General Election 

Manifesto 2019 


Wales,
it's us. 


A vote for Plaid Cymru inthe General Election on 12 
December will be a vote 
for Wales to stay inside the 
European Union and build a 
prosperous future. 

A vote for Plaid Cymru in the General Election on 12 December willbe a vote for Wales to stay inside the European Union and build a 
prosperous future. 

Westminster does not work for Wales. As Wales' leading party of 
Remain, Plaid Cymru is united in its aim of ensuring Wales remains 
a member of the European Union. We are campaigning to give the 
decision back to the people in a referendum. 


No form of Brexit would be good 

-5.5% 


for Wales. It would devastate 
the livelihoods of thousands 
of our people. The Tories' plan 
to take Wales out of the Single 
Market and the Customs Union 
will hit the Welsh economy 
hard. The Government's own 
forecasts suggest it will result in 

a slow-down in growth of at 
least -5.5% by 2030. 

In this election Plaid Cymru is campaigning for policies that will directly 
improve the lives of Welsh families, tackle the climate and biodiversity 
crisis, boost our economy, schools and health service, provide free 
personal care for older people, and lift 50,000 Welsh children out of 
poverty. 

All these plans will be much more difficult to put into action if Wales is 

dragged out of the EU by a hard-right wing Westminster government. 

While Westminster politicians are deadlocked over Brexit, Wales is 
being left behind. It's time for change in Wales. It's time to vote Plaid 
Cymru. 


01 
02 

The future, it's us. 

Our Five Key PrioritiesFor Wales: 

Welsh Green Jobs Revolution 

Create tens of thousands of new jobs throughout Wales 
by kick-starting a multi-billion investment programme 
in renewable energy, transport infrastructure and digital 
technology, with the goal of making Wales a carbon and 
single-use plastic free nation by 2030. 

Caring for Everyone 

Free social care for the elderly and other vulnerable 
citizens through a new National Health and Social Care 
Service, with an additional 1,000 new doctors, 5,000 new 

nurses, and 100 new NHS dentists offering seamless 

access to health and care for everyone throughout 
Wales. 


7 


03 
04 
05 


A Fair Deal for Families 

Universal free childcare for 40 hours a week, and a 
new £35 a week payment for every child in low income 
families, lifting 50,000 children in Wales out of poverty. 
Plus £300m extra for schools and colleges to give our 
children the best start in life. 

Action on Housing 

Major investment in environmentally sustainable 

affordable homes and rent relief for people who pay 

more than 30% of their income on rent. 

Combating Crime 

Create a Welsh justice system, devolve policing and 
create a new crime prevention fund to recruit 1,600 

extra police officers, at least two for every community in 

Wales, to keep us safe. 


9 



In this third general election in just four years we 

are offered a poisoned chalice between two divided 


Westminster parties. One is led by a leader who is 

" 
" 
resolutely dishonest on Brexit, and the other by one 
who has sadly proven honestly clueless. And both are 
advised by public schoolboys who see politics as some 
kind of game. 

OUR VISION 
Why we're leadingWales to stay in the EU 
-
Adam Price AM 

So rather than being about them, let's make this election 
about us, about our ambition for Wales. We can break 
the pattern of a century of elections in which Wales has 
overwhelmingly backed Westminster parties. 

After all, what has been the return on that investment? 
We're at the wrong end of every league table. We are 
at the end of a long queue for Government investment. 
We have a worse funding settlement and fewer of the 
economic levers over tax and borrowing that have been 
given to Scotland or Northern Ireland. Indeed, if Wales 
enjoyed the same level of funding as Scotland we would 
receive an additional £1.5 billion a year. 

Look at the way Scotland and its needs and priorities 
have shot to the top of the political agenda because of the 
power and the prominence of the SNP. Here is an almighty 
lesson for us in Wales. If we vote for Plaid Cymru, then our 
country, its problems, and its needs will be treated with 
the respect they deserve. 

There is so much in Wales that needs fixing. Child 


poverty is rising, life expectancy is falling, our transport 
infrastructure is failing, homelessness is at crisis 
proportions. 

We can solve these problems, but not by voting Labour 

who are in Government in Cardiff Bay, and have failed 


us for two decades. And certainly, not by voting for the 
Conservatives, who are in power in Westminster and have 
failed us with a decade of austerity. 


" 

We can solve it by voting for ourselves, by sending Plaid 
Cymru MPs to Westminster in greater numbers than ever 
in our history. 

They will fight for a final say referendum so we can avoid 


a bad Brexit deal. Whether it's a Tory Brexit or a Labour 
Brexit it would destroy our economic future. 

Our MPs are known for punching above their weight. They 
have tirelessly stood up to the Westminster establishment 

- and put Wales first. 
Because that's what Plaid Cymru always does. Our 
country, our communities, and the best interests of our 

nation are always our first and foremost priority. With 


Johnson and Corbyn, all we get is more Westminster 
chaos. Plaid Cymru is campaigning to end Brexit once 
and for all through a People's Vote. 

I believe that for all the noise and clamour of the 

campaign, this is the election in which Wales will find its 


collective voice as a nation. 

We say: Wales, it's us! 

But we also say: Europe, it's us! 

Now is our time. 

"We're readyto take this 
fight toWestminster" 

"I believe that for 
all the noise and 
clamour of the 
campaign, thisis the election in 
which Wales will 

find its collective 
voice as a 
nation." 

A Final Say Referendum 

Plaid Cymru has long campaigned for a People's Vote to end the 
Brexit crisis, to safeguard Wales's place in Europe and the thousands 
of jobs that depend upon our EU membership. 

The Tories have wasted three years on their failed Brexit project and 

have consistently refused to give people a final say. 

The Tory Deal 

Plaid Cymru strongly opposes Boris Johnson's catastrophic Brexit deal.
It takes us on a trajectory out of the Single Market and Customs Union.
The Government's own forecasts, made in January 2018, suggest it

would lead to a slowdown in growth for the UK of -5.5% after 15years outside the European Union. For Wales this would likely beworse since our economy has a higher reliance on exports to the EU. 

It is a blind Brexit, giving no certainty about what will happen after thetransition period, which will be negotiated from a position of extreme 
weakness. 

It fails to guarantee workers' rights and environmental standards - 
with assurances placed in the non-binding Political Declaration ratherthan the legally binding Withdrawal Agreement. We cannot trust 
Boris Johnson with our rights. 

It puts a hard border in the Irish Sea, creating chaos in Holyhead andFishguard. Our western ports are of primary strategic importance for ournation - Plaid Cymru will do everything in our power to protect them. 

It denies a say for our Senedd. Despite having consistently votedin favour of remaining in the Single Market and Customs Union, 
and supporting a People's Vote, our parliament has been ignored 
throughout. 

Prolonging Brexit Chaos 

The Tory deal is, in effect, no-deal by another route. It means that we 
will be stuck debating Brexit for the next twelve months. We will then 
face another no-deal Brexit cliff-edge in December 2020 if no free 
trade agreement is agreed, with all the economic harm we know that 
will cause to Wales. 


Leaving without a deal, with tariffs imposed on our lamb exports,

would seriously impact on Welsh agriculture. It would also put at risk 
vital supplies of medicines and fresh food. The catastrophe of a crash 
out Brexit is still in play and safeguarding the welfare of the people of 
Wales is Plaid Cymru's number one priority. 


Brexit would lead to a severe reduction in the growth of the Welsh 
economy. Remaining in the EU will give the economy certainty it 
has lacked for three years.
Brexit would lead to huge import tariffs - as high as 84% on cattle 
carcasses, and 48% on lamb. Remaining in the EU would allow
farmers to maintain their current markets without disruption.
Brexit will lead to huge uncertainty for the thousands of EU citizens 
in our communities in Wales, and to those from Wales living in the 
rest of Europe. Remaining in the EU means equality - welcoming 
EU citizens to Wales and giving our young people the chance to 
live, work and study across the EU. 

The Tories have wasted three years pursuing damaging deals which 
show their complete disregard for Wales. It is now time to draw a line 
under their mess - by stopping Brexit. 

Plaid Cymru's Record 

In the wake of the 2016 referendum, Plaid Cymru worked hard to 
understand the potential impacts of Brexit and took the initiative to 
work with the Welsh Government to produce a common policy aimed 

at mitigating the worst effects of leaving the EU. 


Our work recognised: 


Two thirds of Welsh exports go to EU countries.
Our success in attracting foreign investment is largely based on 
access to the EU single market of more than 500 million customers.
200,000 Welsh jobs rely on our trade with Europe being frictionless. 
Consequently, Plaid Cymru called for: 


Full membership of the EU Single Market for goods, services andcapital - including our key agricultural and food products.
Wales to remain in the Customs Union to allow goods to be traded 
freely with more than 80 countries around the world. 
As Plaid Cymru's representative on the House of CommonsBrexit Select Committee, Arfon's Hywel Williams workedtirelessly to scrutinise the British Government's shambolichandling of the negotiating process. He has ensured that Welshinterests have been at the forefront of Committee members' 
minds, especially concerns over Welsh industry and agriculture,
as well as the impact on Welsh ports of leaving the CustomsUnion and Single Market. 

The EU Single Market and Customs Union are both essential for 
our home-grown employers and for attracting inward investment 
and job creation and this would be the minimum we need to protect 
Wales' economic interests. That is why we voted for them when the 
opportunity arose in Westminster. At the same time, we in Plaid Cymru 
stated that this would still be worse than staying inside the EU. Eventhough we might be able to negotiate a position where Wales could 
remain in the Single Market and Customs Union, being outside the EU 
would mean we would have no say over the future decisions about the 
way they develop. 

Indeed, since the referendum, industries and jobs have suffered 

as a consequence of Brexit and the current climate of uncertainty. 
Remaining in the EU will enable us to safeguard jobs and having easy 
access to Europe will encourage important foreign companies to 
invest in Wales. 



Trade Deals 

The idea that forging new trade deals once out of the EU would 
be easy was another of the unrealistic promises made during the 
referendum. Plaid Cymru warned from the very beginning that the 

British Government would find it impossible to roll over the 40 trade 
agreements from which it currently benefits through its membership 

of the EU. So far, the UK has only been able to reach 18 deals that 
represent a small proportion of total UK trade. 

As a state with a population of 67 million, Britain will not be ina position to call the shots in negotiations with the US, with itspopulation of 328 million. A trade deal with the US, if prioritised overthe EU, will inevitably involve the UK following some US regulations. 

Plaid Cymru will work hard to ensure that any future trade policy will 
uphold social, health and environmental protections. We will never 
support deals that weaken the standards and rules on food safety and 
medicines. 

While Plaid's Carmarthen East and Dinefwr MP Jonathan 
Edwards brought attention to the important issue of 
agricultural tariffs in the event of no-deal, the BritishGovernment had indicated it would follow a slash and burn 
approach in the event of no-deal, seeing vital protections 
removed. 
At every opportunity we will fight any attempt to open up the NHS to

privatisation in future trade deals. 

Wales' future is better placed within the EU with its high regulation 
standards, and its population of over 500 million people. 

Plaid Cymru will ensure that all the national parliaments of the UK are 
consulted throughout the negotiations on future trade deals, and that 

the ratification process includes endorsement by the Senedd, the 

Scottish Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly. 


Agriculture 

Brexit has serious implications for Welsh farmers. In Wales, more than 
half of a farmer's income comes from the direct payments received 
through the EU's Common Agricultural Policy. 

If we leave the EU, the Welsh Labour Government proposes to follow 
the UK Conservative Government by phasing out direct payments 
to farmers and establishing a new environmental land management 
system. Meanwhile, farmers in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the 
rest of the EU 27 will retain direct payments, creating an unlevel 

playing field for Welsh farmers and undermining the viability of their 

businesses. 

Ceredigion's Ben Lake strongly made the case to the 
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs that in 
any future agriculture funding arrangement each country 
in the UK should have an equal say on the total amount ofmoney allocated to farming. 
Meanwhile, if we were to leave the EU without a deal, Welsh farmers 

would face crippling tariffs on selling their products in their main 

market which is the rest of the EU. It is vital that we protect the 
Welsh family farm through remaining in the EU - vital for our rural 
communities, economy, environment and culture. 



Manufacturing 

Uncertainty around Brexit is already impacting on manufacturing. 
To give three examples from just one sector, more than 1,700 job 
losses have been announced at Ford in Bridgend and another 220 at 

Schaeffler and 95 at Calsonic Kansei car components plants in Llanelli. 


There has also been a serious decline in inward investment since the 
2016 referendum, with Wales bottom of the league table. The average 

fall-off in incoming new projects across the UK was 16.5%, but for 
Wales it was 46%. Nissan is abandoning its plans to build one of 
its flagship vehicles in Sunderland. The electronics giants Sony and 

Panasonic are moving their headquarters from London to Amsterdam 

and Honda is closing a factory at Swindon, which will affect up to a

dozen major suppliers in the Welsh automotive industry. Meanwhile 
Airbus, which employs 6,000 people in Broughton in north-east Wales 
and another 500 at Newport, has announced that Brexit will threaten 
future investment decisions and job prospects. 

Citizens' Rights 

Brexit is not merely an economic problem - it is ripping away rights 
from millions of people. Thousands of people from all over Europe 
have honoured our country by choosing to live with us, to contribute to 
our society, to become Welsh. 

They were promised from the beginning that their circumstances 
would not change as a result of Brexit. However, the Tories' "EU 
Settlement Scheme" treats people like second class citizens, forcing 
millions of people across the UK to apply to stay in their own homes. 
The British Government's position means that anyone who does not 
apply by the deadline (which is 31st December 2020 in case of nodeal, or 30th June 2021 in case of a deal) will not have the right to stayin the UK and could face deportation. 

Plaid Cymru have led the campaign both in Westminster andin Brussels on the right of the people of Wales to keep theirstatus as Welsh Europeans, in securing continuing Europeancitizenship after Brexit. 
In 2018, the House of Commons backed a Plaid Cymru motionto allow continuing European citizenship after we leave the EU,
a call that was also supported by organisations such as OpenBritain, Best for Britain and the New European newspaper.
Our MEP Jill Evans also secured widespread support in theEuropean Parliament for the proposal. 
Plaid Cymru would change the Settled Status application system intoa registration system, ensuring that all EU citizens who are resident in 
the UK before exit day should have the right of permanent residence, 
and that every person who is entitled to settled status will have thesame rights. 

A Welsh Migration System 

Migrants make a valuable and important contribution to Welsh life, 
both economically and culturally. Migration is important for many 
of our key sectors. For example, migrants make an importantcontribution to our NHS. Thirty per cent of our doctors received their 

training abroad, with 6% being trained in EU countries. Remaining in 

the EU is the best way of protecting EU citizens' right to work here. 

This Westminster Government is proposing unworkable and illogical 
immigration policies which will hurt the Welsh economy. Instead, 
we need a rational immigration policy that works for Wales, where 
students and job creators can come, but wages aren't undercut. 

In government in Wales, Plaid Cymru will create a Welsh Migration 
Advisory Service so that we can have a system that plugs skills gaps,
especially in agriculture and social care, and protects our health 

service from staff shortages. 


Plaid Cymru will also seek the devolution of migration policy, so that 
Wales can set its own migration quota according to our own needs, 

with greater flexibility, for example, in processing entrepreneur visas. 


Where there are identified skills shortages, we should be actively 

recruiting across the EU. In addition, international students must be 
taken out of net migration targets. 

Staying in the EU will enable our students and our researchers to study 
anywhere across Europe, which is in the best interests of Wales and 
the UK as a whole. 

It is crucial that all migrants are treated with dignity and regard for their 
basic human rights. We want to protect the rights of migrant workers 
and combat all forms of labour exploitation and forced labour. 

Plaid Cymru has consistently called for the rights of all EU citizens inthe UK and UK citizens in the EU to be legally protected. 


Like other EU countries, we must assume our responsibilities and 

provide aid and support for those fleeing war or persecution. We 

must take a more humane approach and show greater solidarity with 
refugees, including those crossing the Mediterranean in precarious 
circumstances. We will lead the call for an EU migration policy based 
on solidarity, which means moving towards a migration system based 
on a fair allocation of asylum seekers across all Member States. 

Plaid Cymru wants Wales to be a nation of sanctuary for refugees 

fleeing war and oppression and will help refugees and asylum seekers 

integrate into Welsh society. 


The evidence is clear 
- Brexit would be 
deeply damaging toWales' communities. 
That is why we are 
campaigning for a FinalSay referendum in 
which Plaid Cymru willcampaign to Remain. 


"The only reason 
Westminster 
remembers 
Wales exists is 
because of Plaid 
Cymru's MPs." 


WELSH 

GREEN JOBS 
REVOLUTION 

We understand that climate change, together 
with the global collapse of biodiversity, is the 

defining challenge of our time. The climate 


crisis, destruction of nature and overuse of 
natural resources threaten the foundations 
of humanity's well-being. With declining 
biodiversity, polluted air and accelerating 
climate crisis, the time to act is now. 

Wales has the natural resources to become 
a world leader in renewable technology and 
address the biggest global challenge of our 
time. If we are serious about tackling climate 
change, we need to start investing in the green 
economy and building the workforce we need 
to make it a success by investing in our people. 

That is why Plaid Cymru will implement a 
Green Jobs Revolution which will ensure 
that Wales makes the transition to becoming 

100% self-sufficient in renewable energy by 


2030. Our Renewables Revolution will create 
tens of thousands of highly skilled jobs in 
Wales over the next ten years. 

Carmarthen East's Jonathan Edwards 
and Ceredigion's Ben Lake havecampaigned tirelessly with the TrawsLink Cymru campaign to create anational rail corridor starting withCarmarthen to Aberystwyth. 
As a result of the Budget deal betweenPlaid Cymru and the Welsh LabourGovernment, Mott MacDonald was 
commissioned to undertake a feasibilitystudy on the project. It calculated thatif the rail line was up and running by2024, it would generate 370,000 trips.
That would rise to 425,000 by 2027 and489,000 by 2037. 
25 



Welsh Green 
Jobs Revolution 

We are demanding that the UK Government allocate an additional 
1 per cent of GDP per year to capital investment over the next tenyears. In Wales this would allow us to invest an extra £15 billion 
through a Welsh Green Jobs Revolution to shift the economy awayfrom London. In addition we will be pressing the Treasury to allow theWelsh Government to borrow on its account up to £5 billion for capitalinvestment. 

In Wales this will allow us to invest a total of £20 billion in our green 
jobs revolution These sums will allow us to create tens of thousands 
highly skilled green collar jobs, allowing Wales to be a trailblazer in the 

fight to tackle the climate emergency. 


Wales Fund for the Future 

This investment capacity will allow us to establish a NationalReconstruction Fund to rebuild Wales. An incoming Plaid Cymru 
government in 2021 will embark upon the biggest programme of 
reconstruction our nation has seen since devolution. We have a 
comprehensive plan for national infrastructure and green investment 
designed to reverse decades of decline. 

This momentous task will take a generation, but we must start now in 
order to ensure that we leave a safe environment for our children. 



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27 



Welsh Green 
Jobs Revolution 

Projects could include: 

Communications Infrastructure 


Creating a publicly-owned Welsh Broadband Infrastructure 
Company to guarantee access to full-fibre broadband to every

home and business in Wales by 2025.


Electrification of all major rail lines by 2030. We will complete theplanned electrification of the South Wales Valley Lines. The next lineto be electrified should be the North Wales Coast Line. 
Building a super-Metro for south-east Wales with new stations 
acting as development hubs.
Building the new Swansea Bay and Western Valleys Metro, and 
reopening rail services for the Amman, Swansea, Neath and DulaisValleys.
Developing a metro for north-east Wales and relocate the Chester 
Transport for Wales Depot to the north of Wales.
Creating a trans-Wales railway: connecting Wales' coastal 
communities by re-opening the Carmarthen to Aberystwyth linetogether with a second phase linking our communities from north to 
south. 
A Cross-Rail for the Valleys, from Porth to Pontypool.
Expanding the Traws Cymru bus network with high-quality coaches 
powered by renewable sources of energy.
Transport for Wales will create a new publicly owned regional
bus company for southern Wales. This will amalgamate Cardiff 

and Newport Bus with First Cymru to provide additional inter-city

bus services between Newport, Cardiff and Swansea and additional 

cross valley services. 

Green Energy Infrastructure 


Tidal Lagoons for Swansea Bay, Cardiff and Colwyn Bay.
Building an Ynys M™n offshore windfarm.
Building an Usk barrage.
A network of local energy grids for Wales.
Amending land use planning legislation to enshrine a fast-track 
route for community-owned energy schemes such as hydro-electric 
power projects, with a presumption in favour of development. 
Welsh Green 
Jobs Revolution 

Green Social and Economic Infrastructure 


A comprehensive £5bn Greener Homes programme to improve the 
energy efficiency of housing in Wales and reduce fuel poverty.


Build 20,000 green social homes.
Creating a new Urban Development Corporation for the Valleys andfor the Arfor (coastal) region of rural west and north-west Wales. 
Designating town centres across Wales as Opportunity Zones, with 
tax relief and capital investment to turn them into enginesof localised green development rather than symbols of decay.
We will establish Empoyment Action Zones in rural and industrial 
areas with high unemployment where we will offer special

exemption for employer National Insurance and enhanced tax 

credits for Research and Development. 

Public Sector Procurement 

More environmentally friendly jobs can be created and secured within 
the Welsh public sector by promoting more localised procurement 
policies. Far too much money is being spent buying goods andservices from non-Welsh contractors. Huge multinational companies 
are doing work that could be done by local companies. 

Plaid Cymru will fight to ensure that billions of pounds in public sector 

contracts are spent in Wales, protecting jobs and retaining investmentlocally. As part of new public procurement regulations we will ensure 
that all public sector workers in Wales and those in the private sector, 
who work for business in receipt of public money, earn a real livingwage. Plaid Cymru opposes the use of Zero Hours Contracts and has 
led calls at the Senedd to ban them in Wales. 


CARING 

FOR 

EVERYONE 

Free Social Care at the Point 
of Need 

In the face of devastating on-going cuts and 
an increase in demand, our social services 
are struggling to cope, and it is the vulnerable 

people who use them who are suffering. 


Free Social Care at the point of need, 
delivered by a new and seamless National 
Health and Social Care Service, will ensure 
that our older people are treated with the 
dignity they deserve. We estimate this will cost 
the Welsh Government an extra £300 million a 
year, which in the context of an overall Welsh 
budget of £17 billion, is an achievable priority. 

Social care will be transformed into a service 
that puts people's independence above the 
needs of bureaucracy, meaning that we aim 
to make people's lives worth living rather than 
merely keeping people alive. We will place 
far greater emphasis on investment in early 
intervention and preventative health and care 
services to ensure people can be kept healthy 

and independent. This is the best way to 
relieve the pressure on the NHS. 

We will establish parity of pay and terms and 
conditions between Social Care and Health 
Care workers. The ambition of health and 
social care services working side by side 
cannot be achieved with the current inequality. 
We want our sick, elderly and vulnerable 

people to be treated and cared for effectively 


and with dignity. This can only happen if 
the social care workforce is well-trained, 
resourced and motivated to do so. Planning 
for a skilled and sustainable workforce is 
therefore crucial. 

The Older Generation 

As a party, we recognise the positive 
economic impact of older people upon 
the economy and will promote Wales as 
an older-person friendly location. Plaid 
Cymru will protect our pensioners from the 

stealth cuts that have been inflicted on our 

pensioners over the past decade. 


Caring For Everyone 

Plaid Cymru recognises the importance of older people to Welshsociety and to our economy. Plaid Cymru campaigned for the end ofthe compulsory retirement age, and will support older people to stay in

employment, or find work, if they wish to do so. We will work with third

sector organisations and the police to better protect older people fromexploitative scams. 

We support the Women Against State Pension Injustice (WASPI)
campaign and would provide compensation to those women who havelost out from an ill communicated and ill thought through policy. 

Plaid Cymru supports calls by the UK Mineworkers Pension Associationto get the 50-50 split of pension surplus renegotiated. We will continueto demand a fairer deal for former miners to access the money that isrightfully theirs. 

Ben Lake has been one of the strongest and most dedicated

voices for WASPI women over the last two years, both in

local campaigns in Ceredigion and parliamentary campaigns

in Westminster. 

We will protect the benefits given to pensioners and will maintain the

triple lock on state pensions. We will require the BBC to reverse the cutsto free TV licences. The free bus pass that allows older people to keepin touch with friends and maintain their independence will be protectedand with our investment in public transport will become more important.
We will also support keeping public toilets open to allow older people,
and others, to visit town centres and other places of interest andmaintain their independence. 

More Doctors, Nurses and Dentists 

Today's Welsh NHS is characterized by a shortage of doctors, nursesand dentists. The number of doctors per head in Wales is lower than inScotland and is one of the lowest in Europe, despite our higher ill-healthstatistics. 

31 



Caring For Everyone 

In government, Plaid Cymru will train and recruit an additional 1,000doctors, 5,000 nurses, and 100 dentists for the Welsh NHS. We will 
increase the number of home-grown Welsh doctors, nurses and dentiststhrough our investment in medical schools and training, includingaccelerating development of a medical school in Bangor. In hard-to

recruit areas and specialisms we will offer financial incentives to new

doctors in exchange for service. This will also enable us to ensurethat we protect our local services and improve access to care in thecommunity. 

The Welsh NHS makes too much use of Agency staff. This spendingincreased from £60m in 2013-14 to £150m in 2018-19. We will aim to 
bring this amount down to the 2013-14 levels, freeing up an extra £90m

to contribute to our recruitment programme. 



32 
33 



Caring For Everyone Caring For Everyone 

Opposing Privatisation 

There is no place for profiteering in our health service. Plaid Cymru

rejects the marketisation and privatisation of the NHS and will continueto oppose any moves in that direction from governments, whether in

Westminster or Cardiff Bay. 


Thanks to pressure from Plaid Cymru and trade unions, the WelshLabour Government was forced to accept that Betsi Cadwaldr HealthBoard was planning to privatise dialysis services and even transfer NHSnurses into the private sector. They dropped the dialysis plans but cameup with a new scheme to privatise pharmacies. We are continuing to

lead the fight against privatisation. 


In the event of leaving the EU, we will strongly oppose the inclusion ofthe Welsh NHS within any future trade deals with the USA, if necessary,
by promoting legislation in the Senedd. 

Role of Local Government 

Plaid Cymru recognises the essential work of local government inproviding vital services to the community. From child protectionto economic development, from the maintenance of highways toeducation, it is Local Authorities that are instrumental in delivering a

significant range of services. We will continue to support the proper

funding of council services and will continue to rebalance the Welshbudget towards preventative, locally-delivered interventions acrosshealth and social services, education and support for families. 

Mental Health Services 

Plaid Cymru strongly believes that Mental Health should have parity of

esteem with other NHS services. We will provide for a 5% increase in

mental health expenditure every year for the next decade, doubling theamount we spend on a cumulative basis. 

We will establish a 24/7 Mental Health Crisis service for those in acute

distress, that will work alongside the emergency services. We willcontinue to support whole population approaches towards improvingthe mental health of everyone and preventing illness through bettereducation in schools, access to green spaces, and the tackling ofstigma and discrimination experienced by so many. 

People with mental health problems should not be forced to travel tooutsourced and often inappropriate residential facilities. We will thusseek to establish Welsh based specialist services for the small numberswho need acute inpatient treatment, building the facilities that areconducive to recovery. 

We will invest in improving community mental health services, includingcreating more counsellors so that, where appropriate, alternatives tomedication are available in all communities.

 Some people with mental health problems also have problematicsubstance use issues. Mental health professionals should be trained todeal with these inter-related and co-occurring conditions. 

We will restore to Wales the specialist mother and baby unit for mothers

suffering from severe mental illness that was removed by Cardiff and

Vale Health Board in 2013. 

Cancer 

Wales continues to have lower cancer survival rates than most countries 
in Europe. Diagnosis at an earlier stage is essential in improving longterm survival. Multi-disciplinary diagnostic testing that is currently onlyavailable in south Wales will be extended to the rest of the country. Wewill also provide screening programmes where the clinical evidence

shows these will be of benefit. 


We remain committed to ensuring cancer patients have a key workerto support them at all stages of their cancer journey. We will developcancer pathways that enable speedier treatment, particularly for thoseat greater clinical risk. 

Rural Healthcare 

We will improve access to rural healthcare by providing consultant-
led Accident and Emergency and Maternity services within one hour'sreach of rural and peripheral communities. We will reform NHS planningguidance to avoid penalising rural hospitals. Clinical networks willenable consultants working predominantly in smaller hospitals to retain

sufficient skillsets. 



34 
35 



Caring For Everyone Caring For Everyone 

NHS Rehabilitation Service 

We will create a Community NHS Rehabilitation Service, bringingtogether GPs, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, District andCommunity Nurses, Mental Health Counsellors, and Patient Advocates.
It will be responsible for follow-up treatment and ensuring that otherservices such as social security and local authorities play their part inhelping patients. The service will: 


Provide rehabilitation for patients following treatment, including 
prevention of further ill-health, and ensuring a person can live asindependently as possible.
Ensure the optimal management of chronic conditions.
Tackle causes of continuing ill health such as access to incomesupport and poor housing. 
Public Health 

Plaid Cymru has already led the way on public health measures inWales, campaigning successfully for a ban on smoking in public placesand minimum alcohol pricing. Until recently we were ridiculed forsuggesting a sugary drinks tax, but now this is policy across the UK. Wewill further explore how the tax system can be used to promote publichealth, for example through introducing a minimum price per unit ofalcohol, and through imposing additional taxation on other potentiallyharmful products. 

We will establish an independent, publicly funded National Institute forPublic Health policy to advise on all public health matters without being

influenced by vested interests. This body will also be responsible for

supporting schools in educating children about healthy lifestyles. 

We will reform planning law to provide greater protection for greenspaces in urban areas, expanding the minimum requirements for playarea provision in planning developments, and banning the sale of

playing fields for housing unless those fields are replaced on a like for

like basis. 

We will increase spending on active travel routes and promote walkingand cycling. We will ensure all schools meet the minimum requirementof providing children with the opportunity to do two hours of physicalactivity each week. 

We will prevent local authorities from cutting access to sports andleisure facilities, or using community asset transfer of such facilitieswhere doing so would put the access to such facilities at risk. 

Drugs Misuse 

Drug misuse can have a debilitating effect on people and their loved

ones. However, the current hardline approach to drugs criminalisescitizens who have an addiction but does nothing to help them overcometheir problems. It also criminalises people may use drugs medicinally orrecreationally but who do no harm to others. 

Rather than focusing services on all drug users, we believe we shouldfocus on the small number of people with dependency and seek toaddress the underlying causes of their misuse via Checkpoint Cymru. 

Drugs have been decriminalised in Portugal since 2001, enabling apublic health approach to drug users; dissuading new drug users andencouraging dependent drug users to enter treatment whilst focusing

police resources on those who profit from the drugs trade. 


By sending the message that drug users are not criminals, the reformhas contributed towards greater tolerance and integration of drug usersinto society. It has reduced the stigma around drug use and has allowedmore users to access the treatment they need. 

Moreover, drug use in Portugal has decreased since decriminalisation.
Its drugs prevalence is below the EU average and, for example, it nowhas the lowest rate of cannabis use in the EU. Rather than turning morepeople towards drugs, decriminalisation has allowed more people toreceive the treatment they need. 

For these reasons, Plaid Cymru is calling for a National Commission onreforming drug law. 


36 
37 



Caring For Everyone 

Accountability of NHS Managers 

We will make NHS management accountable by establishing a newregulatory body for approved NHS managers. This will be responsiblefor setting and improving professional standards for managers within theNHS. We will give the new regulatory body the power to strike managers

off the register in the event of serious errors or misconduct. We will

also establish a new national whistleblowing procedure and enhancedprotection for whistleblowers in the NHS. 

Charter for Patients' Rights 

We will Introduce a Patients' Rights Charter to specify minimumstandards of service for patients, including maximum waiting timesbefore patients receive treatment. 

Research 

We will invest in the infrastructure needed to make the Welsh NHS a 
world class environment for conducting clinical trials. This will help us torecruit doctors and scientists, as well as ensuring that our patients getaccess to the latest and most innovative treatments. We will continue 
to push for Welsh participation in European Research Networks, and toensure that Wales receives its fair share of research funding. 

Rigorous Professional Qualifications 


Qualifications for professionals working in the NHS should be rigorous

and compatible with EU standards. They should not be watereddown by the threat of a de-regulated workforce. We will press for freemovement of health professionals throughout the EU. 

Clinical Trials 

We support the publication of all clinical trials to ensure transparency in

medical research. We will support efforts to increase the robustness of

EU licensing of medicines, and stronger regulation against false healthclaims being made in product marketing. We will be vigilant against anyattempt to reduce these standards in any post Brexit environment. 


Caring For Everyone 

A Paperless NHS 

We will use technological developments to underpin modernised modelsof care to deliver better outcomes for patients as well as increasing

efficient use of finance and human resources. Patient records will be 


fully electronic within the next period of Government and every patient

will have access to a Digital Health Service which will offer an app for

appointment booking, contacting specialists over a secure messagingservice, and viewing lab results. 



38 
39 



A FAIR 

DEAL FOR 

FAMILIES 

Lifting Children out of Poverty 

Every child deserves to have the best start in 
life. Plaid Cymru want our children to live in 
warm homes, have enough food, to receive 
high-quality education and to be happy. 

The reality is that Wales has the highest rates 
of child poverty of any UK nation, with one in 
three children living in poverty. The Institute for 
Fiscal Studies have indicated that if nothing 

changes, this figure is likely to increase to 


40% of Welsh children by 2020, with welfare 

reform a significant factor. This is a damning 


indictment of the impact of the Conservatives' 
cruel austerity agenda and consequent cuts 
to welfare, together with twenty years of 

inefficientgoverningof Wales byWelsh Labour. 


Beyond the statistics, poverty has real 
consequences for the lives of children in Wales 
today. Children are being forced to go to school 
hungry and to bed cold, resulting in a negative 
impact on their health and education. Poverty 
can have lasting impacts long into adulthood 

such as increased risk of homelessness, lower 
earning potential and greater likelihood of 
limiting illnesses. 

The time has come to take bold action. If 
we do not, we risk a whole generation of 
Welsh children in low-income families being 
left behind. In Government, Plaid Cymru will 
introduce a comprehensive plan to tackle child 
poverty which will include: 

A new £35 a week payment for every 
child in low income families, lifting 50,000 
children in Wales out of poverty. 
Free Care and Education for all 1-3 year 
olds - we will provide free full-day early 
years childcare and early years education 
to all children between 1-3 years old. We 

will offer seamless care from early years 


into school. Our aim will be to use this 

first stage of education to ensure that all 


Welsh children become bilingual. 
We will impose statutory targets for 
reducing child poverty. 

A Fair Deal For Families 

Early years interventions are vital. We will ensure that coordinatednational and local multi-agency early intervention strategies will create

a level playing field for each child, whatever their background or

circumstances. Plaid Cymru will use schools as family support hubswith multi-agency early intervention for vulnerable children and theirfamilies from birth. 

Raising Education Standards 

We will raise education standards and create more opportunities forour children by tackling the funding emergency faced by our schools

that sees £324 less being spent in real terms per pupil during 2018-19compared with the corresponding figures in 2009-10. 


Plaid Cymru will provide an extra £300million a year for our schools andcolleges, allowing for long term planning. It will enable us to expandcapital investment in new school-community hubs, together with

developing new Welsh medium schools and 3-14 and 3-19 through-

schools where there is local demand. 

We will make sure resources reach the frontline in an effective and timelymanner, moving away from specific grants, and last-minute allocations.

We will work with childcare providers, such as Mudiad Meithrin, to

ensure that sufficient Welsh language childcare is available in all parts of

Wales. 

Teachers inspiring children in our schools are crucial to raising standardsand producing a prosperous and fair Wales. We will encourage a closeconnection between teacher and pupil and give it space in which to

flourish. We must pursue all avenues in order to promote and protect

this important relationship, removing all unnecessary interference. Good

teaching makes all the difference. 


However, we are currently facing a crisis in our education system withan estimated one in three teachers quitting the classroom within their

first five years. Therefore, a Plaid Cymru Government will implementa series of measures to give teachers and auxiliary staff a supportive

workplace, allowing them to make their relationship with their pupils theprimary focus of their work. This will be done by: 


Fully utilising devolved powers over work conditions in the classroom 
to ensure teachers are allowed to dedicate their time to teaching andinspiring their pupils, making the needs of the child and youngperson central to all they do. 

40 
41 



A Fair Deal For Families A Fair Deal For Families 


Cutting bureaucracy and removing all unnecessary interventions
that disrupt the essential child/teacher relationship, concentrating

on meaningful support, monitoring and accountability where 

necessary following a full review of current practice.


Creating a professionalised support staff network with adequate
rates of pay and clear career progression.
Ensuring that we attract and retain world class teachers by raising

the formal standing of teaching as a profession through introducing

mandatory continuous professional development.


Creating a National Cooperative Agency for Supply Teachers whichwill ensure they receive the same entitlement to training andstandards as classroom teachers. 
The development of the new curriculum presents exciting opportunitiesto transform our education system. However, successfully delivering anew way of working requires a great deal of preparation and support.
Plaid Cymru will ensure that teachers have the time and resources theyneed to prepare, and access to professional development opportunities

to ensure that the curriculum is implemented effectively. We will ensure

that we take the opportunity the new curriculum provides to foster a goodunderstanding of mental health and well-being, including establishingphysical education as a core element of the curriculum with more timeearmarked for physical activity, as well as provision for lessons on healthyrelationships, citizenship, children's rights and Welsh identity. 

Higher Education 

Plaid Cymru believes that higher education should be free for all, and wewill continue to work towards this aim. Another guiding principle is ourdetermination to address the long term brain drain of young people outof Wales. Forty per cent of all Welsh students left Wales in the past year. 

Plaid Cymru will undertake a review of the funding offer for Welsh

domiciled undergraduate and post-graduate students, in respect of bothtuition fees and living costs. 

We will provide a subsidy to students resident in Wales who wish tostudy in Wales. Target groups and those studying subjects vital tothe Welsh economy and public goals will pay no tuition fees in Wales,
including those taking up key healthcare posts, studying science,
engineering and technology subjects and students from particularlychallenging backgrounds. 

In addition, we will: 


Increase funding for degree apprentices in Wales
Guarantee to replace EU funding which supported research in highereducation in the event of Brexit 
Protect inward and outward student mobility post-Brexit, includingparticipation in Erasmus+ or any successor schemes and cross-
border study on the island of Ireland. 
Further Education 

Further Education colleges are a crucial link to expanding key skillsand productivity for all. But they are underfunded, and college teachersand lecturers are not given the same level of support or pay asschoolteachers. We propose to increase college lecturer pay in Wales toensure parity with schoolteachers in terms of base hourly pay. 

Plaid Cymru will establish a paid student officer position for each college

to ensure student unions are securely established in the FE sector. We

propose making public transport free for all FE/6th form students and

apprentices in Wales below age 21 in full time education or training. 

Apprenticeships 

Apprentices aged below 21 do not have the same access to supportnetworks such as student voices. An apprenticeship should not justbe considered an access point to employment, but an educationalexperience, with more uniformity than is currently the case. 

We propose all apprentices under the age of 21 should be partneredwith a Further Education college to ensure appropriate support,

including access to college days or off-site training/education for key

skills or other appropriate education choices. 


ACTION 

ON 

HOUSING 

Help for people in the rented 
sector 

We support a new tax credit for people who 
pay more than 30% of their income on rent 
and utilities. 

Renters in Wales have a bad deal: 37% 
of private renters in Wales earn less 
than £15,000, and almost half of private 
households in Wales spend more than 30% of 
their income on housing costs. 

Everyone needs safe, stable and suitable 
housing to stay well, but in Wales, that is 
becoming the privilege of fewer people every 
year, due to soaring prices and limited public 
sector budgets. 

This leaves over 100,000 households with 
very little to spend on basic living expenses 
like food, heating or transport. Rent is 
becoming more and more expensive while 
wages are stagnating. 

Plaid Cymru will help those people by 
creating a new tax credit of up to £25 a week 
to households paying over 30% of their 
income on private rent. 

Investment in Affordable Homes 


Alongside the new tax credit, we need an 
overhaul of housing policy in Wales. The 
supply of new units of social housing remains 
lower than it was in the 1990s, most of the 
1980s, and substantially lower than the second 

part of the 1970s. This reflects successive 


governments' lack of willingness to invest in 
new social housing over the period. 

43 



Action On Housing 

A Plaid Cymru government in Wales will create a National HousingCompany which will borrow against rents to build a new generation ofpublic rental housing in Wales, with a target of achieving 20,000 new

homes over five years. We will also support Local Authorities wishing to

build new Council Housing. We will ensure that all new-build housing willbe insulated to the highest standards and equipped with photovoltaicsfor electricity generation and solar water-heating. 

Homelessness 

The slashing of public provisions and benefits by consecutive

Conservative Governments in Westminster, together with a policy of'managed decline' by the Welsh Labour Government, has led to hugeincreases in homelessness. Across Britain, more than 12,300 peoplesleep on the streets each night, with a further 12,000 spending the nightin cars, trains, buses or tents. 

Homelessness increased by 63% in Wales between 2012 and 2017,

with 10,373 households threatened by homelessness between 2018

and 2019. Plaid Cymru believe that no society can legitimately call itself

civilised if a person must sleep on the street. Above all, tackling thisproblem is a question of political will. 

We support the comprehensive and detailed plan produced bythe homelessness charity Crisis which, if implemented would endhomelessness and bring overall savings to UK public services of around

£34.6 billion by 2041. In Wales it would entail savings of about £70

million a year. 

Plaid Cymru will adopt a 'housing first' philosophy - as implemented in

countries like Finland - to support those that are homeless. Recoveryprogrammes are more successful after an individual has been housed.

Being asked to be abstinent and/or sober whilst homeless prior to

receiving housing is impractical. 

We are committed to abolishing the archaic Vagrancy Act of 1824, apre-Victorian law that makes homelessness a crime. Not only is fining

or imprisoning those on the streets cruel, it leads to their being activelydiscouraged from engaging with the police for fear of enforcementmeasures being taken. This does not help anyone. 


Action On Housing 

We support an approach based on Centrepoint's key principles to tackleyouth homelessness. There should be a 'single front door' for youngpeople to have a consistent and reliable place to access help. We willensure that agencies coordinate their activities to respond to young

people at risk. Too often young people fall between the gaps of different

services and agencies. 

Plaid Cymru is fighting for a fairer benefit system that will take the cost

of housing into account. 

Planning 

We will create an overarching strategic framework for planningthat prioritises sustainable development and protects againstenvironmentally damaging development. Our aim is a system thatprovides greater freedom for individuals to improve their own homesbut less freedom for the large developers to ride roughshod overcommunities. 

We will reform the Local Development Plan system to ensure thatdevelopment is far more collaborative, involving communities at a farearlier stage in the process than at present. We will ensure the Welshlanguage is given greater prominence in the planning system, with alllarge developments being required to demonstrate a positive impact onthe language. 

We will create a Welsh-based Planning Inspectorate that is requiredto meet the needs of our communities. We will ensure fairness in the 
planning system through strengthening the rights of communities tospeak and provide evidence to planning committees, and ensure thatcommittees receive genuinely independent legal advice. 



47 


COMBATING 

CRIME 

Devolution of Police and Justice 

It is unacceptable that Wales is the only 
nation in these islands without powers over 
its policing and justice policies. 

Plaid Cymru is committed to the devolution 
of policing and justice to Wales to empower 
us to implement and pursue policies that 
serve the interests of our citizens and 
communities. As argued by the Thomas 
Commission on Justice in Wales, this will 
allow us to create integrated people-centred 
services - from prisons to counselling to 
housing - to replace the present callous 
approach that prioritises targets over 
people's needs. 

Police budgets have been slashed, putting 

far fewer officers on the street. Welsh forces 

have been hit harder than those in the rest 
of the UK, due to an unfair funding formula. 
Between 2010 and 2018, the number of 

police officers in Wales decreased by 9%. 

More Police in our Communities 

Plaid Cymru will recruit an extra 1,600 police 

officers - two for each community - to keep 
us safe. This would mean that our officers 


will be better rooted in our communities, 
instead of being stretched to cover large 
geographical areas with fewer resources. 
This would give the police the ability to focus 
on the priorities they need to keep us safe. 

The extra police officers will help facilitate 

community engagement in which the police 
and the community can relay issues of 
mutual concern. Targeted, community-
based problem-solving approaches improve 
crime reduction and rehabilitation. 

Combating Crime 

Crime Prevention 

In recent years we have come to understand more about the relationshipbetween Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) - traumatic eventssuch as sexual or physical abuse, domestic violence, and parental

separation - and future offending and imprisonment. The Welsh ACEs

study showed that people who have experienced four or more ACEs are

14 times more likely to have been a victim of violence over the last 12

months, 15 times more likely to have committed a violent crime, and 20times more likely to have been imprisoned at any point in their lifetime. 

Eight in ten prisoners in Wales had at least one ACE and nearly half had

four or more ACEs. Within the general population, around 46% have oneACE and 14% have four or more. 


Community-based interventions are more effective at reducing re-
offending and social exclusion than short-term imprisonment. Shortcustodial sentences offer limited opportunities for rehabilitation and

many people leave custody with the same underlying issues as whenthey entered. 

We believe that a preventative approach across health, criminal

justice, education and other settings is more effective in tacklingyouth offending. Addressing the underlying causes of crime, such as

protecting children from abuse or neglect, is proven to reduce criminalbehaviour. In civil matters, early intervention and sound advice canprevent the involvement of the courts and can reduce hardship for manypeople. 

As part of our preventative approach, we will implement a long-termsubstance use harm reduction strategy. Problems and deaths fromsubstances are more prevalent in Wales than other parts of the UK.
We want to reduce substance use and substance related deaths byinvesting in a long-term strategy. This should focus on harm reductionthrough a wide range of services and education programmes that treatproblematic substance users as patients rather than criminals. 


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49 



Combating Crime Combating Crime 

Domestic Abuse 

Whilst a member of the Domestic Abuse Bill Committee and co-chair of 
the Justice Unions and Family Courts Parliamentary Group, Liz SavilleRoberts was the leading voice in Parliament for an overhaul of familycourts in order to protect victims of domestic abuse. 

Liz Saville Roberts' Ten-Minute Rule Bill highlighted the issue of cross-
examination by perpetrators, particularly in vexatious court claimsreceived cross-party support, and successfully put pressure on the UKGovernment to include the change in the draft Bill. 

However, due to Boris Johnson's reckless parliamentary games, all theprogress achieved on the Domestic Abuse Bill has been lost. 

In the next parliamentary session, Plaid Cymru will continue to workhard for a robust piece of legislation including: 


A register for repeat domestic abuse register where abusers havebeen convicted of abusing two or more victims, administered by a 
properly resourced police force.
Prevent the police or prosecutors from disclosing the address of a 
victim or witness of domestic abuse, coercive control or sexual 
assault to the person accused of the offence.


Proper training for Police forces on Domestic Violence.
Ensuring that Accident and Emergency Departments have trainedDomestic Violence advisors who can advise doctors to refer cases to 
the Police. 
Ensuring that migrant and BME victims of domestic violence receive 
tailored support from authorities 
Courts and Legal Aid 

Plaid Cymru has been vociferously opposed to the British Government'sreforms to the legal aid budget which have stripped thousands of peopleof access to legal aid. The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of

Offenders Act 2012 effectively reversed the previous legal aid scheme,

removing most civil legal matters from the scope of legal aid. 

Plaid Cymru will reverse the harsh cuts so that people who are currentlyunable to access legal aid can exercise their right to justice. This shouldinclude the establishment of a simpler and more generous assessment

scheme for civil legal aid, ensuring all benefit recipients automatically qualifyfor legal aid, and making the contributions to legal aid more affordable. 


Prisons 

Wales has the highest incarceration rate in western Europe, with onein every 667 people in the country behind bars. The prison-industrial

complex in the UK has meant that four of the five prisons in Wales areovercrowded, leading to a deterioration of conditions for both staff and

inmates. 

One of the most effective ways of ensuring the rehabilitation of an

inmate is to house them close to their local community and families.

However, 39% of Welsh prisoners are held in England and 30% of

prison spaces in Wales are for English inmates. We believe that inmatesshould be placed as close to their local communities as possible. 

We do not believe that super-prisons are the most effective way of

combating crime nor the best use of our resources. That is why weopposed the building of the Berwyn super-prison in Wrexham and theproposed super-prison in Port Talbot which was scrapped due to ouropposition. 

Entering the criminal justice system can either be a symptom of orcause longer-term issues. These include homelessness, mental health

issues and substance misuse. Almost 25% of Welsh inmates were 
homeless when they entered prison, over 90% of prisoners have at leastone of five psychiatric disorders, and there was a 475% increase in drugfinds in prisons over the last year. 


Poverty and poor health are being criminalised. This needs to changeby ensuring that support services are well-funded and by tackling theunderlying issues that can lead to criminality. 

According to research by the Wales Governance Centre, those fromBlack, Asian, Minority Ethnic backgrounds are disproportionatelyrepresented in prisons and the criminal justice system. In 2017, black

people were 4.5 times overrepresented in prison, Asian prisoners were

1.7 times overrepresented and individuals from mixed ethnic group were
2.4 times overrepresented. 
Plaid Cymru will fully implement the recommendations of the LammyReview to address the disparity of treatment and outcomes for blackand minority ethnic people within the criminal justice system, together 
with the Angiolini Review on deaths and serious incidents in policecustody. 


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Combating Crime Combating Crime 

Women in Wales are especially ill-served by the justice system, with allWelsh female prisoners being held in one of the twelve women's prisonsin England. This often results in the separation of young children from

their mothers and makes family visits difficult. Moreover, there is a

complete absence of Welsh language services for women prisoners. 

The crimes committed by men and women can vary significantly.
Women's offending tends to be of a less serious nature, which meansthey tend to serve a shorter sentence. In 2016, 74% of all women

convicted were sentenced for less than 6 months. 

Short-term sentences often bring considerable chaos and disruption tothe lives of women and their families, Conversely, women who complete

short-term sentences are more likely to re-offend than those sentenced

to a court order. 

Women are also overwhelmingly sent to prison for theft rather than

violent offences. Often, women are stealing to feed their children or to

support a partner's drug habit. According to the Prison Reform Trustaround half of women have been victims of crimes that are more serious 
than the ones for which they are being imprisoned. 

We will use suspended sentences for those women who are chargedwith non-violent crimes, dampening the disruption caused to them andtheir family. Rather than being 'soft' on crime, this is in line with best

practice as it lowers reoffending rates in comparison to short-term

custodial sentences. 

Plaid Cymru will support a dedicated, small, prison or secure centres forfemale prisoners in Wales, to ensure access to family support networksas we accept that there will be occasions where a custodial sentence is

appropriate and justified. 


Rape 

An estimated one in five women have experienced some form of sexual

violence since the age of 16. Rape is still an under-reported crime and itis estimated by the Crime Survey for England and Wales that only one insix victims of rape report the incident to the police. 

More needs to be done to tackle this heinous crime and our approachwill be multidisciplinary and work across a plethora of institutions. Froman early age we will teach our children about respectful relationshipsand consent in schools whereby they can be informed about whatconstitutes a healthy relationship and what is permissible. We will alsolaunch a public information campaign to make clear what constitutes asconsent and tackle rape culture. For those that have already committedsexual assault we will ensure that perpetrator programmes are wellfunded in prisons and within probation teams in order to minimise therisk of this crime happening in future. 

We will ensure that the police, magistrates and juries have the correctinformation with regards to the handling of complaints and the correctinformation with regards to what constitutes rape. Only a tiny minority

of cases fit under the 'textbook' definition of rape and those within

the Criminal Justice System must be aware that rape can be betweenpartners or between those that have been intimate in the past. 

For those that have been a victim of this crime we will ensure that 
Sexual Assault Referral Centres are properly funded with adequatetraining for the professionals that work there. We will also ensure thatcounselling services are available and well-funded as victims of rape

can suffer from co-occurring issues relating to mental health and drug

and alcohol abuse, especially due to self-medication. 

Knife crime 

Rising knife crime has coincided with austerity, having increased to

record levels, with 1,353 in the UK in 2018, a 23% rise on the previousyear. This is a reflection of the impact of Tory cuts to policing at

Westminster and Labour cuts to local government in Wales. The WelshGovernment's total spend on youth work has fallen from more than

£40m five years ago to £32m in 2017-18. 


We will work with youth clubs, sports governing bodies, schools,
community groups, voluntary organisations and youth workers toimprove youth services and to increase the availability of both formaland informal activities. 

There were only were three convictions for every 100 rape casesrecorded by the police in England and Wales in the past year. Althoughthe number of alleged rapes recorded by the police increased by

9%, the number of charges fell by 38%, prosecutions by 33% andconvictions by 27%. 



Combating Crime 

Racism and Hate Crime 

Everyone should be able to feel safe and respected within theircommunities. In Wales, Plaid Cymru will work with Police and CrimeCommissioners to ensure that all hate crime - including homophobic,
racist and anti-disability hate crime, and online abuse - is treated as a

serious offence by Welsh police forces and investigated appropriately sothat victims can feel confident and secure in reporting incidents. 


We will proactively engage with a broad and representative spectrumof communities to ensure a plurality of views are heard and taken intoaccount. In particular we will: 


Combat Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, anti-migrant sentiment and allforms of racism and bigotry in politics, on our streets, online and inour media. 
Work to increase the participation of minorities and women in politicsand public life.
Address the underlying socio-economic challenges faced byBAME communities, including providing funding for English andWelsh language tuition, to encourage successful integration in Welshsociety. 

55 


WELSH 

CONSTITUTION 

Plaid Cymru believes that Wales should 
become an independent member of the 
European Union. We want to forge a new 
relationship with the other countries of these 
islands based on equality. This will be made 
all the more urgent in the event of the UK 
leaving the EU. 

Our aim is to achieve these objectives by 
2030, and before then if circumstances 
allow. 

We recognise that achieving these 
objectives will entail a number of interim 

steps, the first being for Plaid Cymru to form 

the Welsh Government following the 2021 
Senedd election. 

Further Devolution 

During this period, we will press for the 

devolution of financial powers to the 

Senedd, plus the transfer of justice, 
economic development, welfare and culture 
powers that are currently reserved to 
Westminster. 

Finance 

We need greater financial powers to enable 

the Welsh Government to tailor taxation and 
funding to meet the needs of Wales. These 
include: 


Devolution of corporation tax as is the 
case in Northern Ireland. 
Devolution of Air Passenger Duty as 
is the case in Scotland and Northern 
Ireland. 
VAT revenues assigned to Wales as is the 
case in Scotland. 
Welsh Constitution 

Borrowing by the Welsh Government is currently limited to £1bn over

five years. This is far too low. Wales should be permitted to borrow toinvest up to £5bn over five years. This would be well within the fiscal

guidelines proposed by both the Conservatives and Labour for the UKas a whole. 

Justice 

The two reports of the Commission on Devolution in Wales, togetherwith the Thomas Commission on Justice in Wales for the People ofWales have made a powerful case for the devolution of Justice Powersto Wales and the creation of a distinctive Welsh jurisdiction and legalsystem. Together with the necessary resources for undertaking them,
these powers will include: 


Policing
Criminal Justice and the courts 


Sentencing, Legal Aid, the Crown Prosecution Service and the 
Judiciary
The Prison Service and the Probationary Service 
Economic Development 

Economic powers currently reserved to Westminster that should bedevolved to enable to Welsh Government to develop a more coherenteconomic development strategy include: 


Public Sector Pay
Natural resources 
All licensing and oversight powers for the exploitation of natural resources
The Crown Estate 
Water 
Ports and harbours 
Maritime Coastguard Agency
Full control of the Wales and Border rail franchise 
Network Rail operation in Wales 

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57 



Welsh Constitution Welsh Constitution 

Welfare 

A decade of austerity has had a severe impact on our poorestcommunities. That is why we are pressing for full control of UniversalCredit. This will enable us, for example to permanently remove thebedroom tax, as is planned in Scotland. 

The Westminster Government's Welfare Reform Act 2012 and the 

Welfare and Work Act 2016 have inflicted untold harm on thousands 


of people in Wales. In November 2018, a report by the UN rapporteuron extreme poverty found that poverty in the UK is "systematic" and"tragic" due to the deep "ideological" cuts to public services since 2010. 

To tackle these problems Plaid Cymru will press for welfare powers to

be devolved, and negotiate an appropriate fiscal framework in each

case. They would include: 


Personal Independence Payments
Carers Allowance 
Attendance Allowance 
Disability Living Allowance
Winter Fuel Payments
Cold Weather Payments
Severe Disablement Allowance 
Industrial Injuries Disability Benefits
Funeral Expenses Payments
Sure Start Maternity Grant
Discretionary Housing Payments 
Culture 

Plaid Cymru will demand the devolution of broadcasting to the Seneddso that we can develop a broadcasting sector made by the people ofWales, for the people of Wales, and accountable to the people of Wales. 

Independence Commission 

In November 2019 Plaid Cymru established an expert Independence

Commission, chaired by Jocelyn Davies, the former Senedd Member forSouth East Wales and former Minister in the One Wales Government. 

The Commission's role is to prepare the way for an incoming PlaidCymru Government in 2021. It will recommend the steps we will need totake to achieve independence for Wales in the coming decade. 

The greatest obstacle to Welsh independence is the charge that we

simply cannot afford it, that a country as rich as Wales in natural

resources and in the skills and imagination of her people, is somehowtoo poor to be independent. 

Fundamentally, the reason why there is such a large gap between the

taxes we raise in Wales, and the money we spend on benefits and

public services, is the way our economy has been mismanaged bysuccessive centralised London governments. 

We need independence precisely in order to change that. 

In the meantime, we need to demonstrate that, even with the limited 

powers that the present devolution settlement offers us, we can begin toclose the fiscal gap. The Independence Commission will undertake an 


analysis and produce recommendations on policies an incoming PlaidCymru government should pursue over a ten-year period to ensure that

the Welsh fiscal gap is reduced. 


The Independence Commission will address the legitimate questionspeople have about how an independent Wales would work, on issuessuch as currency, borders, the UK national debt, and pensions. 

The Commission will draw up a Written Constitution for an independentWales. 

It will also oversee the production of a Self-Determination Bill. This willbe the paving legislation that an incoming Plaid Cymru Government willbring forward in 2021, aimed at preparing for the referendum on Welshindependence that will take place before the end of the next decade. 

The legislation enacted by this Bill will enable the Plaid Cymrugovernment to engage with as wide a cross-section of people andinterests as possible. It will include the creation of a new organizationwith a full-time secretariat, to oversee the process leading to thereferendum. A series of Citizens' Assemblies will inform the people ofWales on the wide-ranging issues and questions that the prospect ofindependence raises. 


59 


FINANCE AND 

TAXATION 

In Parliament, our Treasury spokespersonJonathan Edwards has used everyopportunity to highlight the inequality atthe heart of the British State, and to fightfor fiscal fairness for Wales.
To begin addressing the imbalance,
Jonathan presented a Ten MinuteRule Bill at Westminster seeking toestablish an Office for Fair Funding,
with a statutory obligation to delivergeographic wealth convergence. Itwould be a neutral and expert arbiter indisputes so that Wales would stand onan equal footing with London and theSouth East of England when it comesto funding. 
The UK is one of the most unequal states 
in Europe. The richest region in the UK, 
Inner London, has a GDP of 614% of the 
EU average, compared to the UK's poorest 
region, West Wales and the Valleys, with a 
GDP of 68% of the EU average. This is a 

shocking indictment of a financial system 
that has impoverished Wales for the benefit 


of a select few in London. 

Nine of the twelve countries and regions 

of the UK are persistently in deficit. The 
current UK economic and fiscal model is 


broken. Policies pursued by successive UK 
governments, both Conservative and Labour, 
underpin the high concentration of political 
and economic power in London and south 
east England with public investment being 
disproportionately concentrated in those 
areas at the expense of the rest of the UK. 

Finance And Taxation 

Public investment needs to have rebalancing the UK economy as agoal. What is needed is sustained, additional funding: to replace EUfunds if Brexit happens - to help sustain the economy through the Brexitheadwinds and, crucially to pump-prime the economy to redress thecurrent and long-standing geographic imbalances. It is only by pursuingsuch a strategy that the full economic potential of Wales and the rest ofthe UK outside London and south east England can be realised. 

Fair Funding for Wales 

The present Barnett Formula for distributing funding to the devolved

nations has been largely unchanged for forty years and is not fit for

purpose. Tied to an outdated population-based formula it has beenwidely discredited as failing to relate to relative need. Plaid Cymru

believes it should be replaced by an Office for Fair Funding, with a

statutory obligation to deliver geographic wealth convergence acrossthe UK. It would be an independent and expert arbiter in disputes. 

Capital Investment 

For too long Wales and the rest of the UK has suffered from low capital

investment resulting in low productivity and low pay. At a UK level,
funding for increased capital investment should be at least an additional1 per cent of GDP per year (£20bn) for a minimum of ten years. Suchinvestment would be funded by increased borrowing. The fundingshould be allocated on a needs basis with Wales being allocated at leastan additional £1.5bn a year to fund the investment programme set out inthis manifesto. 

Increasing Revenue 

Plaid Cymru believes that everybody should pay a fair share of tax sothat we can all share excellent, world-class public services. That meansthat those who earn most - as individuals or as companies - must makea fair contribution. 


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61 



Finance And Taxation Finance And Taxation 

We advocate the following tax measures: 


We would reverse the British Government's planned cut on
corporation tax. Cancelling the planned cut from 19% to 17% due in 

2020-21 would raise around £5 billion. 


Income tax relief on pension contributions should be restricted to the 
standard rate of 20 per cent. This would raise revenue across the UK 
estimated by the Institute of Fiscal Studies at £11.5bn a year. 
We should increase the employee rate of National InsuranceContributions for higher rate and additional rate taxpayers from 2 per
cent to 4 cent raising an estimated £2bn a year. 


Taken together these three measures will raise an additional £20bn ayear for funding vital public services. Thus, increased current spendingon services will be funded from increased taxation, while additional 
capital investment will be funded by borrowing. 

Transport 

We would scrap the wasteful and environmentally harmful HS2 project.
That would not only avoid the destruction of important habitats, itwould also allow us to instead invest public transport infrastructuremore fairly across the UK. HS2 currently swallows up a third of the UK

Government's support for rail (£2.1 billion out of a total of £6.4 billion

during 2017-18). It is clear from published and leaked reports that HS2will cost far more than the planned £56bn - up to £100bn and may neverreach beyond Birmingham. Now is the time to stop this vanity projectand redirect that investment to areas, such as Wales and the north of 
England, that really need it. 

Plaid Cymru opposes the construction of a third runway in Heathrow.

Although Heathrow has put a £14bn figure on its expansion costs,
others say the true figure will be nearer £30bn. 


If the go-ahead is given for these English projects, which nonethelesshave UK-wide impact, then Plaid Cymru will demand extra fundingfor Wales in terms of a full proportionate share, as determined by theBarnett funding formula. 

Defence 

Plaid Cymru has consistently opposed the hugely wasteful anddangerous replacement of Trident. The replacement of Trident isexpected to cost at least £205 billion. We will scrap this waste of money,
allowing money to be invested in public services and infrastructure. 



ENVIRONMENT 
AND CLIMATE 
CHANGE 

Biodiversity 

Widespread loss and degradation of 
habitats across Wales is now as obvious to 
us as climate change. We must act swiftly 
and with determination if we want to halt the 

effects of the ecological crisis on our wildlife 

and begin to see recovery. This calls for 
action close to home and globally. 

Plaid Cymru will bring forward legislation to 
tackle the extinction crisis, placing a legal 
obligation on this and future governments to 
act for the recovery of nature. Furthermore, 
we will secure robust, independent 
governance and accountability processes 
to uphold the law and stand up for our 
environment. 

We will support greater transition to organic 
and other sustainable farming systems. 

We will develop plans for renewable energy 
that operate in harmony with nature by 
identifying ecologically sustainable sites 

for offshore and onshore wind energy 

development, as well as potential areas for 
solar and tidal energy development. This 
will be a cornerstone of our 'Welsh Energy 

Atlas'. It will show where different forms 

of energy resources would have the least 
ecological impact, as well as potential sites 
for nature redevelopment and conservation. 


63 


Environment And 
Climate Change 

Global Deforestation 

Though forests are the lungs of our planet, they are being decimatedacross the world at an alarming rate. Wales has a role in resisting thistrend. We will: 


Legislate to end the importation of goods that have causeddeforestation. 
Invest in Overseas Development Aid that supports a transition toecologically friendly farming.
Require that imported palm oil comes from sustainable sources.
Ban imports of soy, beef and other agri-commodities from illegallydeforested land. 
Protecting our Seas 

Plaid Cymru supports a strong UN Global Ocean Treaty capable of creating

a network of ocean sanctuaries covering at least 30% of oceans by 2030.

This should involve an immediate moratorium on deep sea mining. Allfurther activity within UK exploration contracts should be halted. 

International Trade 

Future trade deals undertaken by the UK, whether inside or outside theEU, should maintain and enhance environmental standards, minimise 
the environmental footprint of trade and make trade terms explicitlysubject to environmental and human rights commitments. There should

be specific protections for vital global ecosystems and habitats such as

the Amazon, and for indigenous people. 


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65 



Environment And Environment And 
Climate Change Climate Change 

Minister for the Future 

Plaid Cymru proposes the establishment of a new Ministry for theFuture. In the Senedd, we already have a dedicated Shadow Ministerfor the Future. As well as surveying the broad policy environment, theMinister will be tasked with taking a long-term view of our environment,
with responsibility to: 


Ensure that Wales transitions to a low carbon, nature friendly 
economy.
Develop a package of environmental and fiscal reforms to aid the 
transition to a greener economy.
Encourage private sector investment in new green technologies. 

Creating Sustainable Communities 

We want Wales to play our part in leading the world in a just transition

to sustainable communities. The first step is securing the devolution of

all responsibilities for our natural resources, such as the Crown Estates,
Ofgem and the National Grid, so that the power to act is in the hands ofthe people of Wales, through our democratically elected Senedd. 

Carbon Mitigation 

Our energy policy will be geared towards ensuring that our resourcesare used sustainably, tackling pollution, developing jobs in the post-
carbon economy and increasing our energy independence. 

We will invest in the acquisition and development of new large scalegenerating and storage capacity projects through our renewablesrevolution and provide support for community energy initiatives. PlaidCymru will commission a national inventory of green energy potentialin Wales, an "Energy Atlas for Wales", which will identify areas wheredevelopment will have the least ecological impact. 

Plaid Cymru will increase community ownership of renewable energy to

retain more benefits locally. We will: 



Establish a national energy agency, Ynni Cymru, which would becharged with realising Wales's green energy potential.
Fully realise marine energy potential including wave, tidal range andtidal stream energy.
Seek a complete ban on fracking and new open-cast coal mines.
Oppose the development of new sites for nuclear power stations.
Oppose the use of pylons through National Parks and Areas of 
Natural Beauty, advocating the use of underground and undersea 
cables to carry electricity where feasible. 
Increasing Woodland 

To make our contribution to tackling climate change we need tosubstantially increase the acreage of Welsh forestry. Since NaturalResources Wales took over responsibility for forestry in 2013, newwoodland planted has been less than 1,000 hectares a year, andin some years has been below 500 hectares. We should aim for aminimum planting rate of 2,000 hectares a year from 2020, a targetrecommended by the UK Climate Change Committee. 

We will examine the case for establishing a dedicated forestryorganization to undertake the urgent task of addressing the ClimateEmergency by planting more trees. We will ensure that this policyis closely connected with agri-environment incentives for farmers.
Increasing our native tree woodlands not only has a major part to play

in terms of carbon capture, but offers many other benefits includingflood control, providing wildlife habitat, improving the quality of our

landscape, and creating useful timber products. 

While they were MPs, Plaid Cymru's team recently receiveda 100% rating in the Guardian's analysis of MPs' records on

16 indicative climate votes between 2008 and 2018, reflecting

our long-standing support for ambitious long-term climate 
targets. 


Environment And 
Climate Change 

Clean Air 

It is estimated that air pollution contributes to 2,000 deaths a year inWales. We will implement a Clean Air Act for Wales to: 


Create clean air zones in our towns and cities. 
Give communities the right to place pollution-monitoring equipmentoutside schools and hospitals.
Enable local authorities to introduce pollution and congestioncharges.
Set a national and regional plan to reduce air pollution in Wales.
Reform planning law to require impact on air pollution to be given 
greater weight in the planning system.
Accelerate the transition to an electric transport system so that petrol 
and diesel cars are phased out by 2030. 
Reducing Plastic Waste 

We will tackle the issue of plastic waste by banning single-use plastics,
developing sustainable alternatives and increasing recycling targets.
Plaid Cymru will place Wales at the forefront of the circular economyand ensure a Zero Waste Wales by 2030 through a combination oflegislation and policy initiatives, such as Deposit Return Schemes,
extended producer responsibility and use of planning laws, levies andtax-making powers. 

Flood Prevention 

We will place a greater emphasis on flood prevention in planningguidelines, recognising that climate change will make serious flooding

events more likely in future. We will invest in prevention work to reduce

new and repeat flooding across Wales, utilising land management

techniques such as planting new woodland to manage water retention

in the uplands and prevent water run-off. 


67 



Environment And 
Climate Change 

Electric Vehicle Charging Network 

We will invest in a national electric vehicle charging network across Wales,

starting the transition towards a wholly electric fleet of public sector

vehicles and increased use of private EVs. Currently Wales has eight ofthe counties with the lowest number of public car charging points per

person across Britain. Cardiff has 45 public charging points, compared

with 112 in Edinburgh and 258 in Milton Keynes. Without publicintervention Wales will be left behind in the coming electric car revolution. 

Bike Reward Scheme 

Plaid Cymru will introduce a bicycle use reward scheme, to encouragepeople out of their cars and onto their bikes. This will lead to a

significant reduction in road congestion and a boost for improved health

and wellbeing. 

We will develop a scheme where participants are paid for every milethey cycle to work, as is the case in the Netherlands. This would go

hand in hand with significant improvements to cycling infrastructure,

making cycling safer and more enjoyable for children and casual bikeusers. It would include nationwide improvements to cycle paths, thedevelopment of cycleways connecting economic hubs and providingtrain carriages with enough room for bicycles. 



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69 



FOOD, 
AGRICULTURE 
AND FISHING 

Food 

The Welsh food and drink sector is integral 
to the prosperity and health of communities 
throughout Wales. The food supply chain 
is worth £7 billion to the Welsh economy, 
while the food and drink industry employs 
an estimated 240,000 people. We will seek 
to create a stronger domestic food market 
underpinned by a more resilient processing 
capacity supported by more pro-active 
public procurement policies. We will also 
protect and grow the Welsh brand, building 
on the highest environmental and animal 
welfare standards. We support a GMO-free 
Wales and the continuing moratorium on GM 
crops in the EU. 

Plaid Cymru will fight for full powers for 


the Senedd over food labelling. This would 
allow us to build on and enhance the Welsh 
brand, helping promote and add value to our 
internationally renowned Welsh produce. 

Plaid Cymru MPs will also seek to ensure that 
any future trade deals secure geographical 
indications for key Welsh food such as Welsh 

Lamb and Beef, Halen M.n/Anglesey Sea 


Salt, Pembrokeshire early new potatoes, 
Conwy Mussels, Carmarthen Ham and Welsh 
Wine. 

Agriculture 

Farming is the backbone of rural communities 
across Wales and agriculture is an important 
sector in terms of the broader Welsh economy. 
Currently, well over half of most Welsh farmer's 
incomes come from the direct payments they 
receive through the EU's Common Agricultural 
Policy. Direct payments provide stability and 
security to farmers and are crucial in ensuring 
the vitality of Welsh farms and the wider rural 
economy. 

Food, Agriculture 
And Fishing 

The Welsh Labour Government intend phasing out direct paymentsif we leave the EU, which would have a devastating impact on therural economy and the fabric of rural communities. A Plaid Cymrugovernment will retain a direct payment scheme. We can also protectthis funding for Welsh farmers by remaining in the EU. 

This general election has added more uncertainty around Brexit, sincebefore it was called the UK government had guaranteed payments untilthe notional end of the Parliament, that is until 2022. 

Plaid Cymru believes that more must be done to tackle bovine TB.

Experience from other countries shows that we must be more effective

in tackling TB in wildlife if we are to get a grip on the situation. Evidencefrom the Downs study recently underlined the contribution that removingbadgers can have on TB breakdowns, which is why Plaid Cymrubelieves it has to be part of the answer in Wales. 

Plaid Cymru is calling for the devolution of powers relating to dog

attacks on livestock. In the north of Wales alone, there were 449 


recorded cases of dog attacks between 2013 and 2017. As well as

causing distress to animals they incur a large financial burden on

farmers. The four main pieces of legislation that currently cover livestock

attacks are antiquated and do not fit with current agricultural practicesor the seriousness of the offence. Devolution and a change in thelegislation is necessary to ensure the seriousness of this offence is

understood, and that Welsh police forces have the powers to properly

trace and deal with offenders. 


Fishing 

The Welsh fish and shellfish sector is worth £25 million to Wales and 
exports 90% of its produce, much of it to the EU. The vast majoritycatch shellfish, exporting them live to the continent or further afield viaEU trade deals. Welsh capture fisheries, aquaculture producers and

seafood supply chains are particularly vulnerable to any hold-ups inthe transporting of their produce. If they are held up in ports, they can

deteriorate and lose value. Any tariff barriers or non-tariff barriers would

have an immense impact on their viability. 

The frictionless trade which is a benefit of EU membership is thereforecrucial. Remaining in the EU will help protect the future of our fishing

families. 


71 


ANIMAL 

WELFARE 

Wales can lead the way in the protection of 
animals and ensuring high animal welfare 
standards. We believe that there should be 
tougher sentences for those who abuse 
animals and that there should be an Animal 
Abuse Register for Wales. 

New legislation 

Plaid Cymru supports the introduction of new 
legislation to regulate the sale of pet animals 
online to ensure that animals are protected. 

Primates are intelligent and socially complex 
animals and we believe it to be unethical 
to keep these animals as pets. As such, we 
will introduce new legislation to fully ban the 
keeping of primates as pets. 

We will implement the recommendations of 
the Westminster Parliament's Environment, 

Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee on 


ending breed specific legislation, as it fails 


to protect public safety and results in the 
unnecessary destruction of hundreds of dogs. 

We will also introduce an online harms 
regulator with the power to require social 
media providers to ensure that animal cruelty 
content is not shared on their platforms. 

We will ensure that any imports in existing 
and future trade agreements are consistent 
with Welsh and UK animal health and welfare 
standards, in order to maintain our current 
high standards and to provide a level playing 

field between our farmers and farmers in 


other parts of the world. 

We will strengthen legislation against illegal 
puppy imports in order to end the exploitation 
of legislative loopholes by criminal gangs. 

Animal Welfare 

Brexit 

Currently, 80% of animal welfare legislation comes from EU law. We

cannot trust the Westminster government when it comes to animalwelfare. As members of the EU, countries may adopt more stringentrules than the EU animal welfare legislation, which sets down minimumstandards. However, the UK Government has been resistant to goingfurther than the EU minimum in the past over fears that this wouldweaken UK competitiveness. 

If we leave the EU, the UK will be seeking to strike trade deals witheconomies much larger than its own - countries such as the USA thathave much lower animal welfare standards than the EU. It will be doingso from a position of weakness. 

Plaid Cymru will demand that future trade deals seek to strengthenrather than weaken animal welfare legislation. However, the best way ofsecuring animal welfare protection is by stopping Brexit, allowing us tobuild upon the foundations provided by EU law. 



73 


THE WELSH 

LANGUAGE 

Plaid Cymru want a genuinely bilingual Wales 
where citizens can choose which language to 
use in their daily lives. There is wide support 
for the goal of reaching one million Welsh 
speakers by 2050. The education system has 
a key role to create the growth that is needed 

and to make fluency in both our national 


languages the norm. 

To achieve that, we need to substantially 
increase the number of Welsh speakers across 
the country and ensure that speakers have 
opportunities to use the language wherever 
they choose to do so. We want to encourage 
a greater use of Welsh in the workplace in 
the public, private and third sectors, and 
in government. We will use procurement 
contracts and apprenticeships to promote the 
use of Welsh. 

The Welsh language belongs to everybody in 
Wales and it is important that everyone has 
the opportunity to become bilingual. We will 
increase the availability of Welsh language 
education from nursery, to further and higher 

education, right through to adult learning. We 
will achieve a world-class education system 
that is truly bilingual, giving everyone the 
opportunity to learn through the medium of 
Welsh. 

A Welsh Education Act would ensure that 
everyone in Wales has the right to receive 
Welsh-medium education. Through this new 
law, Plaid Cymru will ensure that our citizens 
have the opportunity to develop skills in the 
Welsh language at every level as well as 
ensure the right to receive Welsh-medium 
education whatever a person's age or 
background. 

Plaid Cymru will retain the post of Welsh 
Language Commissioner, ensuring that the 

Commissioner focuses chiefly on activities 


relating to setting and regulating Welsh 
Language Standards. New robust standards 
would also be introduced in the NHS which 
would secure the right to receive face-to-face 
services through the medium of Welsh. 

The Welsh Language 

We will establish a new high-status organisation, either at arms' lengthor embedded within the Welsh Government. This body will haveresponsibility for comprehensive language planning, the promotion andfacilitation of the language in the community, and will be empowered toguide policy development across all sections and levels of government. 

We will create an Economic Agency responsible for developing theeconomy of the western and northwest counties of Wales. As oneof Europe's poorest regions, improving its prosperity is essential forunderpinning the Welsh language and culture. 

It is also crucial that Welsh speakers are able to access and use thedigital world in Welsh so that they are not excluded from an increasinglydigitized society. There is already ground-breaking work taking placein Wales and Plaid Cymru will support this work, including establishinga Digital Menter Iaith to ensure that we address the problem of digitallanguage barriers. 



CULTURE AND 

MEDIA 

Plaid Cymru will place art, culture and 
language together with sport - all vitally 
important parts of our social tradition and 
way of life - at the heart of all our policies, 

from local government finance, through to 

health and education and our European 
policies. Creativity, innovation and a sense 
of place will be critical to the success of any 
economy in the 21st century and also carry 
a huge social dividend in wellbeing and 
community cohesion. 

We will maintain free entry to museums, 
create a National Digital Library for Wales, 
and work with National Museums Wales 
to create a dedicated National Gallery for 
Contemporary Art. 

We recognise that Wales has fewer bank 
holidays than almost any other nation in 
the EU. Plaid Cymru will make 1st March 
a national St David's Day bank holiday in 
Wales. 

Plaid Cymru is seeking the devolution of 
broadcasting so that we can create a level-

playing field with every other UK nation 

and give Wales the power to decide its 
own media and broadcasting policy. In 
government, we will promote a Welsh media 
that represents the people of Wales and 
what matters to them. 



77 



Equalities 

EQUALITIES 

Plaid Cymru believe in a fair and just society 
where everyone is treated equally and enjoys 
the same rights, regardless of their gender, 
ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation. 
Against the backdrop of a Tory Party who 
are intent on undermining the Human Rights 
Act, we will publish a human rights charter 
for Wales to protect the most vulnerable 
members of our communities. We will also 
seek devolution of responsibility for equalities 
legislation to Wales. 

Plaid Cymru understands that despite the 

significant progress made, on average, 


women are paid at lower rates per hour than 
men for work of equal value and are more 
likely to be in part-time employment or under 
employed. 

We are committed to encouraging women's 
full and equal participation in the economy by 
ending gender segregation in the workplace 

and promoting more flexible working 


patterns. Our policy of providing 40 hours 
free universal education and childcare to 
children above one will ensure that parents 
have the option of returning to work and save 
on the cost of childcare. 

A Plaid Cymru Government will promote 
all careers as being available to men and 
women. We will support women and girls to 
follow careers in key growth areas, especially 
in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering 

and Maths) fields. We will create mentorships 


schemes to increase the visibility of women 
in non-traditional occupations and senior 
roles and to increase girls' awareness of 

the many different paths available to them. 


We will also introduce gender balanced 
management boards in Welsh Government 
funded organisations. 

Plaid Cymru will address the impact of austerity-led cuts on funding forspecialist services for women who have experienced domestic violenceor abuse and ensure continued support to marginalised and vulnerablegroups in society. 

We believe that LGBTQI+ voices and experiences need to be heard

and affirmed. Having secured recurrent funding for the Gender Identity

Clinic, Plaid Cymru will work to improve the provision and ensure timelyaccess to the service. Schools in Wales will be required to keep aregister of bullying incidents related to sexuality, to take action wherenecessary and to involve students in anti-bullying initiatives. We will

promote LGBT participation in sport, as part of broader efforts towards

healthier lifestyles, and work with clubs and organisations to reducehomophobic, transphobic and sexist behaviour. 

Whilst we believe that disabled people should be encouraged andsupported into employment, we do not believe it is appropriate torequire disabled people to face the same obligations and threatsof sanctions in looking for employment. We will establish shelteredemployment schemes for those people who need a more supportiveenvironment to return to work, as a stepping stone towards fullparticipation in employment, and will work with accredited employers tocreate such schemes. 

We will ensure local authorities and social landlords provide moredisabled friendly and lifetime housing suitably adapted to people'sneeds. All schools will have appropriate access for physically disabledpupils. We will ensure that better support is available for people with

learning difficulties, including increasing the number of specialist nurses

in hospital settings to address inequalities in the provision of healthservices. 

Plaid Cymru is committed to working with blind, partially sighted, anddeaf people and those experiencing hearing loss, the organisationsrepresenting them, and professionals, to develop national strategies toensure co-ordinated and equitable access to services. 

Plaid Cymru will support the reform of the Gender Recognition Act to

introduce a streamlined, de-medicalised process. We will support efforts

to reform the Equality Act to include 'gender identity' as a protectedcharacteristic and to remove the use of the terms 'gender reassignment'and 'transsexual' from the Act. 


Equalities 

Caring for New and Growing Families 

Plaid Cymru believes that parents should be supported to work and

take periods of leave that reflect modern working practices, includingflexible working. With Brexit posing a real threat to workers' rights, Plaid

Cymru commits to protect the right to work of pregnant women andnew mothers by supporting a legal ban on employers making a womanredundant throughout pregnancy, and until six months after return frommaternity leave, other than in very limited circumstances, as called forby the charity Maternity Action. 

We will also tackle pregnancy and maternity discrimination in theworkplace by supporting the call to legislate to add reporting ofretention rates for women returning from maternity leave to the existing'gender pay gap' reporting regime. 

With a multitude of changes across new parents' lives, Plaid Cymru willwork to support parents' mental health during what can be a joyous,
yet challenging time by extending access to perinatal mental healthservices, including access to specialist mother and baby units withinWales. 

We will tackle loneliness and isolation amongst new parents byestablishing local Parent Networks, inspired by the successful Mamma 
Gruppen initiative in Sweden. 

Plaid Cymru supports the call for maternity and paternity pay and leaveto be extended in the case of babies that are born prematurely (before36 weeks' gestation). 

The recent Westminster legislation providing for free funerals for babiesshould be extended to cover those lost to early miscarriage. 

Autism 

Plaid Cymru believes that neuro-diversity should be regarded as anequalities issue, with public services required to make reasonableadjustments in the delivery of services. Consequently, we would makeneuro-divergence a protected characteristic under the Equalities Act. 

Plaid Cymru will pass an Autism Act for Wales that adopts a rights-
based approach for people with autism, or who are suspected of havingautism but are yet to receive a diagnosis. 


81 



Westminster Reform 

WESTMINSTER 

REFORM 

The Brexit crisis has demonstrated that 
Westminster is broken, and the people of 
Wales are paying the price. We are best 
served by our own National Parliament - the 
Senedd which is more inclusive and more 
representative than Westminster. 

Though forests are the lungs of our planet, they

estationGlobal Defor

Plaid Cymru were the hardest

working party at Westminster. In thelast parliament, Plaid Cymru MPsasked more parliamentary questionsand made more speeches thanthe Labour, Tory and Lib Dem MPsrepresenting constituencies in Wales. 

But we also have a duty to the people 
of Wales to protect their interests in the 
institutions that currently exist. That's why 

we have led the way in efforts to protect 

representative democracy against Boris 
Johnson's undemocratic shutdown of 
parliament and worked closely with other 
parties to block a no-deal Brexit. 

Plaid Cymru is committed to overhauling 
the Westminster voting system, getting 
rid of First-Past-the-Post and turning it 
into a parliament elected under the Single 
Transferable Vote proportional system, in 
which all votes count equally. 

Plaid Cymru supports reform of the House of 
Lords so that it becomes a directly elected 
upper chamber representing the regions of 
England, and so long as they remain part of 
the UK state, Wales, Scotland, and Northern 
Ireland. 

We will lead efforts to extend the right to 

vote to sixteen and seventeen-year-olds 
for Westminster elections, and we will 
campaign to give EU citizens and all those 
with permanent residency the right to vote in 
all elections. 

Westminster's faults are fundamental. The confrontational architecture of 
the chamber encourages antagonism and distrust between political parties. 

Plaid Cymru were at the forefront of the legal fight against

Boris Johnson's unlawful prorogation of Parliament, withHywel Williams, Liz Saville Roberts, Jonathan Edwards andBen Lake all petitioners to the case to the Scottish Courtof Session. We will continue to work across the parties todefend democracy at every opportunity. 

We will cancel plans for the £5bn restoration and renewal of the Palace 
of Westminster. Instead of building a replica of a parliament that hasseen barely any reform since the Nineteenth Century, we will campaignto move the Parliament out of London, in order to build a chamber 
that encourages civilized debate and which holds enough seats for all

650 MPs. We will also support abolishing the archaic and inefficient 

voting procedure in Westminster whereby MPs walk through lobbiesfor hours. Instead, we will support electronic voting, freeing up time forMPs to represent their constituents. 

Currently, nearly one in five MPs has regular paid work outsideparliament. We will lead efforts to strengthen the MPs' code of

conduct, to include an upper limit of extra earnings pegged at no more 
than half of their regular salary. 

Currently, there are 17 Assembly Members and seven Welsh MPs 
who employ members of their own families at the public's expense.
Whether in the Senedd, Westminster or Brussels Plaid Cymrupoliticians will not employ family members. 

As members of the Welsh Affairs Committee over the last 


two years, Plaid's Ben Lake and Jonathan Edwards havescrutinised the British Government on issues such as the 
proposed closure of Ford's Bridgend plant, City Deals andGrowth Deals in Wales, Wales and the Armed Forces, the 
devolution of Air Passenger Duty to Wales, and the impact ofBrexit on Wales. 


Westminster Reform 

We will put the interests of the people of Wales above political rivalriesand discourage language that incites hatred or encourages disrespect.
We commit to upholding a level of respect and professionalism betweencolleagues in Westminster. 

Nationality on Electoral Forms 

Currently, official electoral register documents force us to identify asBritish instead of Welsh. This is an insult to the 58% of people in Wales

who identify as Welsh only and not British. We will introduce a Bill toParliament changing electoral law so that all national identities - Welsh,

British, Scottish, English and Irish - are recognised as official options. 


We will give people the opportunity to identify as Welsh on their

passports, as well as the chance to have a Welsh flag, a British flag, or

neither on drivers' licences. 

The Welsh Language in Westminster 

Twenty-six years after the Welsh Language Act, Welsh speakers are stillat a disadvantage when it comes to Westminster. Welsh speakers havea right to correspond with all Ministers and access all government andparliament services through the medium of Welsh. 

MPs should have the right to speak Welsh in the House of Commonschamber so that all their constituents can feel represented. 



PEACE AND 

SECURITY 

Plaid Cymru wants to see Wales as part of a 
global community where we work together to 
keep each other safe and secure. 

Both the Tories and Labour want to spend 

billions on the renewal of an ineffective and 


unnecessary nuclear weapons system. Plaid 
Cymru are determined to prevent the renewal 
of a weapon of mass destruction and to 
scrap Trident. We will resist all attempts to 
relocate nuclear weapons in Wales or in 
Welsh Waters. 

We will instead base our regiments at home 
in Wales with a properly funded and looked-
after defence force. We will also work with 
the UK government and other agencies 
on cyber-defences to prevent technology 
attacks upon Wales and the rest of the 
United Kingdom. 

Plaid Cymru believes that, with the exception 
of binding international treaties, the decision 
to go to war should require the support of all 
four nations and we demand that a vote is 
held in the Senedd prior to any UK-supported 

military intervention in foreign affairs. The 


people of Wales have a democratic right to 
support or oppose such incursions. 

Plaid Cymru will take responsibility for our 
Welsh based veterans, in consultation with the 
Welsh Veterans Partnership. Veterans have 
been forgotten by successive governments, 

with vast numbers continuing to suffer mental 


and physical health issues with little access to 
the services they require. We will make sure 
that veterans receive excellent health care, 
including mental health care, and adequate 
housing. 



87 


WALES AND 

THE WORLD 

In government, Plaid Cymru will develop an 
international policy for Wales that restores 
our position as a great trading nation. We will 
introduce a Wales International, responsible 
for attracting new businesses, talent and 
industry from around the world, but also for 
putting Wales onto the global map for our 
exports. 

We will also establish, as in Ireland, a 
separate National Enterprise Agency, 
responsible for development inside Wales. 
A particular responsibility for this new body 
will be to ensure equitable investment and 
sustainable development throughout Wales. 

Plaid's Ben Lake has forgedconnections with the Consular 
Association in Wales in order to 
emphasise the importance ofdiplomatic representation. He raisedthe issue through a Westminster Halldebate in June 2019. 

Plaid Cymru will continue to support strategic 
trade missions across the world to foster 
awareness of Wales in new territories and 
take advantage of new opportunities that 
this provides to create jobs. We will publish a 
set of trade negotiation principles, including 
for labour and environment standards, 
and protection of the rights of cultural and 
language minorities. 

Wales And The World 

We will encourage other countries to establish diplomatic representationin Wales, taking inspiration from countries such as Catalonia andQuŽbec, whose capital cities host dozens of Consulates-General andConsulates, and have emerged as thriving international hubs. 

Whilst chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Catalonia,
Arfon's Hywel Williams was the leading voice in Westminsteragainst Spanish state repression in Catalonia. Hywel's urgentquestion in October 2019 led to cross-party support for thedefence of freedoms and civil liberties in Catalonia, and 
gained international press attention. 

We will establish a formal relationship between the Welsh Governmentand the Consular Association in Wales as a starting point for developinga strategy to encourage more diplomatic representation in Wales,
bringing together key businesses, with a shared objective of enhancingthe Welsh economy. 

We will call for Welsh associate membership of UNESCO, the Food andAgriculture Organisation, and the International Maritime Organisation. 

Tourism 

Plaid Cymru recognises the importance of the tourism industry acrossWales as an employer and in attracting investment into the country. Wewant to promote Wales as a high quality, sustainable tourism destinationwith activities and experiences based on our natural resources, ourproduce, our unique coastline and landscape, and our language, cultureand heritage. 

We will increase funding for tourism promotion for Wales to take itsplace amongst the best destinations world-wide. 

Currently, the tourism industry is held back by unfair taxes anda Government that is failing to promote Wales as a global touristdestination. Plaid Cymru want to see tourism VAT on hospitality cut to

9% to put Wales ahead in the international tourism market. 



Wales And The World 

We will establish a National Academy for the Welsh tourism sector to

provide hands-on learning from apprenticeships to degree level, offering

world-class vocational and professional development for workers across 
the sector. We will also advocate associate membership of the UNWorld Tourism Organisation. 

We will improve the tourist experience by ensuring that: 


There is joined-up services and knowledge so that tourists can stayclose to events. 
Hotels have access to the latest tourism information. 
Public transport is available when required.
Hotels provide the best quality of service, including the use of foreign 
languages. 
We will support the development of locally-run municipal camping sitesin our towns and cities. 

We will launch a Celebrate Wales year to stimulate tourism across the 
country.