Llinos Medi MP: speeches

Speeches

• 14 Sept 2026 · Speciality Steel UK · Hansard source

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  I wish to pass on my party’s condolences to the Prime Minister and his family. While recognising the £500 million transition fund to Port Talbot, there are real concerns that Welsh steel will not receive a fair share of the £2.5 billion steel fund. Today the Secretary of State has announced that the public acquisition of Speciality Steel will be funded from that steel fund. Can the Secretary of State reassure the Welsh steel sector that Wales will get its fair share of the steel fund following today’s announcement?

• 7 Sept 2026 · Economic Growth · Hansard source

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  The Sea Shanty café on Ynys Môn is desperate for hope. Paying 20% VAT is simply unsustainable. Hospitality is a major employer on the island, but our businesses are being squeezed by rising costs. Cutting VAT to 10% would be a quick win, driving growth by giving businesses some breathing space and protecting jobs. Will the Chief Secretary consider that?

• 2 Sept 2026 · EU Membership Referendum: Impact on the UK · Hansard source

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  My constituency has one of the busiest roll-on roll-off ports, in Holyhead. There has been an announcement regarding passport requirements for travel between the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Teithiau Elfyn, a local tour company, has warned me of the serious economic impact of such short-notice announcements. Does the hon. Member agree that the Brexit agreement has not worked for the people of Ynys Môn or Wales, and has had a negative impact on the economy?

• 14 Jan 2026 · Engagements · Hansard source

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  Q6. As someone with personal experience of AI-generated images, the recent AI images shared on X, particularly those of children, sicken me. Yet the Leader of Reform, the hon. Member for Clacton (Nigel Farage), continues to defend Elon Musk. Anyone who defends platforms linked to the sexual exploitation of children forfeits any right to give lectures about protecting women and girls. What will the Prime Minister do to stop any political party from putting tech billionaires ahead of protecting our children?

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

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  I totally agree with my hon. Friend. Better resources and funding for our public services would go a long way to help students who are feeling vulnerable, scared and unable to cope. As the hon. Member for Bristol East (Kerry McCarthy) mentioned, we recognise that students’ independence and autonomy as adults is important, but it is also our role here to make sure that we put safeguards in place to balance their autonomy with the need to safeguard them at vulnerable times.

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

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  I thank the hon. Member for that intervention, and I totally agree. That is why I appreciate this debate, where we can all share our experiences and make sure that, in our terms here, we make the change that we want to see. As has been mentioned, universities try to roll out strategies and action plans, but that has resulted in a patchwork of different support services across the university sector that simply is not working for our young people. It has also led to differing approaches to responsibility and accountability for students’ welfare and wellbeing. The lack of clarity has real consequences and, as we have heard in Mared’s case, it can have an impact on the whole community, including the pharmacy community. When things go wrong, students and families often discover far too late that there was no obligation to act, even where warning signs were present. I therefore want serious consideration to be given to the concerns of students and their families. I agree with Mared’s parents that the current legal framework is insufficient and that reform is urgently needed to clarify institutional responsibilities.

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

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  I totally agree. The importance of today’s debate is that Mared’s name is recorded here and is always in our minutes and in our memories.

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

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  Diolch, Gadeirydd. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Sir Christopher. I congratulate the hon. Member for Rushcliffe (James Naish) on securing this important debate on the potential merits of a statutory duty of care for universities. My constituents, Glyngwyn and Iona Foulkes, have been directly affected by this issue, as they tragically lost their daughter to suicide in 2020. Mared Foulkes was a conscientious and high-achieving second-year pharmacy student at Cardiff University. On 8 July 2020, she committed suicide after receiving incorrect exam results. This error led Mared to believe that she could not progress into her third year of studies. By the time the university had sent her the correct exam results, Mared had taken her own life. Mared had had a clear career path since her time at Ysgol David Hughes secondary school. All she ever wanted to be was a pharmacist. She worked at local pharmacies during school and university holidays. She became a peer guide for other students, and she participated in voluntary work at a hospital in the Philippines during her time at university. Sadly, all her dreams and aspirations ended on receiving those incorrect exam results. Many people assume that universities already have a clear legal responsibility to look after students’ wellbeing, particularly where risks are known or foreseeable. However, the extent of any such responsibility remains unclear, and guidance and best practice across the sector are inconsistent. Sadly, this inconsistency results in a postcode lottery in the quality and accessibility of mental health care and other services. As public services and universities struggle, the line of responsibility becomes blurred and our young people fall through the gaps. Too many young lives have been lost to suicide, and I believe that something concrete now needs to be done to safeguard them.

• 6 Jan 2026 · Renewable Energy Jobs · Hansard source

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  The contracts for difference budget is vital for job creation and the growth of the marine energy sector, yet the latest round removed the tidal stream ringfence and cut emerging technology funding. Can the Minister explain why these changes were made, and will he meet me to discuss how marine energy projects, such as Morlais in Ynys Môn, can get the support they need to succeed?

• 8 Dec 2025 · Digital ID · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Furniss. More than 3 million people—a figure similar to the population of Wales—have signed this petition opposing the Government’s plan to introduce a mandatory digital ID scheme, including nearly 3,500 of my constituents. My constituents have frequently raised valid concerns about the introduction of this type of scheme. One of those concerns is about data privacy, because a large database of private and sensitive information could be vulnerable to data breaches, hacking and other criminal activity. The hacking of the Legal Aid Agency is a recent example. Increased state surveillance is another concern. Constituents are worried about the creation of detailed, individual profiles and about the sharing of information across state services. Digital exclusion is also a concern, especially in a rural constituency such as mine. Nobody should be unfairly disadvantaged by the state due to being without access to digital technology or the means to navigate it. What I hear most, however, is that people are struggling to heat their homes and put food on their tables. None the less, the Government want to spend billions on identification schemes.

• 8 Dec 2025 · Digital ID · Hansard source

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  I totally agree. I was previously the leader of a local authority, so I know that our public services are on their knees after 14 years of austerity. This money needs to go back into public services, instead of a digital ID scheme, and serve the people of this country. The scheme was first framed as a way of combating illegal working, so it would apply only to workers. Then it was framed as a scheme to streamline services and potentially be applicable to people as young as 13. Will the Government set out what problem the digital ID will actually solve? As we have heard in this debate, nobody seems to know. Given that the Government cannot provide a convincing argument for a costly, intrusive and unpopular scheme, they would do well to listen to the millions of people who have made their views known and focus instead on the real issues that matter to people. Plaid Cymru opposes the proposal to introduce digital ID.

• 4 Dec 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

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  Diolch yn fawr, Llefarydd. Ahead of the Budget, I wrote to the Chancellor outlining the desperate economic situation facing hospitality businesses in Wales. I was disheartened that the Chancellor ignored those warnings, adding pressure to the ongoing struggles of the industry, with business property relief a key concern for businesses like Anglesey Taverns on Ynys Môn. Will the Leader of the House make time for a debate on how the Government can work with business owners in Wales to find sustainable solutions to increasingly unmanageable costs?

• 4 Dec 2025 · War in Ukraine · Hansard source

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  That former leader in Wales of Reform UK was a constituent of mine. We have been calling on the Prime Minister for an independent review and an investigation into Russian interference in our democracy. Does the hon. Member support that?

• 26 Nov 2025 · Budget Resolutions · Hansard source

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  I am grateful for the opportunity to answer that question. Small businesses are the majority of our economy in Wales. While it is extremely important that they can offer apprenticeships, they need to be able to afford to employ people, and we need a skilled workforce if we are to give apprentices training opportunities. If that skilled workforce is not in place, apprentices will not have the same training opportunities. We need the whole package. National insurance changes have had a detrimental impact on small businesses in Wales, and we need a more strategic vision if we are to support small businesses. The Chancellor’s Budget statement will have only compounded the confusion in Welsh households and businesses about what the Government’s plan means for them. The truth is that Labour today has not offered any hope for the people of Wales.

• 26 Nov 2025 · Budget Resolutions · Hansard source

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  Today should have been an opportunity to offer some hope, and to deliver for Wales. Unfortunately, the Chancellor has failed to do that, and our communities will still feel vulnerable. We have been promised action on the cost of living, but nothing has been said about the unfair standing charges that see communities like mine on Ynys Môn pay £58 a year more than the UK average. On the cost of energy, one way to offer families immediate relief is to cut VAT on energy bills and review unfair standing charges. The Budget has not addressed a travesty: Wales is a net exporter of energy, yet 25% of all Welsh households are in fuel poverty. To change that, Wales should have powers over the Crown Estate, equivalent to those in Scotland, so that the millions generated in profit from our natural resources can be returned to our communities, rather than going to Whitehall. Money for the NHS in the Budget is always welcome, but this money must be put into context. The lowest day-to-day spending increases from recent Westminster Governments for Wales’s public services have come from Labour. Today was another missed opportunity for this Government to deliver for Wales. Classifying High Speed 2 and Oxford-Cambridge rail as “England and Wales projects” is denying Wales £4 billion. Rail spending per capita in Wales stands at £307, while in England the figure is £432. That is a clear injustice that the Government have failed to address today. The leaking and briefing in the run-up to the Budget, and today’s unprecedented early publication of the OBR’s “Economic and fiscal outlook”, has made a mockery of the process. The speculation has caused unhelpful volatility for businesses and the markets. Uncertainty about borrowing costs for business and Government, and delays to interest rate cuts, are undermining the growth that our public services need, and provide no stability for businesses to flourish. That comes at a time when businesses in Wales are already suffering from the incoming hit of inheritance tax, which, it is estimated, will cost more than 9,000 jobs in Wales, yet the Treasury still refuses to conduct an impact assessment specifically for Wales. Today’s announcement does not take away any of the financial burden that our family farms feel. Today, I have received a message saying that Welsh farmers facing the terrible consequences of the inheritance tax are actually considering taking their own lives. That is the reality of this Government’s attack on our family farms. Measures on the cost of living are welcome. However, despite the Budget’s policies, living standards and real household disposable income are negatively impacted by this Budget, as shown by the OBR. A rise in the minimum wage is welcome for the workers who keep our public services and local economies running, but without action on national insurance, small businesses will struggle to afford the increase. That issue is especially relevant for us in Wales, as the latest job figures show that Wales has the steepest increase in unemployment of the UK nations. To avoid further losses, we needed the Budget to support both workers and our small businesses.

• 25 Nov 2025 · COP30 · Hansard source

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  I thank the Secretary of State for the recent decision on the small modular reactor at Wylfa. To stay committed to the goals of the Paris agreement, we need to speed up the roll-out of technologies such as marine energy. Ynys Môn is home to the world-leading, community-owned Morlais tidal stream project. However, developers require a strategic vision from the Government to develop at pace. Will he consider setting a £40 million tidal stream and a £7 million wave energy ringfence in the next renewable auctions, as advocated for by the UK Marine Energy Council?

• 24 Nov 2025 · Ministerial Code · Hansard source

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  The Welsh Local Government Association has warned today that next year’s Welsh local government settlement still fails to meet structural pressures on Welsh councils. That is the stark backdrop to the upcoming Budget. Does the Minister recognise that the pre-Budget circus of leaks, briefings and chaotic U-turns in No. 10 has only made it harder for already struggling councils to plan ahead and deliver their essential services?

• 17 Nov 2025 · Small Modular Nuclear Reactor Power Station: Wylfa · Hansard source

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  Diolch yn fawr, Llefarydd, for granting the urgent question. Last week’s announcement that nuclear power will return to Wylfa is hugely welcome. I am pleased that the Government have backed the site. As I have mentioned several times in this Chamber, Wylfa is recognised as the best site in Europe. May I pay tribute to the teamwork over decades, by elected Members from all parties, campaigners, businesses and the local community, who have long fought for new nuclear at Wylfa. Ynys Môn has known nuclear for 65 years, with a strong local college and university ready to train a skilled workforce of the future. To maximise the success of the project, the Government must work with the local authority on behalf of our community to deliver tangible economic and social benefits. That includes maximising opportunities in the local supply chain. The potential is clear, but the challenge is turning it into reality. After many false dawns and broken promises, my optimism is cautious. We know the cost of failure on Ynys Môn: when the Wylfa Newydd project collapsed, it robbed a generation of the opportunity to live and thrive in their community. Recent data from the Nuclear Industry Association shows that nuclear jobs on Ynys Môn are at a record low. We cannot afford further setbacks. Clear timelines and transparent decisions are therefore essential. Can the Minister confirm when the Rolls-Royce contract will be signed, the general design assessment completed and the final investment decision made? As it stands, the SMR project is already four years behind the previous Horizon project at Wylfa. The project had a planning application and was approaching a final decision before it collapsed. Funding the SMR project at Wylfa remains critical. Although the Government’s £2.5 billion for the SMR programme is welcome, most of the costs at Wylfa will currently be funded privately. Given the problems of the past, and that Wylfa will host a fleet of SMRs—these first-of-their-kind reactors—are the Government prepared to demonstrate their full commitment? We cannot let this historic opportunity slip through our fingers yet again. This is a unique opportunity to create a project that will deliver for our language, our culture and our young people. I urge the Government to work with myself, key stakeholders and developers to provide the best project ever to deliver prosperity and energy security.

• 17 Nov 2025 · Small Modular Nuclear Reactor Power Station: Wylfa · Hansard source

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  (Urgent Question): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero if he will make a statement on the development of the UK’s first small modular nuclear reactor power station at Wylfa.

• 11 Nov 2025 · Remembrance Day: Armed Forces · Hansard source

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  Today’s Remembrance Day debate is an important opportunity to pause and reflect—on the sacrifices of generations before us, and on those who have been impacted by war and conflict. The veterans’ community in Wales is widespread. We are a nation with a greater proportion of veterans and people who have experienced service: 4.5% of Wales’s civilian population have served in the armed forces, compared with 3.8% in England. Supporting our veterans is an important issue in Wales, particularly those carrying trauma, both visible and hidden. One pressing issue facing our veterans is access to financial support for those with medical conditions. Veterans with life-changing service-related injuries should be exempt from repeat disability assessments in future. It is unfair to force people to undergo reassessments for permanent conditions and disabilities in order to access financial support. I therefore urge the UK Government to exempt veterans from disability reassessments. Research by Age Cymru has suggested that almost one in five veterans in Wales who could be entitled to the armed forces pension are not claiming it. Many veterans are therefore missing out on financial support later in life. As such, I also urge the UK Government to address the issue of unclaimed pensions among the armed forces community in Wales. Plaid Cymru will continue to support the application of the armed forces covenant to treat veterans in Wales and their families fairly. I ask this Government to look at how the covenant is working in Wales, not only to raise awareness of the covenant and its principles, but to ensure that it is being applied in the interface between reserved and devolved services. We know there are risks that people will fall between the gaps of support services. We owe it to the generations who have come before us to build a more peaceful and just world. While we live in a period of increasing uncertainty, it is imperative that we support global efforts to resolve conflicts and build peace. Let us strive for a more peaceful world and, in doing so, honour the lives and legacy of those who sacrificed so much for us today. We shall remember them.

• 4 Nov 2025 · Cross-border Healthcare · Hansard source

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  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Dowd. I, too, congratulate the hon. Member for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe (David Chadwick) on securing this important debate. In January, the Welsh mental health charity Llais reported to the Welsh Affairs Committee that “15-20% of people living in Wales use NHS services in England. In the border counties, this percentage is far higher and can be nearer 50%.” Existing provisions aim to ensure that no patient’s treatment is denied or delayed due to differing rules or funding responsibilities across health systems on either side of the Wales-England border. None the less, the British Medical Association reports significant issues in how these provisions are offered. These systems can be complicated for patients, who are not always clear about who is responsible when their care and treatment cross the border. People living in Wales continue to face a range of challenges if they need care and treatment in England. Llais’s evidence referred to issues around announcements made by the UK media covering England-only stories. It is not clear whether the announcements apply for the people who live in Wales.

• 4 Nov 2025 · Cross-border Healthcare · Hansard source

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  That is another example of what we have already heard, where cross-border work is not working for a timely patient outcome. I agree with my hon. Friend. Ensuring that cross-border health is as seamless as possible means developing strong partnership, introducing effective ways of sharing information and learning, communicating well, and making advice and information easily available and accessible. Solving these issues needs co-operation between Governments on both sides of the border. It is just over a year since Eluned Morgan, the First Minister of Wales, announced a cross-border health plan. The Secretary of State for Wales, the right hon. Member for Cardiff East (Jo Stevens), vowed to deliver “additional surgical procedures”. When asked to provide an update on that programme in the Senedd last month, and on how many more patients in Wales have been treated in England over the past 12 months, the First Minister’s answer was vague and non-committal. It is obvious that the bureaucratic problem in making cross-border referrals, as evidenced by the British Medical Association and by Powys health board, which has asked to reduce the number of patients sent for treatment due to financial constraints, is completely at odds with the promise made by the First Minister and the Secretary of State. It seems increasingly clear that this announcement has not led to the changes that we all, and our constituents, would like to see on our waiting lists. Those remain stubbornly high in Wales, with figures showing 794,500 to 796,000 patient pathways as of mid-2025. We are all aware of the huge pressures being placed on the NHS in Wales by social care. In April, the Welsh Local Government Association warned that plans to reduce NHS waiting lists in Wales will fall short unless we see targeted investment in social care. This week, my Plaid Cymru colleagues in the Senedd will follow that advice by calling for the establishment of a national care service for Wales. That would be a serious step in the right direction. The people of Wales deserve better than poorly planned announcements leading nowhere. I encourage the Minister to impress upon her Welsh Government colleagues to throw their support behind our plan to get to grips with the high waiting list blighting our health service. Diolch.

• 3 Nov 2025 · Huntingdon Train Attack · Hansard source

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  My thoughts and those of my Plaid Cymru colleagues are with everyone affected by this appalling attack. They are also with the train driver, the crew and the staff, whose quick thinking and decisive action helped protect many from the worst of outcomes. Will the Secretary of State join me in expressing gratitude for their bravery, and for showing us all how crucial the presence of officers and sufficient staffing are to our public safety? Surveillance can help catch criminals, but staff on the ground save lives.

• 27 Oct 2025 · North Sea Oil and Gas Industry · Hansard source

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  Job losses in the North sea come from the lack of a strategic energy transition plan. The same applies to nuclear in Wales, where the lack of a plan for Wylfa has seen nuclear jobs in Ynys Môn fall to a record low. Does the Minister agree that future-proofing our energy industries against job losses and rising costs requires a clear strategy and timely decisions from this Government?

• 22 Oct 2025 · Coal Tip Safety and New Extraction Licences · Hansard source

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  Given the challenges of having that specific figure in mind, if a future Welsh Government were to ask for the entire cost to be financed by the UK Government, given their historical and moral duty to do so, would the UK Government accept that request?