Adam Jogee (Newcastle-under-Lyme) (Lab)
The Secretary of State for Wales (Jo Stevens)
I have regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of issues, including economic growth and increasing economic growth in Wales. We are creating thousands of jobs across Wales, supported by our investment in nuclear power in Wylfa, two artificial intelligence growth zones, two freeports, two investment zones, rail enhancements across the country and a defence growth deal, to name a few.
Mr Bailey
At the announcement of the £50 million Wales defence growth deal that the Secretary of State and the Defence Secretary made a few weeks ago, they visited Space Forge, which, at the request of my air cadets from 12F Walthamstow and Leighton Squadron, I am meeting at the Space Expo in east London tomorrow. Space Force is one of the small and medium-sized enterprises at the forefront of semiconductor and spacecraft technology development in a sector that is supporting economic growth and creating high-quality jobs here in the UK and in Wales. What steps are the Government taking to support space SMEs in accessing finance, and in continuing to grow here, where they can create jobs for my air cadets, rather than relocating to the United States, where space regulations can be more flexible?
Jo Stevens
Our £50 million defence growth deal will harness Wales’s unique strengths in autonomy. It is focused on supporting the growth of dual-use industry right across Wales, so that the benefits will be felt beyond the defence sector. This deal is another example of the choice facing Wales at the Senedd election in May. We have Plaid Cymru, who would rather reject defence investment and pull us out of NATO at this critical moment of global instability, and we have Reform, whose foreign policy will probably be determined by its friend, President Putin. Only Labour can be trusted to invest in our national security and our economy.
Peter Swallow
One challenge faced by young people from Bracknell to Bangor is a lack of affordable housing, and not building enough homes affects our economy, too. I was pleased that the Secretary of State recently announced that our UK Government would be devolving powers to create a vacant land tax to the Welsh Government. Does she agree that this move will prevent land banking, and will lead to more houses being built in Wales, which would be good for the economy and good for our young people?
Jo Stevens
I was pleased to announce last month that this Government plan to devolve powers to the Welsh Government to introduce a vacant land tax, subject to consultation. This will help the Welsh Government to encourage even more house building, fuelling construction jobs and economic growth, and it is a perfect example of how this Labour Government approach enhancing devolution. We will never miss an opportunity to enhance devolution in ways that make a practical and positive difference to the people and economy of Wales.
Tristan Osborne
It is welcome that the Secretary of State opened the London stock exchange this morning, just after St David’s day and at the opening of Wales Week. Is this not a vindication of the two Labour Governments in Wales and Westminster working in partnership? In my constituency of Chatham and Aylesford, and across the country, economic growth is absolutely critical. What steps is the Secretary of State taking to ensure that economic growth is spread across the country, for my constituents and for Wales?
Jo Stevens
I did indeed have the privilege of opening the London stock exchange this morning to mark St David’s day and Wales Week. It gave me the opportunity to recognise Wales’s thriving financial services and fintech sectors, which are benefiting from this Government’s modern industrial strategy. We are also building small modular reactors in Wylfa, wind farms in the Celtic sea, new train stations in north and south Wales, and a stronger Welsh economy through our AI growth zones, investment zones and freeports—but most of all, we are building Wales’s future by investing in our economy, creating jobs and tackling the cost of living.
Katrina Murray
This Government’s decision to invest over £2 billion in creating Britain’s first fleet of small modular reactors in Anglesey will create thousands of jobs, and bring significant economic benefits to the whole region. Does the Secretary of State agree that the Scottish Government should join the Welsh Government in welcoming the thousands of jobs and significant economic growth that nuclear developments can bring?
Jo Stevens
My hon. Friend makes an important point. When we made the £2.5 billion nuclear investment announcement at Coleg Menai, I saw the difference it will make to people in the area. I met students who will be able to learn and earn, and will not have to leave their family and community to get on in life, because, with one of the biggest public investments in Welsh history, we are creating 3,000 good, direct jobs, and many thousands more in the supply chain. It is for SNP Members to explain to their constituents exactly why the SNP stands in the way of game-changing investments like that for Scotland.
Adam Jogee
The best place in our kingdom, Newcastle-under-Lyme, is 30 miles or so from the Welsh border, so the recent rail announcement from this Labour Government will benefit my people, too, as the upgrade to the Marches line will deliver quicker services to south Wales. Can the Secretary of State reassure me that this investment will deliver real economic benefits for Staffordshire, England and Wales?
Jo Stevens
I thank my hon. Friend for recognising the scale of our Welsh rail announcement, and its benefits for cross-border travel. Our two Labour Governments have agreed a long-term plan for Welsh rail that we are committed to delivering as quickly as possible. It will unlock 12,000 jobs and connect people to the tens of thousands of jobs that we are creating across Wales. The pipeline of 43 projects, worth up to £14 billion, in north, south, mid and west Wales will deliver the rail network that Wales deserves, and right years of underfunding at the hands of the Conservatives. That shows the impact of two Labour Governments working together, and our sheer determination to deliver for the people of Wales.
Joe Robertson (Isle of Wight East) (Con)
Drinks producers warn that, because of the UK Government’s decision to allow Wales to include glass in a deposit return scheme, there is the threat of up to 90% of products being removed from shelves. Why have the Government taken the decision to allow a United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 exclusion that threatens jobs and consumer choice, and that will require unique Welsh labelling—all at a time when Wales already recycles 92% of glass at the kerbside?
Jo Stevens
We have worked closely with the devolved Governments on a UK-wide DRS, and now have alignment across the UK on including polyethylene terephthalate plastics and metals in a DRS with the launch date of October 2027, which is good news for business. We considered the Welsh Government’s exclusion proposal, in line with our commitments under the 2025 review of the UK Internal Market Act, and in doing so engaged with businesses and environmental stakeholders across the UK. We believe that the Act exclusion that we have agreed, in response to the Welsh Government, is the most pragmatic way that we can protect trade and support growth in the UK.
Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)
I thank the Minister for her answer. She and I know that when it comes to economic growth in Wales, or indeed in Northern Ireland, Scotland or England, we are better together. We are also better together historically and culturally. My Gaelic cousins on the Benches in front of me are my friends—I want them to stay in the United Kingdom. What can the Minister do to persuade people who are as yet undecided about what to do that it is better to be within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland? We are always better together. [Hon. Members: “More!”]
Jo Stevens
The hon. Member has united a lot of us across the House. His Plaid friends sitting in front of him want separatism. They want to inflict an independence that will cost every single person in Wales—adults and children—£7,000 every single year. They want to build walls between us at a time when we should be standing together.
Mims Davies (East Grinstead and Uckfield) (Con)
Let us try this again: one of the UK’s greatest strengths is the ability of all four nations to trade freely in a strong internal market. This Labour Government’s choice to permit their colleagues in Cardiff Bay to include glass in their deposit return scheme risks sectors, livelihoods and market withdrawal. The UK Spirits Alliance and the wider food and drink sector warn that this will disrupt supply chains, deter future investment and hamper growth. Will the Secretary of State accept that the scheme is unworkable and unenforceable, and will she act to protect the United Kingdom from this separatism?
Jo Stevens
I do not recognise what the hon. Lady sets out, and refer her to my previous answer. We believe that the UKIM Act exclusion, which we have agreed in response to the Welsh Government, is the most pragmatic way for us to protect trade and support growth in the UK.
Mims Davies
Or the Government could just not do it, as we Conservatives say. Wales has the highest unemployment and economic inactivity rates in the UK. Following the spring forecast, the Office for Budget Responsibility confirmed that the Chancellor’s welfare spending will increase by a staggering £18 billion to £333 billion this year alone, up 5.8%. In the light of those figures, what measure is the Secretary of State taking to jump-start confidence and boost economic growth in Wales, so that work pays, and people see that the Government are not just about welfare dependence and bankrupting the country?
Jo Stevens
The Conservatives strangled the Welsh economy with over a decade of austerity and neglect. Labour’s economic plan is working: wages are rising, inflation is falling and the economy is growing. The Conservatives presided over stagnant wages, insecure employment and a broken welfare system. We are investing in our infrastructure, creating jobs, growing wages and building an economy that works for the people of Wales.
David Chadwick (Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe) (LD)
Tourism is one of our key economic sectors in mid Wales. Last year, I visited Fforest Fields in Radnorshire, a beautiful campsite and family business that has been built up over generations. However, Bute Energy plans on building a wind farm on the other side of the hill from the site, with turbines that will be nearly as big as the Shard. Have the Government, or their colleagues in Cardiff, conducted any economic impact assessment on the damage that that will do to the economy in Powys?
Jo Stevens
I think we have this discussion at every single Wales oral questions. We need to bring energy bills down, and we do that by investing in renewable infrastructure. In the process, we create jobs and secure Wales and the UK’s energy independence. Bearing in mind the situation across the world at the moment, that is absolutely the right plan.
Liz Saville Roberts (Dwyfor Meirionnydd) (PC)
The spring forecast, which revised economic growth downwards, was produced before the outbreak of war in Iran. Now, the price of energy has spiked, with gas up almost 100%. If the war continues for even a few weeks, those costs will directly hit the pockets of people and businesses in Wales. Is the Secretary of State not astounded that Reform Members are cheerleaders for prolonging Trump’s aggression in the Gulf, and does she agree that Wales cannot afford the cost of Reform?
Jo Stevens
Wales certainly cannot afford the cost of Reform; nor can it afford the cost of Plaid Cymru.
Liz Saville Roberts
I expected something a little more thoughtful from the Secretary of State, especially when we consider the Welsh economy. The Industrial Communities Alliance warns that the Government’s 70:30 capital-to-revenue split for the local growth fund will have dire consequences. It will pull the rug out from under business support, training and employability services, and it will cost hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs across Wales, including at the fantastic Porthi Dre in Caernarfon, which tackles hunger, food waste and loneliness, but faces the loss of key staff members because of the Labour Government. Will the Secretary of State therefore commit to allowing greater spending flexibility, to safeguard the very jobs that we need to boost employment?
Jo Stevens
The UK Government are investing more than half a billion pounds in Wales, through the new local growth fund, to help create jobs, growth and opportunity in communities right across Wales. That targeted long-term investment will drive economic growth, create jobs and put more money in people’s pockets. I am proud that we have delivered our manifesto commitment to restore the Welsh Government’s decision-making role over those funds.
Dr Ben Spencer (Runnymede and Weybridge) (Con)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales (Anna McMorrin)
Family farms play a crucial role in our economy, our landscape, and our language of Wales, and I have regular discussions with Ministers in Westminster and in the Welsh Government about how we can ensure ongoing support. I also regularly speak to farmers and farming unions, continuing to build a true partnership, and listen and respond to their needs.
Dr Spencer
International conflict and instability risk putting up food and fuel prices, and threaten our domestic food resilience. Instead of reviews and platitudes, we need action to protect our farmers and our UK food resilience. Will the Minister take action and scrap the damaging family farm tax?
Anna McMorrin
This Labour Government are committed to supporting farms right across the country. I was with the new president of NFU Cymru, Abi Reader, just a few weeks ago in Wenvoe, hearing how family farms, including hers, will be protected. We will not apologise for being a listening Government, or for striking a fair balance between supporting farms and businesses, and fixing the public finances, which the Conservative party wrecked when it was in government.
Ruth Jones (Newport West and Islwyn) (Lab)
As you will be aware, Mr Speaker, the Welsh Affairs Committee recently published its report on farming in Wales. We welcome the Government’s reforms to inheritance tax, but call for further work on the impacts of the change on Welsh family farms to protect our culture, language and amazing farm produce. Does the Minister agree that the Chancellor’s changes to the threshold for agricultural property relief and business property relief show that this Labour Government are listening to Welsh farmers and our rural communities?
Anna McMorrin
My hon. Friend is absolutely right: we are a listening Government, and we have listened to farmers right across the country and made the necessary changes to protect them and fix our public finances, which were completely damaged and wrecked by the Conservative party. I commend her for her dedication and commitment to Wales as Chair of the Welsh Affairs Committee, and I look forward to continuing our work together.
Simon Hoare (North Dorset) (Con)
Will the Minister, in listening mode, listen to Welsh sheep farmers who are desperately concerned about being able to access Australian and New Zealand sheep shearers this year, as this is now an animal welfare issue? What conversations has she had with her right hon. Friend the Home Secretary to ensure that those Commonwealth citizens can come in—they never overstay, and are here only for the shearing season—and ensure that sheep farming in Wales, and across the United Kingdom, can be supported and continue to flourish?
Anna McMorrin
The hon. Gentleman is making an important point. I am regularly out listening to farmers and speaking to farming unions, and I am proud that this Government are making the important trade deals that will make a big difference to farmers and businesses across our rural communities. That is possible only because this Labour Government have achieved economic stability, and have repaired our reputation on the world stage after, I am afraid, the Conservative party made a mess of it. I will continue to take his points back to colleagues across Government, and to have those negotiations and discussions with them.
Henry Tufnell (Mid and South Pembrokeshire) (Lab)
How is the Minister working with the Welsh Labour Government in Cardiff on the upcoming sanitary and phytosanitary negotiations, to ensure that Pembrokeshire farmers in my constituency gain maximum benefit from our realignment with the European Union?
Anna McMorrin
My hon. Friend is a great advocate for farms in his constituency, and growing up in Pembrokeshire, I know that family farms are the backbone of our local community, as they are across Wales. That is why we are negotiating an agreement with the EU, our closest partner and biggest market. Working with the Welsh Government, we are ensuring that we are slashing red tape and cutting costs for businesses, and that remains a priority and central to this agreement.
Harriet Cross (Gordon and Buchan) (Con)
More than 38,000 people are employed on Welsh farms, the food and farming sector is worth £9 billion to the Welsh economy, and 90% of land is given over to farming, yet in 2025 alone, more than 400 farming businesses closed in Wales. Given the importance of farming to Wales, when did the Wales Office last make representations to the Cabinet about Welsh farmers, and what actions, not meetings, has the Minister personally taken to support farming in Wales?
Anna McMorrin
This Labour Government have presided over the largest devolution settlement since records began—a settlement that has been used to provide £337 million of support to farmers right across Wales. I wonder whether the hon. Lady remembers that not only did the Welsh Conservatives votes against that support, but they introduced a motion to scrap the Welsh Government’s sustainable farming scheme. I thought that the Welsh Conservative slogan was “farming needs a friend”, but that does not sound very friendly to me.
Lorraine Beavers (Blackpool North and Fleetwood) (Lab)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales (Anna McMorrin)
Too many children are held back by the scourge of poverty, wilfully created by the Conservative party. Our new child poverty strategy will lift more than half a million children out of poverty by 2030 across the UK, delivering the largest expected reduction since records began. Removing the two-child limit will benefit thousands of children in Wales.
Lorraine Beavers
Our UK Labour Government’s decision to scrap the wicked Conservative two-child cap will benefit 1,700 children in my constituency, and 69,000 children in Wales. Does the Secretary of State agree with me that the Conservative and Reform desire to reintroduce the cap is unjustifiably cruel and will drag children back into poverty?
Anna McMorrin
I completely agree with my hon. Friend. It has and always will be children who pay the price for cruel policies, like those introduced under the Tories. I am proud that, as a Labour Government rooted in the values of fairness, we have scrapped the two-child limit, benefiting 69,000 children in Wales, and giving children their future back and hope for a better life. It is a surprise to no one that the Conservatives and Reform would reintroduce the cap and yet again plunge more children into poverty at a single stroke. Remember, their decision was never about work or saving money—
Alex Easton (North Down) (Ind)
Does the Minister accept that if the Government were serious about reducing child poverty in Wales, and across the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland, they would prioritise public spending on measures that directly reduce child poverty, in particular investment in social housing and childcare?
Anna McMorrin
This Government are completely serious about reducing child poverty. I am proud that we are a Government who are putting children first. Remember, the decision the Tories took was not about the policy; it was simply about politics. We are putting children first.
Jen Craft (Thurrock) (Lab)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales (Anna McMorrin)
We know that the cost of living is the No. 1 issue for people across the country and that is why we remain wholly committed to tackling it. As a result of our actions, interest rates have already been cut six times since the election, energy bills will be cheaper this spring and families getting a new mortgage are almost £1,400 a year better off than they were under the Tories.
Jen Craft
Wages and inward investment are up, economic inactivity is down and interest rates have been cut six times. Labour’s plan to lower the cost of living is clearly working, but we know that more must be done to put more money in people’s pockets. Will the Secretary of State outline what steps she is taking to lower the cost of living?
Anna McMorrin
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. One of the most important things to this Labour Government is putting more money in the pockets of people across Wales and England. So far, we have increased the national minimum and living wages, giving a pay rise to 160,000 Welsh workers; we have announced the first ever permanent real-terms increase to universal credit, benefiting 320 households in Wales; and we have increased the state pension. A lot has been done and there is still a lot more to do—that is Labour delivering in government.
Carla Lockhart (Upper Bann) (DUP)
Families and businesses are feeling hard-pressed more than ever, and events around the world are making food security more important than ever. Does the Minister recognise the seriousness of the Government’s anti-farming agenda, particularly the family farm tax?
Anna McMorrin
I listened to what the hon. Member said, but I do not recognise what she says. This Government are listening to farmers and acting to ensure that they feel better off, which includes streamlining and reducing the burden on businesses and cutting costs.
Ben Lake (Ceredigion Preseli) (PC)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales (Anna McMorrin)
The Secretary of State and I are working closely with Cabinet Office colleagues to ensure that Welsh farmers benefit from reduced costs and bureaucracy when exporting their produce to the EU.
Ben Lake
Dr Amanda Gibson and her team of scientists at Aberystwyth University are leading research into how the BCG vaccine might be used to help control tuberculosis in cattle. I know the Minister will agree that this is essential work, but can she help ensure that their research is also considered as part of the UK’s negotiations with the EU, so that we do not have to make a choice between animal health and exports?
Anna McMorrin
I was at Aberystwyth University just a few weeks ago. Scientists there are doing some excellent work, and it is fantastic that they are leading the way on a vaccine for TB in cattle. I know how devastating the impact of TB can be on farms and cattle. We have begun negotiations with the EU on an SPS agreement. The hon. Gentleman would not expect me to comment on those negotiations, but I will raise his question and these issues with the relevant colleagues.
Mr Alex Barros-Curtis (Cardiff West) (Lab)
Our recent trade deals with the EU, UK, India and South Korea will reduce bureaucracy while giving significant benefits to our constituents in accessing these markets. Can the Minister outline what other agreements we will benefit from in the near future?
Anna McMorrin
Our trade strategy is prioritising deals that deliver real impact for businesses right across Wales and the rest of the country. That is possible only because this Labour Government have achieved economic stability and repaired our reputation on the world stage after the Tories made a complete mockery of it.
Mr Speaker
Order. Before I come to Prime Minister’s questions, and in the light of recent exchanges in the Chamber, I remind Members of the need for good temper and moderation in the language they use. As the Speaker, I am not responsible for the specific questions asked by individual Members or the answers given by Ministers. I encourage all Members to engage in respectful debate, as our constituents would expect.
The Prime Minister (Keir Starmer)
The situation in the middle east remains serious and volatile. This Government will be resolute in our focus, protecting British lives, bringing our people home and safeguarding our national interest.
Today my thoughts are with the family and friends of Sarah Everard on this very painful anniversary. Five years ago, I said that her death had to be a turning point, and this Government are committed to halving violence against women and girls. We are acting in our schools, our police forces, online and offline to keep women and girls safe and to prevent boys and men becoming abusers, and we are supporting victims to get justice and closure.
This morning, I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this House, I shall have further such meetings later today.
Josh Fenton-Glynn
I echo the Prime Minister’s comments on Sarah Everard and the situation in the middle east.
From the sound mixing desks made by Calrec in Hebden Bridge which brought the world its winter Olympics coverage, to the valves made by Blackhall Engineering in Brighouse which bring water to New York city, Calder Valley’s specialist manufacturing is recognised the world over, and it brings good jobs and sustainable work. However, with one third of engineers over 60, the last Government left our manufacturing workforce facing an existential crisis. Will the Prime Minister please work with me to ensure that the new growth and skills levy will support good-quality manufacturing jobs in Calder Valley and across the country?
The Prime Minister
My hon. Friend is right to champion brilliant manufacturers. Our modern industrial strategy is driving up standards, investment, jobs and growth, and our growth and skills levy ensures that we have the skills we need, supporting more short courses in critical sectors, including engineering. We are investing over £700 million to support thousands more young people into apprenticeships, in stark contrast to the 40% fall in apprenticeship starts under the Conservative party.
Mrs Kemi Badenoch (North West Essex) (Con)
I pay tribute to our brave servicemen and women in the middle east during this very difficult period. Our bases in Cyprus and Bahrain have now been attacked. The US has taken offensive action to destroy missile launch sites to defend British territory. Why will the Prime Minister not allow the RAF to do the same?
The Prime Minister
This is obviously an extremely serious situation, and I know the whole country is worried about the potential for escalation. People are worried about the impact on their lives, particularly when they see what is happening with energy. The family and friends of those who are caught in the region will be worried sick about them, and of course we have civilians and military personnel at risk in the region. We need to act, therefore, with clarity, with purpose, and with a cool head. The protection of UK nationals is our No. 1 priority, and we are taking action to reduce the threat—planes in the sky in the region intercepting incoming strikes, deploying more capability to Cyprus, and allowing US planes to use UK bases to take out Iran’s capability to strike. What I was not prepared to do on Saturday was for the UK to join a war unless I was satisfied there was a lawful basis and a viable, thought-through plan. That remains my position.
Mrs Badenoch
That was not the question I asked the Prime Minister. Nobody wants to see an escalation. The fact is—[Interruption.] In case Labour MPs do not realise, the fact is that our bases have already been attacked. Iran is trying to kill our servicemen and women, and the Prime Minister is catching arrows rather than stopping the archer. That is what we are talking about. Why is he asking our allies to do what we should be doing ourselves? I say to Labour MPs that we are in this war whether they like it or not. What is the Prime Minister waiting for?
The Prime Minister
Let me give a little more detail. For a number of weeks now, we have been pre-deploying our capabilities to the region. In doing so, we have been liaising very closely with the United States, as the House would have expected. Therefore, radar systems were pre-deployed, ground-based air defence was pre-deployed, counter-drone systems were pre-deployed, and F-35 jets were pre-deployed. That is why since Saturday morning, multiple F-35s and Typhoons have been in operation, not just in the middle east but across Cyprus. Further missions were flown overnight, with Typhoons defending Qatar, in particular, and F-35s defending other regional parties. We are resupplying our air defence missiles today, Wildcat helicopters with anti-drone capabilities will be in Cyprus this week, HMS Dragon will be deployed to the Mediterranean, and of course, in agreement with the US, they are using our bases to conduct the operations to strike Iranian missiles and launchers. That is the action we are taking; that is the agreement we have reached with the United States to protect our nationals.
Mrs Badenoch
The Prime Minister has read out a long list—it is not enough. He says that we are pre-deploying; the one ship that we are sending, HMS Dragon, is still in Portsmouth. The fact is that the Type 45s cannot take out incoming missiles. This is not enough—he has read out a long list, but the people who understand know that it is not enough. He should be doing more.
Yesterday, the Chancellor could have given more money to defence. [Interruption.] I do not know why Labour MPs are laughing—I do not know why that is funny. It is not funny. Yesterday, the Chancellor could have given more money to defence; instead, she gave more money for welfare. Their priorities are all wrong—[Interruption.] They can chunter as much as they like. The fact of the matter is that the war in Iran is happening now—[Interruption.]
Mr Speaker
Order. Mr Bailey, I do not like that, and I do not think it becomes you. From an officer and a gentleman, I expect more.
Mr Speaker
Order. I can lipread as well. Please learn something: if not, you will learn the way out.
Mrs Badenoch
The country will not be distracted by Labour MPs moaning. The fact of the matter is that the war in Iran is happening now, but the Office for Budget Responsibility says that the Government will not hit 3% on defence for five years. The war is happening now. There is no urgency from the Prime Minister. Why is he leaving the job of funding our armed forces to the next Government?
The Prime Minister
I will not take lectures on defence from the Conservatives. They came into office and what did they do? They cut the defence budget—[Interruption.]
Mr Speaker
Order. Mr Philp, you have moved from there to here and you are even louder from here, so I would think twice if I were you.
The Prime Minister
Not only did they cut the defence budget, but they missed Army recruitment targets every year for 14 years. They left morale in our armed forces at an all-time low, and our forces “hollowed out”, in the words of Ben Wallace, the former Defence Secretary. Labour, by contrast, is delivering the biggest boost to defence spending since the cold war—£270 billion over this Parliament—and we are doing that because we are focused on what matters.
The right hon. Lady is right that the war is happening now, and we have to focus on that. Across the country, people are worried about those who are trapped in the region, and that is why we are taking action. I can update the House that yesterday more than 1,000 British nationals arrived back in the UK on commercial flights from the UAE. A further eight flights are due to leave the UAE for the UK today. I can confirm that the first charter flight is expected to leave Oman later today and two more will leave in the coming days—[Interruption.] The country really does want to know this. [Hon. Members: “Hear, hear.”] Family and friends are worried sick about people who are caught up. [Interruption.] I will not be put off. I can announce that we will lay on additional charter flights in coming days. British Airways is laying on an extra flight from Oman, and the Foreign Secretary will have further discussions today. I urge all Members who have constituents who are caught in this to make sure that they register their presence so that we can do whatever we can to help them to get home safely.
Mrs Badenoch
I was not asking about evacuations; I was asking about defence spending. The Prime Minister needs to focus on the question he is being asked, not the statement that was prepared in the bunker. He stands there telling us that he is spending more money on defence—[Interruption.] No, he is not. In fact, the Government are cutting defence spending by £2.6 billion from the Ministry of Defence budget this year, and that is why there are no Royal Navy warships in the middle east—[Interruption.] He should ask his Defence Secretary for the numbers, because that is what is happening.
In June last year, the Government promised that their plan for funding our armed forces would be ready by autumn. In autumn, they promised it would be ready by the end of 2025. It is March 2026 and still nothing. Can the Prime Minister tell the House when his defence investment plan will finally be published?
The Prime Minister
I am sorry that the Leader of the Opposition is not interested in how people caught in the region will get home. For the vast majority of people watching this PMQs, that will be the single most important thing on their mind. The Conservatives cut defence spending: we are increasing it, and we are doing that because we have stabilised the economy. Yesterday, the Chancellor announced that inflation was down—interest rates, down; borrowing, down; debt, down; investment, living standards and growth, up.
I know that the Leader of the Opposition does not understand that. The shadow Chancellor clearly does not understand it, although I do have to thank him for—in what has been a very difficult week—providing some excellent unintended stand-up comedy in his response to the Chancellor yesterday.
Mrs Badenoch
The Prime Minister does not want to talk about the defence investment plan because he does not know. He does not know what is going on in respect of any policy, so he reads pre-prepared statements irrespective of the question, and the whole country can see it. The truth is that, because the Government spent money on welfare, there is no defence investment plan, and because there is no defence investment plan, they are not ordering enough missiles.
The fact is that this crisis goes beyond defence spending—[Interruption.] They can chant as much as they like. They are pathetic, spending money on welfare instead of defence. But they are not just pathetic; they are also weak. This crisis goes beyond defence spending; it is also about the cost of living. This war is interrupting the supply of oil and gas, which is dragging up the cost of petrol and making it more expensive to heat our homes, yet the Prime Minister is stopping drilling in the North sea while importing the same oil and gas from Norway. Does he think that, at a time of geopolitical crisis, it makes sense to kill our oil and gas industry and give up that ready supply of energy?
The Prime Minister
The question of energy supply right now is a serious one, and we are doing all we can, with allies, to make sure that it is preserved. It is vital that we keep trade flowing through the strait of Hormuz. The Energy Secretary met the International Energy Agency yesterday, and the Chancellor is meeting oil and gas companies today. We are keeping in close contact with our allies and key industry players. Again, I think the country wants to know what we are doing now in relation to what is happening in the coming days. Oil and gas will be part of our energy mix for many years to come, but if Ukraine and the last few days have taught us anything, it is that all the time we are on the international market, we are vulnerable to these changes. Renewable energy, where we have our independence and security, would take us off those markets and give us the security we need.
Mrs Badenoch
The Prime Minister, again, does not understand the energy transition. You do not need to stop drilling for oil and gas to get renewables. This is basic stuff. The Prime Minister does not understand his policy. He has a sea of orcs and goons who have no idea at all how anything is working. [Interruption.] They can complain all they like. The fact is that they are letting down the people—
Mr Speaker
Order. You cannot make a point of order in the middle of Prime Minister’s questions.
Mrs Badenoch
Mr Speaker, I have not asked my question.
The situation in Iran shows that this Prime Minister has the wrong priorities. When it comes to defence, it is someone else’s job. When it comes to welfare, the Government find the money. When our bases are attacked, they call the lawyers. When our energy security is under threat, they stop drilling in the North sea. After last week’s by-election, is it not the truth—[Interruption.] They are going to hear it, whether they like it or not. Is it not the truth that the Prime Minister is prioritising his job security over our national security?
The Prime Minister
I have spent the week protecting British lives and our national interest. Moments like this define a Leader of the Opposition. They can either step up, act in the national interest and show that they are fit to be Prime Minister, or they can expose their utter irrelevance. The Leader of the Opposition has chosen the second.
Uma Kumaran (Stratford and Bow) (Lab)
The Prime Minister
I know that my hon. Friend has been fighting for her constituents and holding management companies to account. Our reform Bill will end the broken, outdated leasehold system and make the dream of home ownership real. We are capping ground rents, delivering transparency on service charges and scrapping the presumption that leaseholders pay landlords’ legal costs. Our focus is on saving people money, giving them more control of their homes and creating a fairer housing system.
Ed Davey (Kingston and Surbiton) (LD)
May I associate myself with the Prime Minister’s remarks on Sarah Everard and the need to do far more to tackle violence against women and girls? May I also associate myself with the Prime Minister’s remarks on Iran? As we rightly debate how to make tax exiles pay their fair share, it is absolutely right that the Government do everything they can to get all British citizens to safety.
Experts are warning that families could see their energy bills rise by £500 a year as a result of Trump’s illegal war, but millions of families and pensioners are already struggling to keep their heads above water, thanks to years of a cost of living crisis. When Putin invaded Ukraine, the Prime Minister and I campaigned for months to get the Conservatives to act on energy bills. This time, will the Prime Minister save families that anxiety and give a cast-iron guarantee today that he will not let energy bills rise by £500 this year?
The Prime Minister
I thank the right hon. Gentleman for raising this, because I know it will be a concern to the public, who are watching what is going on and are very concerned about the impact it will have on their lives. It is important that I emphasise the actions we have been taking urgently this week with our allies and energy agencies across the world, and the work we are doing to ensure the safe passage of energy across the world. We will continue to do that. I was glad that we were able to bring energy bills down by £150, as announced just the other day. We will keep a very close eye on this. I know how important it is for the British public.
Ed Davey
I thank the Prime Minister for his reply, but I hope he will act if energy bills do go up by £500.
Donald Trump’s war on Iran has not only brought more chaos across the middle east, but increased the threat to our national security here at home. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps has previously plotted several failed terrorist attacks in the UK, targeting Iranian journalists, British Jews and Members of this House. It is now more desperate and dangerous than ever. We have called for the IRGC to be proscribed as terrorists for years. The last Government failed to do it, and so have this one. Will the Prime Minister table emergency legislation to better protect our country from Iranian terrorists, and will he do it this week?
The Prime Minister
Again, I thank the right hon. Gentleman for raising this. It is very important that I say that, as he and the House would expect, we are working 24/7 on dealing with any threats to this country. I spoke on Monday about the 20 Iran-backed threats that we had successfully dealt with. We continue to do so, and we are working on it 24/7—it is important that I say that. In relation to the IRGC, obviously we have put in place a number of sanctions already. We do not comment on proscription, but we have made the case that there needs to be legislation to deal with state-backed terrorist groups, and we are looking into that.
Sam Rushworth (Bishop Auckland) (Lab)
The Prime Minister
Energy security is critical to food security, and the sprint to clean energy is the only way to get off the volatile international fossil fuel markets, cut bills and deliver energy security. Since we came into office, over £90 billion of investment into clean energy industry has come in, powering millions of homes. The Tories and Reform would throw all that away and cling to the failed policy that put everyone’s bills up throughout their reign.
Gavin Robinson (Belfast East) (DUP)
I associate myself and my colleagues with the Prime Minister’s remarks about Sarah Everard and about Iran.
My colleagues and I support our armed forces, but we lament how diminished the UK has appears over the past week among our allies and within the middle east. The Prime Minister is not responsible for our armed forces being able to squeeze into Wembley Park and Ibrox, but he is responsible for our posture. He is responsible for ignoring the request to deploy a Type 45 destroyer to the region two weeks ago, and we now learn that HMS Dragon will not leave, has not left and will not be in place to defend Cyprus for over a week.
Will the Prime Minister understand that I welcome the commitment for increased defence spending, but if we are planning only to get to 2.5% by 2027, it is not enough? It needs to be reconsidered. He needs to go faster where others before him did not, and he needs to take these steps not just for the protection of our values across the world, but for the protection of our consumers who are impacted by this conflict today.
The Prime Minister
The right hon. Member will have heard me set out what we did by way of pre-deployment, working in conjunction with and liaising with the US. So he understands the context in which those pre-deployments were put in place, and I think they speak for themselves as to why they were put in those places.
In relation to defence spend, obviously we are increasing it to 2.6% of GDP—that is £270 billion over the Parliament—but as I said in the speech I gave in Munich just a couple of weeks ago, we are going to have to spend more and faster after the years of under-investment and troop cuts that—[Interruption.] The Conservatives were the ones who hollowed this out. They were the ones who reduced the size of the Army. They were the ones who did not spend what was necessary on defence. Like everything else they left in such a mess, we are clearing it up, and through our strategic defence review we will make Britain safer.
Jonathan Davies (Mid Derbyshire) (Lab)
The Prime Minister
My life was changed by the opportunity to study music—yes, very many years ago. I believe that every child deserves that opportunity. The Conservatives cut those opportunities—that particularly excluded poorer children—and now they call creative arts courses a “dead end”. I totally disagree; they are the lifeblood of the creative industries that showcase Britain around the world. The new national centre will launch this year, and Labour is investing in music hubs so that every child has the same opportunities to enjoy music, to learn music and to learn the skills that music brings them for life.
Mr Gagan Mohindra (South West Hertfordshire) (Con)
The Prime Minister
This Labour Government are changing the planning regulations so that we can get on and build the homes we need across our country. The Conservatives’ failure was the failure to do so. But I must applaud the hon. Gentleman, because at least he has had the decency to accept some of the failures of the last Government. On special educational needs and disabilities, he said:
“my Government didn’t do enough on this.”
and, “it’s awful.”
He said his party
“should hang our heads in shame”.
He is absolutely right about that.
Dr Rosena Allin-Khan (Tooting) (Lab)
The Prime Minister
I thank my hon. Friend for her question. We inherited an appalling situation, with a record number of households in temporary accommodation. Every child deserves a safe and secure home. We are investing £950 million in the local authority housing fund to increase the supply of quality accommodation. We are banning section 21 no-fault evictions, introducing a new stronger decent homes standard and investing £39 billion to deliver the homes that families need.
Mr Will Forster (Woking) (LD)
The Prime Minister
I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising this case, which will be a real concern for his constituents. I am sure the Conservatives will have heard the reality of what they did over 14 years, destroying everything in this country. We are fixing that and I will ensure that he gets a meeting with the relevant Minister to discuss this further.
Elaine Stewart (Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock) (Lab)
The Prime Minister
The Conservative party left one in eight young people not earning or learning. We are not doing so, and we will tackle it: more apprenticeships, more careers support, a jobs guarantee to provide paid employment, a youth guarantee to get more young people into earning or learning, and over 360 youth hubs to help young people access opportunities. My hon. Friend makes a strong case, which I know my right hon. Friend the Work and Pensions Secretary has heard. I hope there will be good news for her later this year.
Gareth Bacon (Orpington) (Con)
The Prime Minister
American planes are operating out of British bases—that is the special relationship in action. British jets are shooting down drones and missiles to protect American lives in the middle east on our joint bases—that is the special relationship in action. Sharing intelligence every day to keep our people safe—that is the special relationship in action. Hanging on to President Trump’s latest words is not the special relationship in action.
Tonia Antoniazzi (Gower) (Lab)
The Prime Minister
Hannah Deacon’s campaign for her son, Alfie, was remarkable, and I know how much she is missed. I thank my hon. Friend for continuing to campaign on this matter. We are investing £8 million in clinical trials on cannabis-based medicines for conditions such as drug-resistant epilepsy. I want to see patients accessing safe, effective medicines and new treatments as quickly as possible.
Katie Lam (Weald of Kent) (Con)
The Prime Minister
Baroness Longfield is now beginning the work of the inquiry, with victims and survivors at the heart of the process. Under this Government, convictions are at their highest level ever, and we are introducing mandatory reporting on child sexual abuse and putting a legal duty on police to collect ethnicity data. But forgive me if I do not take suggestions from the hon. Lady, who said that people legally settled here should “go home” to ensure that the UK is “culturally coherent”. That is a grotesque way to talk about our friends and neighbours. I rather suspect that when she next asks a question, she will be sitting on the Benches up there.
Kirsteen Sullivan (Bathgate and Linlithgow) (Lab/Co-op)
The Prime Minister
I thank my hon. Friend for her question. We hosted the International Women’s Day event on Monday, where I spoke to so many women who are concerned about this issue. It is totally unacceptable that women have waited sometimes up to a decade for an endometriosis diagnosis. We are renewing the women’s health strategy, improving training for doctors and cutting wait times for gynaecology services, which will be prioritised through NHS Online. We are also investing in research on how to improve diagnosis and treatment.
Pete Wishart (Perth and Kinross-shire) (SNP)
The Prime Minister
Anas Sarwar has been asking the hon. Gentleman’s party to be honest about the political pressure it applied at the Queen Elizabeth university hospital and to take the action needed to reassure patients and families. That scandal shows how much Scotland deserves change with Anas Sarwar.
Matt Turmaine (Watford) (Lab)
The Prime Minister
I thank my hon. Friend for raising that matter. Everyone deserves a safe place to call home. Let me pay tribute to all the organisations that are working to tackle the problem. We are investing a record £3.6 billion into our national plan to end homelessness. That includes boosting the supply of temporary accommodation, record funding for tackling rough sleeping, and ending the inappropriate use of bed-and-breakfasts for families and no-fault evictions, which we know drive people to homelessness.
Zöe Franklin (Guildford) (LD)
My constituent, Hannah, tragically ended her life using a substance purchased from overseas. Following her death, the coroner issued a prevention of future deaths report containing specific recommendations. Since 2019, the Molly Rose Foundation has identified at least 65 similar cases in which coroners have made recommendations to separate Government Departments. Progress on these issues has been slow and vulnerable people continue to be left at risk as a result. Will the Prime Minister set out what steps the Government will take to ensure systematic oversight of coroners’ reports and their findings? Will he support proposals for an independent, national oversight mechanism to track trends of preventable deaths and ensure that lessons are learned so that future lives can be saved?
The Prime Minister
I thank the hon. Member for raising both the individual and the general case and reassure her that we are working on the issue.
Katie Lam
On a point of order, Mr Speaker. I believe the Prime Minister has inadvertently misled the House. I seek your guidance on how to get him to correct the record for claiming that I said something that I did not.