Ann Davies MP: speeches 2026

Speeches

• 12 Feb 2026 · Lord Mandelson: Government Response to Humble Address Motion · Hansard source

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  Public confidence is so important, and the ministerial code requires that Ministers, including the Prime Minister, uphold the highest possible standards of propriety. Given that the evidence clearly shows what the Prime Minister knew, the appointment of Mandelson did not meet those standards. Can the Minister confirm whether the Prime Minister will refer himself to the independent adviser on ministerial standards?

• 12 Feb 2026 · Rural Mobile Connectivity · Hansard source

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  I congratulate the hon. Member for North Shropshire (Helen Morgan) on securing this debate. Over the past 20 months or so since coming into this House, I think that rural connectivity has been the most constant issue in my inbox, which is really not surprising when we consider the fact that my constituency is 69% rural and still suffers from a large number of notspots. A report issued by Vodafone in November 2023 found that nearly half of rural deprived areas are classed as 5G notspots, whereas the same can be said of only 2.7% of urban deprived areas. Ofcom’s “Connected Nations” report, published in November 2025, provided further evidence of rural areas lagging behind urban areas in both 5G and 4G access. Both those reports show how rural connectivity falls short of what urban areas receive. Over the past few years, the shared rural network, which is funded through private investment and public money, has worked reasonably well in Caerfyrddin, with an additional number of masts being built in hard-to-reach areas. Like the hon. Member for Stafford (Leigh Ingham), I have had two masts built in my constituency on the shared rural network scheme, but neither has been switched on. The mast in Myddfai has power and is ready to go, but Vodafone is yet to turn on the network. In Llanwinio, the mast has been built—again, over a year ago—but there is still no power connected to it. Its electricity was due to be connected in January, but based on the timescale for building the Myddfai mast, we could be waiting another year before connectivity is switched on—it really is not good enough. Public purse funding has been poured into both mast projects, and there is nothing to show for it, at a time when digital connectivity is seriously needed. Broadband access in the rural parts of my constituency is also not good enough. Rural businesses, including farms, now rely on connectivity for all transactions, including banking, tax and VAT returns, reports on the British Cattle Movement Service’s cattle tracing system and payments in our rural village shops. The results from the National Farmers Union’s rural digital survey are worrying. As has been mentioned, 21% of respondents have broadband speeds of less than 10 megabits per second, compared with the national average of less than 1%, and only 22% report having reliable mobile signal across their entire farms. It is just not good enough. Rural homes and businesses must be able to contact emergency services as and when they need to. During Storm Darragh, which was far worse for us than any of the recent storms, the digitalisation of our tele- communication systems meant that the networks failed. Although batteries help, according to one of my constituents just last week, businesses are not eligible for those, as only domestic dwellings can have battery back-ups. People were left with no means of communication and unable to reach emergency services, which is unacceptable. We must ensure that when public money is spent on upgrading networks, they are switched on and actually work for the communities in which they are built. Finally, Caerfyrddin includes some of the hardest-to-reach homes, with properties tucked deep into valleys or set in extremely remote locations. In those areas, it is much harder for traditional masts to provide reliable coverage, no matter how many are built. That is why it is essential that a satellite solution is available and affordable for all the households that will otherwise be left behind. Starlink currently charges around £75 per month for network coverage, which is not affordable for many of my constituents. I hope that in the next year or so competition will make that cheaper, and that other companies can provide that service. Whatever system communities and constituents use, it must work. It must be reliable and affordable, especially when public money has been used in good faith.

• 12 Feb 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Enzo Romano is a talented young footballer who has already played for the Welsh youth team. He could have chosen Italy or Spain, but he has chosen Wales first. Despite his birth certificate proving that he was born in Cardiff, his British citizenship application has been refused for a second time. Without it, he cannot further his football career and play in the world cup. Will the Leader of the House grant a debate to ensure the Home Office cannot unfairly hold back talent like Enzo—and others, I am sure, across the UK? He just wants to play football for the country he was born in and obviously loves.

• 10 Feb 2026 · Local Power Plan · Hansard source

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  Community energy has an important role to play in Wales. It powers around 17,500 homes, many of which are in my constituency of Caerfyrddin, with Ynni Sir Gâr leading the way. I welcome the local power plan and its funding envelope of £1 billion, and hope that we can rapidly expand on that number. Will the Secretary of State tell me more about how this funding will be fairly distributed across the UK? Will he introduce a ringfence to ensure that Wales and the other devolved nations, Scotland and Northern Ireland, receive, at minimum, their population share?

• 9 Feb 2026 · Standards in Public Life · Hansard source

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  We in Wales know how this story ends. The former Welsh First Minister, Vaughan Gething, was forced to resign following a serious error of judgment; the Prime Minister had expressed full confidence in him. The Prime Minister then went on to appoint Peter Mandelson, despite his association with a convicted paedophile being a matter of public record. What lessons, if any, does the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister draw from this pattern of poor judgment at the very top of Government?

• 5 Feb 2026 · National Cancer Plan · Hansard source

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  I thank the Minister for her announcement today. At the end of the day, cancer will affect one in two of us—those are the statistics now. May I also thank colleagues for highlighting the difference in treatment between rural and urban areas? In Wales, we do not even have a plan yet. Without urgent action, there will continue to be inequalities and long waiting times for the people of Wales. That is why, with input from the European Cancer Organisation, Plaid has developed its own cancer plan. What does the Minister make of the decision of Welsh Labour colleagues not to implement a plan in Wales, and why do we not have parity with the rest of the country?

• 4 Feb 2026 · Civil Service Pension Scheme: Administration · Hansard source

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  Diolch yn fawr, Ms Lewell; it is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship. I thank the hon. Member for Blackpool North and Fleetwood (Lorraine Beavers) for securing the debate. My corner of west Wales, Caerfyrddin, is no different. Multiple constituents have come to me with unacceptable experiences of trying to access their civil service pensions, as administered by Capita. Among them is Steve Dawkins, who retired this month after 24 years as a civil servant. Steve followed all the procedures and submitted his formal notice of retirement, but he has not received a formal acknowledgment of his pension claim, nor an indication of when his lump sum or monthly pension payments might be expected. His salary has stopped and he is not eligible for his state pension until September. I have sent a letter to Capita, outlining Steve’s case and urging action. I have had an acknowledgment but no action. Rhiannon Davies-Laughlin, another constituent, has contacted Capita multiple times to request pension details but has not received a response. She also requested an annual benefit statement and was told to wait to hear within 10 days. She never did. She had to resign from her job and was due to finish work yesterday. She was intending to retire, but still does not know her pension position. I have written to Capita; I have not received a response. We could go on to talk about many more cases, but we will finish with Sarah Rees. Last February, Sarah applied to receive her pension early because of ill health. That application was lost. The situation was similar to what the hon. Member for Blackpool North and Fleetwood (Lorraine Beavers) described. Sarah submitted the application again in July, and in November she was told that all the necessary paperwork had been received, but she did not hear back until last week. When I raised Sarah’s case during a business statement, it seemed to catch Capita’s attention, as Sarah has finally received a response, and a lump sum. But the sum was miscalculated, so I have had to write to Capita again, and you have guessed it: no response. This is just not good enough. It is inexcusable that more than 8,000 people who retired more than 12 months ago still have not received their pension payments. Retired and retiring civil servants left in this position should seek, and have, compensation. I join the PCS Union’s call for a bespoke compensation scheme that takes account of interest on overdue payments and the financial implications of delays, as well as the distress that this scandal has caused them. I urge the Minister and the Department, once the backlog of 90,000 cases is rectified, all pension payments have been issued and a compensation scheme has been set up, to act on the Public Accounts Committee’s report and consider bringing civil servants’ pensions back in-house to help prevent such a scandal from ever happening again.

• 3 Feb 2026 · Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill · Hansard source

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  I am glad that the UK Government are finally taking action on child poverty and removing the two-child cap on universal credit—a policy, of course, that Plaid has opposed from the start. However, more than one in five households affected by the two-child limit will not benefit because of the cap on benefits. Does the Secretary of State agree that the Government should now lift the benefit cap, so that every eligible household and every eligible child receives the full support this Bill sets out to provide?

• 2 Feb 2026 · High Speed Rail (Crewe - Manchester) Bill · Hansard source

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  The classification of Northern Powerhouse Rail as an England-Wales project is short-changing Wales of up to £1.5 billion. Plaid Cymru is clear that we need an immediate devolution of rail to end this funding scandal, and even the Labour First Minister of Wales has claimed that she wants rail to be devolved. Will the Secretary of State tell me how many official requests the Welsh Government have made for the devolution of rail in Wales?

• 22 Jan 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  The question to the Prime Minister yesterday from the hon. Member for East Londonderry (Mr Campbell) rang a bell with me. Many of my constituents are waiting for their civil service pensions, which are administered by Capita. Sarah Elizabeth Rees had to retire due to ill health in February last year, but a year on, she still has not had her pension and has nothing to support her or pay her bills. We have written five letters to the relevant Department. We have had one reply, which asked for confirmation of name, address and national insurance number. That really is not good enough. I kindly ask whether the Leader of the House will allow for a debate in Government time to discuss fully the issues that have arisen for all our constituents.

• 22 Jan 2026 · Agricultural Sector: Import Standards · Hansard source

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  Diolch yn fawr, Madam Dirprwy Lefarydd. I refer the House to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests; as most hon. Members know, I am a dairy and sheep farmer from west Wales. I am very aware of the volatility of markets and its effect on our sector. Sheep and beef prices have been steady for the past year or so, but dairy has absolutely crashed since August or September: it is down by between 9p and 12p a litre, which is about 25% to 30% of income, with inputs remaining exactly the same. That is unsustainable. The welfare standards to which we adhere when producing food here is exemplary, and standards continue to rise. However, while setting even higher standards at home, we allow the import of products produced in countries with lower standards. Animal welfare strategies, such as the one introduced for England last month, highlight the link between welfare standards and food security. The public agree that imported food must be of a standard equal to home-produced food, but that has to be mirrored in the trade agreements that are negotiated. Our farming community cannot be traded off, as has happened in the American deal. The farming community deserves no less than equality in standards, and my Caerfyrddin farmers certainly deserve no less. Interestingly, the Countryside Alliance acquired some figures through a freedom of information request to see how many local authorities and Government Departments procured UK and local food, and whether those organisations had a policy to buy local food. Only one Department, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, had a policy, and only one other Department, the Department of Health and Social Care, could say how much local food it procured. Of the 215 local authorities, only 26 could provide information on the amount of UK or local food they procured. That really is not good enough. We produce only 60% of what we consume. If we support locally produced food, we will import less. Locally in Caerfyrddin, Carmarthenshire county council is working hard to ensure that we put locally produced food on the public plate. That work is being done on a council-owned farm, in partnership with Social Farms and Gardens, Castell Howell Foods, Hywel Dda university health board and others, to give top-quality vegetables to our children and elderly. If we can do it in Carmarthenshire, surely more councils can support our local agricultural community in that way. We all need and deserve sustainably produced, fresh, nutritionally dense food. We are all aware that we import about 40% of the food that we consume, but none of this food is subject to minimal animal welfare or environmental production standards. Input standards are almost entirely related to product safety and the threat to human health and the environment, rather than to how they are produced. Establishing animal welfare and environmental core standards will ensure that the food we eat, whether it is produced at home or abroad, meets the high expectations of British consumers. With core standards implemented alongside balanced and commercially meaningful trade deals, not only can international trade drive economic growth, but it can help our farmers to become sustainable, resilient and supported businesses. Diolch.

• 21 Jan 2026 · Railways: Funding · Hansard source

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  2. What discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on funding for railways.

• 21 Jan 2026 · Railways: Funding · Hansard source

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  Diolch yn fawr, Mr Llefarydd. The Treasury has confirmed that Northern Powerhouse Rail will again be classified as an England and Wales project, again depriving Wales of £1 billion in funding. Instead, we are being asked to celebrate £445 million being spent over 10 years in east Wales. This decision means no electrification beyond Cardiff, no new station for St Clears, even though it was promised through the levelling-up fund, and no upgrades for Carmarthen station. What influence can the Secretary of State bring to bear on the Treasury, so that the 1.5 million people who live outside the investment area, who are excluded, get the funding that they deserve?

• 15 Jan 2026 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Last week, Consumer Energy Solutions went into administration, costing nearly 300 jobs and leaving Welsh households stuck waiting for repairs after faulty energy company obligation 4 work. There are two parts to my question, if the Leader of the House and Madam Deputy Speaker will allow it. What immediate support are the Government offering to those impacted by the closure of CES? While I am fully aware of the Public Accounts Committee’s work following that of the National Audit Office, will the Leader of the House make time for a debate in Government time on all aspects of ECO4—not just insulation—given its abject failure to deliver for so many of the people of Caerfyrddin and Wales?

• 15 Jan 2026 · Digital ID · Hansard source

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  I feel for colleagues on the Labour Benches, forced to defend U-turn after U-turn on their own Prime Minister’s policies. Ministers were reportedly told to find savings in their Departments to fund the £1.8 billion scheme. Will the Minister confirm that, as the scheme will no longer be mandatory, Departments will no longer have to make these cuts and public services will be ringfenced?

• 14 Jan 2026 · Northern Powerhouse Rail · Hansard source

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  Today’s announcement directly affects Wales, given that it is footing the Bill for the Northern Powerhouse Rail project, along with HS2 and the Oxford-Cambridge railway—although I have to say that I am delighted for my northern friends. The price tag now owed to Wales amounts to about £6 billion, yet the Government expect us to be satisfied with £445 million over 10 years. How much longer does the Secretary of State think this farce can go on? Is it not time that rail is devolved so that funding can be directed back to the people of Wales, instead of to anything that is classified as an England and Wales project?

• 13 Jan 2026 · Universities: Statutory Duty of Care · Hansard source

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  I think we all fully appreciate the work that universities do to try to look after the wellbeing of their students. However, does my hon. Friend agree that the lack of investment in public services—by which I mean the health service as well as others—can perhaps lead to tragic consequences, such as Mared’s, for students who have mental health issues or who have been sexually abused? Our public services need more investment so that we can scoop up these young people and look after them a lot better.

• 12 Jan 2026 · Social Media: Non-consensual Sexual Deepfakes · Hansard source

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  Many women and girls will be shocked to hear some colleagues in this House suggest that AI deepfakes is a question of free speech. Plaid Cymru is clear: digital abuse is not free speech. Does the Secretary of State agree that protecting women and girls must never be conditional, and will she outline what the Government will do not only to criminalise the creation of deepfakes, but to stop these platforms creating this technology in the first place?

• 7 Jan 2026 · Rural Communities · Hansard source

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  In my constituency, we have a number of infrastructure projects being planned to produce and transport energy. While Plaid Cymru agrees that green energy production is necessary, the transition has to be made with community consent. The undergrounding of cables is project-specific and time-specific, depending on thermal rate values and cable type. Does the hon. Member agree that communities need to have a much greater voice when it comes to the cumulative effect of these projects?

• 6 Jan 2026 · BBC Charter Renewal · Hansard source

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  S4C’s headquarters are within my constituency. It employs 2,500 people across Wales, and contributes £7.6 million to our economy in Caerfyrddin itself—that is without the Welsh perspective. Although I am glad to see that consultation is discussed in the Green Paper, it needs to be more than a tick-box exercise. Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that any consultation must be meaningful for the people of Wales and for S4C?