Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)
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Wednesday Volume 589 3 December 2014 No. 73 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Wednesday 3 December 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/. 283 3 DECEMBER 2014 284 Government’s £2,000 tax-free child care account will House of Commons create greater flexibility, provide more choice to parents and hopefully contribute to driving down costs. Wednesday 3 December 2014 Mr Llwyd: That is a step forward, but the Minister The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock will be aware that good, affordable child care is key to economic development. He is probably also aware that PRAYERS in the UK we pay far more for child care than most other OECD countries—40.9% of the average wage compared with 18%. In Sweden, by contrast, the figure [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] is 7.1%. Does he think that we have anything to learn from the Nordic countries in that regard? Oral Answers to Questions Alun Cairns: It is important that we learn from wherever good practice is in place. The greater choice will help to drive down costs, but it is important that we provide the WALES right level of care, and the quality of care is important. I have no doubt that the stronger role that parents have The Secretary of State was asked— to play in exercising that choice will also drive up the quality of care. Child Care 1. Jenny Willott (Cardiff Central) (LD): What recent Cross-border Health Treatment discussions he has had with Ministers in the Welsh Government on the provision of free child care places 2. Glyn Davies (Montgomeryshire) (Con): What for three and four-year-olds in Wales. [906353] discussions he is having with the Welsh Government on waiting times for cross-border health treatment in The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales Montgomeryshire and Shropshire. [906354] (Alun Cairns): Support with high-quality flexible child care is key to enabling parents to stay in the work force The Secretary of State for Wales (Stephen Crabb): and gain financial stability for their families. The UK The performance of the Welsh health service is the most Government are increasing the provision of tax-free pressing issue for the people of Wales at this time. My child care from next year; the Welsh Government need ministerial colleagues and I regularly raise concerns to do their part in supporting working families in with the Welsh Government, including on the issue of Wales. cross-border services. It is essential that all patients, wherever they live, can access the very best health care Jenny Willott: Parents in Cardiff complain that they that meets their needs. cannot access their free child care entitlement. They can only get a place if they apply for three hours a day, five Glyn Davies: Does my right hon. Friend agree that days a week at a state-run nursery school, which is the Welsh Government should follow the UK Government’s useless if they work. Given that that means that parents example of commitment to the NHS by using the in Wales are worse off than those in England, will the £70 million boost to its budget, which came about as a Minister speak to Assembly Ministers to ensure that consequence of increased spending on health in England, parents can access their entitlement to free child care on the Welsh NHS? places in a way that suits them and not the Labour council? Stephen Crabb: Decisions on how the Welsh Government Alun Cairns: I pay tribute to the hon. Lady for her use Barnett consequentials are a matter for them, but it work in this area in a number of roles in Parliament. is true that a great many people in Wales would be The UK Government have pressed authorities in England baffled, bemused and hugely disappointed if Welsh to be as flexible as possible and have structured their Ministers chose not to use every single penny of the policies around flexibility to enable more people to get £70 million that we have made available to them by into work and to manage their daily lives better. I will protecting and increasing NHS budgets here at Westminster. happily pursue the matter with the Welsh Government on her behalf. Infrastructure Investment Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Dwyfor Meirionnydd) (PC): We have heard about problems in Cardiff, but of course 3. Andrew Jones (Harrogate and Knaresborough) there are problems with good and affordable child care (Con): What assessment he has made of the level of throughout Wales. For example, in rural areas there is infrastructure investment in Wales since 2010. [906355] sometimes a 200% difference in the cost from one local authority to the next. Will the Minister do his best to 4. Jonathan Edwards (Carmarthen East and Dinefwr) ensure that the Welsh Government access funds, if they (PC): What recent discussions he has had with the exist, for that purpose and that there is a proper dialogue Welsh Government on investment in transport on this subject? infrastructure in Wales. [906356] Alun Cairns: The right hon. Gentleman makes an 5. Neil Carmichael (Stroud) (Con): What steps he important point about the variation in child care costs. is taking to improve transport infrastructure links Stability has finally come to the marketplace. The between Wales and England. [906357] 285 Oral Answers3 DECEMBER 2014 Oral Answers 286 The Secretary of State for Wales (Stephen Crabb): Mrs Siân C. James (Swansea East) (Lab): Tidal Lagoon For too long, Wales has suffered from under-investment Power in my constituency is mentioned in the national in infrastructure, so I am proud to be part of a Government infrastructure plan. Will the Secretary of State join me who are putting that right. By working closely with the in congratulating that important company on how it Welsh Government and providing additional economic has worked with determination and grit to get the resources, we have been able to set out a long-term project through? vision for how first-class infrastructure will make Wales a more attractive place in which to invest, benefiting the Stephen Crabb: I echo the sentiments of the hon. people of Wales for generations to come. Lady, who is a strong supporter of this important project. The quality of that company’s management, Andrew Jones: I thank my right hon. Friend for his vision and business plan was precisely why I wanted the answer and commend him on his work in securing the project to be included in the national infrastructure valley lines electrification. Does he agree that this project plan. It is also why I have been working hard with will have a transformative effect on those communities colleagues in the Treasury and the Department of Energy that were often left behind by previous Labour and Climate Change to get this potentially strategic Governments? project included in our long-term infrastructure plans. Stephen Crabb: I thank my hon. Friend for his question Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd) (Lab): In 2009 I managed and his kind remarks. He is absolutely right. It was to convince my right hon. Friend the Member for Neath precisely because we did not want to leave those valley (Mr Hain) to allow Denbighshire and Conwy into the communities behind that we worked so hard with the objective 1 bid. Since then, those two counties have Welsh Government to secure the full electrification received about £500 million of EU funding. Will the package, electrifying the great western line all the way Secretary of State congratulate the EU on that funding through to Swansea, plus electrifying those valley lines, and recognise the danger to Wales of our pulling out of which, as he says, will have a transformative economic the EU? and social impact for many years to come. Stephen Crabb: The biggest danger to Wales, including Jonathan Edwards: The Welsh Government have north Wales, would be to abandon our clear long-term published figures on proposed roads expenditure showing economic plan, which I know Labour Members are that spending per head of population in south-west calling for. When I spent two days in north Wales on a Wales will be £89, whereas the figure will be £815 for business tour last week, I visited many Labour Members’ south-east Wales. Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and constituencies and saw just how dynamic the private Swansea will not have a single penny spent on roads, sector is. Businesses in that sector are leading the economic which means that there will be no money for relief recovery, so they are the ones that we should be saluting. roads for Llandeilo, Ammanford and Pencader in my constituency, and nothing for upgrades to the link between Newcastle Emlyn and Carmarthen. Is it not David T. C. Davies (Monmouth) (Con): I commend the case that the stitch up between the UK Government my right hon. Friend on his commitment to the M4 and the Welsh Government to spend all Wales’s new relief road. The Severn bridge will link on to that relief borrowing capacity on a new M4 relief road means that road, so will he consider the importance of having a there will be no transport infrastructure for the rest of plan for when it returns to public ownership in Wales? approximately 2018? Stephen Crabb: With respect to the hon. Gentleman, Stephen Crabb: My hon. Friend talks about an important he has got this wrong. A Plaid Cymru former Transport issue that has been raised by Members on both sides of Minister in the Assembly championed the upgrade of the House in recent months.