Wednesday Volume 573 8 January 2014 No. 100 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Wednesday 8 January 2014 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2014 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 281 8 JANUARY 2014 282 the passing in December of the right hon. Lord Roberts House of Commons of Conwy, who served the Welsh Office with such distinction for so many years. He was a doughty champion Wednesday 8 January 2014 for Wales and the Welsh language, and I am sure that many Members on both sides will regret his passing. The protections placed on health and education have The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock insulated the Welsh Government’s resource budget from the extent of reductions faced by many UK Departments. PRAYERS In addition, the Welsh Government’s capital budget will increase in real terms by 8.4% next year and 2.4% the year after. [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] Mrs Moon: Does the Secretary of State not recognise BUSINESS BEFORE QUESTIONS that the Welsh Government’s budget has been cut by 10% since 2010—a cut of £1.6 billion? Their capital budget to date has been cut by a third, which has DEATH OF A MEMBER impacted horrendously on front-line services. In my Bridgend constituency alone, that has meant £30 million- Mr Speaker: I regret to have to report to the House worth of cuts in front-line services. Does the Secretary the death of the right hon. Paul Goggins, the Member of State not recognise the damage of these cuts to the for Wythenshawe and Sale East. Paul was a most assiduous people of Wales? Member, serving as a Home Office and a Northern Ireland Minister in the last Government, and most recently as a distinguished member of the Intelligence Mr Jones: All parts of the United Kingdom are and Security Committee. I am sure that Members in all having to bear their part in repairing the economic parts of the House will join me in mourning the loss of damage that was sustained as a result of the downturn a colleague and in extending our sympathy to Paul’s in 2008. However, I am sure the hon. Lady would wife, Wyn, his children, Matthew, Theresa and Dominic, recognise that since 2010 the United Kingdom Government his granddaughter, Eve, and his many friends and family. have provided an additional £737 million to the Welsh Government, and it is up to the Welsh Government to Paul and I entered the House together, and I can live within their means. honestly say that I have never heard an ill word spoken of him. Labour to his core, he was, yet, the least tribal David T. C. Davies (Monmouth) (Con): Given that of colleagues. Whether battling against poverty, the UK Government have given extra money in cash campaigning successfully for the victims of mesothelioma, terms to the Welsh Assembly in the form of its block working for the rehabilitation of prisoners or striving grant, does the Secretary of State find it as extraordinary for peace in Northern Ireland, Paul was the same: as I do that the Welsh Assembly has imposed drastic principled, eloquent and tireless, but unfailingly courteous, cuts on local authorities across Wales that are bound to measured and respectful. He always played the ball, lead to increases in council taxes and reductions in never the man or the woman. public services? An outstanding public servant who came into politics for all the right reasons, Paul’s passing is a loss on so Mr Jones: That is ultimately a matter for the Welsh many levels. The House has lost a valued colleague, his Government, but it is noteworthy that, whereas council constituency a faithful representative, his party an taxpayers in England are benefitting from a council tax outstanding ambassador and, above all, his family a freeze, that is not happening in Wales. Perhaps that is loving husband, father and grandfather. something the Welsh Government should be attending Prayers for Paul will also be said at the usual 12.45 to. service today in the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft. Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Dwyfor Meirionnydd) (PC): May I first associate myself fully with the words of tribute to the late, greatly respected, right hon. Member for Oral Answers to Questions Wythenshawe and Sale East (Paul Goggins), and to the late Lord Roberts of Conwy? I am sure that the Secretary of State will agree that WALES reform of the Barnett formula is still an issue about which we are all very concerned. We in Plaid Cymru have campaigned about it for more than 25 years. It is The Secretary of State was asked— interesting that the Labour party is now in favour of reforming Barnett, which it did nothing about for 13 years. Block Grant In fact, when it was in government, it denied the existence of the problem. Does the right hon. Gentleman have 1. Mrs Madeleine Moon (Bridgend) (Lab): If he will any views on that issue? estimate the cumulative real-terms change to the Welsh block grant over the present Parliament. [901763] Mr Jones: It is generally recognised that the Barnett formula does not have an indefinite duration. However, The Secretary of State for Wales (Mr David Jones): it is the priority of this Government to ensure that the On what is a sad morning for the House, I am sure that public finances are stabilised, and that is what we intend colleagues on both sides would also wish me to mention to do. 283 Oral Answers8 JANUARY 2014 Oral Answers 284 Mr Llwyd: Which does the right hon. Gentleman the wave of cheap Chinese imports of solar panels that think is worse—the self-serving preconditions set by the have come into Europe and flooded the European market, Labour party to block further devolution, or the failure so making domestic production very challenging indeed. of his Government to propose the full tax-varying powers contained in the cross-party Silk commission Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering) (Con): Whether power recommendations? is generated from renewable or non-renewable sources, there is an increasing problem in Wales and the rest of Mr Jones: I would always be the first to condemn the the country in getting new power sources connected to self-serving nature of the Labour party. the grid because of the shortage of power engineers. Will my hon. Friend work with the Department of Mr Mark Williams (Ceredigion) (LD): Barnett Energy and Climate Change and the Welsh Assembly consequentials and, indeed, funding from the European Government to see how this issue can be tackled in Union have been key components of spending in Wales Wales? for many years. What representations has the Secretary of State made about Barnett consequentials and European Stephen Crabb: As ever, my hon. Friend raises a very funding to address the devastation that has occurred in pertinent issue, of which both we in the Wales Office recent days along the Welsh coast, not least in Ceredigion, and, more importantly, the Welsh Government, who but also in the constituencies of many other hon. Members? have devolved responsibility for skills, are aware. We are in discussions with the key players and stakeholders in Mr Jones: I have had many conversations with my Wales about how we can raise up a new generation of right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, power engineers to take forward the changes that we are Food and Rural Affairs. Clearly, Aberystwyth has suffered trying to effect. extreme damage as a consequence of the storms of the past few days, and I assure my hon. Friend that, if any additional funding is provided, Barnett consequentials Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd) (Lab): The loss of the will follow in the usual manner. Sharp solar panel factory in Wrexham, which was the biggest solar panel factory in western Europe, was a Renewables (Jobs) devastating blow to the Welsh economy. What can the Minister do to mitigate the closure, in which his Government 2. Ian Lucas (Wrexham) (Lab): What assessment he are complicit? Specifically, can he help to draw down has made of job prospects in the renewables sector in UK research funding to the solar research institute in Optic Glyndwr in St Asaph? Wales. [901764] The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales Stephen Crabb: I thank the hon. Gentleman for his (Stephen Crabb): This Government’s recent announcements question. I am very aware of the important work being on strike prices aim to make the UK, including Wales, done at Glyndwr university, and we are in close touch one of the most attractive places to invest in renewable with the university about its work. On what we can do technologies. Our reforms will ensure that more than to mitigate the job impact in Wrexham, I encourage 30% of our electricity comes from renewables by 2020, both him and his hon. Friend the Member for Wrexham attracting £110 billion of investment and supporting up (Ian Lucas) to give full-throated support to the £250 million to a quarter of a million jobs. that the Government are putting into Wrexham to create a new prison—something on which we have yet Ian Lucas: May I associate myself with the kind to hear full support on from Opposition Members. remarks of the Secretary of State relating to both Paul Goggins and Lord Roberts, who was a true servant of Huw Irranca-Davies (Ogmore) (Lab): Labour has north Wales and a lovely man? called consistently for the devolution of energy consents On renewables, I am very disappointed that the Minister for projects of up to 100 MW.