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Wednesday Volume 672 26 February 2020 No. 30 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Wednesday 26 February 2020 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2020 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 299 26 FEBRUARY 2020 300 Stephen Crabb: As we prepare to celebrate St David’s House of Commons Day, now is a good moment to celebrate the enormous and excellent progress that has been made in reducing unemployment in Wales. Does my right hon. Friend Wednesday 26 February 2020 agree that what is really encouraging is the fact that the long-term lag between Welsh employment levels and the The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock UK average has now closed, with more people in Wales going out to work than ever before? PRAYERS Simon Hart: I am grateful to my right hon. Friend and constituency neighbour for raising this issue. He will be as pleased as I am that the figures in his own [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] constituency, when compared with 2010, are as good as they are. It is absolutely right that the Government’s job, in collaboration with the Welsh Government if that is necessary, is to ensure we create the circumstances Oral Answers to Questions where that trend continues. He has my absolute assurance that that will be the case. Christina Rees (Neath) (Lab/Co-op): Will the Secretary WALES of State provide the House with specific details on how many people have been affected by the catastrophic flood damage to residential properties and businesses The Secretary of State was asked— across Wales, and exactly how much has been lost to the Universal Credit Welsh economy so far? Simon Hart: I should start by saying that, during the 1. Cat Smith (Lancaster and Fleetwood) (Lab): What visitstofloodedareasmadelastweekbytheUnder-Secretary assessment he has made of the effect on low-income of State for Wales and I, we were, as one would expect, families of the roll-out of universal credit in Wales. completely bowled over by the professionalism, resilience, [900896] determination and expertise of numerous agencies and individuals in coming to terms and dealing with the The Secretary of State for Wales (Simon Hart): Universal particular problem the hon. Lady raises. She should, I credit was designed to simplify the system and ensure hope, be pleased to know that I have had a number of that payments reach those in need. We estimate that meetings with the Welsh Government and council leaders 700,000 more people will receive about £2.4 billion of in areas affected by these unusual—unfortunately, not unclaimed benefits through universal credit. as unusual as we would like—weather events. It is fair to say that the Welsh Government are still assessing the Cat Smith: Will the Government commit to ending the extent of the damage and exactly what is necessary by dehumanising work capability and personal independence way of rectification. We have said, and we will repeat payment assessments, which routinely find sick and our commitment, that when the Welsh Government disabled people fit for work, and commit to bring all come to us with absolutely watertight figures and explain these assessments in-house? exactly what they need from us, we are ready to help in whatever way we can. Simon Hart: I think all of us, on both sides of the House, recognise that the system does not always work Christina Rees: First Minister Mark Drakeford and as well as it should. We all have casework that would his Welsh Government Ministers have visited flood indicate that. Our ongoing commitment—indeed, I was victims and have already pledged an initial £10 million doing this back in 2011—is to make sure that, where from the Welsh Government’s severely restricted budget people do struggle with the system or fall through the after 10 years of Tory cuts. Yet last month, at short gaps, we act quickly, efficiently and humanely. Any notice, the Treasury took back £200 million from the cases that the hon. Lady or other Members have where Welsh Government because of recalculations of Barnett that is not happening, please raise them with us and we consequentials. The Prime Minister has not bothered to will take them up with the Department for Work and visit flood victims in Wales, but could he at least return Pensions. that money to the Welsh Government to help to clean up the damage? Welsh Economy Simon Hart: I have to say that, if I was a business or 2. Stephen Crabb (Preseli Pembrokeshire) (Con): What individual affected by the events of the last few days, the recent assessment he has made of the strength of the last thing I would expect to hear in this House is the Welsh economy. [900897] politicisation of a very difficult situation. The conversations I have had in face-to-face meetings with First Minister The Secretary of State for Wales (Simon Hart): The Drakeford in Cardiff have been constructive. He has at unemployment rate in Wales is at a record low. There no stage made the observations the hon. Lady has made are 144,000 more people in work in Wales than in 2010 to me. We have made it absolutely clear that as soon and 90,000 fewer workless households. The Government as the damage is assessed we are ready to assist, are committed to driving further economic growth and notwithstanding the fact that this is a devolved responsibility, levelling up across the UK, including west Wales. and it is absolutely right that we as a UK Government 301 Oral Answers 26 FEBRUARY 2020 Oral Answers 302 should respect the devolution settlement. I will just 4. Andrew Rosindell (Romford) (Con): What discussions finish by saying that local authority leaders—[Interruption.] he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential I will leave it at that point. merits for Welsh businesses of regulatory divergence from the EU. [900899] Liz Saville Roberts (Dwyfor Meirionnydd) (PC): HS2 will do next to nothing for north Wales and worse than The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales nothing for south Wales. Yet only six miles of HS2 railway (David T. C. Davies): Far from lowering standards, the line will cost more than the crucial, first-of-its-kind UK already exceeds the EU minimum requirements in tidal lagoon in Swansea, rejected by the Minister’s Tory several areas, including on workers’ rights and Government. I am sure the Secretary of State agrees environmental targets. We will continue in that vein, that low-carbon electricity generated in Wales should with an independent trade policy, and in so doing, power the transport of the future. What will he do to get unleash the enormous potential of the UK and Welsh Wales-wide tidal lagoon projects back on track? economies. Simon Hart: As the right hon. Lady knows—she may Stuart C. McDonald: Over 60% of Welsh exports are even have been at the debate that I hosted in this destined for the EU and dominated by key industries Chamber where we discussed the matter into the early vulnerable to divergence related to trade barriers— hours of the morning—it is undisputed that a tidal agricultural machinery and transport equipment, to lagoon has a future in the UK, and in particular in name but two. So instead of actively trying to circumvent Wales. The difficulty that we had over the tidal lagoon the Prime Minister’s own withdrawal agreement, why are project in Swansea was in relation to the company not the Government pursuing the regulatory alignment proposal itself. So I hope that she can be reassured that that is crucial for Welsh businesses and exporters? this is part of the energy mix—it is part of the renewable commitment that we have made. The tidal lagoon is still David T. C. Davies: We of course voted to leave the under discussion. European Union, and that meant voting to leave the customs union and voting to leave the single market. I Liz Saville Roberts: I hope the Minister will join me am quite surprised by the hon. Gentleman’s question, in congratulating Wales Week co-founders Dan Langford because I should have thought that he would be the first and Mike Jordan on again providing excellent opportunities to agree with me that a nation that leaves a union will to celebrate Welsh business and culture in London and want full control of its regulatory and trade policy. That 21 other places around the world. I am sure the Minister is a matter of principle, which I would have expected he will also agree that his Government have a crucial part and his colleagues to be in full agreement with. to play in supporting Welsh businesses by ensuring that they are not undermined by future trade negotiations. Andrew Rosindell: I share the Minister’s enthusiasm Will he reassure us that, in pursuit of trade agreements that we can now exceed EU regulations—that is, have with both Trump’s America and our nearest trading better regulations than those set by the EU. Does he market, the EU, the Government will not trade off agree, though, that the Government’s agenda is proof of Welsh animal welfare and food standards in favour of our commitment to maintaining the existing high standards chlorinated chicken? that are independent of EU law, and that it is not only Simon Hart: I can absolutely offer that guarantee; it businesses that could benefit from that regulatory is a repeat of the guarantee that has been offered by my divergence? right hon.