Wales

Question

14:36:00

Asked by

To ask His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to strengthen the position of Wales within the United Kingdom.

My Lords, I start by paying tribute to the emergency services and local authority staff across Wales and the rest of the UK, who have worked tirelessly to keep us safe during Storm Bert. We will continue to support those who have been affected by the storm. Our efforts are focused on them, and our thoughts and prayers are with those who are grieving the loss of loved ones. The Government have reset the relationship with the Welsh Government, based on respect, co-operation and delivery. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Wales is driving forward the partnership, meeting regularly with the First Minister of Wales to discuss key areas of joint work. This is already delivering better results for people in Wales, with last month’s Budget providing a record boost for the Welsh Government to support vital public services, including the NHS.

My Lords, having witnessed the terrible storms in Wales, I, too, thank the emergency services for the services they have provided. Recognising the need to enhance Welsh infrastructure, the last Government allocated £1 billion for the electrification of the north Wales main line, but Ministers in this Government have consistently refused to commit to this project since July. Can the Minister give the House a cast-iron assurance today that the north Wales main line electrification will be delivered in full?

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord for his question, but I am somewhat surprised, given that the previous Government cancelled the electrification to Swansea, that he is asking it. As for future infrastructure projects, we will update the House in due course.

Does my noble friend agree that the record settlement for the Welsh Government at the Budget—£1.5 billion, the largest since the dawn of devolution—will provide a much-needed spending boost for public services after years of neglect from previous Governments of the past 14 years? As a commissioner for South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, I draw attention to the wonderful blue light services that responded to the dreadful storms and flooding that we experienced.

I thank my noble friend for all the work that she does in support of the blue light services, and as a commissioner. The reality is that last month’s Budget was an extraordinary settlement for the people of Wales—£21 billion, and £1.7 billion in additional funding as part of the Barnett formula. That shows the difference there can be when you have a Labour Government at the Senedd and a Labour Government here.

I too express my appreciation for the work of the emergency services, and the search and rescue and mountain rescue teams from other parts of Wales who helped in the Conwy valley over the weekend. When the Welsh Government’s commission on the constitutional future of Wales reported in February, it concluded that each of the options—enhanced devolution, a federal structure, and independence—could be a valuable way forward. We on these Benches would argue that the federal structure, giving each of our four nations equal powers, would strengthen the position of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland in the UK most effectively. Is it not time to deal with the English problem: devolve powers properly to the regions of England and create a sensible federal structure that benefits all four nations?

I thank the noble Baroness for her question regarding England—while we are talking about Wales. There is a Question tomorrow on the role of the Council of the Nations and Regions and how devolution in action can work across the country, and I look forward to discussing that in more detail with her then.

My Lords, from the beginning the mantra has been that devolution is a process, not a terminus. What proposals are the Government bringing to the table in discussions with the Welsh Government for the next steps on devolution?

My Lords, it is 25 years since the last Labour Government introduced devolution, and we are very proud that it is an iterative and living process. As for future devolution, we are clear in our respect for devolution and our commitment to making the existing devolution settlement work effectively. We remain committed to the promises in our manifesto and will work to deliver them, including progressing conversations to consider devolution of youth and probation services, in order to enable them to be more locally responsive. We will also look to devolve employment support funding.

My Lords, last week I raised the topic of coal tip safety in Wales. On Sunday night, a coal tip slid down the mountain and hit the community of Cwmtillery. What more needs to happen for His Majesty’s Government to commit to the £600 million required to secure all coal tips in Wales? Does someone need to lose a home, or a life?

Our thoughts and prayers go to the people who are currently living with the impact of Storm Bert. As we discussed last week, this Government invested £25 million, for the first time, to make sure that additional funding is in place to protect communities and ensure the safety of our coal tips. We will continue to do so and to have active conversations with the Government of Wales about what they need.

My Lords, will the Minister please assist me? By my calculations, this Government have been in power for nearly 150 days, but we still do not have a Lords Minister for the Wales Office, nor indeed for the Scotland Office or for Northern Ireland. How does all this fit in with Sir Keir Starmer’s pledge to produce a Council of the Nations and Regions?

I thank the noble Lord, but I believe that the Prime Minister has faith in me to deliver for this Government in this House.

My Lords, does my noble friend agree that this Government’s decision to appoint a new Welsh Commissioner for the Crown Estate will ensure that Welsh prosperity is at the heart of the Government’s mission to become a clean, green energy superpower? It is also proof of the positive partnership between Labour in London and Labour in Cardiff, which is delivering for the people of Wales, contrary to the previous Tory Government’s hostile attitude to Wales.

I put on record my thanks to my noble friend for the work he did with my noble friend Lord Livermore on the agreement for the Crown Estate Bill. Wales is at the forefront of our national mission to deliver economic growth and clean power by 2030. The Crown Estate has a key role to play in this and needs to understand and represent Welsh interests, which is why it is wonderful news that we will have a commissioner with special responsibility for Wales. This will deliver £1.4 billion of investment and secure 5,000 jobs.

The Minister speaks of respect and delivery and the advantage of having a Labour Government in both Westminster and the Senedd. Far from being hostile, the last Government promised that north Wales would get a new large-scale gigawatt nuclear power plant at Wylfa on Ynys Môn, powering millions of homes and creating thousands of jobs in the region. Will the Minister give the House a cast-iron assurance that this Government will do nothing to prevent or delay the delivery of the new nuclear plant at Wylfa?

The noble Baroness has a future Question on this issue and I look forward to discussing it again. We recognise that a nuclear future at Wylfa could help to deliver several of our strategic objectives, achieving net zero and energy independence and restoring economic prosperity across the region. Nuclear developments in north Wales will provide high-quality jobs across the region and drive economic growth. Great British Nuclear completed the purchase of the site in June 2024 and we hope to make further announcements on its future soon.

My Lords, my noble friend will not remember this, but during the Brexit discussions the last Government kept forgetting again and again about the devolved nations and their role in our relationship with Europe. Can she assure me—I am sure she will, and I am looking at her very hard for an answer—that the new Council of the Nations and Regions will reset their agreements, so that in every part of government policy they will be fully involved and discussed?

The Council of the Nations and Regions, as a manifesto commitment, is central to our engagement and resetting of relations across the United Kingdom. I am delighted that the Prime Minister, within hours of his appointment, reached out and spoke to the First Minister of Wales, visited within three days and has visited Wales three times. The Council of the Nations and Regions is at the heart of our engagement with our regions going forward.

My Lords—

My Lords—

Let us hear from the noble Lord, Lord Harlech.

I am grateful to the noble Lord. Tourism is one of the most important areas for the Welsh economy. Indeed, many farmers and farming families have diversified into tourism. They are already reeling from the Budget announcement, but today the Welsh Government are going to put in place a levy on overnight tourist visitors. How can this be in any way good for growth and prosperity of Wales?

As the noble Lord will know, this is a devolved matter. The Government respect the devolution settlement and the Senedd’s ability to legislate on it. Both this Government and the Welsh Government understand the importance of tourism to local economies, economic growth and jobs.