Oral Answers to Questions

Joanna Cherry Excerpts

Wednesday 1st March 2023 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

My hon. Friend is right that the tragic incident near Italy at the weekend demonstrates only too well how illegal crossings put lives at risk. That is why last year the Home Secretary and I last year announced five new measures to tackle the problem of small boat crossings, including the largest ever boats deal with France and a landmark deal with Albania. But we must do more, and as soon as the legislation is ready it will be brought to this House to ensure that if you arrive in this country illegally, you will not be able to stay. You will be swiftly detained and removed to your own country or a safe third-country alternative. That is the right and responsible way to tackle this problem.

[Joanna Cherry (Edinburgh South West) (SNP)]

Q6.   The Prime Minister and I have one thing in common: we have both had to step in and sort out legal and constitutional messes created by his predecessor but one, the right hon. Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson). The Prime Minister has boasted that his new Brexit deal puts Northern Ireland in an “unbelievably special position” because it will have access to both the UK and EU markets. He said that that makes it “the world’s most exciting economic zone.” My question to the Prime Minister is, if there can be a very special status for the province of Northern Ireland, why can there not be a very special status for the nation of Scotland?

[The Prime Minister]

There is a very special status for the nation of Scotland, and that is inside our United Kingdom.

Oral Answers to Questions

Joanna Cherry Excerpts

Wednesday 25th May 2022 Commons Chamber

[John Mc Nally (Falkirk) (SNP)]

2. What recent steps the Government have taken to mitigate the impact of rising costs of living on (a) households and (b) businesses in Wales.

[Joanna Cherry (Edinburgh South West) (SNP)]

4. What recent steps the Government have taken to mitigate the impact of rising costs of living on (a) households and (b) businesses in Wales.

[Ms Anum Qaisar (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP)]

10. What recent steps the Government have taken to mitigate the impact of rising costs of living on (a) households and (b) businesses in Wales.

--- Later in debate ---

[Simon Hart]

Even the Welsh Government have not made that argument to me. I think they fully recognise that the proper and fair distribution of welfare is done most effectively and cost-effectively on a UK-wide basis, but I am grateful that the hon. Gentleman has raised this issue because the money that the Scottish Government are using is available as a consequence of the Barnett formula, and the situation is the same in Wales.

[Joanna Cherry]

In relation to the cost of living crisis faced by people in Wales and across the United Kingdom, the Prime Minister told the Welsh Tory party conference that the UK Government would

“put our arms around the British people again as we did during covid”.

Based on the evidence of the Sue Gray report, they are more likely to be linking arms in a conga line. Can the Secretary of State for Wales tell me what discussions he has had with the Chancellor on an emergency Budget to help the poorest households in Wales and across the United Kingdom?

[Simon Hart]

The hon. and learned Lady rightly refers to the fact that the Chancellor may yet be making further comments about this particular issue, just as he did throughout the pandemic. For those who think that the Treasury is neither flexible nor conscious of these challenges, the fact is that there was ample evidence during the pandemic—and now, of course, during the current challenges we face—to disprove that theory. I can tell her, and everyone else in the House, that I have really regular conversations with Treasury Ministers and with the Chancellor himself about exactly these challenges.

Oral Answers to Questions

Joanna Cherry Excerpts

Wednesday 9th February 2022 Commons Chamber

[David T. C. Davies]

I am not sure whether my hon. Friend wants to declare a particular interest. Obviously we support Openreach in delivering fibre to the hardest-to-reach areas, but I take him back to the whole purpose of Project Gigabit—to deliver to the hardest-to-reach 20%. The figures already show that we are being very successful in achieving that greater connectivity in rural Wales.

[Joanna Cherry (Edinburgh South West) (SNP)]

5. If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of devolving control of the Crown Estate in Wales to the Welsh Government.

[Allan Dorans (Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock) (SNP)]

6. If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of devolving control of the Crown Estate in Wales to the Welsh Government.

--- Later in debate ---

[The Secretary of State for Wales (Simon Hart)]

There is no public appetite at all in Wales to devolve the Crown Estate, which would serve merely to fragment the market and delay the further development of key projects.

[Joanna Cherry]

The Scottish Government have awarded 25 GW of offshore wind development rights through Crown Estate Scotland to 17 projects, which has put Scotland at the forefront of global offshore wind development. It is more than double the UK’s existing offshore wind capacity and it will create high-quality jobs and significant local investment. Why does the Secretary of State not think that devolving the Crown Estate to Wales would benefit the people of Wales in the way that it is benefitting the people of Scotland?

[Simon Hart]

I have spoken on this subject recently to port authorities, investors, councils, employees and, most importantly, the public. Not a single person—not one—has suggested to me that the future of floating offshore or, indeed, any other renewables will benefit from the devolution of the Crown Estate. This is an international opportunity for Wales. The supply chain benefits are huge and, actually, the Scottish National party’s ambitions are far too modest in this respect.