Clwyn North General Election candidates answer our questions

This is a new constituency, which will comprise Denbigh, Rhyl, St Asaph, Abergele, Colwyn Bay, Rhos-on-Sea, Mochdre and Pentre-Mawr.

We sent the same five questions to Gill German (Labour), Martyn Hogg (Green), Darren Millar (Conservative), Jamie Orange (Reform), Paul Rowlinson (Plaid Cymru) and David Wilkins (Liberal Democrat).

We gave all candidates a week to answer our questions and we have presented all the responses we received here for you, the voters, to consider before polling day on July 4.

Only the Green candidate and the Reform candidate did not submit any response. 

The questions:

Would you support retaining, abolishing or amending the 20mph default speed limit?

Gill German, Labour: I’ve had many conversations with residents about 20mph. I’m pleased the Welsh Labour Government has shown its commitment to listening to people’s views by reopening the consultation process. 

While recent figures showed the number of people injured on 20 and 30mph roads fell by almost a third in the final quarter of last year, I know that there are frustrations with the speed limits on certain roads. It’s important this is addressed through co-operation between Welsh Government, local authorities and residents. 

As this is devolved to the Welsh Government, any future MP would not be responsible for our speed limits. So, claims by the Conservatives that they will override the 20mph policy are misleading and it is disappointing that this has not been made clear to the public by Conservative candidates in Wales. 

A UK Labour government would respect the devolution settlement and ensure these decisions continue to be made close to home.

Darren Millar, Conservative: I would abolish Labour's 20mph default speed limit and target 20mph at locations such as schools, play areas and accident hotspots instead.

The current approach is slowing Wales down, it’s bad for the economy and bad for the environment.

Paul Rowlinson, Plaid Cymru: Amending. Like everyone else I share the frustration of having to drive at 20mph on roads where it is clearly safe to go faster. 

I am pleased that the accident statistics have shown such a large reduction in the number of accidents on 20mph roads and obviously support the principle of introducing the 20mph speed zone where appropriate in order to reduce the number of accidents and life-changing injuries. 

Nevertheless, the policy was poorly implemented by the Labour Welsh Government and I am pleased that the policy will now be reviewed, with the criteria being revised and local authorities asked to reconsider which roads should remain at 20mph and which should be returned to 30mph.

David Wilkins, Liberal Democrat: I think that the roll-out of the 20mph speed limit shows that Labour in Cardiff is not committed to working with our communities, instead committing to doing what it thinks is best without listening to concerns. 

Speed limits should be reviewed and returned to 30mph on a case-by-case basis and 20mph retained where they are making a positive impact to safety and the community.

However I support the law making powers of the Senedd. Just because I may not support the law, I still believe the Senedd deserves the right to make its own decisions on this matter as it has been democratically elected by the people of Wales. 

There will be a chance in 2026 to show members of the Senedd what we think about the decisions they made on our behalf. 

How would you propose resolving the ongoing problems Denbighshire’s new bin collection policy is causing for constituents?

Gill German, Labour: I absolutely understand the difficulties that the roll out of this new policy has caused and have discussed this with many residents. I believe that it is right that senior council leaders have publicly apologised and I know it has been all hands on deck to resolve the collection delays.

I have been assured that progress is being made to catch up with collections and this has been backed up by feedback from residents. It is crucial of course that this progress continues, and as MP I will monitor this closely.

Darren Millar, Conservative: Denbighshire should go back to its popular, successful and easy to use blue bin recycling scheme. The blue bin system actually achieved higher recycling rates than other Welsh councils which have a trolibocs system. 

In making unnecessary changes to the bin collection regime, Labour-led Denbighshire Council has wasted millions of taxpayers' money that could have been invested in schools, libraries and social care. 

Our streets are strewn with uncollected rubbish and litter that is making Denbighshire look like Labour-run Britain in the late 1970s. 

Paul Rowlinson, Plaid Cymru: I believe that the policy should have been introduced on a pilot basis rather than all at once throughout the county. 

That would have enabled the Council to find out what the problems were and to resolve them before rolling out the scheme to other areas. Communication with residents needs to be better in order to ensure that everyone understands what is needed.

David Wilkins, Liberal Democrat: Denbighshire's bin collections again show why we need community-first decision making.

Whilst it is little consolation to people waiting weeks for their bins to be collected I can only advise that when the time comes the residents across Denbighshire put the councillors "in the bin" and hope they are collected without too much delay. 

As a Westminster MP I would listen to my constituents and help build strong links between councils and communities to avoid farces like Denbighshire's bin woes happening again. 

What would be your first significant local change on day one as an elected MP?

Gill German, Labour: Clwyd North has huge potential and if I were lucky to be elected, I would promote the part Clwyd North can play in the establishment of Great British Energy: a publicly owned clean power company. 

Creating Great British Energy, in collaboration with a Welsh Labour Government, would work to cut bills for good, boost energy security and create new jobs, paid for by a windfall tax on oil and gas giants.

I want to see more skilled job opportunities here in Clwyd North. We are already training apprentices in renewable energy technology at the Engineering Centre at Rhyl College, the UK base for this kind of training. I want to see apprentices like these be able to stay and work in North Wales and for us to make and produce things locally again, just like workers at places like Hotpoint did in years gone by. 

I believe that a better future is possible, and I will work day-in, day-out to realise this. Labour has a plan for economic renewal across the UK, and I would be proud to play my part as the Labour MP for Clwyd North.

Darren Millar, Conservative: I'd immediately get to work on scheduling meetings to make progress with the delivery of a new community hospital in Rhyl.

The 10-year delay with no progress has been unacceptable.

Paul Rowlinson, Plaid Cymru: Start working with local people to create people’s assemblies so that together we can develop positive solutions to the problems we face.

David Wilkins, Liberal Democrat: Ending the two child cap on child benefits which has cruelly punished larger families and helped push 30% of children in the UK into poverty. Four of the most deprived areas for child poverty are here in Clwyd North – three in Rhyl and one in Colwyn Bay. 

Everyone deserves a fair start in life regardless of the number of brothers and sisters they have and it would be my number one priority to help get every child in Clwyd North and the UK off to the best start in life possible.  

What would you do to tackle the amount of sewage being released into local waterways?

Gill German, Labour: This is particularly pertinent to Clwyd North as a coastal and rural constituency, and it is imperative that our waterways across the UK are of the highest quality.

As areas of this are devolved, I’m pleased the Welsh Government is leading the way with improvements by establishing collaborative River Pollution Summits. We have three times as many rivers here receiving a ‘good’ ecological status compared to England. 

However, there is more to do, and if elected I would keep pushing for improvements and a UK Labour government would regulators the powers to block payment of bonuses to executives who pollute our waterways.

Darren Millar, Conservative: Water quality and prevention of pollution in Wales is a responsibility of the Welsh Labour Government. 

Ministers in Cardiff Bay need to work with Welsh Water and Natural Resources Wales to ensure that there is more investment in our wastewater network and better enforcement against those who pollute. 

Paul Rowlinson, Plaid Cymru: Control of water in Wales would allow the Senedd to set higher environmental targets on water quality and lower prices, where possible. The current scandal of water quality must be resolved and it should never be allowed to happen again. 

Plaid Cymru would formally request powers from the UK over the licensing of sewage in Wales.

David Wilkins, Liberal Democrat: For years the Liberal Democrats have been the loudest voice calling for action on the dumping of sewage. We would introduce legally binding targets, tax polluters and end the outrageous bonuses for the water companies dumping filth into our rivers and onto our beaches. 

With tourism such a key part of our local economy, the filth on our beaches puts at risk the businesses and economy in the tourist sector. It's also wrong that our residents can't swim or walk on the beach without fear they'll become ill. 

A recent study has shown almost 2,000 children's centres have closed down in the UK since 2010. What vital early years support would you offer to families who need it and how would you fund it?

Gill German, Labour: As a former primary school teacher, County Council Cabinet Member for Education, Children and Families and a parent, this is an issue close to my heart. I came into politics because I saw families struggling like never before with endless cuts to public service funding, high inflation and the cost of living crisis. 

While specific early years support is devolved, a UK Labour government will take action to support families by tackling the underlying causes of this crisis through bringing stability and growth back into the economy after over a decade of chronic Conservative mismanagement, meaning lower bills, higher earnings and more money for public services.

When the UK Conservative Government came into power in 2010, it began the systematic dismantling of the Sure Start programme in England brought in by the previous UK Labour government. Here in Wales, with a Welsh Labour government – swimming against the tide of Tory chaos and cuts - we have kept and grown our Flying Start programme.

We have also kept our children’s centres, with the excellent Oaktree Integrated Children’s Centre in Rhyl and the Douglas Road Centre in Colwyn Bay right here in Clwyd North. This is indicative of the value Labour places on quality early years provision, and with a UK Labour government working in partnership with a Welsh Labour government as part of a stronger UK economy, we can only do more.

Darren Millar, Conservative: I support the work of local charities such as Rhyl based Blossom and Bloom and Care for the Family which are doing fantastic work engaging with families across the area and working with local councils to support families in need. 

I'd also seek to end the unfairness in the availability of free childcare for working parents, it isn't right that the Welsh Labour Government doesn't give parents here the same level of support that is available in England, even though it gets the money to do so.

Paul Rowlinson, Plaid Cymru: Plaid Cymru secured extended childcare provision through the Cooperation Agreement with the Welsh Government. But we wish to go further and provide free childcare for children aged 12 months until they are eligible for full time education. 

We will seek a fair funding deal for Wales, a new needs-based funding formula in place of the Barnett Formula. This will give us the public services, we deserve and enable us to fund vital services like this.

David Wilkins, Liberal Democrat: The Liberal Democrats, both here in Wales and across the UK, have a promise increase both the availability of childcare and reduce costs. 

This is essential for supporting our childcare sector from childminders to nurseries. This would be funded through a fair funding and revenue program that will increase available funds to spend on the childcare sector by reversing the Conservative cuts to banking taxes, fairly reforming capital gains taxes, a windfall tax on oil and gas super-profits and a digital service tax on the tech super-giants.