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Work Programme (Wales)

There is no time, obviously. We must consider UK Government agencies, such as the passport agency in Newport, or the coastguard, and the ripple effects of cuts on Wales. We talk about stimulating the economy, but we keep cutting, and that has a definite and obvious knock-on effect. Members will recall that on 28 June, the House divided on an amendment tabled by my hon. Friend the Member for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr to lower VAT. Unfortunately, there was no assistance from any party, but I know now that Opposition Front-Bench Members have taken that recommendation on board. I echo what my hon. Friend said about home renovations and VAT, which is very important—I have long argued for that. Oddly enough, I agree with the hon. Member for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, who spoke at huge length about the VAT cuts on tourist accommodation. Our two nearest rivals, France and Ireland, made such cuts years ago, and they seem to be faring reasonably well as a result. Tourism is a huge industry in Wales, but we are trying to run it with one hand tied behind our back, which is worrying. We referred to sectoral policy for developments such as renewal plans and so on. It is important to consider such policies, because that is how to cluster experts together, which makes things grow. The hon. Member for Wrexham referred to the important aviation industry in this part of the world, which is an example of clustering that has made this area of Wales world class. To conclude, unless and until we take a sensible approach to the way in which economies and/or cuts are made in Wales, and unless and until we acknowledge the special case in Wales relating to the huge number of public sector jobs, we will not expand the private sector either. As I have said, that sector largely depends on public sector contracts. I make this plea: we have several very experienced and excellent civil engineering firms in north Wales, which employ people of the highest calibre. I hope that the Government intend to advance public sector projects and that they will look to such firms to provide the work. We are proud of firms such as Jones Bros., and there are plenty of other examples in this locality of people who do excellent work. We must nurture such people through public sector investments. I am grateful for being given an opportunity to speak, Mr Caton, and I am happy to rely on what my hon. Friend the Member for Arfon said. It is a great pleasure to be in Wrexham. I was a season ticket holder here for many years and I hope to be again. I am not giving up on them; nor should I. I was corrected when I did ““Newsnight”” from Wrexham a few weeks ago. I was tweeted by a very generous man who said that Wrexham football ground is not one of the oldest international grounds in the UK; it is the oldest. I will finish on that note.