Baroness Humphreys: My Lords, I am delighted to take part in this debate and to join in the celebration of 20 years of devolution to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It is an issue that has been a massive part of my adult life, and I welcome the progress that I have seen. For those of us of a political disposition in Wales, the defining question has always been: do you believe in independence or in home...
Baroness Humphreys: My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Baroness for introducing the amendment and for the implicit acceptance that the recognition of the powers of the devolved Administrations was a serious omission from the Bill. I must admit that I find the ineptitude—I think that is the right word—of Ministers and officials who produce Bills such as this without “devolution proofing” them deeply...
Baroness Humphreys: I thank the Minister for her clarification and the excellent news that the memorandum of understanding has been signed. I seek assurance from her that this matter will be reported on, or an amendment put forward on Report, so that we can hear exactly whether the Welsh Government have completed the LCM process. I thank her very much and I beg to withdraw the amendment. Amendment 30A withdrawn....
Baroness Humphreys: My Lords, I apologise for not being able to take part on Second Reading. This group contains two amendments in my name and that of my noble friend Lady Jolly and a further amendment in the names of the noble Baroness, Lady Thornton, and my noble and learned friend Lord Wallace of Tankerness, which I also support. Amendment 30A seeks to ensure that the Government may not by regulation repeal...
Baroness Humphreys: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the employment and qualification requirements for (1) town clerks, and (2) community clerks.
Baroness Humphreys: To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance, if any, they provide to town councils on minimum accountancy qualifications for (1) town clerks, and (2) community clerks.
Baroness Humphreys: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the available training opportunities for (1) town clerks, and (2) community clerks; and the bodies which monitor the professional standards of these courses.
Baroness Humphreys: The RNLI’s decision to move the all-weather facility from New Quay has led to huge public disquiet in the area—an area where people understand the important role fisheries play in providing a livelihood for commercial fishing and angling vessels. They also understand the danger to the fishermen who brave all weathers. What assessment has the noble Baroness made of the importance of the...
Baroness Humphreys: My Lords, my colleagues in Wales have criticised the political declaration on the future relationship between the UK and the EU, describing it as vague and lacking in substance. I think we can all agree that the political declaration has plenty of good intentions, but it contains very little information on how the most important and contentious issues facing us will be resolved in the...
Baroness Humphreys: My Lords, speaking of the likelihood of a no-deal Brexit and the possibility of the company abandoning plans to build aircraft wings in Britain, the chief operating officer of Airbus said: “Far from ‘Project Fear’, this is a dawning reality for Airbus”. It is also a dawning reality for the people of north-east Wales and the 7,000 Airbus jobs that make such a vital contribution to our...
Baroness Humphreys: My Lords, I am grateful for the opportunity to speak in this debate on the order which updates UK legislation as a consequence of the Tax Collection and Management (Wales) Act 2016 and the rest of it. On these Benches, we welcome the order and recognise the landmark stride forward it represents in the Welsh people’s devolution process. We also recognise the work of the Welsh Government in...
Baroness Humphreys: My Lords, as the Government begin to make their arrangements for the UK’s potential exit from the EU, I want to make a few comments on and pose a few questions about issues important to Wales: Welsh agriculture, Welsh industry, particularly in north Wales, and the port of Holyhead. However, at the outset, I repeat a question that I and others have asked before in these debates. West Wales...
Baroness Humphreys: My Lords, the rejection of the Swansea tidal lagoon is a bitter pill to swallow. It feels like yet another betrayal of the people and economy of Wales. The Government have cancelled rail electrification to Swansea and now reject the Swansea tidal lagoon, in contrast to their seeming ability to find money for projects in south-east England. As other noble Lords have said, the lagoon would have...
Baroness Humphreys: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the report by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes in relation to the Ffos-y-Fran opencast coalmine.
Baroness Humphreys: My Lords, Ffos-y-Fran near Merthyr Tydfil is the largest opencast coal mine in the UK and residents have led a long campaign against the effects of air pollution on their community. On his official visit last year, the UN special rapporteur accepted that this is a devolved matter but called on the UK Government to accept ultimate responsibility for it. He also called for an independent...
Baroness Humphreys: My Lords, I was pleased to speak to a similar amendment in the name of the noble Earl, Lord Clancarty, in Committee, and I am equally pleased to support the amendment now. At this point in the evening, I do not intend to detain your Lordships longer than necessary, so my intervention will be short. All that the amendment asks is that the Government, as part of the withdrawal process,...
Baroness Humphreys: My Lords, I am grateful for the opportunity to speak in support of Amendment 358A in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Wigley, and I thank him for tabling it. Since 2000, the area of west Wales and the valleys has been in receipt of funding from the European Union. Everywhere one looks in west Wales and the valleys, one finds examples of the benefits arising from this—from the newly...
Baroness Humphreys: I do not think so, because this new group has just been formed in the last couple of months or perhaps a little longer. This group bypasses traditional media outlets because they know that these are increasingly irrelevant to young people, who only access the news items that interest them via social media. Their media posting today uses cartoons to combine a serious message with humour and it...
Baroness Humphreys: I support this amendment in the name of the noble Earl, Lord Clancarty, to which I have added my name. I thank the noble Earl for tabling such an important amendment and introducing it in such a clear and precise manner. History is littered with battles to achieve basic rights, and each hard-earned right is seen as an advancement—a sign of progress and enlightenment—as we move forward as...
