Speeches by Medi.

“On the theme of the spending review, council leaders in Wales have said that they have a £36 million shortfall following the national insurance decision, compared with their English counterparts. The front‑loading of the budget means that there will be less money moving on for non-NHS spending. With Welsh counci…”

“We have seen data saying that by 2029, child poverty in Wales will hit 35%. In Scotland we have seen it will be 19%. Do you think there are lessons we can learn from other nations?”

“I have a quick supplementary, which I think Guto touched on. David, you mentioned the need for economic growth to plug the gap, but then you said that the capital funding has been reduced, and capital funding is there for the infrastructure and R&D. Even with the greatest will, we need a change in that capital side, th…”

“Why is child poverty so high in Wales?”

“I congratulate the hon. Member for Kingswinford and South Staffordshire (Mike Wood) on securing this debate. I declare that I am chair of the all-party parliamentary group for hospitality, events, major food and drink businesses in Wales, and a member of the all-party parliamentary group for hospitality and tourism. A …”

“This is a question for Ben Lewis. The Open University has a different operating model from the other universities that we are hearing from today. Can you tell us about the challenges and the opportunities that this brings to you in the current climate?”

“Others may want to jump in too, but what flexibility do you have to react quickly to industry demand around skills? Are you having those conversations about upskilling in these industries?”

“Holyhead Towing in my constituency has vessels in the middle east, specifically in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE. The company is keeping its crew updated to the best of its knowledge. What official advice or guidance is available for UK maritime operators working in the region?”

“The industrial strategy has a commitment to increase R&D to drive growth. However, Wales has consistently missed out on its population share of UK R&D funding for years, receiving around 2% rather than the 5% we should be receiving. What are the Government doing to ensure that Wales gets its fair share under th…”

“Let me start by wishing a happy Pride Month to members of the LGBT+ community on Ynys Môn and beyond. Pride Month is, of course, a time for celebration, a time to reflect on the vital contributions of members of the LGBTQ+ community to our society, and a time to renew our conviction that everyone deserves to love and l…”

“Diolch, Cadeirydd—it is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship. SMEs employ nearly 750,000 people in Wales, with a combined annual turnover of over £50 billion. There are more rural businesses in Wales, at 46.2%, than in the UK as a whole, at 31.9%. Supporting rural businesses is therefore especially important for…”

“Plaid Cymru welcomes the Government’s statement and hope that it will lead to concrete, properly funded action. In February, a Plaid Cymru amendment called on the Welsh Government to work with police forces on an all-Wales audit of child abuse cases, and it was backed unanimously. What concrete steps have been taken be…”

“The Secretary of State’s message to the private sector is, “If you want to build new nuclear, Britain is open.” Companies have told me that they need decisive and committed leadership from the UK Government to be confident to invest in a new project at Wylfa. I have raised that 11 times in the Chamber, yet today there …”

“I rise to support new clause 39. Building large-scale solar farms on productive agricultural land is short-sighted. The proposed Maen Hir project, classed as a nationally significant infrastructure project, will cover over 3,000 acres of agricultural land on Ynys Môn. This is not just any land; it is land that sustains…”

“Aled touched on the ringfencing. It would be a Welsh Government decision, but would you be in support of ringfencing that funding in Wales for agriculture?”

“This is not on my register of interests, but I should declare that I am a farmer’s daughter. My mother, who now owns the farm, is also a widow. I will put that out there before we start. My question is about the announcement of the Barnettisation of the support coming to Wales. I want you to convey how you think that B…”

“We can all see that a genocide is happening in Gaza, and it is about time that this Government called it out for what it is. We are witnessing the systematic dismantling of Gaza’s healthcare system, and the Red Cross has described the situation as “hell on Earth”. What are this Government doing to prevent Gaza’s health…”

“Do you agree about being able to speak your first language and creating that relationship, especially in probation? You just said that you are social work-based, so if you cannot create that relationship, how will you get the best outcome? Do you agree with me about that?”

“I think you have all touched a bit on this issue, which is about the Welsh language. You have just said go upstream and have a relationship. Gethin, you have said about how prisoners know you are from Wales because you talk to them, and I think you just mentioned being locally based and embedded in the community. If th…”

“Family Business UK says that 55% of businesses have paused or even cancelled planned investments due to the Government’s plans to cap business property relief. Does the hon. Gentleman agree that the Government should delay the planned BPR changes and conduct a thorough consultation and an impact assessment?”