Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between Steve Witherden and Nia Griffith(3 weeks, 3 days ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Dame Nia Griffith
I can confirm that the hon. Gentleman is absolutely right.
Steve Witherden (Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr) (Lab)
Steve Witherden
I welcome the news that the Secretary of State has signed a memorandum of understanding on four Welsh growth deals with Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Rebecca Evans. Will the Minister outline how this UK-Welsh Government partnership will deliver the well-paid jobs and economic growth needed in areas like Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr?
Dame Nia Griffith
The memorandum of understanding signed recently between the UK and Welsh Governments further demonstrates our commitment to working together to deliver economic growth throughout Wales. The UK Government have invested £790 million in Wales’s growth deals, including £110 million in the Mid Wales growth deal which aims to leverage up to £400 million of public and private sector investment in the region and create up to 1,400 additional jobs.
Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between Steve Witherden and Nia Griffith(3 months, 2 weeks ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Dame Nia Griffith
The hon. Member will know as well as I do that the new Leader of the Opposition is the one who sold our farmers down the river, negotiating deals with places such as Australia and leaving our farmers open to increasing quotas on imported meat. I assure him that this Government are committed to promoting robust standards, nationally and internationally, to protect consumer interests and to ensure that consumers have confidence in the food that they buy. We will consider the full range of tools at our disposal to uphold the UK’s commitment to high standards. That includes using our influence in the World Trade Organisation and other multilateral bodies to argue for better and fairer trading rules.
Steve Witherden (Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr) (Lab)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales (Dame Nia Griffith)
Our mission to kick-start economic growth will deliver good jobs and growth in Wales. Just last month, our international investment summit secured over £63 billion in private investment into the UK. Since July, we have secured over £1 billion of investment into north Wales, creating and sustaining 400 well-paid jobs in manufacturing.
Steve Witherden
The Secretary of State has said that economic growth is her No. 1 priority. Can the Minister say how the Budget’s confirmation of the investment zones will help contribute to that aim?
Dame Nia Griffith
The Budget includes a total of £320 million and a commitment for the investment zones in Cardiff and Newport and in Wrexham and Flintshire. This is a crucial part of our work with the Welsh Government to provide a rocket boost for sectoral strengths such as the creative industries, the life sciences and advanced manufacturing, including our world-leading compound semiconductor cluster.