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.”
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“Instead of damaging policies such as raising national insurance and cutting agricultural and business property relief, we should be making the tax system fairer. We must follow the principle that those with the broadest shoulders should carry the largest burden. Instead of taxing small businesses and trying to plunder benefits, the Government should look at a wealth tax on assets over £10 million to raise the billions in revenue that are needed to support the public finances. Taxes are a political choice. Plaid Cymru would make choices that are on the side of communities in Wales.”
“One policy that the Government could stop before it is implemented is the proposed changes to agricultural and business property relief, which are set to take effect in April 2026. Having listened to the voices of family farmers and local businesses, it is clear to me that this policy will cause huge damage. As the Farmers Union of Wales says, if the reforms to agricultural property relief remain unchanged, the consequences for farmers, rural communities and food production in Wales could be devastating and irreversible. Plaid Cymru has been clear that there should be a Wales-specific impact assessment before this policy is pursued further, given the importance of agricultural and small businesses to our economy and communities.”
“Despite promises of economic competence and a brighter future at the election, the tax choices that this Government have made have undermined economic growth in Wales. Over 99% of all businesses in Wales are small and medium sized, and the increase in employer national insurance contributions has hit them incredibly hard. It has raised operating costs, meaning that businesses are less able to weather times of hardship, and it limits their ability to invest and expand. The impact has also been felt in our hospices. Yesterday, we received the devastating news of the temporary closure of the hospice on Ynys Môn due to financial pressures. This one decision is having a direct impact on our communities.”
“Diolch, Madam Ddirprwy Lefarydd. Climate change is a huge threat to food security. In 2018, losses in the Welsh livestock sector due to extreme weather reached £175 million, which is equivalent to 9% of the total Welsh agricultural output. Farmers need support to protect their livestock and crops. Will the Secretary of State listen to the concerns of the farming unions about the removal of the ringfence for Welsh agricultural funding? It could mean less money for climate adaptations, at a time when they are most needed to safeguard food security.”
“Diolch, Dirprwy Lefarydd. This month, Ynys Môn’s status as a UNESCO global geopark is due its revalidation process to assess the functionality and quality of its status. The island is a globally significant site for geological study and appreciation, with a vast geological history spanning four eras, twelve geological periods and 1.8 billion years. Will the Leader of the House join me in commending the trustees and volunteers at the GeoMôn centre in Porth Amlwch, whose hard work ensures that Ynys Môn maintains its world-renowned status?”
“The strategic spatial energy plan must ensure that new large energy projects in Wales work with and not against communities. There must also be a role for local small-scale projects, as these can deliver the large amounts of clean energy we need, with far less impact on our communities and the national grid. Can the Secretary of State say how the upcoming SSEP will put the needs of communities at its heart, and how it will support the expansion of small-scale energy projects?”
“Support for hospitality, which is a key sector on Ynys Môn, is vital if we want our communities to remain vibrant and work opportunities to be available to local people. I urge the Government to listen to the calls to back the industry with the support it needs to thrive.”
“Large retailers have been much better placed to withstand these pressures than smaller businesses. For example, during covid-19, when pubs had to close their doors to keep communities safe, large retailers benefited from increased alcohol sales. North Wales also pays some of the highest energy bills in the United Kingdom. Businesses in north Wales pay £161,000 a year for electricity—8% higher than the UK average and 13% higher than those in London, at £142,000 a year. This is because third-party charges on Welsh energy bills are higher, including grid costs. The Government’s industrial strategy said nothing about ending that disparity. We need action to address this wholly unfair situation, to ensure that Welsh businesses pay the same amount for their energy as businesses elsewhere in the UK.”
“The Welsh Government recently announced a review of the business rates system, but hospitality businesses were left out. I call on the Welsh Government to go further and include this crucial sector in the review. Businesses such as pubs, restaurants and hotels have not only an economic, but a social value. They are places that unite communities and breathe life into our towns and villages. That should be reflected in the business rates system by rebalancing it in a fair way to support local bricks and mortar businesses over major retailers. The last five years have been incredibly difficult for hospitality businesses. Food and drink inflation has been consistently higher than the main rate. The peak of food inflation was 19.2% in October 2022, while the peak of overall inflation was 11.1% in the same month.”
“Will the Government now look at supporting small hospitality businesses that can only afford to employ people on lower wages, by reducing the rate on earnings between £5,000 and £9,100? Another cost to the hospitality sector has come from the changes to inheritance tax. Family-run caravan parks such as Kingsbridge, in Beaumaris on Ynys Môn, have expressed to me their concerns that these changes will have a dramatic impact on their viability. I call on the Government to listen and change course, to ensure that local businesses are protected from the damaging effects of the changes. The current business rates system is also unfair and needs to be reviewed. At present, local hospitality businesses pay far more than major chains on the outskirts of towns.”
“I congratulate the hon. Member for Kingswinford and South Staffordshire (Mike Wood) on securing this debate. I declare that I am chair of the all-party parliamentary group for hospitality, events, major food and drink businesses in Wales, and a member of the all-party parliamentary group for hospitality and tourism. A report from the Wales Tourism Alliance found that tourism and hospitality contribute £3.8 billion to the Welsh economy and employ more than 11% of people in Wales, rising to up to 20% in areas such as my constituency of Ynys Môn, where alternative employment is scarce. Recent decisions taken by this Government have hit the sector hard. The increase in national insurance has pushed up costs for local hospitality businesses in my constituency.”
“Holyhead Towing in my constituency has vessels in the middle east, specifically in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE. The company is keeping its crew updated to the best of its knowledge. What official advice or guidance is available for UK maritime operators working in the region?”
“The industrial strategy has a commitment to increase R&D to drive growth. However, Wales has consistently missed out on its population share of UK R&D funding for years, receiving around 2% rather than the 5% we should be receiving. What are the Government doing to ensure that Wales gets its fair share under this strategy, given that research and development is vital for Welsh business to grow?”
“One of my constituents is an LGBTQ+ veteran, discharged from the military owing to his sexuality—before 2000, when the ban on open service of LGBTQ+ people was lifted. The late Lord Etherton reported on a number of recommendations in 2023 to provide redress for the injustice, but shockingly, in response to more than 1,000 applications, only 24 payments had been made as at 21 May this year. I urge the Government to do all they can to expedite the process, and to apologise formally for this historic wrong. This month we rightly reflect on the huge strides forward that have made our society a more open and inclusive place for the LGBTQ+ community, but as the injustices facing the trans community and LGBT veterans demonstrate, we must redouble our efforts to build a society in which everyone has the liberty to live as they wish.”
“She found fame in 1953 as the sole reporter on the successful British Everest expedition, and became a prolific historian and travel writer. In her groundbreaking 1974 autobiography, she wrote: “I never did think that my own conundrum was a matter either of science or of social convention...What was important was the liberty of us all to live as we wished to live, to love however we wanted to love, and to know ourselves, however peculiar, disconcerting or unclassifiable, at one with the gods and angels.” It is, of course, in this place that many of the landmark decisions on allowing people to live and love freely have taken place, but work remains to create a society that is fairer and more inclusive for all.”
“Let me start by wishing a happy Pride Month to members of the LGBT+ community on Ynys Môn and beyond. Pride Month is, of course, a time for celebration, a time to reflect on the vital contributions of members of the LGBTQ+ community to our society, and a time to renew our conviction that everyone deserves to love and live freely and openly, without the threat of bigotry. But this Pride Month is also a time of deep unease for many members of the community; in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling on sex and gender in the Equality Act 2010 and the ensuing interim guidance published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, many trans people are living in fear of what the future holds. The words of the trailblazing Welsh trans author Jan Morris seem particularly pertinent today.”
“In Scotland, the Scottish Government have introduced a guest beer agreement as part of the Scottish pubs code. This could benefit Bragdy Mona and Bragdy Cybi breweries in my constituency. The pub code is currently under review, so I ask the Minister whether the Government will look at the merits of including a guest beer agreement in the pubs code, as has been done in Scotland. The Government must use their industrial strategy to prioritise rural businesses, which are the backbone of our rural communities.”
“The spending review also announced billions of pounds for improving transport connectivity in English regions, such as Manchester. However, there was nothing for rural Wales. Poor transport links in rural areas are a drain on businesses’ time, and it limits their ability to grow. Ynys Môn also has some of the worst digital connectivity in the UK, with 35% of the constituency receiving gigabit broadband, compared with 78% of the UK on average. Business needs both physical and digital infrastructure to flourish. There are changes that the Government could make now to support specific industries. An example is food and drink. I declare that I am the chair of the all-party parliamentary group on hospitality, events, major food and drink businesses in Wales.”
“Diolch, Cadeirydd—it is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship. SMEs employ nearly 750,000 people in Wales, with a combined annual turnover of over £50 billion. There are more rural businesses in Wales, at 46.2%, than in the UK as a whole, at 31.9%. Supporting rural businesses is therefore especially important for the Welsh economy. The spending review announced an increase in R&D funding to benefit businesses. However, Wales makes up 5% of the UK population and yet received just 2% of the R&D spend. We need a fair R&D funding policy to ensure that Wales’s proportion reflects its population share. The Federation of Small Businesses in Wales is calling on the UK Government to set a target that half of all direct Government business enterprise expenditure on R&D funding should be directed to SMEs.”
“Plaid Cymru welcomes the Government’s statement and hope that it will lead to concrete, properly funded action. In February, a Plaid Cymru amendment called on the Welsh Government to work with police forces on an all-Wales audit of child abuse cases, and it was backed unanimously. What concrete steps have been taken between the Welsh and UK Governments since the passing of that vote to bring justice to victims?”
“The Secretary of State’s message to the private sector is, “If you want to build new nuclear, Britain is open.” Companies have told me that they need decisive and committed leadership from the UK Government to be confident to invest in a new project at Wylfa. I have raised that 11 times in the Chamber, yet today there was no mention of Wylfa. Will the Secretary of State make it clear that the UK Government support the delivery of new nuclear projects at Wylfa?”
“Once such land is lost to development, we will not get it back. That is not sustainability but short-term gain at long-term cost. We see serious inconsistency in how planning policy is applied. In Wales, under the planning process, good-quality agricultural land is considered for smaller-scale developments, but when it comes to large-scale NSIPs, such as Maen Hir, those protections seem to vanish. The contradiction between Welsh and UK Government policy is unacceptable. There must be a level playing field, regardless of the scale of proposals. We have already felt the impact of energy insecurity in recent years. Let us not repeat the same mistakes with food security. I ask the Government to rethink their approach; to protect our agricultural land, our economy and our communities; and to support new clause 39.”
“I rise to support new clause 39. Building large-scale solar farms on productive agricultural land is short-sighted. The proposed Maen Hir project, classed as a nationally significant infrastructure project, will cover over 3,000 acres of agricultural land on Ynys Môn. This is not just any land; it is land that sustains rural livelihoods and underpins the economic and cultural identity of the island. Let us not forget why Ynys Môn is known as Môn Mam Cymru—the mother of Wales. Our island has long been the breadbasket of the nation, playing a key role in food production. This land is not just soil; it is security. Replacing it with solar panels serves developers, not communities. The climate crisis will make suitable agricultural land scarcer, which makes protecting what we have now even more important.”
“We can all see that a genocide is happening in Gaza, and it is about time that this Government called it out for what it is. We are witnessing the systematic dismantling of Gaza’s healthcare system, and the Red Cross has described the situation as “hell on Earth”. What are this Government doing to prevent Gaza’s healthcare system from being decimated further, and to re-establish hospitals and lifesaving medical services?”
“Family Business UK says that 55% of businesses have paused or even cancelled planned investments due to the Government’s plans to cap business property relief. Does the hon. Gentleman agree that the Government should delay the planned BPR changes and conduct a thorough consultation and an impact assessment?”
“Building these projects on good agricultural land undermines food security and the agricultural sector, which is a vital part of our economy.”
“Ynys Môn is known as “energy island.” However, support for clean energy should not undermine our communities. The current plans for huge solar farms on Ynys Môn do exactly that. At present we have a proposal for the Alaw Môn and Maen Hir solar farms, which would cover 3,700 acres. That is nearly 2% of the island’s total land—a huge area. Those solar farms would be built on good-quality agricultural land. Ynys Môn is not opposed to solar energy—the island already hosts several solar farms, such as Bryn yr Odyn, Bodorgan and Porth Wen. In addition, Traffwll solar farm awaits construction. We are playing more than our part in the green transition, from solar to wind, from marine to nuclear. Ynys Môn is also known as the mother of Wales, because the island’s fertile land has served as the breadbasket of Wales.”
“It is only fair that communities in Ynys Môn and the rest of Wales are respected. Pushing through large solar projects that are at odds with the needs of local people is not the way forward. The Government must change course, end the pattern of extraction and put Welsh communities at the heart of their solar strategy.”
“I am deeply concerned that the Government are backing developers over local communities when it comes to control over land. There is a huge risk of development consent orders being used by developers to buy up land against the wishes of landowners. The threat of a DCO gives developers leverage over landowners to take on decommissioning costs for solar farms. What assessment has the Minister made of that trend? Does he believe that DCOs are being misused by developers in Wales? We have a country to keep, a piece of land as proof of our right to survive. Coal, slate, water—our natural resources—have been extracted from our deprived communities for the benefits of others. The land of our fathers has been stripped of valuable resources and the profits taken out of Wales.”
“The current approach to large solar is a sign of a lack of strategic planning, but also of a lack of food security planning. Ynys Môn has UNESCO global geopark status to recognise its outstanding geological heritage and to manage it for conservation, education and sustainable development—“sustainable” being the crucial word. The proposed solar farms are not sustainable for Ynys Môn and would totally undermine the island’s global geopark status. I propose to the Government that solar deployment should follow a hierarchy in order to best suit the needs of local communities. First, solar should be integrated into new build domestic, commercial and industrial buildings by building developers. It should then be retrofitted to existing buildings by the building owners.”
“We also need to see co-operation on the environment, the arts and defence. I hope that next week’s summit will be the start, not the end of strengthening our ties with Europe. This Government have said that their first mission is to grow the economy, and I can see no better opportunity to improve growth than by committing the UK and Wales to the long-term goal of joining the single market and customs union. Wales has been made to suffer badly by those who championed the false promises of Brexit. This Government must now take action to fix our damaged relationship with Europe to protect the Welsh economy.”
“We need a relationship with Europe that works for Wales, and the opportunity to improve relations at the upcoming UK-EU summit is welcome. Given that Wales is more reliant on exporting to the EU than the rest of the UK, it is crucial that we make trading between Wales and Europe easier. I have seen the challenges that exporters in my constituency face, with local business The Lobster Pot telling me that it has struggled to export under the post-Brexit system. A veterinary agreement covering plant and animal health to cut red tape and costs for our exporting businesses will be vital. The Government should create a youth mobility scheme and join the Erasmus+ programme so that our young people can study and work abroad, creating new skills and opportunities for the next generation.”
“That is despite the promise made by the then Conservative UK Government in 2019 to “at a minimum match the size” of former EU funding in Wales and the other nations across the UK. In my constituency, the port of Holyhead, which is a strategically vital port for UK-EU trade, has seen dramatic falls in traffic since Brexit. I note that following the closure of the port after Storm Darragh in December last year, the value of trade going through Holyhead has dropped by £500 million. At the time, I called for the Government to establish a hardship fund to support businesses impacted by the closure of the port. I urge the Government, as part of their strategy towards the EU, to make clear commitments to safeguard the port against future crises, given its strategic importance.”
“Diolch, Dirprwy Llefarydd. The people of Wales have been let down by those who promised that Brexit would lead to a brighter future; instead, it has caused huge damage right across our communities and economy. The hard Brexit pursued by the previous UK Government has cost the Welsh economy up to £4 billion and reduced the value of Welsh exports by up to £1.1 billion, and post-Brexit trade deals, such as those with New Zealand and Australia, have been unfavourable for Welsh agriculture and manufacturing. Since Brexit, Wales has lost out on £1 billion in European structural and rural development funding, which could have been used to support our deprived communities.”
“I have been told by the Government that, “we will work with Great British Nuclear to assess options for new nuclear at Wylfa”, but there has been no further clarity on the project since. The lack of clarity and urgency from the Government on Wylfa is all the more confusing, given that it is an excellent site for a new nuclear project.”
“In 2012, both reactors reached the end of their operating life and were shut down by 2015. Plans for a successor project, Wylfa Newydd, were first proposed in 2009. Those plans were paused in 2019 and scrapped in 2021 after Hitachi withdrew, following a failure to reach a funding agreement with the then Conservative UK Government. In March 2024, during the spring Budget, the then Chancellor, the right hon. Member for Godalming and Ash (Sir Jeremy Hunt), announced that the Wylfa and Oldbury sites would be purchased from Hitachi for £160 million. Since the current Government came to power last year, I have raised the issue of Wylfa several times in Parliament.”
“Wylfa is in prime position to help meet our energy needs by producing clean, reliable home-grown power for Wales and the rest of the UK, and it will last for 60 years. As Trade Unionists for Safe Nuclear Energy says: “New nuclear development at Wylfa is imperative to retain and grow our incredible civil nuclear workforce. Sizewell C should not be the last Gigawatt project in the UK and Wylfa would create thousands of well-paid, highly skilled and unionised local jobs whilst supporting UK energy security by generating critical clean baseload power”. How did we get to the situation where Wylfa has been overlooked? For context, it is worth recounting the history of nuclear generation at Wylfa. Two Magnox reactors were constructed at the site and came online in 1971. The Wylfa nuclear power station then generated electricity for 44 years.”
“I beg to move, That this House has considered the development of new nuclear projects at Wylfa. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir John. I am leading today’s debate with one simple message to the Government: Wylfa is the best nuclear site in Europe and must be prioritised for new nuclear energy projects. We know that UK energy demand will likely double by 2050, as we develop the new technologies of the future and grow our economy. To reach our energy needs, nuclear power will play a part in the energy mix. It is a source of consistent baseload power, needed to cut our reliance on fossil fuels, improve energy security and keep energy bills down. However, the last nuclear power station built in the UK was in 1995, and only one nuclear power plant is currently under construction, at Hinkley Point C.”
“I thank the hon. Lady for that timely intervention, because I can say that I went out publicly against the leader of my party at the time and stood strongly for the people of Ynys Môn, recognising the need for nuclear as part of the energy mix and the Plaid Cymru policy being that Trawsfynydd and Wylfa are sites for future nuclear development.”
“We need to make sure we do not lose the nuclear legacy in Wylfa and Trawsfynydd and the can-do attitude of our workforce, and we must make sure these sites work for those communities.”
“Will the Government finally give the people of Ynys Môn assurance that Wylfa will play a central part in their mission for the UK to become a clean energy superpower? Diolch.”
“Of course I am supportive of future nuclear developments, including the next generation technologies such as small and advanced modular reactors, being prioritised at existing sites approved under the previous nuclear planning policy documents, which includes Wylfa, before other sites are looked at. I will conclude by saying that it is astonishing that Wylfa, a site with proven capability, global potential and cross-party support, has been stuck in limbo for decades. People in Ynys Môn are fed up with the Labour Government, and the Tories before them, dragging their feet on this. Investors are ready, the community is supportive and the need for clean, secure energy has never been greater. What we need now is leadership, a clear decision, a funding commitment and a timeline to match the urgency of the moment.”
“Despite those clear advantages, however, I am concerned about the Government’s approach: they have removed the list of designated sites, which included Wylfa, from their new nuclear planning policy. Their decision to consult on a new planning policy without committing to established sites such as Wylfa is creating damaging uncertainty and deterring the very investments we need. I reiterate that Wylfa is the best site in Europe for a new nuclear project. What we need now is a clear strategic business case, a funding commitment and a timeline that gives developers the confidence to move forward.”
“Wages would be well above the Anglesey average of £630 per week, helping to reverse the rising deprivation, low wages and economic inactivity in the region. Nuclear workers in Wales and the whole of the UK contributed around £102,300 per person in gross value added in 2022, four times the Welsh average of £23,804 per person. Construction of a large modular reactor at Wylfa would generate £5 billion in opportunities for the supply chain. A gigawatt project would be the single biggest inward investment in Welsh history. The Government say that their No. 1 priority is growth. Backing investment in Wylfa is an obvious way to improve livelihoods and secure our energy supply for the long term.”
“It is estimated that a gigawatt plant at Wylfa would create 850 long-term jobs and 10,000 in the shorter-term construction. It would generate £90 million in wages annually for the local economy and likely nearly £40 million in business rates. The impact would be incredible, given that the decline of stable, well-paid employment in north Anglesey has left the area with fewer than 2,300 jobs. The project would bring good, well-paying, long-term jobs to north Wales, an area in desperate need of opportunity and new industry. The Horizon project plan for Wylfa also estimated that 45% of the operational staff at the site would have come from north Wales and Anglesey, helping to draw back and retain Welsh speakers on the island.”
“Within five years, the Czech Government have gone from endorsing new nuclear at Dukovany in July 2019 to issuing tenders to developers shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, recognising the urgency of developing domestic energy generation capabilities, and are now on the verge of signing a fixed-price contract for two gigawatt nuclear power reactors at the price of $17 billion, which comes with a guarantee of at least $10 billion in work for the local area. Why can my community, which has been promised new nuclear at Wylfa for 50 years, not have the same benefits as Dukovany? What lessons are the Government drawing from the decisive steps that countries such as the Czech Republic have taken to invest in their nuclear industries in recent years? What benefits would new nuclear at Wylfa bring to local people?”
“They claim that “The industry pioneered in Britain has been suffocated by regulations and this saw investment collapse, leaving only one nuclear power plant—Hinkley Point C—under construction.” Rather than overburdensome regulations, in fact political will is the reason Wylfa has been left behind. During the 2024 general election, Labour pledged to “end a decade of dithering that has seen the Conservatives duck decisions on nuclear power.” At present, it seems that this pattern of delays and false dawns is continuing, which is all the more shocking when we consider the fact that the original planning application was lodged for Wylfa B in April 1989—36 years ago. Let us compare ourselves with other countries that are pushing ahead with new nuclear projects, such as the Czech Republic.”
“Significant work has already been accomplished at the site by Horizon to characterise the site and to seek licences and planning consent. There is considerable public and political support for the project, both nationally and locally. Vendors are serious about the site. The Nuclear Industry Association has told me that it has hosted several interested vendors who want to build at Wylfa, but are waiting for the Government’s plan. What discussions has the Minister had with developers regarding the Wylfa site? Is the Government’s lack of clarity deterring investment? The Government have argued that regulations are stifling new nuclear.”
“Nuclear is an important component of reaching our clean energy goal of net zero and bringing costs down, which I will touch on later in my speech. Wylfa is located in a perfect site. It is on higher ground with hard bedrock, ideal for construction of a nuclear power station. The risks of coastal flooding, erosion and sea level rises are considered to be low. Its proximity to seawater means there is a readily available and abundant supply of cooling water. The site has nuclear heritage, with an existing grid connection established in 1971. However, that is at risk of being taken up by a large solar farm on the island—all the more reason for the Government to commit to the site before the opportunity is lost.”
“We have an obligation to honour the sacrifices of the generation before us by upholding the legacy that they left us. I thank the organisers of the service that I will be attending on Mynydd Parys on VE Day to commemorate the contribution that Wales and Ynys Môn made in the war and in bringing about a more peaceful world. I close my contribution by reaffirming that message and noting how important it is that we honour those who fought and sacrificed so much for our freedom.”