Speeches by Witherden.

“It is nice to see you again, Minister. In my own constituency, the Bersham Colliery spoil tip from the last coalmine to close in north Wales is immediately adjacent to the village of Rhostyllen. I am concerned—I am sure many of my colleagues are too—about these companies that want to extract coal from old spoil tips. I…”

“You have given us a progress update on coal safety through the Disused Mine and Quarry Tips (Wales) Act. Are there plans to introduce similar legislation to deal with contaminated land sites?”

“Would you support additional residential women’s centres opening across the rest of Wales?”

“Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr is home to the largest one-day livestock market in Europe, just off the Buttington roundabout in Welshpool. Will my right hon. Friend join me in welcoming the 55 jobs that have been created on the roundabout in the last month alone, and would she consider joining me for a milkshake in one of…”

“You have partially answered this, but excluding deaths from natural causes, what are the biggest causes of self-inflicted and non-self-inflicted deaths in Welsh prisons?”

“I would like to hear from both panellists, if possible. The previous Government committed to opening a residential women’s centre in Swansea. What would you want to see in any such centre? Can we start with Mr Hall, please?”

“Mr Usher, in the year ending December 2024, there were 21 deaths across the Welsh prison estate. How safe are Welsh prisons?”

“5. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help create new jobs in Wales.”

“Between 2020 and 2024, there were 18 confirmed self-inflicted deaths in Welsh prisons, including of someone I knew personally. What should HMPPS and prison leaders be doing to reduce that number? [the Member has subsequently clarified that the death of the individual referred to was in 2018, not during the 2020-2024 ti…”

“Eighteen.”

“Does my hon. Friend agree that rises in the national minimum wage are among the most important of pay rises because of the money they put into the pockets of the poorest workers in our society?”

“For many people struggling with the rising cost of living, this Budget provides real relief. Above all, the Chancellor has committed to scrapping the two-child benefit cap. That is a testament to the campaigners, who have worked tirelessly for years, and to hon. Members across the House who have repeatedly called for t…”

“In Wales, expressive arts is a mandatory part of the curriculum, helping to develop pupils’ creative, artistic and performance skills while also improving cognitive development, attainment in maths and English, behaviour and wellbeing. Given that England has seen a 42% decline in expressive arts GCSE entries since 2010…”

“1. What steps her Department is taking to increase access to arts and culture.”

“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Edward. I am also grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Rushcliffe (James Naish) for securing this important debate, which could not have come at a more pressing time following last week’s announcements. These suggested reforms are unlikely to deter people from se…”

“The proposal to raise the threshold for indefinite leave to remain from five years to 20 years is deeply concerning. At a time when far-right groups are exploiting fear and spreading misinformation, our Government should lead with compassion and fairness, instead of forcing some of the most vulnerable in our society to…”

“Mr Alun Jones, would you like to add anything on transparency?”

“Thank you. Judging by the answers, or lack thereof, that was a controversial question. Ms Thomas, how is the level of funding that prison healthcare receives currently determined? Are there any ways in which you feel it could be improved?”

“I would like to go to the inspectorate for my final question. Mr Rhys Jones, how can the funding and commissioning of services be made more transparent?”

“Okay. I am happy to move to Mr Alun Jones, if the inspectorate feel that they can take this one.”