I beg to move,
That the Committee has considered the draft Government of Wales Act 2006 (Increase of Capital Borrowing Limits) Order 2026.
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Mrs Harris. I am grateful for the opportunity to debate this draft order today. The Government were elected on …
To be clear, that accountability is with the Senedd; its Members will be holding the Welsh Government to account. I commend this draft order to the Committee.
+2 more contributions in this session
CommonsOral QuestionsWales17 June 20262 contributions
The Prime Minister has announced a generational funding commitment to Welsh rail and a pipeline of projects worth up to £14 billion. That long-term plan will transform connectivity across Wales. We will deliver that at pace, building on the strong start of the £445 million of investment already secu…
I thank my hon. Friend for her excellent question. We have agreed a £14 billion long-term plan for Welsh rail, with work starting immediately, spanning 43 projects in every corner of Wales and unlocking around 12,000 jobs. New stations and faster and more reliable trains will connect people with com…
CommonsOral QuestionsWales17 June 20269 contributions
Creating high-quality jobs across Wales is a priority for this Labour Government, which is why we are backing major growth sectors across the country. We have delivered £2.5 billion for small modular reactors at Wylfa, supporting at least 3,000 jobs. Alongside that, new AI growth zones in north and …
The UK Government growth funding has been transformational across Wales, delivering jobs in local communities across all parts of the country. Last week, we announced £134 million for the Cardiff capital region, which has already created 7,000 jobs and is fast on its way to delivering 25,000 jobs fo…
The Prime Minister has announced a generational funding commitment to Welsh rail, and a pipeline of projects valued at £14 billion. This long-term plan will transform connectivity across Wales, and we will deliver it at pace, building on the strong start of at least £445 million of investment secure…
I thank my hon. Friend for pointing that out. The UK and Welsh Labour Governments’ £14 billion plan for rail unlocks and delivers the transport network that Wales needs and deserves, bringing 12,000 jobs, boosting our economy and making journeys faster and more frequent. The plan contains 43 project…
We are delivering the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the cold war, investing £270 billion over this Parliament. Our £50 million defence growth deal in Wales puts us front and centre to lead the way in 21st century autonomous defence technology. Alongside supporting our thriving…
To be quite frank, the hypocrisy is astounding. It is—
The Secretary of State and I are working closely with Cabinet Office colleagues to ensure that Welsh farmers benefit from reduced costs and bureaucracy when exporting their produce to the EU.
I was at Aberystwyth University just a few weeks ago. Scientists there are doing some excellent work, and it is fantastic that they are leading the way on a vaccine for TB in cattle. I know how devastating the impact of TB can be on farms and cattle. We have begun negotiations with the EU on an SPS …
We know that the cost of living is the No. 1 issue for people across the country and that is why we remain wholly committed to tackling it. As a result of our actions, interest rates have already been cut six times since the election, energy bills will be cheaper this spring and families getting a n…
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. One of the most important things to this Labour Government is putting more money in the pockets of people across Wales and England. So far, we have increased the national minimum and living wages, giving a pay rise to 160,000 Welsh workers; we have announced the f…
Too many children are held back by the scourge of poverty, wilfully created by the Conservative party. Our new child poverty strategy will lift more than half a million children out of poverty by 2030 across the UK, delivering the largest expected reduction since records began. Removing the two-chil…
I completely agree with my hon. Friend. It has and always will be children who pay the price for cruel policies, like those introduced under the Tories. I am proud that, as a Labour Government rooted in the values of fairness, we have scrapped the two-child limit, benefiting 69,000 children in Wales…
Family farms play a crucial role in our economy, our landscape, and our language of Wales, and I have regular discussions with Ministers in Westminster and in the Welsh Government about how we can ensure ongoing support. I also regularly speak to farmers and farming unions, continuing to build a tru…
This Labour Government are committed to supporting farms right across the country. I was with the new president of NFU Cymru, Abi Reader, just a few weeks ago in Wenvoe, hearing how family farms, including hers, will be protected. We will not apologise for being a listening Government, or for striki…
+4 more contributions in this session
CommonsOral QuestionsWales21 January 20263 contributions
As two Governments, we are committed to working together to keep cross-border arrangements fair, transparent and patient-centred. I am proud that last year’s spending review saw the largest financial settlement in the history of devolution. Working in partnership, we will fix the NHS and make it fit…
I thank my hon. Friend for raising the important work of the Lingen Davies charity. I understand that its appeal is seeking to raise £5 million to grow cancer care awareness in his area. The Government are committed to catching cancer earlier and treating it faster. I would be very happy to meet my …
+1 more contribution in this session
CommonsOral QuestionsWales21 January 20264 contributions
Welsh language broadcasting plays a critical role in shaping Welsh identity and culture. S4C has played a vital role in helping to revitalise the language, and ensures that it is kept relevant among the ever-growing number of people who speak it, not just in Wales but around the world. Its essential…
I think we are all glued to “The Traitors” this season. With the exodus from the Tory Benches to Reform, it is hard not to believe that we are living through a real-life “Traitors”. I thank my hon. Friend for his question. Welsh and Gaelic were the first languages of their nations, and have a strong…
+2 more contributions in this session
CommonsOral QuestionsWales21 January 20263 contributions
The UK and Welsh Governments are working closely together to support the agricultural sector, particularly when it comes to cross-border movements and disease control. As always, our message to farmers is to remain vigilant, vaccinate where possible, source responsibly and test. Through that approac…
My hon. Friend is absolutely right to raise the integrated nature of livestock markets across Wales and England. I reassure him that the Government are working together with the Welsh Government on all animal health-related issues, including bluetongue. I regularly speak to my colleague Huw Irranca-…
+1 more contribution in this session
CommonsOral QuestionsWales3 December 20254 contributions
The Welsh tourism sector is thriving. Last year, British residents alone took over 7 million overnight trips to Wales. If all councils in Wales were to introduce the Welsh Government’s visitor levy, it could raise as much as £33 million a year across Wales to invest in communities and tourism. This …
Quite the contrary: the visitor levy would boost the economy by up to £33 million if all councils were to accept it across Wales. I do not think that will— [ Interruption. ]
+2 more contributions in this session
CommonsOral QuestionsWales3 December 20253 contributions
I thank the hon. Member for raising this important matter. The Home Office is working closely with the Welsh Government to share information and co-ordinate work to prevent and respond to child sexual abuse and exploitation, including that perpetrated by grooming gangs. This includes taking forward …
I am disappointed in the hon. Member. She must have forgotten that the last inquiry was not implemented in any way, shape or form. We have accepted Baroness Casey’s recommendations in full, and we are working together—the Welsh Government and the Home Office, alongside Baroness Casey—to appoint a ch…
+1 more contribution in this session
CommonsProceedings19 November 202513 contributions
My first thoughts, and those of the Secretary of State, are with all the people and businesses affected by the flooding over the weekend. The impact in Monmouthshire has been devastating for local residents and traders and I know that hon. Members across the House will be thinking of them as they re…
The hon. Lady is absolutely right that time is of the essence. My heart goes out to all those impacted by the storm over the weekend. It must be absolutely dreadful for those people to see their business or home flooded after all the hard work they have put in all their lives; I cannot image the tra…
+11 more contributions in this session
CommonsOral QuestionsWales29 October 20253 contributions
We are investing at least £445 million in Welsh rail in order to right years of underfunding by past Governments. That will mean new stations and more and faster trains along the key lines, and will improve cross-border connectivity, create jobs and boost economic growth.
My hon. Friend has been a strong champion for this rail investment, which is the key to unlock Wales’s economic potential. It includes funds to progress the five Burns stations in Cardiff East, Newport West, Somerton, Llanwern and Magor and Undy. I will continue to work with the Wales Rail Board and…
+1 more contribution in this session
CommonsOral QuestionsWales29 October 20254 contributions
We inherited a broken asylum system in absolute chaos from the Tories, with tens of thousands stuck in a system dependent on expensive asylum hotels. We are committed to ending the use of hotels as asylum accommodation as soon as possible and before the end of this Parliament, as part of a controlle…
It sounds like the hon. Member does not agree with welcoming the thousands of Ukrainian refugees that the UK Government’s nation of sanctuary has supported. The scheme has been used to welcome Ukrainian families fleeing from Russian aggression. That is a cause that I understood her party supported.
+2 more contributions in this session
CommonsOral QuestionsWales29 October 20255 contributions
Thank you, Mr Speaker. As a proud Welsh MP I am honoured to be here for my first Welsh questions.
We fully recognise the role of farmers and the agricultural community in Wales. That is why one of the first things that I did as Minister was meet members of the Farmers’ Union of Wales at the farm of…
This Government want to strike a fair balance between supporting farmers and fixing our public finances on which our communities, including those important agricultural communities, rely so heavily. The vast majority of farmers will not be affected by this change, and they will be able to pass the f…
I am honoured to close this final debate of the term from the Government Dispatch Box. As a Government Whip, I do not often have the opportunity to speak in this Chamber, so it is a genuine privilege to be responding for the first time in this way. I am usually the one lurking just out of shot, mutt…