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Wednesday Volume 645 18 July 2018 No. 174 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Wednesday 18 July 2018 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2018 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 387 18 JULY 2018 388 Alun Cairns: The Government have committed to consult House of Commons later this year on the UK shared prosperity fund, which will be a Brexit dividend. We are already seeing a Brexit Wednesday 18 July 2018 dividend with the £20 billion increase in health spending, which will have considerable consequences for Scotland The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock and, rightly, for Wales. As their budgets are protected, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will benefit PRAYERS significantly from that. Stephen Gethins: The Secretary of State’sanswer directly [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] contradicts the UK Government’s own analysis, which shows that Wales and every other part of the United Oral Answers to Questions Kingdom will be badly hit by their plans for Brexit. If the Government do have a plan for Brexit, we would love to hear it—and is there any economic analysis for it? WALES Alun Cairns: The hon. Gentleman ignores the hard data,whichshowsrecordnumbersof peopleinemployment The Secretary of State was asked— and sharp falls in unemployment. I have met a whole host Leaving the EU of international investors from the US, Qatar, Japan and elsewhere, and we are seeing significant foreign direct 1. John Mc Nally (Falkirk) (SNP): What recent investment projects coming to the UK. That shows the assessment he has made of the effect on the Welsh great opportunities there are as we leave the European economy of the UK leaving the EU. [906435] Union. 7. Gavin Newlands (Paisley and Renfrewshire North) Luke Graham (Ochil and South Perthshire) (Con) (SNP): What recent assessment he has made of the rose— effect on the Welsh economy of the UK leaving the EU. [906441] Charlie Elphicke (Dover) (Ind) rose— 9. Stephen Gethins (North East Fife) (SNP): What recent assessment he has made of the effect on the Mr Speaker: We will hear from Mr Elphicke, but it is very nice to see you, Mr Graham. Welsh economy of the UK leaving the EU. [906443] The Secretary of State for Wales (Alun Cairns): Wales Charlie Elphicke: Thank you, Mr Speaker. approaches Brexit from a position of strength with a DoestheSecretaryof Stateagreethatthemostimportant growing economy and falling unemployment, and our market to the Welsh economy is the internal market of plan for Brexit will allow us to shape our own ambitious the United Kingdom? That is also true for Scotland, trade and investment opportunities, putting Wales and which is why it makes no sense that the Scottish National the wider UK at the forefront of global trade. party wants to peel Scotland away from the United Kingdom and the success of this nation. John Mc Nally: The Welsh Affairs Committee has now joined in the calls for the retention of membership Alun Cairns: The hon. Gentleman makes an extremely of the single market and customs union to protect the important point. He is right to say that the UK market agricultural sector, in which 80% of Welsh exports go to is more important to the Welsh and Scottish economies the EU. Will the Secretary of State confirm what than any international market is. It has already been representations he made to the Prime Minister ahead of demonstrated that Scotland sells four times more to the the Chequers agreement for continued membership for rest of the UK than to any international market. That the agricultural sector? dependence on the UK economy is greater for the Alun Cairns: As the House would expect, I looked Welsh economy. closely at that report, but of course the outcome that the hon. Gentleman suggests would mean that we could Stephen Kerr (Stirling) (Con): Does my right hon. Friend not honour the expectations of the British people following agree that the economic benefit of the city deals that the referendum decision to leave the European Union; have been agreed in Wales and Scotland is evidence of it would mean retaining free movement of people. The what is possible when the UK Government and the Chequers agreement protects the agricultural sector so devolved Administrations pull together in the same that it has the opportunity to trade frictionlessly with direction? the European Union. Alun Cairns: May I pay tribute to my hon. Friend, Gavin Newlands: By 2020, the Welsh economy will who has worked so hard on the Stirling city growth have been supported by almost £150 billion of investment deal? That exciting prospect, will offer real opportunities through EU structural funds. The Government committed for long-term economic regeneration. I take the opportunity to replacing that funding, along with support for farming to highlight the fact that Wales will be the only part of and the English NHS, with money from the mythical the UK that is entirely covered by city deals and growth Brexit dividend. Now that it is clear that the UK will deals. That meets the UK Government’s ambitions to not receive a single penny back from Brexit, will the close the wealth gap between the most prosperous and Secretary of State confirm that there will still be money most deprived areas of the UK by raising the economic for Wales? prospects of some of the poorest parts of the UK. 389 Oral Answers 18 JULY 2018 Oral Answers 390 Liz Saville Roberts (Dwyfor Meirionnydd) (PC): Given protection that the UK Government have given to Wales, the impact of Brexit uncertainty on the Welsh rural whereby Wales now receives £120 for every £100 spent economy, the Minister will surely agree that technology in England, demonstrates the priority that we put on and science opportunities must be seized. What is he protecting Wales’s interests. doing to ensure that Snowdonia Aerospace at Llanbedr becomes the UK’s first horizontal-launch spaceport? International Trading Opportunities: Promotion Alun Cairns: The hon. Lady is absolutely right. Llanbedr 2. Mr Ranil Jayawardena (North East Hampshire) offers great opportunities. The Secretary of State for (Con): What recent steps he has taken to promote Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and I have spoken Wales’s international trading opportunities. [906436] on a number of occasions about this, and I hope that the hon. Lady will welcome the statement that was The Secretary of State for Wales (Alun Cairns): My made last week and the additional money that is being Department continues to work closely with the Department made available to exploit the opportunities in Llanbedr. for International Trade on promoting Wales’s trading I am excited by this prospect, and we will put the hon. opportunities. During my recent trips to Qatar, Kuwait, Lady’s constituency at the forefront of space technology. Hong Kong and the US I saw at first hand the enthusiasm for Welsh exports as well as the potential for foreign Mr Speaker: Let us hear more about the horizontal direct investment projects to come to Wales. port situation. Mr Jayawardena: Given Wales’s connectivity on the Liz Saville Roberts: I will say more about the situation M4 corridor, does my right hon. Friend agree that we of the rural economy, given that the former Wales can truly capitalise on trading opportunities internationally Office Minister, the hon. Member for Aberconwy (Guto for Wales and, indeed, the Thames valley by improving Bebb), stood down this week to oppose the Brexiteers’ the Reading to Gatwick road corridor? wrecking amendments. At next week’s Royal Welsh show, will the Secretary of State announce his resignation Alun Cairns: My hon. Friend will be aware that I have in protest at the Government’s policy of wrecking Welsh been a strong supporter of the third runway at Heathrow livestock farming? because it is important to the Welsh economy, and connectivity to airports is vital to deliver its prospects Alun Cairns: First, I pay tribute to my hon. Friend and objectives. He is right about the M4 corridor. With the Member for Aberconwy (Guto Bebb) for his excellent the abolition of the Severn tolls, it creates an opportunity work at the Ministry of Defence in supporting the for a natural economy to develop between Bath, Bristol, defence services across the whole UK, as well as his role Newport and the south Wales economy in general, to in looking after agriculture as a Wales Office Minister. create further economic growth. The hon. Lady will be well aware that the Chequers agreement provides a frictionless trading opportunity Owen Smith (Pontypridd) (Lab): The Secretary of for Welsh farmers that will allow them to continue to State knows that Airbus is one of Wales’s most important sell Welsh beef and lamb, and other Welsh produce, to trading entities and companies, so does he think it is a the European Union as they do at the moment. good or bad sign that the chief executive of Airbus is so worried about the Government screwing up Brexit that Mr Speaker: In calling the hon. Member for Vale of he is now stockpiling goods that he feels he will not be Clwyd (Chris Ruane), I congratulate him on what I able to get in to make his finished products? understand is, unbelievably, his 60th birthday. Alun Cairns: I think the hon. Gentleman is out of Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd) (Lab): It’s a hard life! date. The latest statements from Airbus have welcomed The shadow Wales team recently met Farmers Union the Chequers agreement, because it will allow the company of Wales representatives, who are desperately worried to protect its supply chain.