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Wrexham MP Andrew Ranger spoke during Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) today, using the opportunity to highlight the Wrexham and Flintshire Investment Zone.

PMQs takes place weekly on a Wednesday when Parliament is sitting. It normally receives more press coverage than other debates in Parliament.

The question asked was:

“The Wrexham and Flintshire Investment Zone is one of the flagship examples of how, when this government talks about kick starting economic growth, it means it.

This £160 million plan will breathe new life the into the local economy, create 6,000 good local jobs, meaning for young people in Wrexham they would be able to find more opportunities on their doorstep.

Will the Prime Minister join with me in welcoming this important development for North Wales and potential it unlocks?”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer responded,

“Well, it is really important that we unleash the economic potential of North Wales, including kickstarting the investment zone backed by major businesses, Mr Speaker, like Airbus and JCB to leverage 1 billion pounds of private investment.

Investing £975,000,000 to benefit aerospace workers at Broughton where I met the fantastic young workers there, and securing £1 billion investment in Shotton Mill, securing 300 jobs on Deeside.

And we put a record amount of money into the Welsh Government at the Budget.

A budget decision which was opposed by Plaid.”

Andrew Ranger MP commented, “I was delighted to be selected to ask a question at PMQs which gives me the opportunity to shine a light on Wrexham and North Wales to a wider audience than might normally watch debates in the House of Commons as well as show what the UK Labour Government is doing for our area. The Prime Minister in his reply emphasised the investment in North Wales through the Investment Zone but also the Welsh Government budget which had £1.5bn more to spend thanks to the settlement from the UK Government. The budget passed despite being opposed by Plaid Cymru and the Conservatives in the Senedd.”

Labour want to tackle antisocial behaviour, shop theft and street crime, giving the police and communities new powers to create safer town centres. The Bill also includes measures to address the most serious violence and highest-harm offences such as knife crime, violence against women and girls, cybercrime, child sexual abuse, and terrorism.

The Bill will treat violence against women and girls as a national emergency, with tougher action against perpetrators and better protection for victims including strengthening Stalking Protection Orders and introducing a new criminal offence for spiking.

The Government will implement a recommendation of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation by creating a new duty to report child sexual abuse, as well as increased sentencing for those who organise child grooming. The Bill will also introduce a new offence of child criminal exploitation, alongside a civil preventative order designed to stop the horrific exploitation of children by criminals. By making cuckooing a specific offence, the most vulnerable people whose homes are used by others to commit criminal activity will be protected.

Respect Orders will target the most serious and persistent adult ASB offenders with tough consequences. For the first time the police, councils and social landlords will all have the power to tackle persistent troublemakers. Police will have immediate powers of arrest for those who breach Respect Orders. Courts will have the power to impose unlimited fines or prison sentences for those who continue to flout the law. Wrexham has seen a rise in ASB in the latest crime figures published by UK Crime Stats and these measures will support North Wales Police in the work they are already doing to tackle this.

Andrew Ranger MP said “We are all proud of our high streets and neighbourhoods, but they have been blighted by anti-social behaviour that was enabled and deemed inconsequential by the previous Government who also cut police numbers. It is consistently something that is brought up with me on the doorstep when I speak with residents, and they want to see it sorted. I welcome the Crime and Policing Bill as it sends a clear message in saying no more to so called ‘low level’ crime, no more to criminal actions without consequences and backs our businesses and police officers taking the tough action that is needed to tackle antisocial behaviour and theft on our streets.”

It is a real pleasure to speak in my first St David’s Day debate in this place, along with so many other new Members.

The time around St David’s Day is always special, as so many have said. It is a moment of national and local pride for Welsh communities, a time when we celebrate everything that makes us proud of Wales. I look forward to joining in our annual St David’s Day parade in Wrexham this Saturday, led by the Cambria band, on what will be a busy day in the city, with our monthly award-winning street market and a home game against Bolton Wanderers also happening.

St David, or Dewi Sant, was known to have been a radical of his time, doing away with and challenging the perceived norms. We see that radical spirit woven into the fabric of Welsh politics—the radical spirit that saw Nye Bevan lead the charge for the national health service, the fightback against the devastation of Thatcher and the Conservatives’ decisions to close the mines in the 1980s, and the enduring quest for devolution, which was finally achieved just over 25 years ago, under the last UK Labour Government.

The devolution we celebrate has allowed Wales to do things differently; we have free prescriptions; we are keeping, not cutting, maintenance grants for students; we have a publicly owned train company; and we have the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015—the first in the UK. All that and much more was achieved because of devolution, not in spite of it, as some may believe. Wales is a strong devolved nation in a strong Union; devolution is an evolving journey, not a destination. I look forward to seeing how that journey develops, now that we have two Governments working together.

St David’s Day is about celebrating the proud history that we all share, so it is a shame that no Reform Members are in the Chamber to brush up on their history for their next day trip across the border. That history ranges far and wide, from St Davids to Wrexham and from Chepstow to Holyhead, but I hope that colleagues will forgive me if I speak further on history a bit closer to home—any opportunity to wax lyrical about Wrexham.

Most will of course know about the world-famous Wrexham AFC, but they may be less aware of the role that our city played in ensuring that Welsh football is what it is today. In February 1876, a group of football enthusiasts met at the Wynnstay hotel in the centre of Wrexham. From that meeting came the formation of the Football Association of Wales and the Welsh cup, which remains one of the oldest competitions in the world; Wrexham has won it a record 23 times. The Cae Ras in Wrexham is the oldest international stadium in the world that is still hosting matches, the most recent of which was earlier this week, and Wales’s first home match was held there in 1877; it has hosted more Wales international matches than any other ground.

Much is said about the seven wonders of the world, but not enough is said about the seven wonders of Wales, three of which can be found in my constituency. We have St Giles parish church in the centre of our city; the Overton yew trees, which are estimated to be around 2,000 years old; and the bells of All Saints’ church in Gresford, which have been ringing continuously since the 16th century—hopefully with a break—and which sometimes ring of their own volition.

No debate about Wales would be complete without mention of beer. Wrexham Lager has a history that spans back to 1882, and it continues to make a significant contribution to the Welsh economy, exporting across the world. I have just joined other Members here at an excellent showcase of Welsh food and drink, at which another Wrexham brewery, the Magic Dragon, was showing its exceptional beers.

There is so much more to say about Wales and about Wrexham, but in the interests of time, I finish by wishing everyone a dydd gŵyl Dewi hapus for Saturday. Diolch yn fawr, Madam Deputy Speaker.