---

Legislative Programme and Budget Statement (Wales)

Thank you, Mr Sheridan. It is a huge pity that the shadow Secretary of State is clearly so bruised by the outcome of the election—clearly so petulant—that he could not bring himself to ask questions of the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, whose policy he spent the rest of his speech criticising. It is interesting that he criticised those policies and yet never gave any indication of what the Labour party would have imposed in the way of cuts. He tried to give the impression that it is possible to borrow one’s way out of a recession when clearly it is not. He tried to give the impression that cuts could be imposed without pain, which is a cruel deceit on the people of Wales. He knows full well that the cuts that his party would have imposed had it won the election would have caused pain. Yet he tries to pretend that it is possible to achieve the deficit reduction that this country needs without that pain. Frankly, it is unworthy of him and I hope that in future Welsh Grand Committees he will adopt a more positive approach. We then heard from the leader of Plaid Cymru, the hon. Member for Dwyfor Meirionnydd who was much more positive and made a much more valuable contribution to the debate. He welcomed several measures that the Government are introducing. He was not without criticism of certain other measures, as one would have expected. I was particularly pleased to see his support for our proposals on the scrapping of identity cards. Over the past 13 years this country has witnessed the most worrying erosion of personal liberty, presided over by a Government who felt that they could control every facet of people’s lives. I am glad to say that this coalition Government are rowing back from that and I hope very much that, when those measures are considered, he and his colleagues will support us. We had a contribution from the right hon. Member for Torfaen whose manner in addressing the Committee was much more moderate. I am glad to see him back in his place and I hope he enjoyed the introduction to the other place of his friend Lord Touhig, whom I am sure we all wish well in that new role. He commented upon the proposals to equalise the size of parliamentary constituencies and I understand fully that there are historical reasons for the current representation of Wales. Many of the points that he made are important. Certainly in parts of Wales the sparsity of population is a significant factor. Nevertheless, when we live in a global village and we frequently communicate by telephone and the internet, it is worrying that a vote in parts of Wales is worth, in some cases, double that of a vote in the south of England. That needs to be addressed. I am sure that the right hon. Gentleman would understand that is wrong in principle that votes should carry different weight. It is also a matter of concern that the Welsh vote has not been looked at again at a time when we have the National Assembly and Wales has representation in another legislature. Therefore, while I understand the important points that he made, it is important to review whether the current arrangements are appropriate. We heard from my hon. Friend the Member for Monmouth and I congratulate him on his election as chairman of the Select Committee on Welsh Affairs in succession to the hon. Member for Aberavon, whom I would like to commend. I regard him as a personal friend and he was also an excellent Committee chairman. I am sure that my hon. Friend will follow the tradition that he has set. The Select Committee has done some extremely important work and no doubt it will continue to do so. My hon. Friend referred to the well known quotation from Jim Callaghan that it is impossible to borrow your way out of a recession. That point was echoed recently by the former Minister Lord Myners, who said: ““There is nothing progressive about a Government who consistently spend more than they can raise in taxation, and certainly nothing progressive that endows generations to come with the liabilities incurred by the current generation.””—[Official Report, House of Lords, 8 June 2010; Vol. 719, c. 625.] That is what was particularly worrying about the Labour party’s policy. Had the Labour party won the last election it would have destroyed the opportunities that future generations should properly have expected. We then heard from the hon. Member for Clwyd South who made her first speech in this Committee and it was very nearly her maiden speech. I am sure that we all welcome her to the Committee. She talked about the impact of cuts upon her constituency. It is good to see her standing up for her constituency, but there will undoubtedly have to be pain and I am afraid that all parts of the country will have to bear their fair share of it.