Speeches by Davies.

“Do you think then, as you mentioned there, the rail network enhancements should be transferred from the Department to the Welsh rail board?”

“Farha, can you explain the responsibilities of the Wales Rail Board and its role in delivering infrastructure and enhancements?”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Jeremy. I have 10 market towns in my constituency, but—do not panic—I am not going to talk about them all. They include Caerfyrddin, which is the oldest town in Wales and has the amphitheatre to prove it. Honestly, though, people there are still struggling to recov…”

“Diolch yn fawr iawn, Madam Dirprwy Lefarydd. I begin by referring Members to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests. What a pleasure it is to be here today attending at my very first St David’s debate in the House, representing the fine people of Caerfyrddin. Although it is traditional to hold this de…”

“Diolch, Mr Llefarydd. Only 41.9% of my constituency of Caerfyrddin has gigabit availability, compared with the UK average of 78.5%. In fact, 2.6% of my constituency has very little broadband at all. While more and more people use on-demand and internet-based TV services, many still have to rely on terrestrial TV to wat…”

“Absolutely. It is vital for any new electricity infrastructure to be placed underground, as it is in Belgium, Holland, Germany, Denmark, Ireland and most other European countries. Would that not make more sense? We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to build a green economy that works for everyone in Wales, not ju…”

“2. What steps her Department is taking to support the television industry in Wales.”

“Extending the warm home discount to all households that receive means-tested benefits could make a difference to many, especially those who have not received their winter fuel payment this winter. However, £150 off will not go far enough to help the 56% of adults in Wales likely to ration their energy over the next thr…”

“As the hon. Member for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe (David Chadwick) mentioned, Welsh Government figures show that income fell for Welsh farmers by 34% between April 2023 and March 2024 and the dairy income by 59%. Does he believe we should safeguard all future food production in Wales? Welsh farmers should be able to r…”

“If I may follow up, the SFS—the sustainable farming scheme—is an important policy change. How can Welsh Government biodiversity, carbon capture and net zero targets be met with fewer farmers on the land, in addition to the catastrophic economic effect in swathes of rural Wales if this tax policy is implemented? Remembe…”

“I declare an interest in the agricultural question, as a tenanted dairy farmer.”

“Wales’s creative industry is a cornerstone of our culture and economy. It generated £3.8 billion in the last financial year—5.3% of our GDP—and much of that success relies on strong copyright protections. Creatives must be paid when their work is used, including for AI training. Too often creative data is being scraped…”

“Diolch, Prif Weinidog, hefyd. The figures for the number of Welsh farmers impacted by the inheritance tax changes are disputed. We have the Treasury coming out at about 25%, FUW—the Farmers’ Union of Wales—at 93%, NFU Cymru at 75% and an independent firm of accountants in west Wales at 90%. All are way over the Treasur…”

“That is fantastic; thank you.”

“We will perhaps catch up outside this forum. Diolch yn fawr.”

“No, but in fairness, I did not know or we did not know as a Committee until Stephen Kinnock sent us a letter—that is out in the public domain—that the Welsh Government follow exactly the same drugs tariff as is followed in England. None of us here knew that until Stephen Kinnock brought it to our attention. That should…”

“That would be great. Do you think the Welsh Government are transparent enough in how the drugs tariff works in Wales?”

“Absolutely.”

“Those are not the examples that I have had, but perhaps that is something that I need to follow up with you outside this forum, if that is okay.”

“You have touched on community pharmacy funding before. Pharmacies are integral to our communities, as you have already noted in answer to a previous question. However, every community pharmacy in my constituency of Caerfyrddin notes that the drugs tariff does not work for them, with examples of repayment of £2.50 per d…”