Nick Smith
MP for Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney · Labour · United Kingdom
“We had huge wildfires in the Welsh valleys last summer, so I welcome last week’s summit, which announced the UK’s first permanent military firefighting capability. When I met firefighters after the summer, I heard anecdotal reports that some fires were being started deliberately.”
House of Commons29 October 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Mr Speaker, I would like to add some words of thanks to the retiring Clerk of the House. I find Thomas Goldsmith to be a very sage official sitting at the heart of our organisation. It is my privilege to be a House of Commons Commissioner and Chair of the Administration Committee.”
House of Commons22 October 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I am happy to give my right hon. Friend a whiff, as we say in the valleys. Parliament is taking action to reduce single-use plastics across our estate. This includes removing plastic bottles of water from sale, eliminating about 120,000 of them each year.”
House of Commons22 October 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“May I thank the Leader of the House and the shadow Leader of the House for their kind words highlighting the 60th anniversary of the Aberfan tragedy earlier this week? I welcome the Government’s commitment to creating employment opportunities for young people through the youth jobs grant.”
House of Commons22 October 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“As I have set out, Parliament has made significant progress in reducing single-use plastics across the estate. For example, to minimise the environmental impact, single-use plastic cups are now made from biodegradable material, and we do bags of stuff on composting.”
House of Commons22 October 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“This summer, wildfires raged across south Wales and other parts of the UK. On one day alone, our emergency services received 1,000 telephone calls. Our South Wales fire and rescue service worked tirelessly alongside firefighters from across the UK.”
House of Commons3 September 2026Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
The complete record
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“After years of covid, families finally want to get away this spring and summer. Instead, they face losing thousands of pounds if they cannot keep their holiday after the grief of chasing their passport. The Government need to do much, much better than this.”
House of Commons12 May 2022Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“It was obvious that, when restrictions ended, people would need passports to get away. The Prime Minister blames a mañana culture at the Passport Office. We need a strategy that improves performance and helps families now, not those flippant comments. During a cost of living crisis, telling people to spend an extra £100 per person to fast-track their application rubs salt into their wounds. Yesterday, the Home Secretary told us of record passport delivery, which is good, but we need the facts today. How big is the actual backlog? By when will the Passport Office’s too-long 10-week timeframe be down to the normal three weeks? Deliveries are also delayed and other companies are having to help TNT. Its £77 million contract cannot be value for money, so will the Government be renewing that contract in July?”
House of Commons12 May 2022Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Thank you, Mr Speaker, for granting this urgent question. I thank the staff working on the passport backlog, but many people across our country will not be satisfied with the Minister’s response today. A constituent told me yesterday: “It’s terrible. We’re due to fly out on Sunday but are still unable to get our youngest son’s passport. Every time I phone I get passed to a different department, then hold, then the phone line goes dead.” Another told me: “I’ve called 40 times in the past week, they cut me off every time. I don’t know what to do and am breaking down at this point.” The facts are that there are long queues outside passport offices; that hours and hours are being spent on phone lines; and that families are afraid of holidays getting cancelled. This situation was avoidable.”
House of Commons12 May 2022Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“The Home Secretary talked about passports. Constituents are telling me that the long delays at the Passport Office could both badly affect the travel industry and ruin family holidays. We need action now. Will she ensure the backlog is dealt with in the coming weeks?”
House of Commons11 May 2022Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Last year, Ministers said they would “reset the dial on women’s health”, but we still have no date for the hormone replacement therapy prescription changes in England. May we have a statement on HRT changes, to show that the Government are taking women’s health seriously?”
House of Commons21 April 2022Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Q9. Every week, examples emerge of Government waste during covid, and last year the former Health Secretary told me that there had been no profiteering and no cronyism. Does the Prime Minister still agree with him?”
House of Commons20 April 2022Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I welcome the Financial Conduct Authority’s redress scheme proposed this morning. It goes a fair way towards putting things right for the thousands of British Steel workers who were ripped off by pension sharks in 2017. The average loss was £60,000. However, can we have a Government statement from the Treasury on why it has taken the FCA five years to grip this scandal properly?”
House of Commons31 March 2022Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“The Minister was unable to answer my question about the average age of the women affected by the draft regulations. Will she go back to the Department to get an assessment of the question and please write to the Committee?”
House of Commons28 March 2022Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I thank the Minister for giving way again. She is being generous with her time and her efforts, but she did not answer the question of my colleague, my hon. Friend the Member for Rotherham: will the Government write to the women affected by this issue? She mentioned that it had been on the Government website, but given that WASPI women and others have complained that they were not properly informed of changes to their pensions and other financial arrangements of the Government through time, will she assure us categorically that she will write to those affected, please?”
House of Commons28 March 2022Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“The P&O pension pot has a shortfall of £147 million. P&O’s parent company, DP World, has previously sponsored a golf tournament to the tune of £150 million. Does the Minister agree that P&O’s parent company should step in and pay up so that workers’ pensions are secure for the future? Will he add that to his package that needs sorting out?”
House of Commons28 March 2022Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I thank the Minister for his statement. Like him, when I walked up Whitehall last night, although I of course heard concerns from the demonstrators there, I also saw courage and resilience. It was really quite powerful. Cyber-attacks, falsehoods and disinformation are President Putin’s tools of trade; how can we support Ukrainians to deal with Putin’s propaganda?”
House of Commons25 February 2022Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Over a year ago, at the Public Accounts Committee, I discovered that there were 10,000 shipping containers filled with millions of items of personal protective equipment costing billions of pounds, and I am afraid of waste. A few months later, I heard that there were 14,000 shipping containers full of unused PPE. I have put in a parliamentary question for an update, but so far it remains unanswered. Can the Minister please give us an update on how many shipping containers are still full of PPE this month?”
House of Commons24 February 2022Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“With cyber-attacks and falsehoods, Russia is peddling lies today. Observers on the ground are crucial to relaying the truth. In recent weeks, the UK has withdrawn its team from the OSCE special monitoring mission because staff safety is key, but can the Prime Minister look again to support international efforts such as that to get to the facts and counter Russian disinformation?”
House of Commons24 February 2022Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I thank the Minister for giving way. The Intelligence and Security Committee report is now nearly three years old. Will the Government please publish it this week?”
House of Commons22 February 2022Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Randox cashed in on covid contracts; its profits jumped from £12 million to £50 million, and as the money rolled in the company was re-registered in the Isle of Man. Does the Minister think that tax on UK covid contracts should be paid in the UK?”
House of Commons10 February 2022Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Tesco’s boss says that food inflation will hit 5%. Families across Wales will struggle to cope, so how will the Secretary of State help people in food poverty?”
House of Commons9 February 2022Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“The Chancellor will be pleased that his campaign team are behind him today. Does he really think that the super-profits of $20 billion made by Shell are untouchable? His hands-off approach will not persuade many people across our country.”
House of Commons3 February 2022Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Private Eye has uncovered £600 million of PPE contracts awarded to Unispace Global, an interior design company, through the VIP lane. The Department has paid the money to Unispace but it is not shown on the company accounts, so will the Minister strain every sinew and will there be an investigation to account for the £600 million of public money?”
House of Commons3 February 2022Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“On Lord Agnew of Oulton, who resigned over the fraudulent covid business loans, the good, decent Lord said that there was “zippo of detail” on how the Government plan to deal with the issue of business loans. Can the Minister say how the Government will claw back the £77 million loss on the eat out to help out scheme from the missing Chancellor?”
House of Commons1 February 2022Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“The Prime Minister sets the culture at No. 10. Why does he think staff members there felt unable to raise their concerns about the bad behaviours reported today?”
House of Commons31 January 2022Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Today’s papers are full of briefings blaming the staff at No. 10 for the Prime Minister’s predicament. Is passing the buck to staff not the most irresponsible of defences?”
House of Commons27 January 2022Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“In October, I was pleased to support my hon. Friend the Member for Swansea East (Carolyn Harris) when she brought forward her private Member’s Bill on the menopause. In response, the Government said they would look at combining the two hormone replacement therapy treatments into one prescription to make it more affordable. Can we please have a Government statement on when this important women’s health measure will be implemented?”
House of Commons20 January 2022Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“The Treasury has banked nearly £4 billion of surplus from the miners pension fund. Does my hon. Friend agree that the Government should change the arrangements so they are much fairer to miners and their widows in our coalfield communities?”
House of Commons18 January 2022Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Seventy-one million pounds of taxpayers’ money was fraudulently claimed through the eat out to help out scheme. How many arrests have been made, and are the criminals now enjoying prison food?”
House of Commons18 January 2022Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Asking for voter ID seems reasonable: someone shows who they are to get a ballot paper. However, it is an old cynical trick: insert an administrative hurdle, dress it up as improving security, watch voter turnout go down—job done, the fix is in. Of course, voter fraud should be stopped, but impersonation is hardly an issue in the UK, and our independent Electoral Commission says the same.”
House of Commons17 January 2022Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Over 180 years ago, starting in Blaenau Gwent, thousands of Chartists marched on Newport. From across south Wales, they demanded reforms to elections so that common people could have their voices heard in Parliament. Since then, elections in our country have got more transparent, fair and open, but I am worried about voter suppression, and at stake is the very integrity of our elections. We all know what is going on in America. Despite the highest election turnout in 120 years, the big lie has been amplified that Trump actually won in 2020. Since then, ordinary Americans are facing higher hurdles to vote in too many states. Raising the bar to lower voter turnout is what the Republican right is up to, and similar tactics here trouble me. I am particularly concerned about the introduction of voter ID, so I am supporting amendment 1 tonight.”
House of Commons17 January 2022Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I will answer those remarks in my contribution. I sat on the Bill Committee, and I heard a High Court judge tell us that voter ID was not the solution. He said, and this is a judge who has done many electoral law cases, that asking for “ID at polling stations, frankly, is neither here nor there.” –– [ Official Report, Elections Public Bill Committee, 15 September 2021; c. 15, Q13.] The data shows that there were just three convictions for personations since 2016. The proposals really are a sledgehammer to crack a nut.”
House of Commons17 January 2022Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I am proud that British democracy was championed from Blaenau Gwent, but the Bill sets backwards the Chartist cause from nearly two centuries ago. I urge all Members who value our democracy to support amendment 1.”
House of Commons17 January 2022Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I am going to carry on. We heard about terrible cases of fraud in Tower Hamlets, Peterborough and Birmingham, and of course they must be addressed. The key is for the Electoral Commission and the police to receive the resources needed to enforce our laws, because they do not have them at the moment. Again, the Government’s main witness felt there should be a hit squad at the Electoral Commission. That would make far better use of the millions that voter ID will cost. We know that about 2 million people do not have the right ID, many of whom are from our most marginalised groups—older people, disabled people, minorities. The nub is that making it harder to gain their ballot paper means that fewer people vote. Reducing turnout undermines confidence in our elections and sows the seeds of doubt in our democracy.”
House of Commons17 January 2022Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Given that the Government’s VIP lane for personal protective equipment contracts has been ruled unlawful, will there be immediate publication of contracts after emergency procurement to restore faith in the system? It would help avoid having the Government hauled so embarrassingly through the courts.”
House of Commons13 January 2022Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“May we have a Government statement on improving internet access in the south-west? It appears that a notspot in Devon is the reason why the Chancellor was unable to contact the Prime Minister yesterday to offer his support.”
House of Commons13 January 2022Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“The Treasury has benefited hugely from the miners pension surplus over the years. Even though the Prime Minister pledged in the 2019 election that no miner would be left behind and out of pocket, they have been. Will the Government look again at giving miners their fair share or is that another example of the Prime Minister saying one thing and doing another?”
House of Commons11 January 2022Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the short tribute to our comrade Jack Dromey. The latest document on Ajax is enough to make anyone weep. It points to an alphabet soup of accountabilities and a saga of poor procurement, and says that the vehicle thus far is not fit for purpose. And of course it has been a health and safety minefield. This project matters for our military capability and for the 4,000-strong workforce in south Wales and across the UK. In his December statement, the Minister ended on an optimistic note when responding to a question about the workforce from my hon. Friend the Member for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney (Gerald Jones). Can the Minister give us the expected timeline for fixing these issues?”
House of Commons10 January 2022Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I congratulate the Prime Minister and his wife on the birth of their baby daughter. [Hon. Members: “Hear, hear.”] Last week was crime week. Was it a success for you, Prime Minister?”
House of Commons15 December 2021Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Revelations of the 18 December gathering in No. 10 Downing Street have triggered much anguish across the country, so may I press the Minister on how exactly the Government Legal Department will support the investigation?”
House of Commons9 December 2021Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“In Blaenau Gwent and across the country, illegal off-road biking continues to be a scourge on our towns and countryside, intimidating local people and tearing up our environment. It must be stopped. In my area, Gwent police is doing good work on it, but given that this is crime week, can we have a statement outlining the Government’s plans to act on illegal off-roading?”
House of Commons9 December 2021Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“3. If he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the findings of Transparency International’s report, “Track and Trace”, published April 2021.”
House of Commons25 November 2021Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Test and Trace has been muddled and expensive. Along with personal protective equipment provision, it has been a profiteers’ paradise for some. After inflation, NHS workers got no pay rise, yet Deloitte’s partners got 14%. We need answers: who did what and for how much? Does the Minister agree that the terms of reference for the covid public inquiry should include an analysis of the super-profits and juicy contracts for middlemen that have undoubtedly been made, so that the public can consider what opportunists have enjoyed at all our expense?”
House of Commons25 November 2021Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“The digital divide between cities and valleys is getting wider in south Wales. Gigabit broadband is essential for our economy, yet it has barely begun in Blaenau Gwent and we are being left behind. Will the Minister prioritise working with the Welsh Government and Ofcom to deliver better internet so that levelling up is not just a hollow slogan?”
House of Commons18 November 2021Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Last week’s National Audit Office report on supply chain finance highlighted that huge contracts involving Greensill Capital, signed off by the Treasury, provided no benefits to the NHS. Does the Minister accept the NAO report, and will she ensure that in the future, contracts are properly awarded to avoid this kind of insidious lobbying?”
House of Commons2 November 2021Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“Santander has started training managers to better understand the menopause, and places such as Sainsbury’s have brought together colleagues to tackle this topic, while HSBC has introduced menopause champions to encourage more conversations at work. It is fantastic that more and more women are speaking about the menopause. When Andrea McLean shared her experiences on “Loose Women”, she said that “within 24 hours, 10,000 women got in touch”. Workplace wellbeing for women needs a helping hand today. We must send a message to employers that they need to put menopause policies and support in place, and to do it now. We all need to play our part so that women like Barbara are given the respect and the dignity they deserve. Parliament needs to support this important Bill today.”
House of Commons29 October 2021Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“She also said: “Overnight, I felt I’d lost all my confidence in my ability to do my job.” When Barbara went to her employer, she thought it said the right things, but did not understand what support was needed. There are too many stories like this. About 900,000 women have left their jobs because of the menopause. Something has to be done. Some women have more severe symptoms than others, which is why employers must be proactive and flexible. As my hon. Friend said, a tick-box exercise will not work. This is why organisations such as the Wales TUC have produced fantastic resources for union reps to give advice on what they can do. There are already some companies doing good stuff.”
House of Commons29 October 2021Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“What a brilliant and important debate we have had today on women’s health. It has been fantastic, has it not? I want to pay tribute to my butty, my hon. Friend the Member for Swansea East (Carolyn Harris). She has done some fantastic campaigning on this issue. I would like to look at the issue of menopause and employment. About 14 million workdays are lost each year in the UK due to the menopause. A TUC survey found that nearly nine in 10 women say it has affected their working life. How a woman experiences the menopause in work can be dramatically shaped by what her employer does. Here is one story from a woman called Barbara, who spoke to the Wellbeing of Women charity. She said: “My memory was shot to pieces… I felt hot and sweaty all the time… I didn’t want to speak up in meetings for fear of” embarrassment about how she looked.”
House of Commons29 October 2021Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“In 2017, the Prime Minister called a snap general election. What would the Minister say to charities who find themselves in a similar situation after the Bill is passed?”
House of Commons26 October 2021Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“T5. May I press the Secretary of State on a point about the Llanhilleth Miners Institute, which does fantastic work? It was a safe haven for my community during the floods last year. It applied to the UK community renewal fund in May and got council support but, like others, it has heard nothing since. Will he please consider an extension to the time that the Llanhilleth Miners Institute will have in which to spend any grant, should it be successful?”
House of Commons25 October 2021Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“India, like many other countries, is lagging on vaccination—fewer than half there have had their first jab—so does the Secretary of State support her US counterpart’s call for a temporary waiver of the patents on covid vaccines?”
House of Commons21 October 2021Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“The steel industry’s transition to net zero requires £6 billion of investment, yet the clean steel fund provides only 4% of that. Does the Minister really think that is enough?”
House of Commons19 October 2021Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“I welcome the statement. China’s assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region can be destabilising, particularly in the South China sea. What support will be given to Taiwan at this difficult time?”
House of Commons16 September 2021Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“This is a five-star shambles. The Government are guilty of negligence. This is not good enough when service personnel have been put at risk. There could be a massive waste of money and now people’s livelihoods may be hanging in the balance. We should not scaremonger, but we should prepare. Can I press the Minister again: what discussion has he had with the Welsh Government to prepare contingencies should the worst come to the worst?”
House of Commons9 September 2021Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗
“May I also confirm that the Merthyr factory is an impressive capability? The defence and security industrial strategy gives Ajax as an example of regional levelling up, so can the Minister confirm where the turrets for Ajax will be built?”
House of Commons8 June 2021Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0Source ↗