A stronger, greener, fairer Wales for us all

Aberavon MS, David Rees has welcomed today’s announcement of ambitious plans for a stronger, greener, and fairer Wales.

The five-year plan, set out by First Minister Mark Drakeford in his Programme for Government, shows how the new Welsh Labour Government will deliver on the promises made to voters during the 2021 Senedd election and how it will tackle the big challenges we face.

Climate change and the environment is at the heart of the new government. Mark Drakeford has created a new “super-Ministry”, bringing together the big policy areas to help Wales reach its legally binding target of reaching Net Zero by 2050.

For the first time, transport, planning, housing, and energy have been brought together, with the environment, to tackle the climate and nature emergencies, making sure climate change is firmly on the agenda for every public service and private sector business.

The programme for Government also sets out plans to:

Protect, re-build and develop our services for vulnerable people

• Pay care workers the real living wage
• Increase apprenticeships in care and recruit more Welsh speakers
• Fund childcare for more families where parents are in education and training.

Build an economy based on the principles of fair work, sustainability and the industries and services of the future

• Deliver the Young Person’s Guarantee, giving everyone under 25 the offer of work, education, training, or self-employment
• Create 125,000 all-age apprenticeships
• Develop a Tidal Lagoon Challenge Fund and support ideas that can make Wales a world centre of emerging tidal technologies
• Seek a 30% target for working remotely.

Make our cities, towns a villages even better places in which to live and work

• Build 20,000 new-low carbon social homes for rent
• Improve building safety so people feel safe and secure in their homes
• Make 20mph the default speed limit in residential areas
• Ban pavement parking wherever possible.

Member of the Senedd for Aberavon, David Rees MS said:

“At last month’s Senedd election I promised to work to move Aberavon forward, and as that happens, I am determined that no one will be left behind and no one will be held back.

“The results were clear, you put your faith in Mark Drakeford and Welsh Labour to continue leading the response to the pandemic and to lead Wales out of it too – these plans do just that. They focus on the areas where we can make the greatest difference to people and communities.

“As a united Welsh Labour team in the Senedd, we will build a fairer, greener, stronger, and ever more successful Wales, together.

“We will help our learners catch up and help people into new jobs. We will restore capacity in the NHS and help our industries and businesses prepare for the opportunities that lie ahead of us.”