Ann Davies
MP for Caerfyrddin · Plaid Cymru · United Kingdom
“Can I welcome visitors from a very special school in Carmarthenshire, who have come to the House today? Three learners and their support staff have come the whole way from west Wales. Welcome to Westminster!”
“The Timms review pledges to develop ambitious, evidence-based recommendations that are practical, deliverable and capable of delivering meaningful change. I welcome the interim report.”
“The International Court of Justice ruled two years ago that Israel must end its occupation of Palestine, yet that occupation is increasing before our very eyes.”
“Diolch yn fawr, Mr Llefarydd. On 23 December 2024, my constituent Aaron Jones was killed in a hit and run while walking his dog. The perpetrator was sentenced to four and a half years in prison.”
“Diolch yn fawr, Cadeirydd; it is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship. I declare an interest as a dairy farmer and a member of the Farmers’ Union of Wales. The costs of farming have spiralled over many years, particularly since Brexit.”
“Milk prices have crashed, leading many smaller dairy holdings to make the decision to leave the market. Sheep and beef prices have steadied but are now showing signs of decline, and horticultural producers also want a steady market for their produce. We need to seriously value food production.”
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“Will the Leader of the House allow a debate in Government time on meaningful community engagement between private limited energy companies and landowners, so that these bully-boy tactics are stopped?”
“Can I welcome visitors from a very special school in Carmarthenshire, who have come to the House today? Three learners and their support staff have come the whole way from west Wales. Welcome to Westminster! This Monday, a judicial review passed judgment on a case on land access, amid other matters, brought by a local landowner and the Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales against a private limited company—an energy company. That followed two court cases last year about landowners—people who had never been in trouble and had never been to court—being forced to give access to land or face legal bills of over £35,000. Why should farmers be forced to pay tens of thousands of pounds to defend their livelihoods?”
“The Timms review pledges to develop ambitious, evidence-based recommendations that are practical, deliverable and capable of delivering meaningful change. I welcome the interim report. The devolution of social security to Wales is a prime contender, as it would allow the creation and delivery of social protections that better reflect the needs of our communities in Wales, as part of the Welsh benefits system. That is widely supported in Wales, including by disabled people’s organisations. Can the Minister assure me that the Timms review will not let the opportunity for devolution pass?”
“The International Court of Justice ruled two years ago that Israel must end its occupation of Palestine, yet that occupation is increasing before our very eyes. Given that the UK is still supplying arms to Israel and has not introduced sanctions similar to those imposed on Russia, we are obviously not doing enough, so what else can the Government do to give the Palestinian people their land back?”
“Diolch yn fawr, Mr Llefarydd. On 23 December 2024, my constituent Aaron Jones was killed in a hit and run while walking his dog. The perpetrator was sentenced to four and a half years in prison. Two weeks ago, his widow, Lisa, received a letter from the Ministry of Justice informing her of sentence changes under the Sentencing Act 2026, but she will have to wait until the end of August to know whether the man who took her husband’s life will be released earlier than expected. Does the Leader of the House agree that this uncertainty only brings further distress to victims’ families, and will he grant a debate in Government time so we can ensure that the Act is implemented with the required sensitivity, and with the safety and wellbeing of survivors the foremost consideration?”
“Milk prices have crashed, leading many smaller dairy holdings to make the decision to leave the market. Sheep and beef prices have steadied but are now showing signs of decline, and horticultural producers also want a steady market for their produce. We need to seriously value food production. Since I have been in this House, I have heard hon. Members talk about food security time and again, but in all honesty the meaning of that phrase is often lost, I am sorry to say. My ask of the Minister is simple: will the UK Government commit to action to improve resilience across the food system and supply chains, so that we can invest, stabilise the industry and encourage growth?”
“Diolch yn fawr, Cadeirydd; it is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship. I declare an interest as a dairy farmer and a member of the Farmers’ Union of Wales. The costs of farming have spiralled over many years, particularly since Brexit. I want to concentrate on the cost of fertiliser and fuel, both of which have been affected by the war in Ukraine and, most recently, the war in Iran. Input prices affect profitability, and too often profitability is what forces decisions on whether farmers remain on the land, give up, move on or start over. Farming is a hard life, with long hours and hard graft—I can tell hon. Members that from personal experience. We need stability in the market on costs but also on farm-gate prices that farmers receive for their goods.”
“I thank the Secretary of State for her informed answers. The new media Green Paper highlights the importance of continued universal access to good-quality, trusted television. Part of maintaining that access is making the content in the first place. With the news that the BBC Cymru Wales will face £9 million in spending cuts by the end of 2027-28, it is inevitable that Welsh commissions, already on the decrease, will decline even further. How will the Secretary of State protect Welsh-language content from such sweeping cuts, especially considering that access is already limited for us?”
“Secondly, what proactive plans do the Government have to address the national security risk expected to be posed by superintelligent AI? Finally, when will this Government stop governing in fear of big tech and start governing in the interest of the people who sent us here?”
“Still, the Government tiptoe around tech billionaires, acting only when the damage is already done. We have to be honest about the power that these companies hold. We were not elected to represent tech bosses; we were elected to represent our constituents. This Government have allowed themselves to be sucked in by the interests of the very richest people on the planet—individuals whose wealth exceeds the GDP of entire nations. I therefore want to ask the Minister three things. First, what will the actual consequences be if companies do not meet the deadline for blocking nude images? Will the Secretary of State report to Parliament at the end of that period with a clear timeline for legislation if progress falls short?”
“But let us be honest: that should have happened years ago; the Government have dilly-dallied while we, and particularly our younger generation, have been left to pay the price. That is because they are scared of upsetting billionaire tech bosses, and that shows the real role that big tech plays: an undemocratic hand on the shoulder of our politics. Big tech is pursuing AI superintelligence with almost no democratic oversight, and even world-class engineers admit they cannot fully control today’s models. People never voted for AI systems that can generate abuse or distort elections, yet those are being rolled out anyway. Children and women have already been violated by explicit images created without their consent, and misinformation is now so widespread that it threatens the foundations of our democracy.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Jeremy. In my lifetime, technology has found its way into every corner of society. It has changed our workplaces, our classrooms and my farm, to be honest. It has brought real benefits, but also huge harms. One positive, of course, is that we can stay connected to everybody in the world, but we are also always reachable, and with that comes the downside of being exposed to the online world. Our children can stumble across content so harmful that it alters how they see themselves and the world. I therefore welcome the Government’s announcement on banning children from social media and blocking nude images on children’s phones.”
“Funnily enough, in the first 100 days of this Labour UK Government the Prime Minister cut winter fuel payments for vulnerable pensioners, whereas in the first 100 days of the Plaid Cymru Welsh Government, an extra £55 million is being invested in free childcare for parents. Does the Secretary of State concede that, unlike Labour, Plaid Cymru is focusing on making a difference to people’s lives and lowering the cost of living for households in Wales? Actions speak louder than words.”
“May I ask about jobs? I appreciate that the Minister has answered a lot of questions about tariffs, but a lot of my constituents work in Trostre, which is in the constituency of the hon. Member for Llanelli (Dame Nia Griffith). We have talked a lot about the £2.5 billion steel fund. Nearly two years later, sites such as Trostre are still waiting, with no commitments, no timelines and no certainty on investment. No answers were found in the steel strategy, which was published in March. Can the Minister give me a straight answer on when Welsh steel sites will see investment from the steel fund?”
“Today I have been given the privilege of being the voice for Mared, Nathan and others like them, and I hope that the Minister will be able to address their concerns.”
“She adopted the new name of Swci Delic, and her musical creativity changed to artistic creativity. She lives locally. Her cancer is still there, but she lives a fulfilling life within her physical ability. Her artwork can be seen around Carmarthen town, created with the engagement of local young people. Nathan, who was in school with my daughters, is also living with a brain tumour, and his story is very similar to Mared’s. Both of them started with GP visits because of severe headaches, and both eventually received brain scans that confirmed their diagnosis. My ask of the Minister is very simple: can we please have a greater percentage of funds for brain tumour research, as well as clinical trials and further treatment options for patients, leading to better outcomes for our young people?”
“Diolch yn fawr, Mrs Barker; it is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship. It is a privilege to talk today on behalf of my constituents about the impact of living with a brain tumour. They have raised four similar concerns: far too little research, the need to improve therapies, a lack of clinical trials and the preservation of tissue. Improvements in those areas would give those living with brain tumours a fighting chance to survive and thrive. One person who has been able to thrive after her diagnosis is my constituent Mared. Mared was a hugely talented singer-songwriter who went by the stage name of Swci Boscawen. She was 26 when her brain tumour was diagnosed; after receiving surgery, she lost the ability to sing and compose, but in recovery she discovered a passion for art as a form of therapy.”
“If we are serious about improving rail for the people of Wales, we must address this fundamental issue through the full devolution of rail infrastructure, which the people of Wales support. The new Plaid Cymru Welsh Government were elected on a commitment to devolve rail, as is already the case in Scotland. Devolution would finally unlock the investment Wales has been denied and end the injustice of Welsh taxpayers funding England-only projects such as HS2, Oxford-Cambridge—which is nowhere near Wales—and Northern Powerhouse Rail, which again is nowhere near Wales. HS2 alone deprives Wales of nearly £6 billion.”
“I rise to speak to new clauses 10, 12 and 13, tabled in my name. Before I start, may I sincerely thank the Minister for meeting me a few weeks ago? The dialogue was constructive and welcomed, and I really hope that other Ministers take a leaf out of his book and reach across the Floor to have dialogue when moving forward with legislation. New clause 10 would devolve rail powers in Wales to the Welsh Government and, crucially, devolve the funding that goes along with them. The current system in which one Government control trains and another Government control the track simply does not work for Wales. It prevents Wales from creating its own integrated network and planning and delivering the rail system it needs.”
“I welcome the Minister’s announcement about blocking explicit images on children’s phones, but this should really have come much sooner. I totally agree with the hon. Member for Twickenham (Munira Wilson) that action needs to be taken now, not in three months’ time. What exactly will be measured at the end of that period, and what counts as failure? Are we really relying on the good will of tech companies, bearing in mind their inactivity so far?”
“To safeguard the site and jobs, the Government should make it clear that they will step in to prevent closure or job losses, as a measure of last resort—a position Plaid Cymru has consistently called for. Steel jobs in Wales are not just jobs: they are strategic assets. They are essential for the future of our economy, for major infrastructure projects and for the development of offshore wind in the Celtic sea. They are also the backbone of our communities from one end of Wales to the other. Alongside Port Talbot, Wales is home to the Trostre works in Carmarthenshire, 7 Steel in Cardiff, Tata in Llanwern and the steelworks at Shotton in the north-east of Wales. Each of these sites deserves the same level of protection that is being offered to sites in England. All deserve equality.”
“The Welsh economy cannot afford a repeat of the calamity of Port Talbot. The need for certainty is not theoretical. Only recently, last Thursday night, a major fire at Port Talbot caused significant disruption. We are so grateful to the emergency services for acting so quickly, evacuating the area so there were no casualties, but significant damage was caused to the steelworks. We have also learned that the installation of a new electric arc furnace at Port Talbot may be delayed for months because of an electrical connection issue. I believe that is a planning issue with the local authority. These events have not helped the precarious situation at Port Talbot.”
“Welsh steel communities know all too well what happens when Governments choose not to act. We have experienced this before. Port Talbot stands as the most painful example, where the blast furnaces were allowed to close in 2024, resulting in thousands of job losses and devastating a community that had a proud history of making steel for over 100 years. Before the closures Wales had the largest steel workforce in the UK, with 9,300 people employed in the sector. The Labour party had several years in opposition prior to entering government; the Government could have developed a plan to nationalise Port Talbot to safeguard jobs, as they have done for British Steel in Scunthorpe. They could have acted, but chose not to. Port Talbot deserved equal treatment. Wales deserves equal treatment.”
“I rise to speak to amendment 23, tabled in my name, which seeks to strengthen the public interest test that decides when Governments may nationalise steel sites under the Bill. Specifically, it would ensure that nationalisation can and should be used to prevent the loss of jobs in Wales and to prevent the closure of 16 sites in Wales. Why is this change needed? Currently, the public interest test notes three specific factors for when nationalisation powers may be used, two of which are “the construction, maintenance and operation of critical infrastructure in the United Kingdom” and to support “the economy of the United Kingdom or any part of the United Kingdom.” While those provisions could allow the Government to intervene to protect Welsh steel sites, they offer no guarantee that they will.”
“I thank the right hon. Gentleman for his intervention. Some £500 million has been ringfenced for Port Talbot; that money is rapidly gone, with no benefit to the local community, but that is another issue that I will not talk about now. We want an end to the double standard. Welsh steel must be given the same guarantees as English or Scottish steel. What we want is equality for all the sites across the UK; we want the same security and the same commitment to preventing closures and safeguarding jobs.”
“Global instability and the war in Iran are taking their toll on farmers in Wales. We have heard about diesel and fertiliser prices, whose consequent impacts for farming business viability and future food supply chains are really serious. The new Plaid Cymru Welsh Government are determined to work in partnership with Welsh farmers, so will the UK Government use their powers to do the same and support the farming sector to withstand these major pressures?”
“When 84% of young people are classified as NEET—or as LEET as I prefer to say, because they are all looking for education and training—it is heartbreaking that they feel they are the lost generation. The new Plaid Cymru Welsh Government have committed to aligning education and training with Welsh economic needs, so can the Minister set out how the UK Government will use their powers to address those challenges in Wales?”
“I thank the hon. Gentleman for giving way. We will leave him in peace for a while after this. For nine months I have been trying to get a banking hub in Ammanford, which is a post-industrial town, but Link has turned us down. We went to appeal and it turned us down again. Does the hon. Gentleman agree that we need consistency in applying Financial Conduct Authority guidance? All the elements seem to qualify that town for a banking hub, but yet again, Link has turned us down. There seems to be a lack of consistency in applying the rules.”
“I thank the Secretary of State for her honesty in coming to the House with this update. Wales is, of course, footing the bill for HS2, a project based entirely in England now costing up to £103 billion. While Scotland and Northern Ireland have their fair share of Barnett consequentials, Wales has nothing. People in Wales have had enough of being treated as second-class citizens—they recently elected a Senedd with a majority of Members within it committed to ending this injustice. Will the Secretary of State respect the wishes of the people of Wales and be open to talks with the Welsh Government on reclassifying HS2 so that Wales no longer pays for it, or at least gets its fair share of the Barnett consequentials?”
“Energy has become one of the most important issues in Caerfyrddin and the rest of Wales in recent years. Global events have exposed how vulnerable our communities are to energy shocks, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 cost the Welsh economy £5.65 billion, averaging over £2,000 per home in Wales. As the impact of the war in Iran intensifies, Welsh households are being hit once again. Rural households are paying hundreds more in fuel and heating oil costs, and the average on-grid household energy bill could rise by nearly £300 when the energy cap is revised in July. Off-grid customers have seen their oil and gas bills at least double over the past few months.”
“In addition, Westminster must also provide justice for our valley and coalmining communities by fully funding the remediation of coal tips in Wales, which are the legacy of our pre-devolution industrial past. The price tag is estimated at £600 million, but the UK Government have committed only around £143 million. We needed a King’s Speech that addressed the unfairness at the heart of Wales’s energy system. For a country so rich in energy and potential, Wales needs so much more ambition from the UK Government—an ambition that brings communities on the journey and that listens to the voice of Welsh constituents. Plaid Cymru will continue to stand up and demand the fairness that Wales deserves.”
“If we are to strengthen our energy security, we need to see the Government and developers working with the needs of communities to deliver investment in renewables. We need to see it in a sustainable and fair way, with an emphasis on offshore wind and community-led onshore development, and developers need to be totally transparent about costs and how their investment is being funded. The King’s Speech includes the new coal licensing ban, which is welcome. However, as I have raised before in Parliament, the proposed ban in its current form does not guarantee the prevention of commercial extraction of coal from coal tips in Wales. The Government should bring measures forward to close this loophole so that companies can never profit from the more than 2,500 tips, containing millions of tonnes of coal between them.”
“This extractive economy model must cease, and money generated from our wind and sea power should be kept and shared within local communities. The Crown Estate must be devolved to Wales as it is already in Scotland. Following the Senedd election, a majority of parties in the Welsh Parliament, including the Plaid Cymru Welsh Government, are calling for devolution of the Crown Estate, as is every single local authority in Wales. The case and democratic mandate are inarguable. We have immense natural resources, including wind and tidal power, that are not being fully utilised. Electricity generation in Wales has fallen by almost 50% since its 2016 peak, as growth in renewable capacity has not kept pace with the drop in generation from coal and nuclear.”
“I assure the hon. Member that I am sure that the funding will be released but, with all due respect, should it not have been released by the previous Welsh Government when that money was put in a few months ago? While the measures in the King’s Speech set out steps to reduce energy costs, they do not get to grips with the fundamental unfairness of our system. People in Wales pay some of the highest standing charges in the UK, despite average salaries being lower than the UK average. That is unsustainable, and action needs to be taken. Despite being an energy-rich nation, Wales is unable to make the most of our abundant natural wealth simply due to lack of control over it. Plaid Cymru is clear: it is for the people of Wales to control and benefit from our natural resources.”
“On Thursday, the Welsh dragon roared. Before I go on to say who roared on Sunday, I want to thank Eluned Morgan, the previous First Minister of Wales, for her 30 years of unstinting public service to the people of Wales. On Sunday, the Drovers roared. Llandovery RFC won the Super Rygbi Cymru cup for the third time. Our small rural Carmarthenshire town has produced phenomenal rugby players for Wales. They have won the Welsh premiership twice, the Welsh cup three times, and the national sevens championship five times in a row. The captain of Sunday’s match, Lee Rees, was playing his 402nd match for Llandovery over an 18-season term, which is a phenomenal achievement. Coaches Euros Evans and Gareth Potter have been at the helm for 13 or 14 years—”
“I put myself forward to become a Member of Parliament because, to be frank, I was fed up of partygate, the betting scandal and the £250,000 that Vaughan Gething accepted in order to fund his leadership campaign. I thought, “We are better than this. as residents and constituents, we are better than that.” People deserve a Government who are honest and transparent, and we certainly have not had that in the two years that I have been on these Benches. The Prime Minister has tried to wash his hands of Mandelson’s appointment, hiding behind processes, procedure and the actions of civil servants. He has been destroying decent people’s lives only to hobble on for another few weeks. Even if the Prime Minister’s loyalists vote this motion down, Labour and the Prime Minister will have shown their true colours.”
“Parliament is today being asked a straightforward question: whether serious concerns regarding the Prime Minister should be examined properly and independently. If the Prime Minister insists that he has done nothing wrong, surely the Committee of Privileges will come to the same conclusion. If Labour believes that everything is in order, why has it forced its MPs to vote against the motion? That begs the question: what does the Prime Minister have to hide? The Prime Minister promised change, and people across Wales gave him a mandate for that change, but what did the public get instead? Misjudgements, incompetence, a lack of transparency at the heart of Government and no real accountability.”
“The Prime Minister has called this motion a “stunt” and “pure politics”, but he and the Labour MPs rallying around him forget the seriousness of the allegations against him. The allegations regard misleading the House of Commons over statements relating to the appointment of Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States—an individual with well-documented links to a convicted sex offender and human trafficker. Swatting away those allegations as a “desperate political stunt” and refusing to let them be investigated properly by the Committee of Privileges is an insult to us all. It is an insult to the public, who were promised transparency and openness by the Prime Minister’s Labour Government, and it is an insult to victims and survivors of violence and abuse, who deserve so much better from those who claim to represent them.”
“The Iranian war has caused a huge spike in fuel prices for all drivers, but this is especially true for businesses in Caerfyrddin and rural Wales. Ammanford construction business TRJ has been deeply affected, along with haulage companies such as Tony Powell Transport, which has seen costs increase by £7,000 a week. Transport costs for all Caerfyrddin businesses will inevitably result in higher prices, including for food and essentials, for all our constituents. I appreciate that the 5p cut in fuel duty will continue until October, but can the Leader of the House ask the Chancellor to help businesses by using the additional taxation received through the increased fuel price by further cutting fuel duty?”
“Labour’s Senedd manifesto makes no mention of the billions of High Speed 2 funding owed to Wales. Welsh Labour has given up on the argument, as the Secretary of State did after she took office. Her words were, “HS2 no longer exists.” Will the Minister please explain why Wales is not having fair funding for rail?”
“That includes constituents who do not claim benefits, those whose income is just above the pension credit threshold and pensioners who now pay tax because of the freeze on taxable earnings—they are not well off. Every day that passes is a missed opportunity for the Government to address the needs of households in the UK and across Caerfyrddin.”
“Just over a month ago, heating oil was retailing at around 65p a litre; today, if I wanted to buy oil for my home, it would be 130.98p—an increase of more than 100% in a matter of weeks. I recognise that the Government have announced a package of support for low-income households who heat their homes with oil, and of course I welcome any help that is available. However, because heating oil is bought in large lump-sum deliveries to cover several months—usually about four months—a 100% increase is a huge hit for households, whatever their income bracket. People who are already squeezed from every side are expected to find extra money that they do not have. I simply ask the Government to cast the net wider, so that households who are not defined as low income can still receive the help that they need.”
“It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Allin-Khan. I congratulate the hon. Member for North Norfolk (Steff Aquarone) on securing this important debate. I do not know whether to take comfort from the number of MPs present for this debate, or to be troubled that we are here again to press the Government to take stronger action to get to grips with the costs facing rural households because of Trump’s war. As Members have said, many households in rural areas simply have no alternatives to heating oil, and that is particularly true in Caerfyrddin and across Wales, where reliance on heating oil is significantly higher than the UK average. Some 57% of my constituents, representing more than 25,000 households, are off grid.”
“Care workers such as Grace Reji work hard to provide an invaluable service to the most vulnerable people in my constituency. She has a family, but when faced with a possible five-year increase in the qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain, carers like her worry that they will be forced to leave. Coleg Elidyr, an education and care setting in my constituency, looks after young people with special needs and also relies on migrant staff. Does the hon. Member agree that we cannot underestimate the long-term damage of the Government’s ill-thought-out immigration policies on workforce stability and services for the most vulnerable in our society?”
“Measures to support about 17% of our young people in Wales who are not in education, employment or training to gain employment are welcome, although I prefer to use the term “LEET”—looking for education, employment or training—which I think is a much more positive way of viewing our young people. However, apprenticeships and skills are devolved in Wales, so will the Secretary of State tell me which aspects of his announcement apply to the young people of Wales and the other devolved nations?”
“I have been inundated, as have many in the House, with messages from constituents facing impossible heating oil costs, with one telling me that their 500-litre order has soared from £302 to over £900. At yesterday’s meeting arranged by the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, the Government said that people should apply to their local council for emergency support via the crisis and resilience fund; however, we know that councils are on their knees financially and simply do not have that money. Additionally, the fund is England-only. May we have a debate in the House on the need for the UK Government to take responsibility by providing new crisis support funding for off-grid households in Wales and the other devolved nations?”
“I welcome the Minister’s statement and everybody’s commitment to keep us all as safe as possible. Just a few months ago, the Housing Secretary called the Russian interference within the Reform party “a stain on our democracy”. —[ Official Report , 16 December 2025; Vol. 777, c. 776.] Since then, members of the Welsh Labour party have been investigated for their connections with the Chinese state. With the Senedd Cymru election a mere two months away, what assurances can the Minister give that the defending democracy taskforce will help to defend our elections in Wales from foreign influence and interference?”
“I am proud to have joined this Parliament as part of a record number of women elected for Plaid Cymru in 2024, and part of the record 40% of women elected in that same year. We are clearly on our way towards a gender-equal Parliament. With that historic milestone in sight, would the Minister commit her Government to Centenary Action’s call to commence section 106 of the Equality Act 2010, which would require political parties to publish diversity data on candidates, to increase transparency?”
“LINK might say that the nearest ATM is close enough—and it is for those who are fit, mobile and able to get there independently—but that simply is not the reality for many elderly or disabled residents who cannot make that journey safely, easily or affordably. There should be access to cash for all, so I have started a petition to set up a banking hub, and I would be grateful if the whole House shared it. I will be in touch with the Financial Conduct Authority to arrange a meeting to discuss that further. I have no doubt that I will work closely with the hon. Member for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe (David Chadwick) and my hon. Friend the Member for Ynys Môn (Llinos Medi), who have secured banking hubs in Ystradgynlais and Caergybi respectively. Post-industrial town such as Rhydaman need our support.”
“As we all know, the valleys are part of and merge into our post-industrial towns—the two cannot be separated—and that is certainly true of Ammanford. Blaenau, Llandybie, Saron, Penybanc, Glanaman, Brynamman and many others all form part of Dyffryn Aman. Deprivation is high, unemployment is high, and there is a significant lack of opportunities. Since Lloyds closed at the beginning of January, on Fridays—market day—residents queue outside the post office to access cash. They are mainly elderly and the digitally excluded, and are unable or do not wish to use a laptop or tablet. Some older constituents go to extreme lengths just to access their own money by paying extortionate amounts for a taxi into town, and giving the driver their card and PIN to get cash out of the ATM for them.”