Wales Questions House of Commons

protest. Then there are two opposition debates, on the dducation

and the economy. First, questions to the Welsh Secretary.

I would like to start by putting on records the almost sense of

solidarity felt by all people across Wales for the French nation, we

stand with them shoulder to shoulder in the difficult and anxious days.

The steel industry in Europd is facing a perfect storm as a result

of a glut of cheap imports, falling prices and high energy costs, with

nearly half of the primary steel industry in Wales, we fully

recognise the impact on Welsh and their families. We are workhng with

the industry and the devolvdd administration to do everything

possibly to support the indtstry. We would want to associate ourselves

with his word about France on this side of the House. On the 28th of

October, he attended a compdtitive Council on the steel industry.

Following that EU meeting, there were plenty of warm words issued in

a written statement. Can thd Secretary of State tell the House

what practical measures there will be to help the steel industry in

this extremely difficult tile? I thank him for the honourabld

gentleman. The House should be aware that there has been an explosion in

the last hour in the steel plant in Cardiff, our thoughts are whth the

workers at this time and emdrgency workers who are there at thhs time

and emergency workers who are there as we these global challengds facing

the steel industry, he will be aware of the specific practical working

groups we have established `fter the summit, engaging the Welsh `nd

Scottish administrations, and the action that has been taken for the

Secretary of State for business at a European partner level, to get them

to focus seriously on tacklhng dumping and bring forward state aid

so we can compensate our stdel industry for the costs they face at

this time. What assurances can my right honourable friend givd me that

the procurement for life whhch infrastructure projects such as the

electrification of the mainline will prioritise British Steel? I am

grateful for him raising thhs question, it gives me an opportunity

to talk about a practical mdasure we have taken in recent weeks, which is

to change the guidelines for government departments on how they

use steel. Hopefully it will give more opportunity for UK stedl

manufacturer to win bigger contract, and with the government makhng

record investment into infrastructure, that is eight good

opportunity. If we do not t`ckle Chinese dumping, all of these other

measures will count for absolutely nothing. And the future for the

industry in this country is very bleak. I agree with the sentiment

and direction of the question. This is the backdrop to the glob`l

challenge and it is not just for the British Steel industry, but for the

steel industry in North America and all across Europe. This is the

backdrop, a glut of cheap Chinese steel, we are leading effort at

European level to tackle dulping. We have voted for the anti-dumping

measures in one specific section of the steel industry and we are

continuing those discussions. I thank my honourable friend for his

answers so far. What measurds is he taking, and his department, to lobby

other government departments to ensure that our infrastructtre

projects pre-order steel from Wales and other areas of the country to

ensure there is a future for steel in Wales? He is right, that taps

into the points I made about the changes we have made in procurement

guidelines. The crossrail project, for example, which used 50,000

tonnes of steel from Celsa steel which I mentioned a few momdnts ago,

that is a great example of TK Government investing in

infrastructure, using the power of our procurement to create growth

opportunities for British steel manufacturers. ... The concdrning

news about the plant in Celsa, can he tell us anything more he knows

about the incident? And enstre there is full support for all responding

to and investigate in that hncident? The incident as I understand

happened in the last hour, ambulances are at the scene, I am

told by officials that therd are three injuries at fight and that is

all I know at this moment. Our thoughts are very much with the

workers, their families and emergency services the scend. Can I

first echo the words of the Secretary of State both in respect

of the tragic events in Parhs and the explosion at Celsa this morning.

Mr Speaker, the Secretary of State knows just how serious the crisis

facing the steel industry in Wales is, and indeed in the whole of the

UK. Four years ago, the Chancellor promised a conversation package to

the energy intensive industries -- compensation package. What

reassurance can he give to the thousands of workers in Walds whose

jobs depend on the steel industry that his government will deliver

that package by the end of this month? The point I would make first

up is that we are in the process of delivering that compensation. We

have already paid out ?50 mhllion in compensation to British stedl

companies, not least to companies based in Wales. The money is already

getting to the steel companhes. What we are talking about is getting that

final state aid clearance for the final element of the compensation

package which is really important for the steel companies, and we are

pressing hard to get that. Well Mr Speaker, after four years, his

government has still not finished negotiating one package. Th`t hardly

bodes well for the prime Minister is mating about EU reform. -- laking.

His government has made much of simply renewing existing

anti-dumping measures. With 94% of the Chinese steel that comes into

the EU flooding the UK markdt, can he explain why his ministerhal

colleague in the EU Council of ministers is blocking the

much-needed reform of the trade defence instruments? I am not sure

that the honourable lady is fully sighted in all the actions we are

taking at a European level on this issue. The Secretary of State for

business and his colleague, Minister of State for business, has been at

the forefront of discussions in negotiation at European levdl to get

change on this and get real, practical, urgent action on

anti-dumping, state aid cle`rance for the compensation for endrgy

costs, we are leading the w`y in trying to get change at European

level to support and protect our Steel industry. Question two. It was

a Conservative government which introduced the Welsh language act

which provided for the use of the Welsh language in the court system.

We are committed to remodelling our courts to make them more

cost-effective and efficient. These changes will give due consideration

to the needs of Welsh speakdrs. I would like to take this opportunity

to extend our sympathies to every nation that has suffered at the high

and of IS in recent days and also expressed concern about the

explosion in South Wales. I understand the Ministry of Justice

has closed its cooperation on the reform of the court system hn Wales,

including 12 courts closing without undertaking a Welsh languagd

assessment as required by l`w. Will the Secretary of State ensure that

Wales wide is undertaken and that its accommodation supplement eight

before any decisions are re`ched in court closure? I am happy to confirm

to the honourable lady that of Welsh impact language assessment will be

included in the consultation. We are determined to protect interdsts of

Welsh language speakers as hs devastated by the Welsh language

scheme of the Department. Over many decades, Conservative governance

have a strong record of supporting the Welsh language. Does my

honourable friend agree that every Department of government including

justice should be committed to improving the Welsh languagd, and

that every department at Westminster does that? My honourable frhend is

absolutely right, protecting and preserving our heritage is ` core

conservative sensible and this government, like previous

Conservative governments, h`ve everything they could to secure

that. The government's Digital agenda provide an opportunity to

bring about new innovations to in harness the opportunities to use the

Welsh language in the court system and other government servicds.

Access to justice in both Wdlsh and English is important to my

constituents as in north-west Wales. Alternatives such as visual courts

and paying fines over mobilds is not possible in areas like this in

English or Welsh because we do not have the info structure. Thd state

was state reform must continue, but that is allied to the digit`l

translation the government hs bringing about. ?69 million is being

invested in broadband in Wales, added the European aid and Welsh

government money. We have also announced a consultation on a

minimum service requirement in terms of broadband distribution.

A year on from the UK investment Summit in Newport, inward investment

figures in Wales show the bdst course for a quarter of a cdntury.

This is no coincidence, with the support of the UK Government, Wales

continues to provide a world-class offer for investment. Will he join

the ink on graduating the workers in Wales which make it such a body in

place to invest? Does he agree that this means the long-term economic

plan of the government is working? I agree, the economy in Wales is

getting stronger thanks in part to new inward investment. A few weeks

ago, I welcomed Israeli invdstors to South Wales where they annotnce ?3

million of new investment, creating 100 new jobs. We should takd

encouragement from the fact that levels of inward investment in Wales

are back to the levels we s`w in the days of the worst of element agency

before it was abolished by the Welsh Labour government. -- the Wdlsh

development agency. I am pldased to hear him welcome the projects, will

he also congratulate the Welsh Labour government for making it

possible? I think the important thing is to welcome the mord

effective partnership that there is now between UK and Welsh government

Iraq to deliver this inward investment. The 87% of new projects

coming into Wales are a restlt of new cooperation between the

governments. Crucial to attracting inward investment is high-qtality

transport infrastructure, so I was transport infrastructure, so I was

delighted to see the Parlialentary undersecretary of state at the rail

summit last week. Would my right honourable friend can pay to his

colleagues in the Department for Transport the clear message that

came out of that summit, th`t North Wells regards itself as part of the

northern powerhouse and Duane is an electrified railway line? -, demands

and it fired railway line? He has been a powerful champion into a

transport infrastructure in North Wales. That was an important summit

and the message has been received loud and clear about the importance

of investing in transport in North Wales. The Secretary of State will

acknowledge the important contribution of higher educ`tion

into the inward investment `genda. If he satisfied that UK TI `re fully

aware of what is going on in Welsh universities, it giving the more

ammunition to promote the good story of Wales? He raises an important

point, we have world-class higher education institutions in W`les

right at the cutting edge of right at the cutting edge of

innovation. It is a reminder to us to keep reminding UK TI of the

importance to that and how they link into business growth in Walds.

Question four. The single market offers enormous

opportunities for Welsh bushness accounting for 42% of Welsh experts.

It is however also the case that exports to non-EU countries are 58%

and are worth more than ?7 billion to the Welsh economy. That hs why we

are seeking EU reforms to go further and faster on competitiveness, trade

and the regulation which will strengthen exports. Does thd

Secretary of State agree with me that the success of Airbus

demonstrates the value of the single market, and so reforming thd single

market further to the digit`l economy and energy and it'll give

them more capacity to expand. We need to invest in technologx, if we

are going to drive prosperity in Wales, we need more great in higher

technology. I am proud to l`unch a new compound semiconductor centre in

Cardiff University, emblem of the changes in the Welsh economx. 2 ,000

jobs in Swansea rely on being in the single market. Swansea is in the

convergence funding area. Wd'll he support Swansea MPs bid to get a new

tax centre in Wales into Sw`nsea, a relative area of separation, and not

Cardiff? There are exciting things happening in Swansea and thd Swansea

Bay region, I am delighted to see Swansea MPs collaborating and

working together. If they h`ve a proposal to make around futtre

changes to delivery of governance services and opportunities to

Swansea, send them through `nd we will consider them. Will thd

Secretary of State agree with me that no one who believes we should

leave the European Union is suggesting that we stop trading with

our European neighbours? Thd fact that they sell more to us than we do

to then means there is no chance of them wanting to stop trading with

us. The truth is that Wales's future prosperity depends on whethdr we can

transform the economy, improve productivity, it invest in transport

infrastructure and improve skills and education. That is wherd the

future and prosperity of Wales lies and the question about the Duropean

Union is therefore secondarx. The Secretary of State is a little bit

shy today, why can he not jtst recognise that there are 190,00

Welsh jobs that totally depdnd on EU trade? And Wales is a net

beneficiary of EU aid? Can he not just a it? We will protect him from

the Tory Little Britain sketch behind him. Can he not just say it?

I am not often described as shy Interesting that come across that

way for the honourable lady this morning. I do not recognise the

figures she quotes. The important point is that the single market

create a strategic opportunhty for Welsh business, that is what we need

to defend and extend. The Rugby World Cup demonstrated yet

again how Wales punches well above its weight in the global sporting

arena. This was the most successful World Cup in history, gener`ting

?316 million for the Welsh dconomy. There should be no limit to our

ambition to build on these successes and attract more tourism and inward

investment into Wales. What steps is he taking to attract even more high

quality sporting events to Wales, for example, wealth games? Something

which would make my honourable friend for Cardiff North happy, but

also people across the country - for example, the Commonwealth games?

It was a Conservative motion in the assembly in 2006 that voted

unanimously to attract the Commonwealth games to Wales. The

next opportunity is in 2026. I know my honourable friend the melber for

cordless North is keen on this date -- Cardiff North and keen that

Cardiff makes a bid, the Wales Office is ready and waiting to

support any data that comes forward from Wales. We were pleased to see

the Rugby World Cup come to Cardiff, I know the Secretary of State shares

my concern about the delays on the Great Western Railway. What will he

do to insure this does not happen again? She raises an import`nt

point, and immediately after those disruptions occurred, my right

honourable friend, the Secrdtary of State, spoke with the train

operators who have apologisdd to him and the public. We are upgr`ding the

Great Western mainline, that will make a significant difference in the

wrong term, and we also call on the Welsh government to bring forward to

bring forward their proposals for the M4 to improve the infrastructure

by road and rail? . Our long-term plan is turning the

Welsh economy around. Since 20 count, unemployment has fallen, the

manufactory industry has crdated 12,000 new jobs and the Welsh

economy has grown faster th`n any other part of the UK. Does he agree

that key to rebalancing the economy is getting a proper grip on public

finances, and does he share my shock and horror at the recent taxpayers

Alliance report that exposes the enormous amount of waste in the

public sector in Wales? My honourable friend, with an dagle and

sharp eye on care of public sharp eye on care of public

finances, makes important points. I was shocked by some of the dxamples

we read about. Clearly the Welsh government, the entire publhc sector

in Wales, needs to get a much stronger grip on the disciplines of

cost control and get on top of managing national finances. The

results of the annual survex of earnings shows that Wales is at the

bottom of the pay table, and the only part of the British arda where

earnings have gone down. Dods that not indicate that the Welsh needs to

have more fiscal powers as he has supported for Scotland, and

Westminster is clearly failhng? I do agree that it needs to have

more physical tools and needs to be encouraged to be a more fin`ncially

responsible organisation but the point is why he should be ghving his

full throated support to thd measures we are attempting to bring

in. Last month, I published the draft Wales built for pre-

legislative security -- scrttiny. I would like to hear their vidws. I

thank the Secretary of Statd for that answer. There was substantial

the liberation on our futurd led by a distinguished officer, Sir Paul

silk. The Secretary of Statd has chosen so far to include so far of

his recommendations -- so fdw of his recommendations. So will thhs be his

final vision of our country's constitutional future? For the

foreseeable future, is this it? In terms of the silk recommend`tions,

of course a lot of the recommendations don't need primary

legislation at all and we h`ve already delivered them and we are

committed to delivering the silt recommendations that we havd agreed

on and which we announced in the Saint David's the announcemdnt

earlier this year. There is been a general and substantial and growing

dissatisfaction with the Wales Bill not least from my colleagues. Would

he not be better advised to withdraw the bill and start again? Mr

Speaker, I fear we were to follow that course of action then we would

see no progress whatsoever on strengthening and clarifying Welsh

devolution which I understood the party opposite actually supported.

When I raise this issue for the last general election, a previous Welsh

Secretary said I was wrong, so will the president -- present Welsh

Secretary say is it not the case that if the Welsh people wotld like

a Welsh Parliament rather than a Welsh assembly, they will now be

able to have 1? Mr Speaker, to paraphrase the famous old m`n, it

will be the Welsh people who determine the direction and pace of

Welsh devolution, but the powers that in the -- are in the Wdlsh

draft bill absolutely do give powers to call itself a parliament and to

have lawmaking response abilities. Lope has been a scourge on the Welsh

economy for too long. Reforling tax credits is an important part of our

plan to transform the whole of the UK to a low tax, higher wagd

economy. The Chancellor set out the details of these reforms in the

Autumn Statement. I would lhke to know what representations does the

Minister and the department made to the Chancellor about the impact of

the loss of 44,600 people in North Wales and 200,000 people across

Wales of ?1300 per year as ` result of his changes. Give me tell me what

he has said to the person shtting next to him? Mr Speaker, thd Wales

Office is in regular dialogte with my honourable friend the Ch`ncellor

and the Treasury and the Ch`ncellor has set out how we plan to `chieve a

goal of a low tax, low welf`re, high wage economy. He needs to rdcognise

that the tax credit changes are part of a wider reform including

increases to the national lhving wage, changes to Universal Credit,

and help with childcare, and we hope the Welsh Government will follow

suit. The chair of the Welsh affairs Select Committee must be he`rd. Mr

Speaker, to the Minister confirm that the Government are listening

very carefully to any concerns about tax credits that the people of Wales

stand to benefit enormously from the increase in the tax threshold and

the increase in the minimum wage and this Government's determination to

stick to the long-term economic plan. Mr Speaker, I am gratdful for

the question because the increase in the national living wage on the

basic minimum wage will be 7.5% That is 100,000 people that will

benefit in Wales immediatelx from next April. Number 9, sir. Small

businesses are the lifeblood of the Welsh economy and are leading the

way including new jobs and driving growth. There are now 22,000 more

businesses in Wales than in 201 . Supporting these businesses to grow

is a key part of this Government's long-term plan for Wales. I thank

the Secretary of State for his answer. Would he agree that

infrastructure is critical to supporting small businesses and the

electrification of the railway in my constituency will open economic

opportunities? I totally agree. Investing in the great Westdrn line

is just 1 part of the largest programme of investment in British

Railways since the -- since many years ago. The sad situation

happening in Cardiff today was well mentioned. The Secretary of State

will be aware that the Welsh minister wants separate leg`l

jurisdiction now, despite what he said 18 months ago. Can he `ssure us

that he is protecting that? I am aware of those calls for Wales to

have separate legal jurisdiction. Of course, it is 1 of the sources of

Cardiff's growth in recent xears. Investing in legal and profdssional

services and IP that moves to greet a separate jurisdiction for Wales

will lead to a flight of talent from