Welsh Affairs

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 6:27 pm on 28 February 1991.

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Photo of Mr Ian Grist Mr Ian Grist , Cardiff Central 6:27, 28 February 1991

The speech of the hon. Member for Alyn and Deeside (Mr. Jones) was revealing. He urged us to face up to what he called reality and we were assured that the policy of the Labour party towards rates was clear. He then passed to another subject without explaining his party's policy. Presumably it would take us back to where we started, with revaluation thrown in. If so, people would be in for a nasty surprise.

The hon. Gentleman's speech was typical of the activities of the last Labour Government. Indeed. it is almost 17 years to the day that the hon. Members for Caernarfon (Mr. Wigley), for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (Dr. Thomas), for Ceredigion and Pembroke, North (Mr. Howells) and I came into the House, following the election of 28 February 1974. The Labour party then had to wait till the October to get something like a workable majority, after which that Government produced the Welsh Development Agency. The wording of the measure that introduced the WDA was all part of the idea of the right hon. Member for Chesterfield (Mr. Benn) for an expansion of state power. It was in line with the proposed nationalisation of port-related activities, which Mr. John Mackintosh and Mr. Brian Walden managed to overcome only by refusing to support their then party.

I remember that period well. It was only after losing constituencies such as Ashfield in the most catastrophic by-election reverses that Labour lost its ideological edge and had to go to the IMF. That was after the hon. Member for Merthyr-Tydfil and Rhymney (Mr. Rowlands) had told Welsh councils to spend, spend, spend. They did, but things came to a grinding halt when the A470 reached Taff's Well, and it remained there until we were elected in 1979.

The Labour Government had knocked all capital expenditure on the head. They were bust and had to creep around asking to be bailed out. Labour could not understand mathematics and the simple facts that he who spends too much goes bust, and that there is no magic source of money. It the Opposition were to cost their current proposals they would see that they would be back to the IMF very quickly, oil or no oil.

The hon. Member for Alyn and Deeside welcomed a host of modern companies. He compared them with three older forms of company and could not see that the new companies were essential for the end of this century and the beginning of the next. One might be nostalgic about older companies, but out-of-date methods have bedevilled Wales. The slowness of the Labour party in backing Monty Finniston to modernise our steel industry gave us much later heartache. We now have a profitable and, therefore, safe steel industry rather than the one that the right hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Foot) saw closing in his constituency. The closure of the East Moors plant in Cardiff has left the shadow of unemployment over older people in my constituency and that of the hon. Member for Cardiff, South and Penarth (Mr. Michael).

The Opposition have the extraordinary idea that if they do not like the game they can change the system. The hon. Member for Caernarfon may part company with me on that. When the Labour Government could not put through some of their more ideological ideas on the economy, they made a pledge about devolution and assemblies in Wales and Scotland. We spent a great deal of time on the two relevant Bills. They could not keep matters to one Bill because they lost the first vote. We were occupied with that for many nights, but that was helpful to a Government who could not get anything else through. However, in the end devolution also failed. There was a pledge for a referendum and it was on that that they crashed so badly in 1979. Now the Opposition say that they will not have a referendum but that devolution will be contained in their manifesto. It was in their 1974 manifesto, so I cannot see the difference.

The Opposition bleat about democracy, but do not seem prepared to have a referendum on devolution. However, there is little chance of their winning the next election. They never learn. They underestimate the necessity to reduce and keep down inflation. The right hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent served in a Government who presided over 16 per cent. average inflation. That rotted savings, because interest rates were lower than the loss in the value of money. There was a negative interest rate. The right hon. Member for Llanelli (Mr. Davies) knows that, and he also knows that it was quite unpardonable because it robbed people who were thrifty enough to save for their old age.

This is my first speech from the Back Benches for about three years. It was a privilege to serve in the Welsh Office and it was a joy to meet many people throughout Wales, such as chairmen of local authorities or health authorities and people in voluntary service or housing associations. They underlined the fact that in Wales people at local level are all trying to work together. That gives us a great advantage over some parts of England, which seem to be in a permanent state of strife. I pay tribute to the staff who worked for me in the Welsh Office. They were greatly respected and looked upon as friends by the groups with which they had dealings. People in health and social services and housing knew personally those who were carrying out the building and administration in Wales. Those dedicated people were mostly Welsh or had chosen to work in the Welsh Office.

The Secretary of State gave many statistics about the health service. Such statistics can be rolled out to prove that there are no cuts, but I used to get rather fed up with that claim, because it is patently untrue. The Opposition should welcome the work of the Health Promotion Authority for Wales in promoting health rather than dealing with the consequences of ill health. We all have a part to play in that. They should welcome the publication of the agenda for action which shows the way forward for the administration kf the health service.

Targets have been given to administrators and doctors and to all of us in our various roles to further the health of the people of Wales which, for a variety of reasons, has not been good. By the end of the century we could be among the healthiest people in Europe. Wales is in the lead with its mental handicap and mental illness strategy, not just in the United Kingdom but in Europe. We have set a standard of which we can be proud.