Anna McMorrin MP: speeches

Speeches

• 3 Dec 2025 · Grooming Gangs · Hansard source

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  I am disappointed in the hon. Member. She must have forgotten that the last inquiry was not implemented in any way, shape or form. We have accepted Baroness Casey’s recommendations in full, and we are working together—the Welsh Government and the Home Office, alongside Baroness Casey—to appoint a chair, as a matter of urgency. Victims’ voices should be at the heart of this inquiry, and it is imperative that any chair appointed earns the trust of the victims, who have been let down far too often. For those victims, we must get this right; we can absolutely do no less.

• 3 Dec 2025 · Grooming Gangs · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. Member for raising this important matter. The Home Office is working closely with the Welsh Government to share information and co-ordinate work to prevent and respond to child sexual abuse and exploitation, including that perpetrated by grooming gangs. This includes taking forward the recommendations of Baroness Casey’s audit, and I strongly welcome the continued support of the Welsh Government as we do so.

• 3 Dec 2025 · Grooming Gangs · Hansard source

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  Absolutely, and I thank my hon. Friend for raising this critical matter. We are putting victims’ voices at the heart of the inquiry, because their voices must be heard, and we are accepting Baroness Casey’s recommendations in full, including the introduction of mandatory reporting, the creation of a new child protection authority and the ending of the three-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims. [ Official Report , 18 December 2025; Vol. 777, c. 13WC.] (Correction) I will say this once again: we are ensuring that victims’ voices are at the heart of the inquiry, because they have been forgotten for far too long.

• 3 Dec 2025 · Visitor Levy: Wales · Hansard source

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  I would also like to wish Cardiff Rugby penblwydd hapus on their 149th birthday. I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend that the Welsh Government are leading the way, and it is fantastic to see that a similar overnight levy will be introduced in England. This is the power of partnership: two Labour Governments working together.

• 3 Dec 2025 · Visitor Levy: Wales · Hansard source

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  The Welsh tourism sector is thriving. Last year, British residents alone took over 7 million overnight trips to Wales. If all councils in Wales were to introduce the Welsh Government’s visitor levy, it could raise as much as £33 million a year across Wales to invest in communities and tourism. This is an excellent example of the Welsh Government leading the way. As announced last week, a similar overnight levy will be introduced in England, allowing mayors to invest across their communities.

• 3 Dec 2025 · Visitor Levy: Wales · Hansard source

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  Wales is leading the way on the visitor levy and I am proud to be from Cardiff—a city that is introducing the levy. People come in droves to Cardiff and I know that they will continue to do so. Perhaps the hon. Member for Dumfries and Galloway (John Cooper) should look to his own ranks first, because the Conservative-run Great Yarmouth borough council has supported this form of tourist levy for years.

• 3 Dec 2025 · Visitor Levy: Wales · Hansard source

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  Quite the contrary: the visitor levy would boost the economy by up to £33 million if all councils were to accept it across Wales. I do not think that will— [ Interruption. ]

• 19 Nov 2025 · Flooding: Monmouthshire · Hansard source

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  The hon. Member rightly points out the important link between climate change and increased flooding, which I mentioned earlier. It is very important to build resilience into communities and housing. I know that there is a fund. We are putting funding in; this Government take very seriously that investment, whether it is in new build, existing build or communities, businesses and infrastructure at risk. We absolutely need to ensure that with changing weather patterns, increased rainfall and further flooding, our communities and people across the country are safe.

• 19 Nov 2025 · Flooding: Monmouthshire · Hansard source

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  An emergency financial initiative is available. Welsh Government officials are working with community groups, the local council and us to ensure that they have access to those emergency funds.

• 19 Nov 2025 · Flooding: Monmouthshire · Hansard source

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  I thank the hon. Member for raising that point and for his words to the people of Monmouthshire. I pay tribute to his communities. It is important that we support communities right across the country, wherever they are. This Government are intent on doing that.

• 19 Nov 2025 · Flooding: Monmouthshire · Hansard source

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  I thank the right hon. Member for his suggestion, which I will absolutely take away. There has been a lot of money raised locally; I mentioned the local mayor, who has raised significant funds. That is fantastic, but I know that a lot of people will want to help, so I will certainly take away that suggestion.

• 19 Nov 2025 · Flooding: Monmouthshire · Hansard source

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  I thank my hon. Friend for raising that important point. Collaboration is key. In situations like this, where speed is of the essence, it is important that we work together quickly and seamlessly. I know that my hon. Friend the Minister for Water and Flooding has been in touch with the Deputy First Minister and my hon. Friend the Member for Monmouthshire (Catherine Fookes). We will all continue to work together to resolve this and make sure that those impacted get support and help as quickly and seamlessly as possible.

• 19 Nov 2025 · Flooding: Monmouthshire · Hansard source

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  I also pay huge tribute to the first responders and emergency units and the fire and rescue service, who did an outstanding job over the weekend and will continue to do so—and right across Wales, too. It is important that we protect those who put themselves in danger and support people in need. I am happy to write to the hon. Member about the details of the closures.

• 19 Nov 2025 · Flooding: Monmouthshire · Hansard source

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  My colleague has heard that loudly and clearly and will get back to the hon. Member.

• 19 Nov 2025 · Flooding: Monmouthshire · Hansard source

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  It is exceptionally important, for those who have a duty to their land, to manage that land safely. These events have a devastating impact and soil is washed away, but there are things that can be done further upstream to prevent flooding. The Welsh Government have put in place projects right across Wales to ensure that happens. Just this morning I was talking to Powys county council about some of those taking place there.

• 19 Nov 2025 · Flooding: Monmouthshire · Hansard source

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  The hon. Lady is absolutely right that time is of the essence. My heart goes out to all those impacted by the storm over the weekend. It must be absolutely dreadful for those people to see their business or home flooded after all the hard work they have put in all their lives; I cannot image the trauma and the difficulty they are going through. As I said, the First Minister spoke to the Prime Minister: the Prime Minister reached out over the weekend to look at how support can be offered following the flooding. The First Minister has also been looking at how funding can be provided in the least bureaucratic way possible to those impacted. We are a few days after the event and the nature of the support will become clear as the clean-up continues. As the days go on, we will work with emergency services and those impacted. The Welsh Government have emergency financial assistance schemes for just these very scenarios. They have kicked in and are being used. Proposals for support are being prepared. Local government financial officials are there on the ground. The Secretary of State is there on the ground today. We are doing all we can, working hand in hand with the Welsh Government, the council and the mayors, to make sure that those impacted get the support they need as quickly as possible.

• 19 Nov 2025 · Flooding: Monmouthshire · Hansard source

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  My first thoughts, and those of the Secretary of State, are with all the people and businesses affected by the flooding over the weekend. The impact in Monmouthshire has been devastating for local residents and traders and I know that hon. Members across the House will be thinking of them as they recover from this dreadful storm. I am answering this urgent question because the Secretary of State is in Monmouthshire to thank first responders and to meet the community and thank them for their efforts. She is there with my hon. Friend the Member for Monmouthshire (Catherine Fookes), who has been supporting her local community since the flooding across the weekend. I also pay tribute to the emergency responders, the local residents who have rallied together, and the mayor of Monmouth, Jackie Atkin, who has raised a substantial sum for the community. As the House will be aware, flooding is a devolved matter; however, the Prime Minister spoke to the First Minister over the weekend and offered the UK Government’s support for the Welsh Government’s response. My ministerial colleague who is here with me today, my hon. Friend the Member for Kingston upon Hull West and Haltemprice (Emma Hardy), has also been in touch with the Deputy First Minister. The Environment Agency has offered support locally, including any mutual aid that may be requested by Natural Resources Wales, which operates in the area. We see the number of these events increasing, which demonstrates why our climate response on flooding is so important. Today the Floodmobile response sponsored by Flood Re is in Monmouth, a mobile demonstration unit which showcases dozens of property flood resilience measures and techniques that can help keep homes and other buildings safer during a flood. That is reaching out to the community. I also bring hon. Members’ attention to what we are doing to support people to access insurance through our partnership with Flood Re, a joint initiative between the Government and the insurance industry to ensure that households at the highest risk of flooding can access affordable insurance. In the financial year ’24-’25 alone, Flood Re provided cover for over 345,000 household policies. Government officials have met Monmouthshire county council over the weekend to discuss emergency funding; the Deputy First Minister was also there over the weekend to meet first responders and the community, and opportunities are being made available through the emergency financial assistance scheme. The Welsh Government have been working very closely with the council and all the emergency services, and have committed over £370 million to reduce risks to communities across Wales. The Welsh Government are doing everything they can at this very difficult time for the community and for businesses in Monmouthshire.

• 19 Nov 2025 · Flooding: Monmouthshire · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend has been a strong advocate in this area, and I thank him for that. The UK Government have pledged £143 million in this Parliament for coal tip safety. This is a big issue that needs to be continually monitored. Coal tips were being monitored over the weekend throughout Storm Claudia and they will continue to be monitored. The Government take this issue very seriously and are investing in coal tip safety.

• 19 Nov 2025 · Flooding: Monmouthshire · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend makes an excellent point. My hon. Friend the Member for Monmouthshire (Catherine Fookes) has been so diligent. I was on the phone with her over the weekend, and I know that she has been speaking to the Welsh Government. I was also on the phone to the Deputy First Minister over the weekend, and I have been in contact with Natural Resources Wales and local community groups. My hon. Friend the Member for Monmouthshire has been out there in her wellies, helping with the clean-up. I know that she feels this as deeply as those who have been impacted. The support we will be there, and we will continue to work together. Although flooding is a devolved matter, it reaches right across the country. Wherever we can help, we will. We are working together to ensure that we resolve this at pace and help the people who need it.

• 19 Nov 2025 · Flooding: Monmouthshire · Hansard source

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  Of course, when there are critical or major incidents, such as the flooding in Monmouthshire, we are ready to consider anything. Where we need that support, collaboration is important and that extends to all our Departments. In every way possible, we will ensure that people, businesses and infrastructure are looked after, and that can and would extend to Defence if necessary.

• 29 Oct 2025 · Asylum Seeker Accommodation · Hansard source

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  We offer sanctuary for those who desperately need it, and we are proud of that, but we inherited contracts and a broken system from the Conservatives. Hotel use has nearly halved since the last election, and we have removed 30,000 people who have no right to be here, ensuring that those who do need to be here have the welcome and support that they need. It is not job done, but work in progress. We can compare that with the 14 years of the Tory Government. [ Official Report , 20 November 2025; Vol. 775, c. 7WC.] (Correction)

• 29 Oct 2025 · Asylum Seeker Accommodation · Hansard source

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  It sounds like the hon. Member does not agree with welcoming the thousands of Ukrainian refugees that the UK Government’s nation of sanctuary has supported. The scheme has been used to welcome Ukrainian families fleeing from Russian aggression. That is a cause that I understood her party supported.

• 29 Oct 2025 · Asylum Seeker Accommodation · Hansard source

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  I fear that the Conservatives forget about the chaos that they created. We inherited a broken system after 14 years of chaos, and contracts that we have to honour, but in the past year we have halved the use of hotels. We have removed 30,000 people who have no right to be here. It is not job done, as I say, but it is a work in progress. We can compare that work in just one year with 14 years of chaos under the hon. Lady’s Government. [ Official Report , 20 November 2025; Vol. 775, c. 8WC.] (Correction)

• 29 Oct 2025 · Asylum Seeker Accommodation · Hansard source

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  We inherited a broken asylum system in absolute chaos from the Tories, with tens of thousands stuck in a system dependent on expensive asylum hotels. We are committed to ending the use of hotels as asylum accommodation as soon as possible and before the end of this Parliament, as part of a controlled, managed and orderly programme.

• 29 Oct 2025 · Cross-border Rail Connectivity · Hansard source

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  My hon. Friend has been a strong champion for this rail investment, which is the key to unlock Wales’s economic potential. It includes funds to progress the five Burns stations in Cardiff East, Newport West, Somerton, Llanwern and Magor and Undy. I will continue to work with the Wales Rail Board and the Welsh Government to ensure that the community my hon. Friend represents is given the infrastructure that it needs.