Results 1-20 of 671 for (in the 'Commons debates' OR in the 'Westminster Hall debates' OR in the 'Lords debates' OR in the 'Northern Ireland Assembly debates') speaker:Wayne David

Oral Answers to Questions — Wales: Pensioner Poverty (11 Nov 2009)

Wayne David: Government policies since 1997 have significantly reduced pensioner poverty in Wales, and across the United Kingdom. Working closely with the Welsh Assembly Government, our policies will continue to reduce pensioner poverty and promote dignity in later life.

Oral Answers to Questions — Wales: Pensioner Poverty (11 Nov 2009)

Wayne David: With all due respect, what the hon. Lady has to remember is the tremendous amount of work that has been done by this Government to raise pensioners out of poverty and to help the poorest pensioners. Incidentally, I read the article in The Western Mail that includes quotations from her, and I must tell her that the poorest pensioners are not on £95 a week. Not one pensioner is on less...

Oral Answers to Questions — Wales: Pensioner Poverty (11 Nov 2009)

Wayne David: I hear what my hon. Friend is saying, and of course, I recognise what terrible diseases pleural plaques represent; constituents of mine have suffered from them. He can be certain that the Government will do everything legally possible to help those people.

Oral Answers to Questions — Wales: Social Care Green Paper (11 Nov 2009)

Wayne David: As my right hon. Friend is aware, the Government are carrying out a detailed consultation on the social care Green Paper. The Government's aim is nothing less than the creation of a national care service, and where there is overlap with the Welsh Assembly Government there will be full co-operation.

Oral Answers to Questions — Wales: Social Care Green Paper (11 Nov 2009)

Wayne David: The whole issue of the reform of the welfare state is extremely topical, and incapacity benefit is one element of that. I know that a number of hon. Members are concerned about attendance allowance, but there is an important principle that needs to be stated. Whatever the outcome of the consultation, people receiving attendance allowance at the time of reform will receive an equivalent level...

Oral Answers to Questions — Wales: Social Care Green Paper (11 Nov 2009)

Wayne David: The national care service will encompass all parts of the UK. Detailed consultation is taking place in all parts of the UK, and in the next week or so I will meet Gwenda Thomas, the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services. We will talk about what consultation there can be in Wales, how the ideas of the Welsh Assembly Government can be fed into our deliberations, and how we can make...

Oral Answers to Questions — Wales: Social Care Green Paper (11 Nov 2009)

Wayne David: The Government have already ruled out incorporation of disability living allowance for the under-65s. However, I hear the point that my hon. Friend makes and I will make sure that her comment is fed into the representations and discussions that take place.

Oral Answers to Questions — Wales: Social Care Green Paper (11 Nov 2009)

Wayne David: With all due respect to the hon. Gentleman, I do not think that we can scrap the consultation, which is vital if we are to tackle one of the biggest social issues of our time. We cannot pretend that these issues will go away: they cannot go away, and Labour Members are determined to get the policy right. That is why we are having the consultation. It is fundamentally central to our approach,...

Oral Answers to Questions — Wales: Offender Management (11 Nov 2009)

Wayne David: The Secretary of State and I regularly hold such meetings. For example, I recently met the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice, my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Garston (Maria Eagle) to discuss the importance of a new prison in north Wales that would have a positive impact on offender manager in that area, by enabling prisoners to remain close to their families—a proven...

Oral Answers to Questions — Wales: Offender Management (11 Nov 2009)

Wayne David: I understand from the hon. Lady's comments that she is against a new prison in north Wales. There is a strong case for such a prison. One of the central factors is, of course, that it would not only serve north Wales, or Wales as a whole, but receive prisoners from the north-west of England, so its catchment area would be far wider.

Oral Answers to Questions — Wales: Offender Management (11 Nov 2009)

Wayne David: I am aware of that project and the excellent work that takes place. The needs of women prisoners must be at the very top of our agenda, and I am pleased to say that they certainly are.

Oral Answers to Questions — Wales: Offender Management (11 Nov 2009)

Wayne David: It is important that we have a modernisation agenda and ensure that the probation service is as effective as possible—I believe that that is happening—and I welcome the fact that, as I understand it, the hon. Gentleman is to serve on an inquiry panel that has been recently set up by the Howard League for Penal Reform. I am sure that he would agree that we must ensure that a...

Oral Answers to Questions — Wales: Offender Management (11 Nov 2009)

Wayne David: My hon. Friend is correct. There will be an enormous economic benefit to the area that is fortunate enough to have a new prison. I am pleased that my hon. Friend had a successful meeting yesterday with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State yesterday. There is a common agenda that we can work on and take forward.

Oral Answers to Questions — Wales: Offender Management (11 Nov 2009)

Wayne David: That very much depends on what happens when the general election comes, and the result of that general election. One thing we can be certain about: if the Conservative party gets into power, we will see catastrophic cuts in the Prison Service, the probation service and elsewhere. That is the stark choice that we face.

Oral Answers to Questions — Wales: Offender Management (11 Nov 2009)

Wayne David: I find the logic somewhat perverse. The early part of the hon. Gentleman's comments came across to me as an argument against a prison in north Wales. But it is very important that we all pull together; we have the same argument. We recognise, as my hon. Friend the Member for Ynys Môn (Albert Owen) said, that there is an economic case to be made for a prison in north Wales. There is also...

Oral Answers to Questions — Wales: Training and Employment (11 Nov 2009)

Wayne David: Safeguarding jobs and improving access to training is, of course, a priority. In Wales, economic summits have led to an additional £20 million to support apprenticeships and the Welsh Assembly Government budget provides for a further £20.5 million to deliver education and training for the young people hit hardest by the recession.

Oral Answers to Questions — Wales: Training and Employment (11 Nov 2009)

Wayne David: The situation in Wales is nowhere near as bad as it was in the 1980s and 1990s when the hon. Lady's party was in power; that is something that the people of Wales will never forget. Moreover, people recognise that we are on the side of the people. We are introducing measures that are having a material impact on people's lives and on the Welsh economy. The people of Wales appreciate that. If a...

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: New Clause 24 — Powers of National Assembly for Wales: Auditor General for Wales (4 Nov 2009) has video

Wayne David: I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time.

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: New Clause 24 — Powers of National Assembly for Wales: Auditor General for Wales (4 Nov 2009) has video

Wayne David: New clause 24 will confer legislative competence on the National Assembly for Wales. Such provisions are commonly known as framework or measure-making powers. I want to apologise to the Committee that this framework power was not included in the Bill on its introduction, as the Government have committed to doing in respect of all framework powers. I regret that the technical nature of the...

Oral Answers to Questions — Prime Minister: New Clause 24 — Powers of National Assembly for Wales: Auditor General for Wales (4 Nov 2009) has video

Wayne David: I assure the hon. Gentleman that that is not the case. Incidentally, the Labour party is back on top, as the recent opinion polls show. This measure is very technical, and we wanted to ensure the maximum amount of consultation. That has now taken place, and we are satisfied with what we are proposing.