I welcome the report, which dismisses the long-held stereotypes that young people are lazy or do not want to work. This situation is not a failure of young people; it is a failure of the system. In the survey, 84% of NEET young people said they want to find a job, education or training. Will my hon.…
It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Sir Roger. I congratulate the right hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Sir Iain Duncan Smith) on securing this debate.
The stories, as has been said many times, of small and medium-sized charities and the impact that they have can be seen …
Diolch yn fawr, Madam Deputy Speaker. It is a real pleasure to speak in my second St David’s day debate in this Chamber. I begin by thanking my hon. Friend the Member for Newport West and Islwyn (Ruth Jones), Chair of the Select Committee, and the hon. Member for Ceredigion Preseli (Ben Lake) for se…
It’s a close-run thing.
There is also a range of interactive and engaging cultural and educational activities for everyone to enjoy and take part in. Wrexham is bidding to become the city of culture in 2029 and our annual St David’s day celebrations, which are now embedded in our city and growing e…
+1 more contribution in this session
CommonsOral QuestionsHome Department9 February 2026
Trust and confidence are the cornerstones of a functioning asylum system, yet both were damaged in Wrexham recently due to an unclear and poorly communicated proposal for large houses in multiple occupation to be used for asylum accommodation. Following years of Tory failure, we have inherited a cha…
Last year, the Welsh Labour Government introduced a £1 bus fare cap for young people. Since then, these reduced fares have been used on 2 million journeys. Earlier this month, Welsh Labour announced in my constituency that after the Senedd election in May, we will build on that success with a £2 bus…
I congratulate my hon. Friend on securing this excellent debate and on his excellent speech. One of the most important and exciting aspects of SDCs, such as the excellent Xplore! Science Discovery Centre in my constituency of Wrexham, which neighbours his constituency, is their ability to reach thos…
CommonsOral QuestionsDefence15 December 20252 contributions
3. What steps he is taking through defence spending to help increase economic growth.
As the Secretary of State outlined, the new defence growth deals announced earlier this year promise exciting opportunities, particularly for young people entering high-skill engineering and new apprenticeship roles. North Wales already hosts world-class defence firms, such as Teledyne Qioptiq; what…
CommonsOral QuestionsBusiness and Trade11 December 20252 contributions
6. What steps his Department is taking to help create economic growth.
As someone with a long and proud career in the hospitality industry before being elected to this place, I know—as we all do—that the sector plays a vital role for our high streets and communities. It brings people together, provides crucial local jobs and boosts economies. In Wrexham alone, over 1,2…
I welcome the clear ambition for our railways, and therefore for our nation, that the Railways Bill brings. Rail runs in my family’s blood: my late grandad worked on the railways, first for London and North Western Railway and then for British Rail in Crewe, one of the homes of rail and where I spen…
I completely agree. That will be crucial to improving services for everybody.
We have a renewed deal for Welsh customers as well. The inclusion of a memorandum of understanding means that there will be a shared understanding and shared objectives across funding, access and track integration. Crucia…
CommonsOral QuestionsHome Department15 September 20252 contributions
8. What recent progress her Department has made on tackling antisocial behaviour.
In Wrexham, North Wales police is doing very important work to tackle persistent antisocial behaviour and low-level crime, but local people are, quite rightly, seeking further reassurance that these issues will continue to be dealt with and tackled head on. Will the Minister please update the House …
CommonsOral QuestionsBusiness and Trade17 July 20252 contributions
3. What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the industrial strategy on north Wales.
I totally agree with my right hon. Friend; this Government’s industrial strategy backs businesses in Wales not just with words, but with action and billions of pounds of investment over the next decade. In Wrexham, we are fortunate to have fantastic businesses, such as Kellogg’s and Hydro Aluminium …
12. What steps he is taking to improve co-operation with devolved Governments.
This Labour Government understand the importance of partnership in power. One year on, I welcome that this partnership has delivered record funding for Wales to improve our railways, protect coal tips, and boost our economy and our public services. At the general election, we rightly recognised that…
CommonsWestminster Hall19 June 20252 contributions
I beg to move,
That this House has considered the role of careers education in improving social mobility.
It is a pleasure to see you in the Chair, Ms Lewell, and I thank the Backbench Business Committee for providing time for this debate. The term “social mobility” is used widely and in many cont…
I thank the Minister, the hon. Member for Gordon and Buchan (Harriet Cross) and the hon. Member for Twickenham (Munira Wilson) for their remarks—they are much appreciated. I thank all hon. Members who took part in the debate. It was great to hear their insightful and valuable contributions. They spo…
5. What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the performance of rail services operating from north Wales.
Rail plays a vital role in the north Wales economy, so I welcome the recent announcement of 12 additional services per week between Holyhead and London. However, that remains a shadow of the pre-covid timetable, which saw up to 14 daily direct services. The north Wales line regularly sees more cance…
CommonsOral QuestionsWales30 April 20252 contributions
5. What steps she is taking to strengthen the Union.
Supporting people into work is the right thing to do, not just economically but morally. I therefore welcome the recently announced UK Trailblazer programme in north Wales, which will do away with the one-size-fits-all approach and will instead meet people where they are, giving them a greater chanc…