Speeches by Stevens.

“We have worked closely with the devolved Governments on a UK-wide DRS, and now have alignment across the UK on including polyethylene terephthalate plastics and metals in a DRS with the launch date of October 2027, which is good news for business. We considered the Welsh Government’s exclusion proposal, in line with ou…”

“The hon. Member has united a lot of us across the House. His Plaid friends sitting in front of him want separatism. They want to inflict an independence that will cost every single person in Wales—adults and children—£7,000 every single year. They want to build walls between us at a time when we should be standing toge…”

“I do not recognise what the hon. Lady sets out, and refer her to my previous answer. We believe that the UKIM Act exclusion, which we have agreed in response to the Welsh Government, is the most pragmatic way for us to protect trade and support growth in the UK.”

“The Conservatives strangled the Welsh economy with over a decade of austerity and neglect. Labour’s economic plan is working: wages are rising, inflation is falling and the economy is growing. The Conservatives presided over stagnant wages, insecure employment and a broken welfare system. We are investing in our infras…”

“The UK Government are investing more than half a billion pounds in Wales, through the new local growth fund, to help create jobs, growth and opportunity in communities right across Wales. That targeted long-term investment will drive economic growth, create jobs and put more money in people’s pockets. I am proud that w…”

“I think we have this discussion at every single Wales oral questions. We need to bring energy bills down, and we do that by investing in renewable infrastructure. In the process, we create jobs and secure Wales and the UK’s energy independence. Bearing in mind the situation across the world at the moment, that is absol…”

“Wales certainly cannot afford the cost of Reform; nor can it afford the cost of Plaid Cymru.”

“I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Newport West and Islwyn (Ruth Jones) and the hon. Member for Ceredigion Preseli (Ben Lake) for proposing today’s debate, the Backbench Business Committee for granting it, and everyone who has taken part in it. In preparation for closing the debate today, I reflected on last year’s …”

“No, I am going to carry on, because I do not have much time left. Just before Christmas, we announced one of the biggest public investments in Welsh history: the siting of the UK’s first fleet of small modular nuclear reactors at Wylfa, creating 3,000 direct jobs and thousands more in the supply chain. After a decade o…”

“On the £20 million fund, every local authority has had £1.5 million from the Pride in Place impact fund. I wonder about the example you raised about the bus service in the north of the constituency. That might be something the Pride in Place impact fund could help towards. Every single local authority in Wales has had …”

“First, we are investing more than £500 million in Wales, which is really good news to help deliver jobs, growth and opportunity for communities right across Wales. It is being delivered in partnership between the UK Government, the Welsh Government, local authorities and others over the next three years. That also…”

“I recognise what you describe. We all recognise it. Most importantly, the people who live in our valley communities are living and breathing it every day; they certainly recognise it. We were very clear when we came into government that we wanted to reduce inequalities across this country, because there are significant…”

“I will be perfectly honest. When I started in this role, I was astonished that the Wales Office did not do this sort of work anyway. It may be that some of that work was going on, but you could not see very obvious results from it if it was going on. That is why we put the bid in for the spending review. With Lord Stoc…”

“That goes back to the point I was making about not spreading things too thinly. Obviously, we have the industrial strategy. Eight sectors have been identified as those sectors in the UK where there is the potential for very significant growth but also, just as importantly, very fast growth. We in Wales have a number of…”

“We definitely want to continue the success of last year, with the 30% increase I mentioned and the close to 2,500 additional jobs. It is coming up to quite an exciting point for the Wales Office because, for the first time, we have funding to promote Welsh investment opportunities and exports around the world. At the m…”

“I am going to hand over to Minister McMorrin, because health is her portfolio.”

“I am not entirely sure what formal requests would involve, but I have certainly outlined what our manifesto commitments are. We were very clear and transparent about what we would deliver in government. As I said, we have delivered some of those already. We are currently working on other ones, and there will be further…”

“What I would say on that, Ann, is that obviously there have been rural communities included within the funding. The criteria for the funding are based on the Welsh index of multiple deprivation, so it is on Welsh criteria that the funding has been determined. It is a very Welsh programme, with Welsh criteria, for Wales…”

“It is in the interests of both the Welsh and UK Government that the settlement we have clearly defines our respective responsibilities and delivers for the people of Wales. Our focus is on delivering the commitments in our manifesto. We set them out in advance. We are working through them, and we have made progress in …”

“On the Crown Estate, the UK Government’s position is well known. We do not agree with the Welsh Government on the Crown Estate. That is mature devolution. You can have differences of view. Certainly, I know I have answered a significant number of questions at Wales questions in the Chamber about the Crown Estate, as ha…”