creating at least 11,000 jobs, including in my constituency. Will the Secretary of State speak to her colleagues around the Cabinet table and work with me and others to develop an AI growth zone for south Wales to secure the economic growth that we so desperately need?

[Jo Stevens]

I am glad that my hon. Friend raised that. She will know that the Government are fully committed to harnessing AI to improve productivity and efficiency, and to boost economic growth. I was pleased to hear the Chancellor talking about AI growth zones in her speech. Like my hon. Friend, I want to ensure that Wales maximises AI opportunities. I will be happy to discuss that further with her.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

One of the advantages of this great United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is that every region benefits from the trading opportunities that arise. Will the Secretary of State reaffirm that there are advantages for Northern Ireland from its economic contact with Wales, as there are for Scotland and England?

[Jo Stevens]

As I said, the Government are determined to see growth right across the United Kingdom, in all four nations. The relationship between Wales and Northern Ireland is very strong, and long may that continue.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

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

Wales is in dire need of economic growth, as we have some of the lowest wages in the United Kingdom and areas with the highest levels of poverty. Does the Secretary of State agree that banking hubs can be part of the solution? Will she support my campaign for a banking hub in Ystradgynlais, the largest town in my constituency? The banks closed and left town several years ago, so local residents and businesses face long trips to access cash.

[Jo Stevens]

I know Ystradgynlais well, and would be happy to meet the hon. Member to discuss a banking hub. He will know that we have seen the decimation of high-street banks over the last 14 years. Banking hubs are a crucial element in keeping a community together, and in ensuring its access to cash.

[Liz Saville Roberts (Dwyfor Meirionnydd) (PC)]

We have heard this week that it is growth for Heathrow but decline for Welsh universities. Cardiff University in the Secretary of State’s home city is axing 400 full-time jobs due to a funding crisis, with nursing, music and modern language degrees on the chopping block. This is an education disaster playing out in real time. Will the Government scrap their national insurance hikes to ease the strain on universities?

[Jo Stevens]

The potential job losses at Cardiff University are deeply concerning and will come as a significant blow to university staff and their families. I hope that there will be sufficient volunteers for a voluntary redundancy programme, so that we avoid compulsory redundancies, and that support will be provided to those impacted. The right hon. Lady will know that the last 14 years of Conservative policies have seen the university sector decimated across the United Kingdom.

[Liz Saville Roberts]

On Conservative policies, the Secretary of State will know that universities are also being hammered by Brexit. The number of EU students starting full-time undergraduate courses in the UK fell by 68% between 2020 and 2024 to the lowest level in 30 years. Surely she agrees that our rejoining the single market would help universities to attract more students, as well as boosting economic growth.

[Jo Stevens]

This Government have made economic growth their No. 1 mission. The Prime Minister is leading from the front in resetting the UK’s relationship with the EU. However, the right hon. Lady’s question highlights the stark risks associated with separatism. Those risks are why I will always be a strong and passionate advocate for a Wales that thrives as part of the United Kingdom.

[Catherine Fookes (Monmouthshire) (Lab)]

3. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help support crime prevention in Wales.

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

Our plan for change will put an extra 13,000 police officers, police community support officers and special constables on our streets across the UK, including in Wales. In December, I opened a brand-new base for Gwent police in Abergavenny, so that officers can better serve the town and restore the visible, accessible policing that our communities deserve.

[Catherine Fookes]

In Monmouthshire, domestic abuse victims and survivors tell me that their voices still are not heard by the police. They stress the need for those on the ground to be better trained in early intervention, which can prevent escalation and reduce violent behaviour and domestic abuse overall. What steps can be taken with colleagues across Government, and Welsh Government colleagues, to better embed domestic abuse prevention?

[Jo Stevens]

My hon. Friend will know that the Prime Minister’s plan for change reinforced our manifesto ambition to halve violence against women and girls in a decade. We will do everything in our power to achieve that. We will put specialist rape and sexual offences teams in every police force in Wales, and early this year we will start the process of introducing domestic abuse experts into 999 control rooms, so that victims can talk directly to a specialist for the advice and support that they need and deserve.

[Robin Swann (South Antrim) (UUP)]

Rural crime is a scourge across the entirety of the United Kingdom. What discussions has the Secretary of State had with her Cabinet colleagues on ensuring a consistent approach to tackling rural crime across the UK?

[Jo Stevens]

We were elected on a manifesto that included a mission for safer streets across every nation of the United Kingdom. We will put police back on the beat, ensure there is a named officer for every neighbourhood, and provide 13,000 additional officers, police community support officers and special constables in neighbourhood roles in England and Wales. The provisional police funding settlement has been increased this year by up to £1 billion.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Secretary of State.

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

An ITV Wales investigation last year discovered 28 prevention of future death reports over a 16-month period relating to the north Wales Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. The Welsh Secretary’s predecessor called for an inquiry into these tragedies. Meanwhile, answers are rightly being sought, as there is clear evidence of grooming gangs sexually exploiting young children in Wales. Will the Secretary of State commit to building on her predecessor’s actions, and push the Welsh Government to use the Inquiries Act 2005 to launch two vital Wales-wide inquiries, to give victims and their loved ones justice?

[Jo Stevens]

The hon. Lady will be aware that, unlike the previous Government, we are determined to give the victims of child sexual exploitation the long-overdue justice that they deserve by enacting the recommendations of the Jay review. On 16 January, the Home Secretary announced that victims will be given more power to have their cases re-examined. We have also unveiled a rapid national audit, to be led by Baroness Louise Casey, to uncover the scale and profile, including ethnicity, of group-based offending in the UK today.

[Mims Davies]

It is clear from the Secretary of State’s weak response that the Labour party has a woman problem and a justice problem. In a Nation Cymru report, a survivor said that she believes the abuse is still happening, and that young victims are not getting the help they need. A refusal to create a process for listening to victims in Wales and holding inquiries means that justice will not prevail and communities remain at risk. This House will be as concerned as I am about the number of domestic abuse cases in south Wales increasing last year; there were almost 18,000 victims. What steps is she taking directly to support victims and survivors?

[Jo Stevens]

That is a bit rich coming from the hon. Lady. Previous Conservative Governments—her Governments—decimated the Ministry of Justice budget. Crown court delays, victims waiting years for Crown court trials—that all happened under their watch. We are protecting women and girls in Wales, where the Tories failed to do so.

[Lincoln Jopp (Spelthorne) (Con)]

4. What recent discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on NHS reform in Wales.

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

The Budget provided the Welsh Government with an additional £1.7 billion to invest in public services, such as the NHS. The Welsh Government announced £157 million of funding for the NHS in Wales this year, and more than £600 million extra in their draft budget to fund health and social care and drive down waiting lists.

[Lincoln Jopp]

The Labour party has been running the NHS for 25 years in Wales, where waiting lists are through the roof, compared with those in England. Does the Secretary of State agree with Mr Mark Drakeford that what Wales really needs is fewer hospitals?

[Jo Stevens]

The Welsh Government have no plans to close any hospitals. I will not be taking any lectures from the Conservatives, with their fictitious plan to build 40 new hospitals in England. The hospitals do not exist; the money did not exist—they are not happening.

[Claire Hughes (Bangor Aberconwy) (Lab)]

Will the Secretary of State outline how she and her colleagues are working with the Welsh Government to improve health outcomes for people in Wales?

[Jo Stevens]

We are working in a spirit of genuine collaboration with the Welsh Government to do everything possible to cut waiting lists and build an NHS fit for the future in both England and Wales—a marked change from previous UK Governments, who were obstructive and hostile to the Welsh Government. We are sharing best practice, and the Welsh Government have established a ministerial advisory group to plan NHS reforms that will improve performance and reduce waiting lists. The group will draw on expertise from the NHS in both Wales and England.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Secretary of State.

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

Labour has been running the NHS badly in Wales since Tony Blair was Prime Minister, with waiting times constantly at record levels ever since. The Government cannot just devolve and forget—the people of Wales need to see and feel proactivity from the Wales Office.

Everybody knows somebody waiting in pain in Wales. Last week, on “Any Questions?”, the First Minister spoke without much detail of an injection of money that will bring down waiting lists. Can the Secretary of State explain if there is a plan, or if it is just another blank piece of paper?

[Jo Stevens]

The £600 million that the Welsh Government are to invest in the Welsh NHS can happen only if the hon. Lady’s colleagues in the Senedd vote for the budget. If they do not vote for it, the money will not happen.

--- Later in debate ---

[Richard Foord (Honiton and Sidmouth) (LD)]

8. What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on meeting net zero targets in Wales.

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

I am working with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero to ensure that Wales plays a leading role in reaching our net zero targets and clean power by 2030. By supporting floating offshore wind, onshore wind, hydrogen, nuclear, tidal and carbon capture, we are seizing the unique economic opportunity of net zero to boost growth and create jobs across Wales.

[Richard Foord]

On floating offshore wind in the Celtic sea, the Secretary of State said:

“Floating offshore wind represents a golden opportunity”

not just for meeting net zero targets but

“for lower energy bills, new jobs and the industries of the future”.

Do the Government think that the opportunities from offshore wind can extend from the Celtic sea into Cornwall and Devon, too?

[Jo Stevens]

The economic opportunities of floating offshore wind are significant, and, obviously, the Celtic sea is a big area off parts of both England and Wales. We are working closely to seize those economic opportunities to deliver jobs and growth, and we want to see economic growth and jobs throughout the United Kingdom.

The Prime Minister was asked—