Eluned Morgan
Welsh Labour · Wales
“Dwi ddim yn meddwl bod y carbon border adjustment mechanism —. Nid taclo sero net yw nod hwnna. Mae e ychydig yn wahanol. Mae e i wneud yn siŵr nad oes yna ddim anghyfartaledd yn y farchnad, i wneud yn siŵr nad yw pobl ddim yn gamio'r system.”
“Wel, un o'r pethau dwi'n benderfynol o'i wneud yw sicrhau ein bod ni'n dod â rhestrau aros o'r bobl sy'n aros hiraf i lawr, felly mae hwnna'n un o'r pethau. Ac yn amlwg, yn wythnosol, dwi'n gofyn am updates ar beth sy'n digwydd; mae e'n anodd, achos mae niferoedd yn dod ymlaen ar y rhestr o hyd.”
“Wel, mae resilience yn issue nid jest yn sir Fôn, ond ar draws y wlad. Mae hi wedi bod yn anodd, achos mae maint y cyfalaf rŷn ni wedi'i gael yn y gyllideb yn y blynyddoedd diwethaf wedi bod yn gyfyngedig.”
“Wel, dwi’n meddwl yn yr achos yna, efallai—. Cawn ni weld beth sy’n digwydd post 2027. Gallwch chi weld bydd y tegwch yna yn y system. Os ydych chi’n mynd i greu dur fan hyn, a'i fod e’n haws ac yn tsiepach i fewnforio dur, ond dydyn nhw ddim yn parchu’r amgylchedd tra'u bod nhw’n ei greu e, yn amlwg, wedyn, bydd hynny’n creu lefel gwell.…”
“Wel, mae strategaeth glir gyda ni, ‘ A Healthier Wales ’, ac yn honno mae yna dair elfen glir. Un yw symud pethau i mewn i faes atal; sicrhau ein bod ni’n gwneud mwy yn agos yn ein cymunedau ni; a hefyd symud i wneud lot mwy yn ddigidol a moderneiddio.”
“Ydyn. So, un o’r pethau ŷn ni’n eu gwneud nawr yw dŷn ni wedi rhoi £50 miliwn yn ychwanegol eleni, a beth ŷn ni wedi'i ofyn yw: beth ŷn ni’n gallu ei gael am £50 miliwn? Felly, dŷn ni ddim yn rhyddhau’r arian yna tan fod pobl yn cyflwyno ac yn dangos i ni’r hyn maen nhw wedi ei wneud. Mae e’n anodd, achos mae lot o’r rhestri aros yna.”
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“It also includes a new rail link between Swansea and Pontarddulais, and possibly new stations at Pontlliw, Felindre, Morriston, Llandarcy, Winch Wen and Landore. So, all of that is exciting, but, obviously, the money has to come from the United Kingdom because they are responsible for these kinds of structural funds. So, obviously, we are having a conversation and a discussion with the United Kingdom Government, and Transport for Wales is developing an outline business case for those proposed railway stations. You asked lots of other detailed questions; it’s probably best if we get you a proper briefing on those.”
“Well, diolch yn fawr iawn, Mike, and just to say I think you're right—I don't think the metro in Swansea gets nearly as much attention as the south Wales metro, and it absolutely should. So, thank you for bringing that to our attention. The good news is that this area has been selected as the first area to implement bus franchising, pending the adoption of bus franchising powers. And let’s not forget that, when we talk about metro, we’re talking about trains and buses, and it’s really important. But, as I mentioned, it’s really exciting that there is a plan being developed, that they’re going to improve the links between Swansea and Pembrey and Burry Port, including a new station at Cockett.”
“Diolch yn fawr. Transport for Wales are developing plans for up to seven new railway stations for the Swansea bay urban area, and these form part of our plans to improve public transport in south-west Wales, which will be shaped by the regional transport plan that is currently being developed.”
“I am also pleased to report that there has been a huge increase in demand, but we've managed to increase the money going into the neurodivergent improvement programme. There's a £12 million uplift that we announced, which is going up, which is not an insignificant amount, up until March 2025. So, that is a significant uplift, because we know that the number of people requiring this additional support is increasing rapidly.”
“Well, thanks very much. I know that this disruption in the supply of medicines is extremely concerning for those who need them, the people, their families, their carers and the clinicians, also, who are overseeing their care. But there's been a massive increase in demand globally for these medicines. We've tried to keep people in touch regularly; there's been a new website that opened in September to make sure that people are aware of where the shortages are. The Welsh Government is very aware of this. As I explained, it's a reserved issue, medicines, so it's up to the UK Government to fix this problem, and we've been told that that disruption is expected to be resolved in January. I think it's really important to manage expectations around this as well.”
“Mae cyflenwi meddyginiaeth yn fater a gedwir yn ôl ac yn gyfrifoldeb i Lywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig. Rŷn ni’n disgwyl i’r broblem bresennol gyda chyflenwi meddyginiaeth ADHD fod wedi’i datrys erbyn Ionawr 2025.”
“Can I pay tribute to the workers in Allied Steel and Wire that I know have been fighting this cause for a very long time? Obviously, the last Labour Government introduced a financial assistance scheme that did go some way to correcting a wrong, but it didn't go far enough, and that's why I am very pleased that Jack Sargeant is still making the case and still fighting and making sure that the cause continues and that we speak up for that injustice that was done. It is important, I think, that we continue to make the case for full compensation. I know Jack will continue to do that, and I will support him in that cause.”
“Mae pensiwn y wladwriaeth a phensiynau personol a galwedigaethol yn faterion i Lywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig. Er hynny, rŷn ni’n cydnabod nad yw pensiynwyr Allied Steel and Wire yn cael y gwerth pensiwn roedden nhw’n ei ddisgwyl, ac rŷn ni wedi bod yn gyson yn annog Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig i fynd i’r afael â’r mater yma.”
“Thanks very much, Carolyn. After 14 years of austerity and poor economic mismanagement, the Chancellor had to make some tough choices. She has decided to make sure that she fixes the foundations. We have seen the greatest increase that we've seen in the Welsh budget in decades: £1.7 billion over two years. We have seen a commitment by the UK Government of £25 million to help clear our coal tips; £80 million to be spent to support the Tata workers; two hydrogen projects supported; miners' pensions supported; the national living wage uplifted; contaminated blood compensation; Horizon scandal compensation; an increase in pension; and fuel duty frozen. That is the difference that a Labour Government makes in the United Kingdom.”
“The UK budget is a welcome investment in Wales, in its people, in its communities, local businesses and public services. It represents the first steps towards fixing 14 years of austerity and financial mismanagement, which have starved our public services of much-needed investment.”
“We’ve all been looking at the scenes in Valencia with horror, and all of that is related to climate change, and I know that many of us will be watching with a lot of anxiety this evening as the results from the United States come in. We’ll all be watching with bated breath the outcome of that election, which will have a profound effect on Wales and the world. There will be an impact on climate change, depending on who wins, and it will impact on all of us. So, the importance of our protecting nature in Wales is well understood. I do hope that the people of the United States understand their responsibilities as well in that space.”
“Thanks very much. I hope you understand how significant and how important the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 is to this Government. This Government is very serious about it. It is, I think, one of the proudest achievements of this Government to have brought forward an Act that actually understands our responsibility for the next generation, and that includes to the environment and nature. And that’s why I think £100 million is not an insignificant sum, and I’m very pleased that the national peatland action programme has restored 3,000 hectares of peatland and we’ve met our target a year early, so this is how seriously we are taking it, and it's something we should be very, very proud of. I think that we should be aware of the impact that messing about with nature has on our environment and our society.”
“So, we'll shortly be launching our woodland restoration scheme to support landowners to restore woodlands that have been affected by the presence of this disease, but I think it is important that our ‘Woodlands for Wales’ strategy makes sure that trees are managed sustainably and our woodland ecosystems are healthy and are resilient.”
“Well, thanks very much, Joyce, and thanks for your work in championing the world of nature and in bringing my attention to all these wonderful facts that you have at your fingertips and it really is quite fascinating, and in particular in relation to the risk to trees. Now, you're quite right that that report set out the risks in relation to trees and extinction. My understanding is that whilst globally the biggest risk factor to trees is from logging and deforestation for crops, in the United Kingdom the biggest threat comes from plant diseases, including, for example, larch trees, and we've seen a particular type of disease affecting them.”
“We've invested over £100 million in actions that directly contribute to tackling the nature emergency. This includes our Nature Networks, Local Places for Nature and national peatland action programmes. We're also developing legally binding targets to increase the resilience of habitats and the species dependent upon them.”
“I'm not aware of the peer mentoring, so I'll go away and look at that and see how that would work and how effective it is, but what I do know is that the veterans commissioner has written a report and has said that, in terms of an overall assessment of Wales and how we treat veterans, Wales remains a pretty good place to be a veteran and I think that is real praise.”
“We're in the process of working out the impact of that additional £1.7 billion, which covers of course two years, not just this year, and let's just be clear that quite a lot of the money that has been earmarked for this year has already been spent giving that uplift to public sector workers. But I'm very proud of the fact that, actually, we give significant support to veterans in Wales, in particular mental health support—£920,000, which is not an insignificant amount of money.”
“The UK Government plans for a redress compensation scheme are due to be published in the new year, and I think that will be an important milestone.”
“Thanks very much, and it will be an honour for me to be present, as the First Minister, at the national Remembrance Day service on the weekend to pay my personal tribute to veterans and those who died fighting for our country. Hannah, I know how supportive you've been and how active you've been in this space, in particular I know you've got a really positive relationship with Fighting with Pride, and I know that you're very keen to see this. I think there are good levels of support for the Pride in Veterans Standard. I think there are about 30 organisations signed up in Wales, out of 230 across the United Kingdom. I know that Ruth Birch is a brilliant advocate for LGBTQ veterans and she's working very hard through Wales and Fighting with Pride.”
“The Welsh Government is proud to deliver a range of support for veterans in Wales, including a specific mental health treatment pathway, prosthetics support for veterans affected by limb loss, and funding of armed forces liaison officers, who work with veterans and support organisations in communities across Wales.”
“Now, what is important, I think, in places like Ebbw Vale, is that we develop the opportunities for businesses to come in, and that includes, for example, a property development plan, and I'm really pleased that there's been a new completed development—50,000 sq ft of industrial units at Rhyd y Blew in Ebbw Vale, and there are advanced discussions with potential tenants. So, real opportunities there, and also, of course, in relation to Tech Valleys.”
“Thanks very much, Alun, and what I can tell you is that this was a budget for investment. We have to stabilise the economy. It was important after years of neglect, after years of mismanagement of the economy by Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak and others over a long period of time. What people need is some stability, and the best thing for the people in Blaenau Gwent is to see that stability, to see investment come in, and of course now what we need is to make sure that those people in that area are prepared and are equipped to take advantage of jobs when they come in.”
“And, by the way, they are allowed to pay it over a long period of time. So, I do think that the people of Wales are listening and they are hearing you support and protect the very, very rich people, the richest people in our society.”
“It's quite remarkable. If you haven't looked at the detail of this, you need to, because I do think that many people in agricultural communities have been misled. So, even after the budget, the first £1 million of combined businesses and agricultural assets will continue to receive 100 per cent relief in most cases. After this, they're going to have to pay inheritance tax at 20 per cent, compared to the rest of us, who have to pay 40 per cent. A married couple owning a farm together can split it in two, so that means they've got £2 million—not £1 million; £2 million—of agricultural property relief, plus another £500,000 for each partner if property's involved. So, you get up to about £3 million. Well, yes, there may be some people in Wales who earn that amount of money and have that kind of wealth within their farms.”
“The budget will have a positive impact across Wales. People on the national living wage will see an increase to £12.21, and public services will breathe a sigh of relief at the end of austerity. Funding for our city and growth deal and investment zones will help to drive growth.”
“And when it comes to coal tip safety, then we are pleased that this is the beginning, and we are hoping that more will come in the future, and obviously we'll continue those negotiations with the UK Government. But it's not just about that; there are other people who are going to benefit from this budget in Wales. I'm particularly pleased to see that those who suffered as a result of contaminated blood will actually get compensated; so will those who were affected by the Horizon scandal. And, again, the Tories didn't put any of that money into the budget to pay for those, so I'm very pleased that those people will now get the compensation that they deserve.”
“Well, thanks very much, and, you're quite right, it is important that those with the broadest shoulders pay the most, which is why, actually, I think it's been very carefully worked out who in the agricultural community is likely to have to pay, whilst the rest of businesses also have to pay, don't forget, quite significant amounts of money when it comes to inheritance tax. Now, let me talk a little about pensioners, because I think it is important to address that issue. The fact is that the pension will be going up by 4.5 per cent, which is more than the rate of inflation, so that should help them with the cost of living. As I say, the living wage has increased, which will make a huge difference to thousands of people in our communities.”
“So, you can't on the one hand say, 'Don't raise national insurance, don't try and put a tax on the wealthiest people in our communities' and then say, 'Oh, what are we going to do about public services?' You have to raise taxes from somewhere, and this fantasy economics that Plaid Cymru keeps on peddling is not something the public swallows.”
“I'll tell you what, we fought and we won. We've won £25 million for our coal communities that these guys wouldn't even ask for, and so we are very pleased with that. And the fact that we're going to get the highest uplift that we've had since devolution began—£1.7 billion that is going to help to rebuild our public services. And it is important, I think, to recognise the difference that that will make to the lives of people across Wales. Austerity has ended. This is why it was really important that that change was made.”
“That's why things like increasing the living wage are significant. It'll affect not just the agricultural community but people across our nation, and that will be a significant change for many people in our communities.”
“Thanks very much. I genuinely think that it is important that people look at the detail before scaremongering, because I think there's been a lot of noise around this issue. I must say—and of course we've already been assessing what we think the impact might be—our initial finding is that the vast majority of farms in Wales will not have to pay this tax. I'm sure she's been reading the detail as much as I have. The fact is that the rest of the population have to pay inheritance tax, and there is a huge allowance when it comes to the agricultural community. What we're talking about here is extremely large and wealthy farms. Obviously, we will work through the detail of this. But as a Labour Party, we are very interested also in making sure that the support is there for people who work on farms.”
“And I think that it is very rich of you to talk about tuition fees, when actually you were in a situation where you did not recognise the fact that, in Wales, we have the best package of support for students across the United Kingdom. And of course we want to recognise that the whole system is under huge strain at the moment. Our support package for living costs is the highest in the UK, but obviously there is a broader question in relation to universities in terms of the financial model and the sustainability. Of course we'll need to discuss, with the UK Government, ideally, how that can be addressed, but this is an issue for us in Wales, and obviously we will be announcing our budget very shortly.”
“Well, they felt so betrayed by you that they turfed every one of your MPs out of Wales. There is a very, very small band of Tory MPs now sitting in Westminster. I'd like to take the opportunity to congratulate Mims Davies, the new shadow Secretary of State, who represents the seat of East Grinstead and Uckfield, whose contact with Wales is that she studied in Swansea University. So, she obviously thought that our universities in Wales were great. That's the new shadow Secretary of State for Wales. But let me tell you about how people are going to benefit in Wales. Pensioners: there's an increase that is bigger than the rate of the cost of living. That is going to help pensioners across Wales.”
“Twenty-five million pounds is coming into our communities to help—[ Interruption .] And when you talk about peanuts, this is money that you—[ Interruption .] Your Secretary of State wouldn't even sign a letter to ask for that money to come to Wales. So, this is significant for our communities, as is, in particular, the miners' pension fund, which after years—years—has been addressed. And I'm very pleased that there will be thousands of people across Wales who will benefit from that.”
“This is a UK Government budget and they had to make some very tough choices. Those tough choices include the need to fix the foundations of our communities and our society, including the economy, but more importantly public services, after 14 years of Tory neglect. So, I am absolutely delighted that we have seen a significant uplift in the Welsh budget—£1.7 billion—which will make a real difference to the lives of people in our communities. I've talked about national insurance and how there's a balance to be struck there and who is likely to pay that. But what I do know is that this is a Government who listened when we talked to them about the need for them to help us with the issue in relation to coal tip safety.”
“But it's also important that we don't scaremonger, because, actually, the exaggeration that you have been making—. And you scaremongered before the budget even started. I heard people from your benches saying how the fuel was going to go up and affect people in rural areas. It didn't, did it? It's scaremongering. So, stop scaremongering, because, actually, Treasury notes demonstrate that there will be a very small proportion of farmers in Wales that will be impacted by that inheritance tax. And, by the way, I think it's important you declare an interest on these issues.”
“Well, I can't believe you've started off talking about broken promises—your party, after what you did to this nation. I'll tell you about broken promises. Talk to the people in Tata. You said that there was £80 million to help support the people in Tata. You hadn't budgeted for it—you hadn't budgeted for it. The UK Labour Government have and they will honour that commitment that you just made up without honouring anything within the budget priority, part of the £22 billion black hole you left for the Labour Government. When you talk about—[ Interruption. ] When you talk about the issue in relation to farmers, let me just be clear that we are very aware of the significant contribution that farmers make to Wales economically, socially and environmentally. It is important, I think, that we underline that.”
“Well, we are still working through the impact of the Chancellor’s announcement, and obviously we’ll be coming out with our budget proposals by December. What I’m anxious to repeat is that 2 per cent of businesses will be paying three quarters of the amount raised through national insurance. When you suggest that national insurance will go up, that is true, but it will be compensated by that uplift in the allowance, which is not an insignificant uplift, which will make a difference to many, many organisations in the third sector in Wales.”
“We’re in a situation where we’ve inherited and the UK has inherited a very severe and serious financial situation. There was a massive hole in the economy, left by your Conservative Party, and I’m very pleased to see that the Chancellor has recognised that and recognised the pressure that public services have been under for a long time. Public services very often do delegate responsibilities to third sector organisations. We’ve been given an assurance in relation to national insurance that that’s actually for public sector directly employed people. There will be an opportunity to pass that additional money on, but it is for the public services. So, obviously, there are challenges in other areas, but, as I say, that national insurance contribution uplift should make a significant difference to those third sector organisations.”
“Thanks very much. I know that we as a Government appreciate the massive contribution that the third sector makes to our society generally, but also in terms of delivering important public services. The fact is that third sector support for Wales is not insignificant. The Wales Council for Voluntary Action—we provide them with core funding of £7.65 million. And in Gwent, covering the Caerphilly area, they receive about £763,000, which, again, is not an insignificant amount of money. But, as I say, we're going to have to look at how national insurance affects these third sector organisations, but I do think that that uplift in the allowance should give some relief to some of those organisations.”
“So, my guess is that there will be less of an impact on those third sector organisations, but, obviously, we need more time to analyse that impact. What I do know is that the calculation being made is that about 2 per cent of businesses will be paying three quarters of the amount raised through those national insurance hikes.”
“Diolch yn fawr. These tax decisions, obviously, are for the United Kingdom Government—they're not devolved decisions. The Chancellor was very clear about the challenges that were facing the public finances in the run-up to the election, and, clearly, hard choices had to be made. Now, one of the choices that was made was that raise to the national insurance contributions. We know that there are about 40,000 voluntary organisations operating across Wales. But in order to recognise and to protect the smallest businesses and charities, they doubled the employment allowance to £10,500. So, half of businesses with national insurance contribution liabilities will either gain or see no change next year.”
“Mae’n rhy gynnar i fod wedi asesu’n fanwl sefyllfa sy'n eithaf cymhleth. Mae fy swyddogion yn gweithio’n agos gyda chyngor partneriaeth y trydydd sector a Cefnogi Trydydd Sector Cymru i ddeall effaith cyllideb y Deyrnas Unedig yn y tymor byr, canolig a'r tymor hir.”
“So, they've got to get the balance right, and, obviously, Hywel Dda health board is in specific monitoring by the Welsh Government to make sure that they come in on budget, as we'd hope that they would.”
“Well, thanks very much, and I’m really pleased to see the progress being made in relation to RAAC in Withybush. It was very, very difficult at the time, decanting lots and lots of patients to other hospitals, and it's great that those wards have been reopened. I spent some time in the hospital looking at the effects, and it was quite frightening to see the impact on the hospital. It's great to see that the patients are back in. There are issues in relation to the health board, obviously. Almost all health boards in Wales are facing very significant financial challenges at the same time as we're asking them to drive forward with driving down the waiting lists.”
“Now, a remediation plan for social housing has been developed by the housing association, and I understand that private residents have been offered the opportunity of participating in that process should they wish. What I do know is that the local Member has been helping those who were really concerned about the prospect of becoming homeless, and I thank her for those efforts.”
“Diolch yn fawr iawn. We’re in a very different situation from England, partly because of the massive investment in twenty-first century schools that’s happened—billions gone into those—which means that, in England, there are 237 schools with RAAC, and, in Wales, there were only two high schools, and five altogether. So, we’re in a very, very different situation. I am aware of what’s going on on the Gower estate in Hirwaun. Now, Wales has benefited from the work of the Welsh housing quality standard in the last few years, so we’re aware that we have generally good-quality records available. I know that the Trivallis housing association are working closely with Rhondda Cynon Taf council, and they’re assisting, where possible, the private property owners affected by RAAC at that estate.”
“Mae’r Llywodraeth yn rhoi diogelwch pobl yn gyntaf. Dŷn ni ddim jest yn siarad am beth rŷn ni’n ei wneud, rŷn ni’n cyflawni. Ac mae pob ysgol a effeithiwyd gan RAAC wedi cwblhau’r gwaith lliniaru angenrheidiol, ac mae wardiau wedi ailagor yn ysbyty Llwynhelyg, a hefyd mae'r gwaith lliniaru wedi’i gwblhau yn Ysbyty Neuadd Nevill hefyd.”