Jo Stevens
MP for Cardiff East · Labour · United Kingdom
“Q3. My Cardiff East constituents are pleased that the Government are funding extra neighbourhood policing for us, but Cardiff is the only capital city in the UK that does not have specific capital city police funding.”
“8. I welcome the Secretary of State to his new role and wish him all the best. Earlier this year, my Cardiff East constituents were thrilled to hear of the agreement between this Labour Government, the Welsh Labour Government and private investors on funding to proceed with our long-awaited Cardiff Parkway station on the cross-border main…”
“As my hon. Friend knows from his constituency experience, poverty scars children’s lives and life chances. That is why we announced the child poverty strategy, including the removal of the two-child limit, which will benefit nearly 70,000 children right across Wales.”
“I have to say that it has been rather amusing to hear the new minority Plaid Cymru Welsh Government bragging about what they have done since the election. They have started a review, they have set up a steering group, they are working on a plan for another plan, they have set a target, and they are thinking about things.”
“The strategic defence review reinforces the importance of close collaboration between all Governments on defence, particularly where key levers such as skills and planning are devolved. I can confirm to my hon.”
“My hon. Friend is absolutely right that regenerating our high streets and town centres is vital to creating jobs and supporting local businesses, restoring pride in our communities. That is why we are investing over £300 million in Pride in Place funding for Wales, alongside over £500 million through the new local growth fund.”
The complete record
Every one of 600 lines we hold for Jo Stevens, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 2 of 12.
“Friend the Member for Cardiff West (Mr Barros-Curtis), spoke powerfully about his ten-minute rule Bill and the right to have birth, marriage and death certificates issued bilingually, as well as about the Pride in Place programme in Ely and Caerau. My hon. Friend the Member for Monmouthshire (Catherine Fookes) talked about the incredible community response to the floods in her constituency caused by Storm Claudia. It was a real privilege to meet many of her constituents when I visited straight after the floods. My hon. Friend the Member for Gower (Tonia Antoniazzi) gave, as she said, a niche speech on flying ring toys and their impact on grey seals on the beautiful Gower coast. That campaign sounds like a good one; I would be happy to have a conversation with her after the debate. My hon.”
“Friend the Member for Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare (Gerald Jones) spoke about his campaign for fair petrol pricing in his constituency. To me, the higher prices he referred to appear completely unjustifiable. I wish him lots of luck with that good campaign. My hon. Friend the Member for Newport East (Jessica Morden) talked about how Newport is definitely on the up. It is Wales’s fastest growing and youngest city, in large part thanks to the dynamic leadership of its Labour council, its MPs and its MSs. My hon. Friends the Members for Llanelli (Dame Nia Griffith) and for Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr (Steve Witherden) spoke about the impact of the UK Government’s child poverty strategy measures and policies on tackling the cost of living. My constituency neighbour, my hon.”
“We can continue to build the next chapter of Wales’s future with two Labour Governments focused entirely on the real and pressing priorities of the people of Wales, or that future can be put at risk with the division and destruction of Reform, or distraction and separation from nationalists. We on the Labour Benches will continue to campaign in the months ahead to secure the next chapter of Wales’s future with Welsh Labour. We had some fantastic contributions to the debate. The Chair of the Select Committee, my hon. Friend the Member for Newport West and Islwyn (Ruth Jones), gave a wide-ranging speech covering the Welsh cakes made by the hon. Member for Caerfyrddin (Ann Davies), churches, choirs, the NHS, Pride in Place and pride in work. My hon.”
“Members across the House will know that the ultimate proof of that successful partnership between our two Governments is seen in the nearly £6 billion of additional spending power that the UK Labour Government are providing to the Welsh Labour Government. Through the largest funding settlement in real terms since devolution began, we have ended Tory and Liberal Democrat austerity, making sure that Wales is funded properly and fairly, and enabling the Welsh Government to invest in our NHS and schools and across our public services. We are now less than three months away from the Senedd election, at which Wales faces an important choice. Together, the UK and Welsh Labour Governments are strengthening public services, building new infra- structure, creating new jobs, increasing wages and tackling the cost of living.”
“As we have heard, Labour is the party of devolution: we delivered it, we have protected it and we are enhancing it. We have updated the Welsh fiscal framework and worked with the Welsh Labour Government on the future of water regulation and devolution. We are devolving employment support funding and delivering in partnership our economic trailblazers and city and growth deals. We have restored the Welsh Government’s decision-making role over the local growth fund. Just two weeks ago, I announced plans to devolve new powers for the Senedd to create a vacant land tax to encourage house building. Hon.”
“Our support for communities in every part of Wales includes over half a billion pounds for the new local growth fund to create jobs and put more money in people’s pockets; £143 million for the Welsh Government to ensure that coal tips remain safe, supporting families living in the shadow of the tips; and bringing economic growth and employment opportunities to some of the most deprived communities in Wales. There have been a lot of mentions of Pride in Place funding: with £280 million for 14 communities, as well as at least £1.5 million for every single one of the 22 local authorities in Wales through the Pride in Place impact fund, we are putting decision making about communities in the hands of communities. In addition, this year all our Welsh police forces will receive a real-terms funding increase to help them keep our streets safe.”
“On tackling the cost of living, which lots of hon. Members mentioned, our relentless focus saw wages rise faster in the first 10 months of this Government than in 10 years of Conservative rule. Interest rates have been cut six times, meaning significant savings in mortgage payments for Welsh households and businesses. The lifting of the two-child limit will benefit 69,000 children in Wales. Well over a quarter of a million families in Wales—320,000 of them, in fact—will benefit from the first ever sustained real-terms increase in the universal credit standard allowance, which will help many working families.”
“No, I am going to carry on, because I do not have much time left. Just before Christmas, we announced one of the biggest public investments in Welsh history: the siting of the UK’s first fleet of small modular nuclear reactors at Wylfa, creating 3,000 direct jobs and thousands more in the supply chain. After a decade of inaction from the Conservatives and the inability of Plaid Cymru to agree among themselves whether they support nuclear or not, I am beyond proud that this Labour Government have made that game-changing commitment to Ynys Môn and the whole of north Wales. We have secured the most successful auction round in European history, backing the Awel y Môr offshore wind farm in north Wales, and the first floating offshore wind project in the Celtic sea, Erebus, to support thousands of jobs in our renewable energy industries.”
“Wales is leading the UK’s clean energy mission and secured two major projects in the UK Government’s contracts for difference scheme last week: Erebus, which is Wales’s first floating offshore wind project in the Celtic sea, and Awel y Môr offshore wind farm, off the coast of north Wales. It is the most successful auction round in European history, and a huge vote of confidence in Wales’s clean energy sector, which will deliver thousands of good jobs.”
“I entirely agree with my hon. Friend that investment in our offshore wind sector is integral to realising our potential as a clean energy superpower, and to creating thousands of high-skilled jobs in Wales and among our Celtic cousins in Cornwall. That is why last week’s auction round was such an historic moment, and why this Labour Government have announced a landmark £1 billion clean energy supply chain fund to deliver offshore wind, with £300 million from Great British Energy, £400 million from the Crown Estate and £300 million from the offshore wind industry.”
“My hon. Friend is absolutely right. This was the most successful auction round in European history, as I have mentioned. Awel y Môr is the first offshore wind project in Wales to win a contract in over a decade, and Erebus will be Wales’s first floating offshore wind farm. These projects will power almost 1 million homes and bring £2.6 billion of investment to Welsh coastal and industrial communities, but as he says, and most importantly, they will create thousands of jobs and bring down bills as we produce more, cheaper clean energy and gain our energy independence.”
“The Celtic sea is at the frontier of our green energy revolution. The capacity for offshore wind will support over 5,000 new jobs and bring billions of pounds of investment. Erebus is a test and demonstration project and will kick-start the early development of FLOW in Wales, ahead of larger projects being advanced through the Crown Estate’s three FLOW sites in the Celtic sea that have been leased to Equinor, Gwynt Glas and Ocean Winds. I cannot stress enough that this is a once-in-a-century opportunity for Wales, as it is for the south-west. That is why this Labour Government are doing whatever it takes to realise that potential.”
“I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising this issue, particularly as it is Nuclear Week this week. We have announced the new fleet of small modular reactors at Wylfa, which are expected to support 3,000 jobs at peak construction and to power up to 3 million homes, with the capacity for further fleets in the future. I am not sure why the Scottish Government refuse investment in nuclear. Not only do they waste money, but they refuse investment and jobs in their own country.”
“I would be very happy to have a conversation with the hon. Gentleman about that. We are investing in our green industries because that is how we will bring down bills for everybody, secure our energy supplies for everybody, and create jobs and improve living standards for everybody.”
“The hon. Member obviously does not want energy bills to come down, does not want jobs in mid-Wales and does not want the investment to happen. Labour is the only party committed to our renewable energy revolution. Plaid, the Greens and the Lib Dems all try to block renewable infrastructure, while the SNP rejects the jobs, as we have just heard; and now the Tories and Reform do not want this revolution, but want to scrap net zero altogether.”
“I thank the hon. Member for his question, but can I suggest that he raises that with Defence Ministers? If he would like to contact me afterwards, I am happy to raise that with the Secretary of State for Defence.”
“I thank the right hon. Lady for raising the matter, and I really do feel for people who have found themselves in this situation, including her constituents, through absolutely no fault of their own. She will know that we inherited this scheme from the Conservative Government, and both ECO and the Great British insulation schemes had well-documented problems, which is why we took decisive action to end them. We are urgently working with scheme providers to ensure that customers of Consumer Energy Solutions are supported, and we will provide further updates as soon as possible.”
“I simply say what I have already said to the right hon. Lady, which is that we inherited these schemes; they had well-documented problems, and that is why we have taken decisive action to end them. She will have seen our announcement today on the warm homes plan and the £15 billion fund to help people across the country.”
“I hold a range of discussions with Ministers in the Welsh Government, including about our crucial investment in the Welsh rail network. We are investing at least £445 million in Welsh rail to right years of underfunding by previous Tory Governments. That will mean new stations, and more and faster trains on the key lines in north and south Wales and into England to improve cross-border connectivity, create jobs and boost economic growth.”
“Heavy rail projects in both countries are classified as England and Wales whether the track is in Wales, England or both. They do not attract Barnett consequentials because heavy rail is reserved. Examples of such projects include Padeswood in north Wales and the regeneration of Cardiff Central station. Surely the hon. Lady knows that the economic corridor between north Wales and the north-west is vital for regional integration and the economic growth of north Wales. The scheme paves the way for more services, more regular services and faster services across north Wales and the north-west.”
“The introduction of the £1 bus fare cap for young people, and now a £2 cap on all fares from the Welsh Labour Government, has been great news; it will help everyone with the cost of living. The 100 new bus routes right across Wales, which will be introduced if Welsh Labour are re-elected in May, will further help people take advantage of the new opportunities and jobs that we are creating across Wales. All this has been made possible because there are two Labour Governments working together for Wales. Our record-breaking Budget settlement for the Welsh Government has delivered nearly £6 billion more in spending power, enabling them to invest more in transport and other public services.”
“The hon. Member will know very well from my reply to her letter that her assertion is fundamentally wrong, because she is using a combination of operations, maintenance, renewals and enhancement funding to reach the total figure provided under Conservative Governments. The Labour Government have announced nearly £500 million of investment in Welsh rail, specifically and solely in enhancement funding. That money is being front-loaded in this spending review period to deliver new stations and more and faster trains as soon as possible. She should carry on trying desperately to defend her party’s appalling record in government, because all she is doing is reminding everybody about it.”
“The Government are absolutely determined to lower the cost of living for families across Wales and the whole UK. That is why we are benefiting 69,000 children in Wales by scrapping the two-child limit. It is why we are slashing household energy bills by an average of £150 a year, and why we are again increasing the national minimum and living wage, building on the previous increase, which boosted the incomes of up to 160,000 workers in Wales.”
“My hon. Friend is absolutely right; this Government are supporting people across Wales and the UK with the cost of living. In comparison with when we came into government, households that take out a new mortgage are saving around £1,400 a year on their mortgage repayments. We have also increased the state pension by 4.8%, which will take effect in April, benefiting 700,000 pensioners across Wales. We have also uprated the universal credit standard allowance by over 6%—the first ever permanent real-terms increase—benefiting 320,000 households in Wales.”
“Energy bills are a significant issue for people across the country. That is why, thanks to this Labour Government, from April this year all households will see an average £150 reduction in costs on their energy bills. Energy suppliers will pass on the savings automatically to households. My hon. Friend will have seen today the launch of our warm homes plan, which is a £15 billion fund. In Wales, it will make grants available for households to replace gas boilers with heat pumps, and it will mean stronger standards for landlords who privately rent homes, so that they are safer, warmer and more affordable to run.”
“Wages are up, and inward investment is up. Inactivity is down on the year, and unemployment is down on the year. We have also had six cuts in interest rates, meaning that families taking out a new mortgage are £1,400 a year better off than they were under the Tories.”
“I work closely with the Welsh Government on our shared priorities, and our two Labour Governments work together for the people of Wales. This Budget delivered for Wales by investing in public services, cutting the cost of living and shrinking the national debt. We have scrapped the Tory and Lib Dem two-child limit, benefiting 69,000 children in Wales, and slashed energy bills by £150 per household. We have also announced further increases to the minimum and living wage, building on last year’s increases, which have already helped 160,000 of the lowest-paid workers in Wales.”
“The UK Government are providing the Welsh Government with nearly £6 billion in additional spending power over the spending review period as a result of changes to the fiscal framework, additional funding through the Barnett formula and the largest settlement in devolution history. We are righting the injustice of how Wales has been funded, and delivering on our manifesto commitment to update the fiscal framework. Crucially, these changes mean that the Welsh Government will be able to invest more funding in our hospitals, schools and other public services.”
“My hon. Friend rightly championed the Welsh compound semiconductor cluster from the minute she arrived in this place, and I have seen its success for myself on a number of visits. In last week’s Budget, the Chancellor announced £10 million for semiconductor activities in south Wales. That funding will focus on the technology that is central and critical to artificial intelligence and data centres, in order to support innovation, strengthen supply chains and develop the skills needed for future growth. Just two weeks ago, I was with the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology at Cardiff University—a key partner for the cluster—to announce the south Wales AI growth zone, which will create more than 5,000 new jobs for local communities, including in my hon. Friend’s constituency.”
“I am surprised at the right hon. Lady’s tone. While this Labour Government make record investment in Wales, Plaid Cymru’s response is to be the same old stuck record, with its miserable grievance politics. It really is the Victor Meldrew of Welsh politics. It still has not explained which taxes it would raise and which public services it would cut to pay for its disastrous independence plan, which would cost every single person in Wales £7,000 a year, every single year.”
“Growth is the No. 1 mission of this Government. We are creating tens of thousands of jobs in every corner of Wales, including through billions of pounds of investment in nuclear power in Anglesey, two AI growth zones, a defence growth deal, two freeports and two investment zones, which will deliver further economic growth to Wales.”
“From April, a full-time worker on the national living wage will see their annual pay rise by £900, on top of the £1,400 increase that we announced in the previous Budget, and 18 to 20-year-olds working full time on the national minimum wage will get an annual increase of £1,500, which, when added to last year’s increase of £2,500, means £4,000 extra a year. This Labour Government are supporting the lowest-paid workers across the country, with 2.7 million workers in Stoke-on-Trent Central, Cardiff East and every other constituency directly benefiting.”
“The introduction of the Pride in Place programme has meant good news for Rochdale, as well as for Wales. A total of 14 communities across Wales are each benefiting from £20 million of long-term investment to enable the changes that they want to see in their neighbourhoods. This hyper-local programme will benefit areas that are doubly disadvantaged, having both the highest deprivation levels and the weakest social infrastructure. It is about investing for the long term, and creating safer, stronger and more resilient communities with the facilities and infrastructure that they need to thrive.”
“My hon. Friend is absolutely right. This Labour Government have backed Welsh business and economic growth since day one, and the results speak for themselves; new nuclear at Wylfa and the two new AI growth zones will mean well over 11,500 new jobs. Add to that the best inward investment results for years, a 30% increase in jobs created, a 23% increase in projects landed, more jobs, wages rising faster than inflation, and more money in the pockets of people across Wales.”
“My hon. Friend is absolutely right to raise the ideology of the nationalists. Nationalists in Scotland turn their back on nuclear jobs for Scots, while nationalists in Wales are desperately trying to hide the cavernous split in their party on whether they support new nuclear. This Labour Government are absolutely clear that we want economic opportunities for all parts of the UK, and we want jobs and skills opportunities—including nuclear skills—for people across the UK. Those parties that are hellbent on breaking our country apart are simply exposing the fact that they are willing to put their ideology before jobs, opportunities and economic benefits for the people and communities of these isles.”
“The hon. Lady will know that the Welsh Government have put extra money into farming this year through their Budget. Her party in the Senedd voted against that Budget. We are renegotiating the sanitary and phytosanitary standards deal with the EU, following our deal in May, and we are protecting farmers and food manufacturers across Wales.”
“The hon. Gentleman eloquently sets out the case for the Union. The nationalists sat in front of him would break this country apart, ruining economic growth in this country. We are definitely all better together.”
“Britain outperformed growth forecasts this year. Growth was upgraded from 1% to 1.5%, and we are on course to achieve the second-fastest growth rate among G7 countries. The Bank of England has cut interest rates five times since the election. The positive impact that our UK and Welsh Labour Governments are having is clear from how the Welsh economy is changing. In the last year in Wales, wages have increased faster than inflation, employment has risen, inactivity is down and inward investment is up.”
“There was a smörgåsbord of questions there. I just say to the shadow Secretary of State that her party wrecked the economy, starved our public services and exacerbated the cost of living crisis. Our Labour Budget is reducing the cost of living, investing in public services and shrinking the national debt—the Conservatives increased it—while at the same time lifting thousands of children out of the poverty that the Tories created.”
“At every session of Wales questions, the hon. Gentleman talks about how he does not want infrastructure to be built in Wales. His party was one of the architects of austerity and the crushing poverty faced by so many people across the United Kingdom. This Labour Government have turned the page on that austerity legacy, bringing down energy bills, increasing the minimum and living wages for about 160,000 Welsh workers, and scrapping the two-child cap.”
“Announcements made over the past month demonstrate that our industrial strategy is working. In November alone, the Government announced investments to create more than 11,000 jobs in Wales, and just this week, the Wales investment summit showcased investments totalling £16 billion, which are expected to bring tens of thousands of jobs to Wales.”
“I am very pleased to hear about the new jobs created at Buttington Cross, and I should be delighted to join my hon. Friend for a milkshake—strawberry, please. Our landmark May deal with the European Union included a commitment to a comprehensive sanitary and phytosanitary agreement, which we are now actively negotiating, and which will reduce paperwork, delay and costs for Welsh farmers exporting their animals and produce to the EU. This Government are backing our farmers and food manufacturers.”
“I absolutely do not understand why the SNP Government are not willing to see the creation of jobs and opportunities for people in Scotland because of their ideology around new nuclear.”
“I have been in discussions with Aston Martin, as have Cabinet colleagues. We are doing everything we can to protect the car industry in this country. One of the biggest problems in the car industry arises from the Conservatives’ botched Brexit deal, for which the hon. Lady and her Government were responsible.”
“I welcome the Welsh Government’s Infrastructure (Wales) Act and I hope it will have a positive impact on the consenting process for devolved infrastructure projects. The draft order will make the necessary consequential amendments to reserved legislation, helping to ensure that the Welsh Government’s legislation can take effect as intended.”
“That replicates the process for other consenting regimes, including under the Electricity Act 1989, which require consultation with the Health and Safety Executive in such circumstances. Article 4 of the draft order amends the Finance Act 2013. Section 130 of that Act, which relates to the annual tax on enveloped dwellings, makes provision about the conversion of a dwelling for non-residential use. It provides that buildings will be regarded as suitable for use as a dwelling until any planning permission, or development consent under the Planning Act 2008, required for the conversion is granted. Article 4 of the draft order ensures that buildings that require infrastructure consent under the new Welsh system will also still be regarded as suitable for use as a dwelling until the point at which consent is granted.”
“In line with that, article 2 of the draft order ensures that the power of direction in the 1965 Act does not apply to projects that require infrastructure consent under the Infrastructure (Wales) Act 2024, because the 2024 Act also places its own requirements on applicants to consult with public authorities. When granting infrastructure consent under the new Welsh process in circumstances in which hazardous substances consent is also required, the Welsh Ministers will be able to deem hazardous substances consent to be granted, without the need for a separate application. Article 3 of the draft order amends the Planning (Hazardous Substances) Act 1990 to create a requirement for the Health and Safety Executive to be consulted before hazardous substances consent can be deemed to be granted in that way.”
“The draft order ensures that infrastructure consent is treated consistently with those existing consenting arrangements by updating relevant UK legislation. Article 2 of the draft order amends the Nuclear Installations Act 1965, which provides that an applicant for a nuclear site licence may be directed to notify the relevant public authorities about their application. However, that power of direction does not apply to applications for nuclear generating stations that require consent under the Electricity Act 1989, which has its own requirements for consultation with public authorities.”
“That means that devolved projects that were previously consented under various pieces of legislation, including the Electricity Act 1989 and the Transport and Works Act 1992, will now require infrastructure consent under the Welsh Government’s 2024 Act. The Welsh Government will commence the 2024 Act and bring the new consenting process into force on 15 December. The amendments to UK legislation in the draft order fall outside the legislative competence of the Senedd and are necessary to ensure that the 2024 Act can take effect as intended; therefore, they need to be made in advance of the new process coming into force. As infrastructure consent under the Welsh Government’s new Act has not existed before now, it is not reflected in UK legislation in the same way that other consenting processes are.”
“I beg to move, That the Committee has considered the draft Infrastructure (Wales) Act 2024 (Consequential Amendments) Order 2025. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Jeremy. The draft order, which was laid before the House on 27 October, will make changes to UK legislation that are necessary as a consequence of the Welsh Government’s Infrastructure (Wales) Act 2024. That Act establishes a new consenting process for major devolved infrastructure projects in Wales, including significant energy, waste, water and transport projects. The Act unifies the decision-making process for devolved infrastructure projects, with a number of existing consents, authorisations and licences integrated into the new process.”