Llinos Medi
MP for Ynys Môn · Plaid Cymru · United Kingdom
“Q6. As someone with personal experience of AI-generated images, the recent AI images shared on X, particularly those of children, sicken me. Yet the Leader of Reform, the hon. Member for Clacton (Nigel Farage), continues to defend Elon Musk.”
“Diolch, Gadeirydd. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Christopher. I congratulate the hon. Member for Rushcliffe (James Naish) on securing this important debate on the potential merits of a statutory duty of care for universities.”
“Mared had had a clear career path since her time at Ysgol David Hughes secondary school. All she ever wanted to be was a pharmacist. She worked at local pharmacies during school and university holidays.”
“I thank the hon. Member for that intervention, and I totally agree. That is why I appreciate this debate, where we can all share our experiences and make sure that, in our terms here, we make the change that we want to see.”
“I totally agree with my hon. Friend. Better resources and funding for our public services would go a long way to help students who are feeling vulnerable, scared and unable to cope. As the hon.”
“When things go wrong, students and families often discover far too late that there was no obligation to act, even where warning signs were present. I therefore want serious consideration to be given to the concerns of students and their families.”
The complete record
Every one of 236 lines we hold for Llinos Medi, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 1 of 5.
“Q6. As someone with personal experience of AI-generated images, the recent AI images shared on X, particularly those of children, sicken me. Yet the Leader of Reform, the hon. Member for Clacton (Nigel Farage), continues to defend Elon Musk. Anyone who defends platforms linked to the sexual exploitation of children forfeits any right to give lectures about protecting women and girls. What will the Prime Minister do to stop any political party from putting tech billionaires ahead of protecting our children?”
“Sadly, this inconsistency results in a postcode lottery in the quality and accessibility of mental health care and other services. As public services and universities struggle, the line of responsibility becomes blurred and our young people fall through the gaps. Too many young lives have been lost to suicide, and I believe that something concrete now needs to be done to safeguard them.”
“Mared had had a clear career path since her time at Ysgol David Hughes secondary school. All she ever wanted to be was a pharmacist. She worked at local pharmacies during school and university holidays. She became a peer guide for other students, and she participated in voluntary work at a hospital in the Philippines during her time at university. Sadly, all her dreams and aspirations ended on receiving those incorrect exam results. Many people assume that universities already have a clear legal responsibility to look after students’ wellbeing, particularly where risks are known or foreseeable. However, the extent of any such responsibility remains unclear, and guidance and best practice across the sector are inconsistent.”
“Diolch, Gadeirydd. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Christopher. I congratulate the hon. Member for Rushcliffe (James Naish) on securing this important debate on the potential merits of a statutory duty of care for universities. My constituents, Glyngwyn and Iona Foulkes, have been directly affected by this issue, as they tragically lost their daughter to suicide in 2020. Mared Foulkes was a conscientious and high-achieving second-year pharmacy student at Cardiff University. On 8 July 2020, she committed suicide after receiving incorrect exam results. This error led Mared to believe that she could not progress into her third year of studies. By the time the university had sent her the correct exam results, Mared had taken her own life.”
“I totally agree with my hon. Friend. Better resources and funding for our public services would go a long way to help students who are feeling vulnerable, scared and unable to cope. As the hon. Member for Bristol East (Kerry McCarthy) mentioned, we recognise that students’ independence and autonomy as adults is important, but it is also our role here to make sure that we put safeguards in place to balance their autonomy with the need to safeguard them at vulnerable times.”
“When things go wrong, students and families often discover far too late that there was no obligation to act, even where warning signs were present. I therefore want serious consideration to be given to the concerns of students and their families. I agree with Mared’s parents that the current legal framework is insufficient and that reform is urgently needed to clarify institutional responsibilities.”
“I thank the hon. Member for that intervention, and I totally agree. That is why I appreciate this debate, where we can all share our experiences and make sure that, in our terms here, we make the change that we want to see. As has been mentioned, universities try to roll out strategies and action plans, but that has resulted in a patchwork of different support services across the university sector that simply is not working for our young people. It has also led to differing approaches to responsibility and accountability for students’ welfare and wellbeing. The lack of clarity has real consequences and, as we have heard in Mared’s case, it can have an impact on the whole community, including the pharmacy community.”
“The contracts for difference budget is vital for job creation and the growth of the marine energy sector, yet the latest round removed the tidal stream ringfence and cut emerging technology funding. Can the Minister explain why these changes were made, and will he meet me to discuss how marine energy projects, such as Morlais in Ynys Môn, can get the support they need to succeed?”
“Digital exclusion is also a concern, especially in a rural constituency such as mine. Nobody should be unfairly disadvantaged by the state due to being without access to digital technology or the means to navigate it. What I hear most, however, is that people are struggling to heat their homes and put food on their tables. None the less, the Government want to spend billions on identification schemes.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Furniss. More than 3 million people—a figure similar to the population of Wales—have signed this petition opposing the Government’s plan to introduce a mandatory digital ID scheme, including nearly 3,500 of my constituents. My constituents have frequently raised valid concerns about the introduction of this type of scheme. One of those concerns is about data privacy, because a large database of private and sensitive information could be vulnerable to data breaches, hacking and other criminal activity. The hacking of the Legal Aid Agency is a recent example. Increased state surveillance is another concern. Constituents are worried about the creation of detailed, individual profiles and about the sharing of information across state services.”
“Given that the Government cannot provide a convincing argument for a costly, intrusive and unpopular scheme, they would do well to listen to the millions of people who have made their views known and focus instead on the real issues that matter to people. Plaid Cymru opposes the proposal to introduce digital ID.”
“I totally agree. I was previously the leader of a local authority, so I know that our public services are on their knees after 14 years of austerity. This money needs to go back into public services, instead of a digital ID scheme, and serve the people of this country. The scheme was first framed as a way of combating illegal working, so it would apply only to workers. Then it was framed as a scheme to streamline services and potentially be applicable to people as young as 13. Will the Government set out what problem the digital ID will actually solve? As we have heard in this debate, nobody seems to know.”
“Diolch yn fawr, Llefarydd. Ahead of the Budget, I wrote to the Chancellor outlining the desperate economic situation facing hospitality businesses in Wales. I was disheartened that the Chancellor ignored those warnings, adding pressure to the ongoing struggles of the industry, with business property relief a key concern for businesses like Anglesey Taverns on Ynys Môn. Will the Leader of the House make time for a debate on how the Government can work with business owners in Wales to find sustainable solutions to increasingly unmanageable costs?”
“That former leader in Wales of Reform UK was a constituent of mine. We have been calling on the Prime Minister for an independent review and an investigation into Russian interference in our democracy. Does the hon. Member support that?”
“Today, I have received a message saying that Welsh farmers facing the terrible consequences of the inheritance tax are actually considering taking their own lives. That is the reality of this Government’s attack on our family farms. Measures on the cost of living are welcome. However, despite the Budget’s policies, living standards and real household disposable income are negatively impacted by this Budget, as shown by the OBR. A rise in the minimum wage is welcome for the workers who keep our public services and local economies running, but without action on national insurance, small businesses will struggle to afford the increase. That issue is especially relevant for us in Wales, as the latest job figures show that Wales has the steepest increase in unemployment of the UK nations.”
“The leaking and briefing in the run-up to the Budget, and today’s unprecedented early publication of the OBR’s “Economic and fiscal outlook”, has made a mockery of the process. The speculation has caused unhelpful volatility for businesses and the markets. Uncertainty about borrowing costs for business and Government, and delays to interest rate cuts, are undermining the growth that our public services need, and provide no stability for businesses to flourish. That comes at a time when businesses in Wales are already suffering from the incoming hit of inheritance tax, which, it is estimated, will cost more than 9,000 jobs in Wales, yet the Treasury still refuses to conduct an impact assessment specifically for Wales. Today’s announcement does not take away any of the financial burden that our family farms feel.”
“To change that, Wales should have powers over the Crown Estate, equivalent to those in Scotland, so that the millions generated in profit from our natural resources can be returned to our communities, rather than going to Whitehall. Money for the NHS in the Budget is always welcome, but this money must be put into context. The lowest day-to-day spending increases from recent Westminster Governments for Wales’s public services have come from Labour. Today was another missed opportunity for this Government to deliver for Wales. Classifying High Speed 2 and Oxford-Cambridge rail as “England and Wales projects” is denying Wales £4 billion. Rail spending per capita in Wales stands at £307, while in England the figure is £432. That is a clear injustice that the Government have failed to address today.”
“Today should have been an opportunity to offer some hope, and to deliver for Wales. Unfortunately, the Chancellor has failed to do that, and our communities will still feel vulnerable. We have been promised action on the cost of living, but nothing has been said about the unfair standing charges that see communities like mine on Ynys Môn pay £58 a year more than the UK average. On the cost of energy, one way to offer families immediate relief is to cut VAT on energy bills and review unfair standing charges. The Budget has not addressed a travesty: Wales is a net exporter of energy, yet 25% of all Welsh households are in fuel poverty.”
“I am grateful for the opportunity to answer that question. Small businesses are the majority of our economy in Wales. While it is extremely important that they can offer apprenticeships, they need to be able to afford to employ people, and we need a skilled workforce if we are to give apprentices training opportunities. If that skilled workforce is not in place, apprentices will not have the same training opportunities. We need the whole package. National insurance changes have had a detrimental impact on small businesses in Wales, and we need a more strategic vision if we are to support small businesses. The Chancellor’s Budget statement will have only compounded the confusion in Welsh households and businesses about what the Government’s plan means for them.”
“I thank the Secretary of State for the recent decision on the small modular reactor at Wylfa. To stay committed to the goals of the Paris agreement, we need to speed up the roll-out of technologies such as marine energy. Ynys Môn is home to the world-leading, community-owned Morlais tidal stream project. However, developers require a strategic vision from the Government to develop at pace. Will he consider setting a £40 million tidal stream and a £7 million wave energy ringfence in the next renewable auctions, as advocated for by the UK Marine Energy Council?”
“The Welsh Local Government Association has warned today that next year’s Welsh local government settlement still fails to meet structural pressures on Welsh councils. That is the stark backdrop to the upcoming Budget. Does the Minister recognise that the pre-Budget circus of leaks, briefings and chaotic U-turns in No. 10 has only made it harder for already struggling councils to plan ahead and deliver their essential services?”
“(Urgent Question): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero if he will make a statement on the development of the UK’s first small modular nuclear reactor power station at Wylfa.”
“The project had a planning application and was approaching a final decision before it collapsed. Funding the SMR project at Wylfa remains critical. Although the Government’s £2.5 billion for the SMR programme is welcome, most of the costs at Wylfa will currently be funded privately. Given the problems of the past, and that Wylfa will host a fleet of SMRs—these first-of-their-kind reactors—are the Government prepared to demonstrate their full commitment? We cannot let this historic opportunity slip through our fingers yet again. This is a unique opportunity to create a project that will deliver for our language, our culture and our young people. I urge the Government to work with myself, key stakeholders and developers to provide the best project ever to deliver prosperity and energy security.”
“The potential is clear, but the challenge is turning it into reality. After many false dawns and broken promises, my optimism is cautious. We know the cost of failure on Ynys Môn: when the Wylfa Newydd project collapsed, it robbed a generation of the opportunity to live and thrive in their community. Recent data from the Nuclear Industry Association shows that nuclear jobs on Ynys Môn are at a record low. We cannot afford further setbacks. Clear timelines and transparent decisions are therefore essential. Can the Minister confirm when the Rolls-Royce contract will be signed, the general design assessment completed and the final investment decision made? As it stands, the SMR project is already four years behind the previous Horizon project at Wylfa.”
“Diolch yn fawr, Llefarydd, for granting the urgent question. Last week’s announcement that nuclear power will return to Wylfa is hugely welcome. I am pleased that the Government have backed the site. As I have mentioned several times in this Chamber, Wylfa is recognised as the best site in Europe. May I pay tribute to the teamwork over decades, by elected Members from all parties, campaigners, businesses and the local community, who have long fought for new nuclear at Wylfa. Ynys Môn has known nuclear for 65 years, with a strong local college and university ready to train a skilled workforce of the future. To maximise the success of the project, the Government must work with the local authority on behalf of our community to deliver tangible economic and social benefits. That includes maximising opportunities in the local supply chain.”
“I ask this Government to look at how the covenant is working in Wales, not only to raise awareness of the covenant and its principles, but to ensure that it is being applied in the interface between reserved and devolved services. We know there are risks that people will fall between the gaps of support services. We owe it to the generations who have come before us to build a more peaceful and just world. While we live in a period of increasing uncertainty, it is imperative that we support global efforts to resolve conflicts and build peace. Let us strive for a more peaceful world and, in doing so, honour the lives and legacy of those who sacrificed so much for us today. We shall remember them.”
“It is unfair to force people to undergo reassessments for permanent conditions and disabilities in order to access financial support. I therefore urge the UK Government to exempt veterans from disability reassessments. Research by Age Cymru has suggested that almost one in five veterans in Wales who could be entitled to the armed forces pension are not claiming it. Many veterans are therefore missing out on financial support later in life. As such, I also urge the UK Government to address the issue of unclaimed pensions among the armed forces community in Wales. Plaid Cymru will continue to support the application of the armed forces covenant to treat veterans in Wales and their families fairly.”
“Today’s Remembrance Day debate is an important opportunity to pause and reflect—on the sacrifices of generations before us, and on those who have been impacted by war and conflict. The veterans’ community in Wales is widespread. We are a nation with a greater proportion of veterans and people who have experienced service: 4.5% of Wales’s civilian population have served in the armed forces, compared with 3.8% in England. Supporting our veterans is an important issue in Wales, particularly those carrying trauma, both visible and hidden. One pressing issue facing our veterans is access to financial support for those with medical conditions. Veterans with life-changing service-related injuries should be exempt from repeat disability assessments in future.”
“These systems can be complicated for patients, who are not always clear about who is responsible when their care and treatment cross the border. People living in Wales continue to face a range of challenges if they need care and treatment in England. Llais’s evidence referred to issues around announcements made by the UK media covering England-only stories. It is not clear whether the announcements apply for the people who live in Wales.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Dowd. I, too, congratulate the hon. Member for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe (David Chadwick) on securing this important debate. In January, the Welsh mental health charity Llais reported to the Welsh Affairs Committee that “15-20% of people living in Wales use NHS services in England. In the border counties, this percentage is far higher and can be nearer 50%.” Existing provisions aim to ensure that no patient’s treatment is denied or delayed due to differing rules or funding responsibilities across health systems on either side of the Wales-England border. None the less, the British Medical Association reports significant issues in how these provisions are offered.”
“We are all aware of the huge pressures being placed on the NHS in Wales by social care. In April, the Welsh Local Government Association warned that plans to reduce NHS waiting lists in Wales will fall short unless we see targeted investment in social care. This week, my Plaid Cymru colleagues in the Senedd will follow that advice by calling for the establishment of a national care service for Wales. That would be a serious step in the right direction. The people of Wales deserve better than poorly planned announcements leading nowhere. I encourage the Minister to impress upon her Welsh Government colleagues to throw their support behind our plan to get to grips with the high waiting list blighting our health service. Diolch.”
“When asked to provide an update on that programme in the Senedd last month, and on how many more patients in Wales have been treated in England over the past 12 months, the First Minister’s answer was vague and non-committal. It is obvious that the bureaucratic problem in making cross-border referrals, as evidenced by the British Medical Association and by Powys health board, which has asked to reduce the number of patients sent for treatment due to financial constraints, is completely at odds with the promise made by the First Minister and the Secretary of State. It seems increasingly clear that this announcement has not led to the changes that we all, and our constituents, would like to see on our waiting lists. Those remain stubbornly high in Wales, with figures showing 794,500 to 796,000 patient pathways as of mid-2025.”
“That is another example of what we have already heard, where cross-border work is not working for a timely patient outcome. I agree with my hon. Friend. Ensuring that cross-border health is as seamless as possible means developing strong partnership, introducing effective ways of sharing information and learning, communicating well, and making advice and information easily available and accessible. Solving these issues needs co-operation between Governments on both sides of the border. It is just over a year since Eluned Morgan, the First Minister of Wales, announced a cross-border health plan. The Secretary of State for Wales, the right hon. Member for Cardiff East (Jo Stevens), vowed to deliver “additional surgical procedures”.”
“My thoughts and those of my Plaid Cymru colleagues are with everyone affected by this appalling attack. They are also with the train driver, the crew and the staff, whose quick thinking and decisive action helped protect many from the worst of outcomes. Will the Secretary of State join me in expressing gratitude for their bravery, and for showing us all how crucial the presence of officers and sufficient staffing are to our public safety? Surveillance can help catch criminals, but staff on the ground save lives.”
“Job losses in the North sea come from the lack of a strategic energy transition plan. The same applies to nuclear in Wales, where the lack of a plan for Wylfa has seen nuclear jobs in Ynys Môn fall to a record low. Does the Minister agree that future-proofing our energy industries against job losses and rising costs requires a clear strategy and timely decisions from this Government?”
“Given the challenges of having that specific figure in mind, if a future Welsh Government were to ask for the entire cost to be financed by the UK Government, given their historical and moral duty to do so, would the UK Government accept that request?”
“After a quarter of a century of Labour rule, child poverty in Wales is the worse than in all other nations of the UK. Is that the reason for the collapse in support for Labour in Caerphilly, and why, tomorrow, people will turn to Plaid Cymru?”
“The credibility of the national inquiry rests on placing the voices, experiences and needs of victims and survivors at its very centre. Can the Minister show victims in Wales how this inquiry will be guided by their best interests, given that survivors have such grave concerns that they feel they must resign from the panel?”
“I would like to ask the Minister about another case of foreign interference in our politics. Nathan Gill, the former leader of Reform UK in Wales and a constituent of mine, pleaded guilty to accepting bribes from Russia. He was stopped by the police in September 2021, but only charged in February this year. Reports now suggest that the Kremlin operation targeted not only him but at least two other Members of the European Parliament and a Member of the House of Lords. What steps are the Government taking to ensure that Russian networks cannot continue to influence UK politics?”
“The Government are presenting the pride in place programme as a win for communities across the UK, but the focus of this particular scheme is on neighbourhoods of around 10,000 people. On Ynys Môn, only one town even meets that population threshold. That is not unique to my constituency; it is the case across Wales. Will the Minister explain why rural communities are excluded by design from this specific programme?”
“Thirty-one per cent of children in Wales live in poverty, and 25% of households in Wales are in fuel poverty. Given the scale of the crisis facing people, does the Minister honestly believe that an intrusive and unpopular digital ID system should be a priority?”
“SMEs like Affinity at RAF Valley, in my constituency, offer apprenticeships that equip young people with crucial engineering skills. It is vital that the defence industrial strategy’s new clearing-style system for apprenticeships works with local SMEs and colleges to expand these opportunities. Can the Minister clarify how the system will operate in Wales, where apprenticeships are devolved?”
“To prevent a bad situation from getting worse, the Government must rethink their damaging increases to employer’s national insurance contributions and the upcoming changes to business property relief, and give the Welsh hospitality sector the breathing room it needs to flourish.”
“About 2,600 of those are in Wales—roughly equivalent to the number of jobs lost at Port Talbot due to the closure of the blast furnace, but spread across our communities throughout Wales. The sector is crying out for the Government to recognise the urgent situation and to acknowledge that many businesses are barely treading water, unable to invest or grow. Hospitality is an important source of skills and growth for Ynys Môn and Wales, yet this Government are putting the brakes on that growth through short-sighted decisions. Thousands of jobs have already been lost and future investment has been cut.”
“That pattern is seen across Wales. The report also finds that Wales will see some of the steepest forecast declines in investment, turnover and employment due to the changes to BPR and APR. Beyond the statistics are the real impacts on family-run businesses, such as Kingsbridge caravan park in Beaumaris, which has been family-owned for 26 years. Those running it say that the increases to employer national insurance have already forced them to reconsider employing wardens next year and have affected their ability to reinvest in the caravan park. Analysis by UKHospitality Cymru shows that of the 164,641 job losses in the UK since the Budget last October, some 89,000 have been in hospitality.”
“Diolch, Madam Dirprwy Lefarydd. I declare an interest as the chair of the all-party parliamentary group for hospitality, events, major food and drink businesses in Wales. The hospitality sector in Wales has enormous economic value. It contributes £4 billion to the Welsh economy and employs more than 165,000 people. It also has immense social value, creating strong communities and providing opportunities for local people, often young people whose first job is in hospitality. However, the tax changes introduced by this Government have placed huge pressure on the sector. This summer, a report by Family Business UK showed that on Ynys Môn changes to business property relief and agricultural property relief could result in a more than £10 million reduction in gross value added, as well as the loss of 167 local full-time equivalent jobs.”
“The Government have made direct interventions for steel jobs in Scunthorpe and now in Rotherham. That is no comfort for steelworkers in Wales; no similar measures were taken to protect their jobs. Can the Minister explain why her Government will save jobs in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, but will only help workers in Port Talbot to write CVs and search for new jobs?”
“Communities in Newark are affected like communities on Ynys Môn. Productive land on Ynys Môn creates good agricultural outcomes and means a good rural economy. Productivity on Ynys Môn is £4,000 below the Welsh average, and building new large-scale solar will have an impact on that. Does the right hon. Member agree that the Government should reject projects such as Maen Hir and undertake economic impact assessments on such developments to safeguard rural economies?”
“Ukraine needs a just peace. It also needs financial support to rebuild. The EU has said that it will allow frozen Russian assets to be used in higher risk investments to generate more money. What discussions has the Secretary of State had on supporting the EU’s latest effort to use Russia’s assets to provide vital funding for Ukraine?”
“Solar developers are not playing by the rules when it comes to accessing the land of people on Ynys Môn. Government guidance states that developers must act reasonably when trying to obtain permission to access the land, but my constituents have received threatening emails and there have even been cases of developers trespassing on land. Does the Minister condone such behaviour, and does he believe that current guidance is strong enough to protect constituents such as mine?”