Oral Answers to Questions

Jo Stevens Excerpts

Wednesday 11th June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Kirsty Blackman (Aberdeen North) (SNP)]

1. What recent discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on the potential merits of devolving the Crown Estate.

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

I wish to start by paying tribute to Sir Billy Boston, the trailblazing Welsh rugby league legend who received a knighthood this week. It is fitting that Sir Billy is first recipient of a knighthood for services to rugby league, and I commend those colleagues who have campaigned so hard for this well-deserved award.

This Government are totally focused on taking maximum advantage of the opportunities that floating offshore wind in the Celtic sea presents for Wales. The industry has the potential to create more than 5,000 jobs and bring £1.4 billion of investment into the UK economy in coming years. We do not support devolution of the Crown Estate, as that would risk market fragmentation, jeopardising those jobs and the significant investment that Wales deserves.

[Kirsty Blackman]

In contrast to that, recent research by the Crown Estate Scotland has revealed that in one 12-month period, the Crown Estate helped its tenants to generate an economic impact of £2.1 billion, and supported almost 17,000 jobs. A decade on from the devolution of the Crown Estate’s assets and revenue, Scottish voters are enjoying the benefit. How can the Secretary of State continue to justify withholding the same profits from Wales, when in Scotland, those profits are being put back into the Scottish purse, where they belong?

[Jo Stevens]

I am afraid that I will not take any lectures on the Crown Estate from the SNP, whose mismanagement of the Scottish seabed has seen Scottish assets sold off on the cheap. We are focused on doing whatever it takes to secure the more than 5,000 jobs, and billions of pounds of investment, that the Crown Estate can help to unlock for Wales.

[Tonia Antoniazzi (Gower) (Lab)]

Devolving the Crown Estate sounds like such a wonderful idea, but the truth is that it really is not, and the continued lobbying and loud chat about devolving the Crown Estate is jeopardising future investment in Wales, and jobs. Does the Secretary of State agree?

[Jo Stevens]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. If we were to devolve the Crown Estate and introduce a new entity, that would risk market fragmentation, complicate existing processes, and delay further development offshore, jeopardising those jobs and that investment. Even if it could be done without risking the revenues, that would not automatically lead to more money for the Welsh Government, because any revenues they retained would likely be offset through reductions to the block grant, as is the case in Scotland. Meanwhile, Wales would no longer benefit from Crown Estate assets and profits in England.

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

There is no long-term vision. Torfaen council has voted unanimously to devolve the Crown Estate to Wales, which means that every local authority in Wales, including every Labour-run council, supports the policy. Does the Secretary of State really believe that the UK Labour Government know better than the entirety of Welsh local government? When Wales speaks with one voice, isn’t it time that Wales’s voice in the Cabinet says the same thing?

[Jo Stevens]

I refer the right hon. Lady to my previous answer.

[Liz Saville Roberts]

Was that the answer? It is hardly even looking at the question.

In opposition, the Secretary of State for Wales joined Plaid Cymru in condemning the Conservatives for denying Wales £4.6 billion in rail funding. Now in government, she is waxing lyrical about 10% of that, and she was recently content to move the goalposts and deny Wales a further £300 million by classifying the Oxford-Cambridge line as benefiting Wales. I don’t know how they make this up. Does she oppose that new injustice, or was she ignored? Or is it her mission to see Wales short-changed?

[Jo Stevens]

I listened carefully to the right hon. Lady’s question, and I am sure that she would not wish unintentionally to mislead the House. The situation regarding the Oxford-Cambridge line was an error made by the Conservative Government in the 2021 spending review, and as she knows, heavy rail infrastructure is reserved, not devolved, so for every heavy rail project in England, Barnett consequentials do not apply. The UK Government fund that is funding East West Rail is also directing funding projects in Wales, such as the redevelopment of Wales’s busiest station, Cardiff Central; improvements to level crossings in north Wales; and upgrades to the south Wales relief lines. I know that all 27 Welsh Labour MPs are looking forward to hearing what the Chancellor has to say today about rail investment, after all their excellent advocacy on behalf of people across Wales.

[Melanie Ward (Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy) (Lab)]

2. What assessment she has made of the potential impact of increased defence spending on Wales.

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[Sarah Pochin (Runcorn and Helsby) (Reform)]

4. What steps she is taking to strengthen Wales’s place in the Union.

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

We have transformed the relationship with the Welsh Government, and our two Labour Governments are delivering on the priorities of the people of Wales. Together we have delivered a record-breaking budget settlement for the Welsh Government; NHS waiting lists have fallen for four months in a row; tens of thousands of new jobs have been secured through inward investment; and pay rises are helping people across Wales, following the record increases to the national and living wage.

[Sarah Pochin]

Diolch yn fawr. Welsh Labour has been in power in Cardiff Bay for 26 years. In that time, Wales has fallen further and further behind its nearest neighbour in the Union in almost every key devolved area. Welsh household incomes are lower than in England; Welsh employment rates are lower than in England; and Welsh life expectancy is lower than in England. Is the Secretary of State proud of her party’s record in Wales?

[Jo Stevens]

Actually, the positive impact that our UK and Welsh Labour Governments are having is clear in how the Welsh economy is changing. Employment has increased significantly in Wales, unemployment and economic inactivity have fallen, and real total wages have increased right across the UK.

[Mr Alex Barros-Curtis (Cardiff West) (Lab)]

The safety and maintenance of coal tips is a totemic issue in Wales, including in my constituency of Cardiff West. The relationship between the Welsh Government and this Labour Government, and the funding for coal tips in the last Budget, signify the importance of the union between our two Governments. Can the Secretary of State tell me why, when given the opportunity to vote on this issue in the Senedd in March, Plaid Cymru voted against coal tip funding?

[Jo Stevens]

My hon. Friend raises an important point. Ensuring that coal tips across Wales remain safe is of the utmost importance and, unlike the Conservative Government, we committed £25 million of funding this year for essential work to keep tips maintained and safe. Quite why Plaid Cymru and the Conservatives voted against that additional funding in the Senedd is beyond me. They need to explain that to our former coalmining communities.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Secretary of State, Mims Davies.

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

Does the Minister prefer peanuts, cashew nuts or simply scraps for Wales? The fabled “two Labour Governments in lockstep” is simply a myth for voters. Changing rail classifications and short-changing Welsh communities is a true reality. Is the Minister concerned about today’s reported peanuts? When did she become aware of the paltry settlement of just over £400 million that is to come to Wales? How will that be split for the Welsh Government? How does it compare with our Government’s £740 million for rail alone? What specific action did she take to argue for a fair share for Wales, and for its place in the Union?

[Jo Stevens]

The hon. Lady’s party, which was in government for 14 years, was in power when Wales got 1% of the rail enhancement budget, although it has 11% of the whole UK network. Her party is responsible for the historical underfunding of Welsh rail, and we will hear from the Chancellor this afternoon about what this Government are going to do about it.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

[Jo Stevens]

Obviously, the Royal Welsh Show is a landmark event in the calendar in Wales every year. I would be happy to offer the hon. Member a meeting with the Minister responsible for farming at the Wales Office.

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

5. What recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on support for clean energy projects in Wales.

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[Rachel Hopkins (Luton South and South Bedfordshire) (Lab)]

11. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to create new jobs in Wales.

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

Since July, we have driven over £1.5 billion of private investment into Wales, delivering hundreds of jobs. Last month, I was delighted to welcome Knauf Insulation’s new £170 million investment in Shotton. Our Welsh freeports and investment zones will unlock further private investment and deliver tens of thousands of jobs across all four corners of Wales. Last month, Lloyds Bank reported a significant increase in Welsh business confidence, and our industrial strategy will provide further confidence to invest in Wales.

[Johanna Baxter]

This Labour Government are creating good, well-paid jobs across the whole of the UK, including in my Paisley and Renfrewshire South constituency. Will the Secretary of State explain what she is doing, in collaboration with Cabinet colleagues, to ensure that those new jobs are well paid and have good terms and conditions?

[Jo Stevens]

My hon. Friend is right to highlight the Labour Government’s record of creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs across the UK. In Wales, we have two Labour Governments working together to create new jobs in our green industries, advanced manufacturing and more. I hope that Scotland also gets to experience the benefit of two Labour Governments working in partnership when the Scottish National party is resigned to the wilderness at next year’s election.

[Rachel Hopkins (Luton South and South Bedfordshire) (Lab)]

The multibillion-pound deal to secure a new Universal theme park in Bedfordshire is a major example of the Government backing our crucial culture sector, creating new jobs and boosting living standards for my constituents and the wider region. What are the UK and Welsh Labour Governments doing to support the culture sector and create new jobs in Wales?

[Jo Stevens]

I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend. Many people in Wales will be looking forward to visiting the new Universal Studios theme park in her constituency. In Wales, we are supporting a thriving creative industries sector, which our industrial strategy has rightly identified as providing more potential for huge economic growth in the years ahead. We have confirmed £10 million to upgrade Venue Cymru in Conwy—the largest arts centre in Wales outside Cardiff—and £5 million to fund repair works to the Newport transporter bridge, both of which play a crucial role in the tourism economy. The Welsh Government are also investing £12 million in the Elan valley lakes Project through the mid-Wales growth deal.

[Carla Lockhart (Upper Bann) (DUP)]

Job creation in Wales is vital, so what representations has the Secretary of State made on behalf of businesses in Wales and the rest of Great Britain, which are being forced not to supply businesses in Northern Ireland any more because of the outrageous and unnecessary parcel border in the Irish sea? What is she doing to right the wrongs of the ongoing damage of the protocol and the Windsor framework to our Union and our economy?

[Jo Stevens]

The hon. Lady will know that the Government’s No. 1 mission is economic growth. We are creating jobs all across the country, we are building the economy and we have fixed the foundations. We will hear more from the Chancellor this afternoon on what will happen in the years ahead.

[Mr Speaker]

I call the shadow Secretary of State.

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

Turbocharging the Welsh economy—and the economy at large, frankly—is vital for social mobility and prosperity. We Conservatives delivered two Welsh investment zones, two freeports, more than £1 billion in extra funding, and we helped more than 2 million women into the jobs market across the UK. Yet the UK and Welsh Labour Governments are undoing that work. Their jobs tax, their tourism tax and the 20 mph default speed limit are a hammer blow to business confidence, particularly in the hospitality sector. Disgracefully, the unemployment rate for young women in Wales is up by 4.6%. Will the Secretary of State join me in calling for those damaging policies to be dropped so that our young women can get into the workforce and progress?

[Jo Stevens]

I say again that the positive impact of the UK and Welsh Labour Governments is clear in how the Welsh economy is changing. Employment has increased significantly in Wales, unemployment and economic activity have fallen, and real total wages have increased across the UK.

[Jack Rankin (Windsor) (Con)]

7. What discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on the future of nuclear power in Wales.

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

Yesterday we announced the biggest nuclear building programme in a generation. We are investing £14.2 billion to build Sizewell C, and we confirmed Rolls-Royce SMR as the preferred bidder to build the country’s small modular reactors. I met the chair of Great British Energy Nuclear last week to discuss how to maximise the opportunities for Wales of new nuclear projects, and I will continue to work with the Energy Secretary and the Welsh Government to ensure that Wales’s supply chain and workforce benefit from that investment.

[Jack Rankin]

Wales has incredible potential for the next generation of nuclear, but Labour’s announcement yesterday is a fraction of what is needed. Green baseload power that stabilises our grid enhances power generation, as it has done before in Anglesey. Will the Minister give a clearer answer today to confirm that Wales will be a key part of new nuclear, building on Conservative work supporting Welsh nuclear, or will this be another failure to deliver for these communities under Labour?

[Jo Stevens]

Almost all the UK’s nuclear power stations are currently due to come offline in the 2030s. It is this Government who are changing that, setting out our plan to end the years of Tory failure to invest or deliver on nuclear. We will deliver the biggest nuclear building programme in a generation.

[Claire Hughes (Bangor Aberconwy) (Lab)]

In 14 years, the Conservatives delivered no new nuclear anywhere in the country, including in Wales. Does the Secretary of State agree that this Labour Government are committed to delivering energy security, good jobs and lower bills for families across Wales?

[Jo Stevens]

My hon. Friend will know that the Sizewell C consortium, for example—a group of more than 200 nuclear supply chain companies—has a memorandum of understanding with the Welsh Government that will result in an investment of up to £900 million in the Welsh nuclear supply chain. Great British Energy Nuclear acquired the Wylfa site last year, which previously hosted a nuclear power plant and is the best potential site in the UK for new nuclear deployment.

[Mr Speaker]

Before we come to Prime Minister’s questions, I welcome in the Gallery the President and the delegation of the French National Assembly. I also welcome the knighthood given to Sir Billy Boston.