Oral Answers to Questions

Liz Saville Roberts Excerpts

Wednesday 14th January 2026 Commons Chamber

[Graham Leadbitter (Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey) (SNP)]

1. What discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of her policies on the cost of living in Scotland.

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

7. What discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of her policies on the cost of living in Scotland.

[The Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr Douglas Alexander)]

The measures announced by the Chancellor at the Budget will help families right across Scotland. Scrapping the two-child limit will benefit 95,000 Scottish children. We are putting more money into the pockets of 220,000 people in Scotland through increases to the national minimum and living wage, and the triple lock pension increase will benefit around 1 million Scottish pensioners. We are also cutting energy bills by up to £300 for those most in need.

[Mr Alexander]

What is the reality? The governing philosophy of the Scottish National party is 19th-century nationalism. What is the reality of what we saw yesterday? The 19th budget from John Swinney. The idea that after 18 goes, the SNP will get it right at the 19th is frankly risible. We have the same record of failure with the SNP. If people want a new direction, they will have the chance to vote for it in May.

[Liz Saville Roberts]

England-only projects such as Northern Powerhouse Rail give the Scottish Government the Barnett consequentials that they rightly choose to use on cost of living support such as the Scottish child payment, but Wales is denied any such extra funding. The Secretary of State’s Government have committed to learning lessons from HS2. Why can Wales not have the same means? I assure him that would allow a Plaid Cymru Welsh Government to spend in order to alleviate child poverty.

[Mr Alexander]

I think 19th-century nationalism is a bad prescription for Scotland, and it is also a bad prescription for Wales. We are proud of the fact that we are increasing public investment not just in rail, as we have heard today from the Transport Secretary, but more broadly across public services in every part of these islands.

UK-EU Common Understanding Negotiations

Liz Saville Roberts Excerpts

Wednesday 17th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Nick Thomas-Symonds]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right and I thank him for his kind words and indeed his two friends and former Erasmus colleagues. I will also, if I may, Madam Deputy Speaker, congratulate him on the Christmas jumper.

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

I welcome the Erasmus+ agreement as closer ties with Europe are good news for the futures of thousands upon thousands of young people. Since 2022, the Taith programme in Wales has offered life-changing opportunities for people to study abroad after Brexit slammed so many doors shut. Given its implications for Taith, how will Wales’s priorities be reflected in the administration of Erasmus+?

[Nick Thomas-Symonds]

A Welsh MP negotiated the new agreement, so I hope that is a good start. The right hon. Lady is none the less absolutely right to praise the Welsh Labour Government’s work on the Taith programme; it is great to see her praising the work of the Welsh Labour Government. In November, I spoke to civic society groups and those involved in that Taith outreach and discovered their exemplary work involving students and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, and I am looking at that work in terms of access to Erasmus+.

Oral Answers to Questions

Liz Saville Roberts Excerpts

Wednesday 10th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

My hon. Friend is right. Waiting lists are falling, with over 5 million extra appointments; more people are being seen within 18 weeks; and we have hired 2,600 new GPs. That is real progress that has been made thanks to the hard work of NHS staff, backed by our record investment. I do think the strikes are unjustified, and they threaten that hard-won progress. The focus should always be on patients.

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

The Prime Minister just said that he wanted a closer relationship with Europe, but he then referenced the Labour party manifesto. Wales has been hit hardest by Brexit—exports are down by a third. When will he admit that the only solution to the chaos imposed by Brexit is to rejoin the customs union and the single market, or is he too afraid of what his party might say?

[The Prime Minister]

I went to Solihull to see the Jaguar Land Rover workforce before we got the deal with President Trump. They were worried sick that they were going to lose their jobs—that would be a loss for them, their families and their communities. I took the call from President Trump, when we got the deal, in Solihull at JLR, so that the first people I could tell were the workforce, who knew very well that it meant their jobs were safeguarded. We have also just done a deal on pharma, which is the first of its kind, and the best of its kind, in the world. It is not sensible or fair to the JLR workforce, or to the pharma sector, to say that, having achieved those things now, we should unravel them through discussion of a customs union. I just do not think that is a sensible way to take our country forward.

Oral Answers to Questions

Liz Saville Roberts Excerpts

Wednesday 3rd December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Jo Stevens]

My hon. Friend rightly championed the Welsh compound semiconductor cluster from the minute she arrived in this place, and I have seen its success for myself on a number of visits. In last week’s Budget, the Chancellor announced £10 million for semiconductor activities in south Wales. That funding will focus on the technology that is central and critical to artificial intelligence and data centres, in order to support innovation, strengthen supply chains and develop the skills needed for future growth. Just two weeks ago, I was with the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology at Cardiff University—a key partner for the cluster—to announce the south Wales AI growth zone, which will create more than 5,000 new jobs for local communities, including in my hon. Friend’s constituency.

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

We all know why the Chancellor went to Wales on Monday: she was seeking to avoid scrutiny over a self-inflicted controversy, but it does not end there. There has been criticism of the Chancellor’s claim that additional funding for Scotland was given

“because Anas Sarwar asked us to.”—[Official Report, 26 November 2025; Vol. 776, c. 388.]

There was no mention of the Welsh First Minister, Eluned Morgan. There is a mechanism for Barnett funding; it is not a gift. Will the Secretary of State commit to honesty about how Wales is funded, rather than insulting our intelligence?

[Jo Stevens]

I am surprised at the right hon. Lady’s tone. While this Labour Government make record investment in Wales, Plaid Cymru’s response is to be the same old stuck record, with its miserable grievance politics. It really is the Victor Meldrew of Welsh politics. It still has not explained which taxes it would raise and which public services it would cut to pay for its disastrous independence plan, which would cost every single person in Wales £7,000 a year, every single year.

[Liz Saville Roberts]

That was desperate. We all know that the Secretary of State has been using figures that we cannot extrapolate from, and cannot use to show what independence will do. I wish she would keep up, because Plaid Cymru is actually talking with Labour in Cardiff about how to improve public services and the NHS. The people of Wales want facts, not spin. A year after the announcement of inheritance tax changes, the UK Government have still failed to release data on the impact on family businesses and farms in Wales. She knows that the cross-party Welsh Affairs Committee has called for the changes to be delayed until a full Wales-specific impact assessment is published. What have the Government got to hide?

[Jo Stevens]

The Government have absolutely nothing to hide.

Public Office (Accountability) Bill

Liz Saville Roberts Excerpts

2nd reading
Monday 3rd November 2025 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I also think that we owe the families a better debate than this descending into party political point scoring. I hope we can continue the debate in that way.

This Bill will tackle that injustice so that when tragedy strikes and the state is called to account, in inquiries, inquests and other investigations, public officials—from police officers to the highest offices in the land—will be subject to that duty. That means that an injustice like this can never again hide in some dark corner of the state. Failure to comply—failure, therefore, to act with candour, transparency and frankness—will now carry criminal penalties, including being sent to prison.

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

As a sponsor of the private Member’s Bill tabled by the hon. Member for Liverpool West Derby (Ian Byrne), I fully welcome this Bill’s introduction, and I welcome that the protections include criminal offences of misconduct in public life. Can the Prime Minister assure me and others that those new offences will be able to be applied retrospectively?

[The Prime Minister]

No, they will not be able to, but that is not a deficiency of this Bill; it is a long-standing constitutional rule. This will be about offences moving forward. But I will just make the point—because I do think it is important—that these measures will apply across the United Kingdom, and I would like to place on record my thanks to the devolved Governments for their collaboration on this.

I can also announce that the Government intend to bring forward an amendment to extend this duty to local authority investigations in England, which will make sure that when an inquiry or investigation is set up by a local authority—for example, the Kerslake inquiry into the Manchester Arena bombings—there can also be that duty of co-operation and candour in the search for the truth.

Oral Answers to Questions

Liz Saville Roberts Excerpts

Wednesday 29th October 2025 Commons Chamber

[Jo Stevens]

I am very glad that the hon. Lady knows the name of the Welsh Conservative leader in the Senedd, because clearly her colleague the shadow Home Secretary, the right hon. Member for Croydon South (Chris Philp), does not. They must have ended their fight about who is the actual leader.

We are delivering for the people of Wales. We have ended Tory austerity, and we have the largest budget settlement in the history of devolution, with nearly £5 billion extra to spend on public services over the next three years. We are creating jobs, and we have increased the minimum wage and the national living wage for 160,000 Welsh workers. We are fixing the foundations and the chaos that the hon. Lady’s party left behind.

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

Allow me first to congratulate Lindsay Whittle on his seismic victory in Caerphilly. In doing so, I pay tribute to the late Hefin David, whose service to his community was deeply respected. As Mr Whittle has said:

“He will be a hard act to follow. I will never fill his shoes but I promise you I will walk the same path that he did”.

The result shows that people in Wales seek real change. In her capacity as Secretary of State at the Wales Office, what is she doing to press the Labour Chancellor to include measures that benefit Wales in the autumn Budget?

[Jo Stevens]

I thank the right hon. Lady for her words about our late colleague Hefin David. I congratulate Lindsay Whittle on his victory and on becoming a Senedd Member; I am sure that he will work very hard for his Caerphilly constituency for the next six months. As she will know, I am not going to comment on discussions between myself and the Chancellor ahead of the Budget. She will have to wait and see what the Chancellor says on 26 November.

[Liz Saville Roberts]

None the less, I think we all know that the autumn Budget risks falling short of tackling the deep poverty and lack of opportunities that still scar far too many Welsh communities. We need to tax income from wealth fairly, scrap the two-child limit and ensure that families have the support they need to cope with rising costs. The Secretary of State tells me to wait for the Budget. Perhaps she is therefore prepared, for once, to meet with me to discuss Plaid Cymru’s proposals for a fairer, more ambitious UK Budget that actually works for Wales. Will she meet with me?

[Jo Stevens]

I am very happy to meet with the right hon. Lady.

Oral Answers to Questions

Liz Saville Roberts Excerpts

Wednesday 15th October 2025 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I join my hon. Friend in marking the heroism and sacrifice of the 29th Infantry Brigade, which is an enduring example of the bravery of all our armed forces. I know that Defence Ministers would be happy to discuss commemorating their courage. Our debt to the armed forces underlies our commitment to veterans, which includes delivering homes for heroes and a new network of veteran support centres, backed with £50 million.

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

Ahead of his party conference, the Prime Minister told the BBC that he was not sure whether he would campaign in Caerphilly for the by-election on 23 October. This is an important by-election in Wales, but with just over a week to go, the Prime Minister has not shown his face there yet. What is the problem? Is it his party’s decision to close 10 libraries in the community? Is it cuts to disability support? Or is it perhaps the fact that even the council leader resigned from the Labour party and is calling on people to support Plaid Cymru?

[The Prime Minister]

The right hon. Lady leaves out of her count that we provided £21 billion—the largest ever settlement for Wales—and what did she do? She voted against it, if you can believe it. While we are on the question of money, I noticed that this week, the right hon. Lady accepted figures showing that independence would cost every Welsh person £7,000. Her party should be honest about the cost of their policies to the people of Wales.

Security Update: Official Secrets Act Case

Liz Saville Roberts Excerpts

Monday 13th October 2025 Commons Chamber

[Dan Jarvis]

I respect the right hon. Gentleman too, and I hope that he will understand that any Government will seek to balance issues relating to national security as well as issues relating to economic prosperity. That, I think, is not an unreasonable way in which to proceed. I do, however, want to pick him up on one point: the National Security Adviser does not have any links to the 48 Group.

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

Foreign interference in our democracies is, of course, deeply concerning, and transparency from Governments and, indeed, all legislators is essential. That includes transparency in relation to past elected representatives, such as Reform UK’s former leader in Wales, who has pleaded guilty to accepting bribes from Russia. To uphold public accountability, will the Minister commit to working with the Attorney General to publish the names of all individuals interviewed by counter-terrorism police in connection with the Nathan Gill bribery cases? The people of Wales are rightly concerned.

[Dan Jarvis]

The right hon. Lady is right; transparency is important. If she will forgive me, I will look carefully at the point that she has made and take it away, but I hope this also means that she will be seeking to support our elections Bill.

UK-EU Summit

Liz Saville Roberts Excerpts

Tuesday 20th May 2025 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I point my hon. Friend to the endorsements from the very many supermarkets yesterday who made precisely that point. It will allow them now to lower the price of goods and food on their shelves. That is good for them and their businesses, it is good for working people, and it massively helps with the cost of living.

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

These incremental improvements are welcome as we begin to move on from some of the illusions of Brexit, although we had all this and far, far more 10 years ago. The Prime Minister once argued that

“we should retain the benefits of the single market”.—[Official Report, 1 May 2017; Vol. 630, c. 879.]

Given his recent tendency to dismiss the views of others, what would he say to his younger self?

[The Prime Minister]

I think last week I was overly rude and I apologise. I do respect the right hon. Member, and she makes a serious point. We are now outside the EU. We had red lines in our manifesto on the single market. We have kept to those red lines and delivered a very good deal.

Oral Answers to Questions

Liz Saville Roberts Excerpts

Wednesday 30th April 2025 Commons Chamber

[Jo Stevens]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right about the potential for growth. This Government’s commitment to increase defence spending means that our strong defence manufacturing base in Wales and the skilled jobs it supports has real potential for growth. The top five suppliers to the Ministry of Defence all have a footprint in Wales, and alongside that is a strong supply chain. The forthcoming industrial strategy will set out more details as to how that advanced manufacturing base will get Government support.

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

Reports of a new UK-EU strategic partnership to reduce trade barriers will, at last, be a welcome boost to Wales’s food and drinks producers, given that 75% of the sector’s exports go to the EU. All producers from farm to fork of our wonderful Welsh produce make a vital contribution to Wales’s economy. Will the Secretary of State join me in celebrating all Wales’s food producers and farmers, especially those at Sioe Nefyn—Nefyn Show—on Monday, and even more so those from Sir Gâr, or Carmarthenshire, here today?

[Jo Stevens]

I am delighted to support the Welsh food and farming industry, and I absolutely concur with the right hon. Lady’s comments.

[Liz Saville Roberts]

On another note, Policy in Practice shows that nearly half of the 10 UK local authority areas worst hit by Labour’s welfare cuts are in Wales—that is 190,000 people affected in Wales, hitting our post-industrial quarrying and coalmining communities hard. How does the Secretary of State explain to Welsh colleagues why the communities where Labour used to be strongest should now suffer so much because of her Government’s cruel welfare cuts?

[Jo Stevens]

As the right hon. Lady might know, none of those reforms has actually gone into effect yet, so nobody has been affected by them. We inherited a Tory welfare system that is the worst of all worlds: it provides the wrong incentives, discouraging people from working, while the people who really need a safety net are still not getting the dignity and support they need and deserve, with the taxpayer funding an ever-spiralling bill. It is unsustainable, indefensible and unfair.