Wednesday Volume 691 17 March 2021 No. 192 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Wednesday 17 March 2021 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2021 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 303 17 MARCH 2021 304 Simon Hart: The best way of avoiding that outcome House of Commons is for the Welsh Government to get behind the scheme and support a project that is endorsed by local authorities and port authorities in Wales, and to encourage jobs Wednesday 17 March 2021 and livelihoods in that way. Every single day that they leave it—on the basis of the “not invented here” The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock syndrome—will cost jobs and livelihoods. My message to the hon. Gentleman is get hold of the Welsh Government and encourage them to come to the party. PRAYERS The Union [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] Virtual participation in proceedings commenced (Orders, Anne McLaughlin (Glasgow North East) (SNP): What 4 June and 30 December 2020). recent assessment his Department has made of the [NB: [V] denotes a Member participating virtually.] strength of the Union between Wales and the rest of the UK. [913410] Oral Answers to Questions Andrew Bowie (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (Con): What steps his Department is taking to strengthen the Union. [913417] WALES The Secretary of State for Wales (Simon Hart): As the vaccine roll-out has shown, our four nations are The Secretary of State was asked— safer, stronger and more prosperous together, and I Liverpool City Region Freeport look forward to the people of Wales giving a resounding endorsement of the Union at the Senedd elections in Mr David Jones (Clwyd West) (Con): What discussions May. he has had with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) Ministers of the Welsh Government on maximising the potential Anne McLaughlin [V]: I find that very interesting, economic benefit to north Wales of the proposed Liverpool because the Labour First Minister of Wales, Mark city region freeport. [913409] Drakeford, told the Welsh Affairs Committee a few weeks ago that devolution is under aggressive attack by The Secretary of State for Wales (Simon Hart): I have a Tory Government who have “outright hostility” at the regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues and Welsh heart of their governance. With independence currently Government Ministers about freeports. North Wales polling as high as 40% in Wales without an official and the Liverpool city region are interdependent, and campaign, will the Secretary of State respect the democratic Liverpool freeport can bring significant economic benefits rights of people in Wales and Scotland to have a post- for the whole region. pandemic independence referendum in the event of pro-independence majorities in May? Mr Jones [V]: As my right hon. Friend has said, Liverpool freeport is potentially of huge benefit not only to the city itself, but to north Wales, which is part Simon Hart: I think the First Minister has been of the same economic region. Does he agree that there pretty reckless in trying to inject an air of uncertainty is considerable potential synergy to be found, for example, into these discussions, and most of us realise that he is between the Deeside enterprise zone and the new freeport, only doing so because his only chance of remaining as and will he urge the Welsh Government to grasp the First Minister post May is to do some kind of a deal opportunity and work with Westminster to maximise with Plaid Cymru; and we know what the price of that that synergy? would be. Simon Hart: I absolutely agree with my right hon. Andrew Bowie: Will my right hon. Friend explain Friend’s assessment of the situation. Local authorities what benefits to Wales being a member of our United and port authorities are keen on this initiative, and Kingdom brings? these schemes can produce up to 15,000 jobs each. It is therefore disappointing that the Welsh Government Simon Hart: We could spend the rest of the morning seem to be still dragging their feet and allowing the listing the benefits, but I refer my hon. Friend to the initiative to flourish everywhere other than Wales, which Budget only a few days ago, with £4.8 million for the is costing jobs and livelihoods. Holyhead hydrogen hub, £30 million for the global centre of rail excellence, the £4.8 billion levelling-up Geraint Davies (Swansea West) (Lab/Co-op) [V]: A fund and £450 million community ownership fund. I freeport at Liverpool will sap and displace trade, investment could go on and on, but the benefits are numerous. and jobs from Holyhead in north Wales. Liverpool will get £26 million of investment, whereas we are only being offered £8 million for one UK freeport in either Liz Saville Roberts (Dwyfor Meirionnydd) (PC) [V]: north or south Wales. How will the Secretary of State Diolch yn fawr iawn, Llefarydd—agus beannachtaí na ensure that Wales gets its fair share of £26 million for its Féile Pádraig oraibh! Pob bendith arnoch chi heddiw, one UK freeport, and how will he prevent jobs being ar ddydd gwˆyl Padrig. lost and moving from north Wales to Liverpool? Asylum seekers will— 305 Oral Answers 17 MARCH 2021 Oral Answers 306 Mr Speaker: Order. Can I just say to the right hon. Alun Cairns (Vale of Glamorgan) (Con): Vale of Lady, let us just stop; I do not mind the beginning, but Glamorgan received a tiny amount of European aid to start extending the sentence in Welsh goes against the over the past 20 years despite having areas of significant rules of the House. deprivation. Can my right hon. Friend reassure me that the levelling-up fund and the community renewal fund Liz Saville Roberts: The first part was in Irish, the will apply to Vale of Glamorgan—we have been ignored second was in Welsh and it was wishing everybody a up until now—and that exciting projects such as Barry happy St Patrick’s— marina, St Athan train station and the Dinas Powys bypass could now become possible because of Union Mr Speaker: Order. I have no arguments with it support? whatsoever, but unfortunately the House makes the Simon Hart: Who would ever dare ignore the efforts rules; I am only here to ensure that the rules are kept. of my right hon. Friend? He is absolutely right that the local authority in his area will now have a chance to bid Liz Saville Roberts: Thank you; diolch yn fawr. in a way that it never could before, and to bid with the Asylum seekers will leave the squalid Penally camp strong and vigorous support that he provides. I think this weekend, thanks to months of campaigning by this is going to be a golden age for the vale. Plaid Cymru police and crime commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn, and others. The camp is in the Secretary of UK Community Renewal Fund State’s constituency, but he only became aware of the Home Office plans on 12 September last year, days Wendy Chamberlain (North East Fife) (LD): What before people moved in. Despite months of resistance assessment he has made of the economic effect of the from his own Government, I am afraid to say that he UK community renewal fund on Wales. [913412] now scrabbles to change the narrative, and he recently dismissed the Welsh Government’s “little status”—those The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales are his own words. Given the “little status” of the Wales (David T. C. Davies): Wales will be better off as a result Office, how does he continue to justify its existence? of the UK community renewal fund. Compared with its European predecessor,the new fund will be better targeted and better aligned with our domestic priorities, and will Simon Hart: As brass neck goes, that is quite an put decision making squarely into the hands of local exceptional example of it, as far as Penally is concerned. authorities. It seems that Plaid’s commitment to a nation of sanctuary extends only as far as its not being in its patch, as we Wendy Chamberlain: According to the community have discovered from the reactions of the right hon. renewal fund’s prospectus, the devolved Administrations Lady’s party colleagues. The fact of the matter is that will have a place within the governing structures, but this has been a difficult situation for a number of people when the Scottish Affairs Committee took evidence involved. It is being resolved, thanks to collaborative from academics a fortnight ago, we heard of confusion efforts between the Home Office and the Wales Office, as to what role they would realistically play. So will the demonstrating the value of both. Minister set out exactly how the devolved Governments will be involved in the decision-making structures for Liz Saville Roberts: On Wales as a nation of sanctuary, how funds are released? Penally is closing while Napier remains open. Today, work begins on reducing Wales’s voice in David T. C. Davies: Devolved Governments will be Westminster from 40 MPs to 32. At the same time, involved in the decisions, but so will the local Members the levelling-up fund will make local authorities’ ability of Parliament and local authorities, and I would have to bid for funding dependent on—wait for it—the number thought that the hon. Lady would support that. Only of MPs in their areas. The Secretary of State has been this morning, I read a fascinating article on that well-known gifted a role in overseeing all this, while our Senedd website Liberal Democrat Voice, in which the leader of —the Parliament with competence over economic her council—a Liberal Democrat himself—called on development—is sidelined.