News

Stephen Crabb MP appointed Secretary of State for Wales

Published

9 years ago

August 1, 2014

PRESELI Pembrokeshire MP Stephen Crabb has been appointed Secretary of State for Wales in the Cabinet reshuffle.

The new Secretary of State was first elected as an MP in 2005 and was reelected in May 2010 with an increased majority of 4,605. He grew up in Haverfordwest, where he attended Tasker Milward School. He holds degrees from Bristol University (BSc.) and London Business School (MBA). Mr Crabb has said that his experiences growing up in a singleparent household on a council estate have informed his views on social mobility being important in modern society. Before being elected to Parliament he worked as a marketing consultant. He has also worked for the National Council for Voluntary Youth Services and London Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He has been a volunteer youth worker in South London and was Chairman of Governors of a large inner city primary school between 1998 and 2002. Stephen has close links with a number of charities which help young people overcome challenges and is Patron of Pembrokeshire MENCAP. He is also Patron of the Friends of Haverfordwest Museum and Pembrokeshire Counselling Service. From 1995-1996, Mr Crabb worked as a Parliamentary intern for Christian Action Research and Education, an offshoot from the evangelical Nationwide Festival of Light. CARE has been criticised for their opposition to abortion and gay rights, and believes sexuality to be a choice, curable by prayer. Mr Crabb voted against the legalisation of gay marriage in July 2013. He was also the subject of criticism for “flipping” an expenses claim to enable it to be recovered against his constituency home and subsequently designating a room in a London apartment as his main home. In Parliament Mr Crabb has served on the Welsh Affairs, International Development and Treasury Select Committees. In January 2009 he was appointed to the front bench as Opposition Whip. Following the formation of the Coalition Government in May 2011, Mr Crabb was appointed as an Assistant Government Whip. In 2012 he was promoted to Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Wales Office and was also given an enhanced role in the Whips Office. When the leader of Project Umubano, the Conservative Party’s social action project in Rwanda and Sierra Leone from 2010-2012, Stephen took Conservative volunteers to work in the fields of Education, Business, Health, Justice and Community alongside local partners in those two countries. In Pembrokeshire, Mr Crabb has been an advocate of the expanding renewable energy sector and has most recently been in the local news regarding the takeover of the Murco refinery. He is also a founding Officer of the All-Party Dairy Industry Group in Parliament. Outside of politics, Mr Crabb is a keen sportsman and enjoys rugby, mountain biking and tennis. He has run the London Marathon three times, money for local charities in the process. He also enjoys cooking, playing guitar and learning French. Stephen is married to Béatrice and has two young children. Commenting on the appointment, Preseli Pembrokeshire AM, Paul Davies said: “I’m delighted to congratulate Stephen on his new appointment. He is a dedicated and hard-working MP, and his promotion clearly demonstrates the Prime Minister’s acknowledgement of his talents and skills. I am privileged to work closely with him at a local level where he is fully committed to Preseli Pembrokeshire. I know that he will be an excellent Secretary of State who will be a strong voice for Wales across the Cabinet table, and of course, a huge asset to the people across the whole of our country.” Commenting on the appointment of Stephen Crabb as Secretary of State for Wales, shadow Welsh Secretary Owen Smith MP, said: “Congratulations to Stephen on his appointment. It is a great privilege for anyone to be asked to serve as the Secretary of State and Mr Crabb now has an equally great responsibility to break free from the ceaseless negativity that has characterised his predecessors’ attitude to Wales and the achievements of the Welsh Government. “I have written to the new Secretary of State to call on him to go into the new job with the aim of standing up for our nation, rather than indulging in politicised attacks on Wales, with the aim of winning votes in England. The Wales Office can play a vital role in being the voice of Wales at Westminster, but it has recently been reduced to a crude propaganda machine attacking the very country it is supposed to represent, as a proxy for attacking the wider Labour Party.” Stephen Crabb said: “It is a huge privilege to join the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Wales. As a government, we are ambitious for Wales and determined that Wales should be at the forefront of the UK economic recovery. “I will be working closely with my colleagues in the UK and Welsh governments to see new opportunities created for Wales. People and businesses across Wales want to see the two governments working together effectively and delivering the investment our nation needs. I believe that Wales deserves the best and I look forward to providing a strong voice for Wales around the Cabinet table. “I will build on the excellent work of my predecessor David Jones, who achieved so much during his time as Welsh Secretary. He leaves a strong legacy to Wales, not least in breaking new ground in the devolution settlement by devolving tax powers to Wales. He also worked hard to secure new investment for the new nuclear power station at Wylfa, the new prison in Wrexham and reopening the Halton Curve line between Liverpool and North Wales.” He added: “It is a massive honour to be the first Welsh Secretary of State from Pembrokeshire since Nick Edwards in the 1980s. I have an opportunity now to work hard for the whole of Wales in the same way I have always sought to do for Pembrokeshire. The first priority of any MP, regardless of their position in government, is to put the needs of their constituency first and I will always do this for Preseli Pembrokeshire.”

Business

MPs to examine opportunities for defence manufacturing and cyber security in Wales

Published

4 hours ago

March 27, 2023

Tom Sinclair

THE WELSH AFFAIRS COMMITTEE has today launched (Mar 27) a new inquiry examining the defence industry in Wales, looking specifically at defence manufacturing and cyber security.

From Airbus to Kent Periscopes, Raytheon to Qioptiq, there are over 160 companies supporting the defence sector that are based in Wales. Wales’ defence sector is further enhanced by the Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) Defence and Electronics Components Agency (DECA), based in North Wales, which has a £0.5 billion contract with the US Department for Defense.

However, there are concerns that a decrease in investment from the MOD will erode the prominence of Wales’ defence sector. In recent years, the number of jobs and small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the sector has declined and MOD spending in Wales has fallen by £300 million since 2018. The Committee is keen to examine trends in defence spending and how SMEs can benefit from available opportunities.

Over the course of the inquiry, MPs will look at how important the sector is to the Welsh economy, investigate the opportunities for growth and examine the role of the UK Government in further promoting the defence sector in Wales.

Welsh Affairs Committee Chairman, Stephen Crabb, said:

“From maintaining fighter jets to hosting one of the most advanced aircraft surveillance and intelligence systems in existence, in Wales we have a ground-breaking defence sector that is routinely punching above its weight.

“However, MOD investment in Wales has decreased, as have the numbers of jobs and SMEs in the Welsh defence sector. Over the course of our inquiry, we will be considering the future opportunities and challenges to ensure defence industries in Wales – from defence manufacturing to cyber security – thrive.

“The defence sector is a major employer and helps support local economies across our nation and it is in all our best interests to support Wales’ defence prowess.”

The Committee is inviting written submissions by Friday 5 May. These should focus on, but not be limited to:

What are the reasons underlying the trends in MoD spending in Wales since 2019?
What is the MoD’s understanding of how funding flows from prime contractors to small and medium sized defence sector businesses in Wales?
What is the relationship between Wales-based prime contractors, Welsh academic and research bodies, and the development of new defence technologies?
Can Wales play a role in enhancing the UK’s defence industrial capacity?
Do skills and knowledge exist within Wales’ workforce to support the growth of the Welsh defence sector?
How might the reorganisation of Wales’ defence estate affect employment in the defence sector in Wales?
Will the 10% social value weighting applied to MoD procurement support the Levelling Up agenda in Wales?

News

Dog in difficulty rescued between St Nons and Caerfai Bay by RNLI

Published

4 hours ago

March 27, 2023

Tom Sinclair

ST DAVIDS inshore lifeboat was tasked at 11am on Monday (Feb 27) to a dog in difficulty at the bottom of cliffs between St Nons and Caerfai Bay.

Marian and Alan Clayton made best speed to the scene where a HM Coastguard team from St Davids assisted the crew by locating the dog.

Once recovered from the base of the cliffs, “Bosun” was reunited with its relieved owners at Porthclais Harbour.

Pictured are crew members Ellen, Tom and Martin with Bosun.

The lifeboat returned to Station before a wash down and refuelling, ready for service by 12:42pm, according to an online report from the RNLI

Business

Economy Minister congratulates Celtic Freeport consortium on winning bid

Published

9 hours ago

March 27, 2023

Tom Sinclair

ECONOMY MINISTE, Vaughan Gething, was in Port Talbot today to congratulate the Celtic Freeport consortium on their successful bid to be Wales’ first freeport, which is set to deliver tens of thousands of new, high-quality jobs in south west Wales.

Last week, the Welsh and UK governments jointly announced the Celtic Freeport in Milford Haven and Port Talbot, and Anglesey Freeport on Ynys Mon, have been chosen as Wales’ first freeports.

The two freeports aim to collectively create around 20,000 jobs in the green industries of the future by 2030 and attract up to £4.9 billion in public and private investments.

The Celtic Freeport will be based around the port of Port Talbot in Neath Port Talbot, and the port of Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire.

The freeport plans focus on low carbon technologies, such as floating offshore wind (FLOW), hydrogen, carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) and biofuels to support the accelerated reduction of carbon emissions.

The freeport aims to attract significant inward investment, including £3.5 billion in the hydrogen industry as well as the creation of 16,000 jobs, generating £900 million in Gross Value Added (GVA) by 2030, and £13 billion by 2050.

The Minister visited the port of Port Talbot earlier today, which will become one of the focal points of the new Freeport – which is expected to be operational later this year.

Speaking during a visit to Port Talbot, Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething said: “It was great to be in Port Talbot today to congratulate the Celtic Freeport team on their successful bid.

“From off-shore energy to advanced manufacturing, the Celtic Freeport will help create tens of thousands of new, high quality jobs in the green industries of the future. it will support our highly ambitious plans to reach net zero by 2050, while also supporting our young people to plan their futures here in Wales.

“All this will help us transform the economy of south west Wales, helping us create a stronger, fairer and greener future for local people and communities.”

Roger Maggs MBE, Chair of the Celtic Freeport consortium said: “Wales is on the cusp on an exciting green journey.

“The freeport decision will cause a chain reaction.

“Upgrading our major energy ports in Milford Haven and Port Talbot will enable floating offshore wind, create the cradle to nurture new green tech companies and take a step on the path to greening Wales’ steel industry.

“Now is the time for action so that Wales captures the renewable energy supply chain.”

Andrew Harston, Director, Wales and Short Sea Ports, Associated British Ports (ABP) said: “The roll-out of floating offshore wind, or FLOW, in the Celtic Sea provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Wales. Port Talbot is the ideal location for the deployment of FLOW, and ABP is ready to invest over £500m in new and upgraded infrastructure to enable this and to ensure first-mover advantage to capture this global market. The Celtic Freeport provides a huge opportunity, and not just for FLOW, but for sustainable fuels and hydrogen too.