Clwyd East General Election candidates answer our questions

We sent the same five questions to Alec Dauncey (Liberal Democrat), James Davies (Conservative), Becky Gittins (Labour), Lee Lavery (Green), Paul Penlington (Plaid Cymru), Rob Roberts (Independent) and Kirsty Walmsley (Reform).

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 did not submit any response. 

The questions: 

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

Alec Dauncey (Liberal Democrat): Politicians mustn't mislead people into thinking they can fix things they have no power over. Senedd members and county councillors must be held responsible. 

I and the Welsh Liberal Democrats in the Senedd and in councils support the 20mph limit in truly built-up areas. There is already evidence it’s reducing casualties. We believe in really local communities having a say. We think that local authorities across Wales should ask local people again and have a hard look at whether there are places where 20mph isn’t sensible.

James Davies (Conservative): The Labour Welsh Government’s 20mph default speed limit has been poorly thought through and executed.  It has created inconsistencies and frustration which have devalued our previously well-respected Highway Code.  

I would abolish the 20mph policy and return to a UK-wide national speed limit of 30mph, while requiring local councils to implement and properly enforce common sense 20mph zones where there is local support and need.

Becky Gittins, Labour: I'm really pleased that the Welsh Labour Government is listening to people on 20mph.

Led by Ken Skates, the review will listen to local people and amend speed limits where appropriate. Having spoken to many local people about the issue, I know most are happy with 20mph limits on some roads, such as those near schools and hospitals, and on many estates. 

However, there are some places, particularly arterial routes, where a 20mph limit feels illogical, and in these cases it is absolutely correct that we work with 
residents and road users to make reasonable tweaks.

Of course, MPs are not responsible for the Senedd and Labour will absolutely respect the devolution settlement, so that decisions are made as close to people as possible. 

Paul Penlington, Plaid Cymru: While I believe the 20mph policy in principle is a good one it has been very poorly implemented.

It's a prime example of how the Labour party impose expensive schemes on the people of Wales without proper consultation or planning. There are many areas, some A roads even, where 20mph is completely inappropriate and causing more harm than good.

Plaid Cymru asked for a thorough review last November, this should never have been put in place without public consultation and a properly planned review process planned from the outset. Road safety is a serious issue that requires serious consideration that has been lacking in this blanket approach.

Rob Roberts, Independent: I don't think anyone objects to it in areas around schools or playgrounds where it's sensible, but obviously the way it was done is like everything the Welsh Government does. 

Cack-handed and arrogantly pressing on despite objections and demands from the people they are there to serve. There is no point just rolling it all back and costing another few million pounds, but there should certainly be a complete review of local routes so that the people can have their say over where they want it to apply. 

Kirsty Walmsley (Reform): I would scrap the 20mph speed limit, except in areas where safety is of paramount importance (e.g. outside schools). 

I would also campaign against the wider war on the motorist, against the introduction of clean air zones, pay-per-mile driving etc.

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

Alec Dauncey (Liberal Democrat): This is Denbighshire muddle. We must hold the right politicians to account. 

So many things don’t seem to work right. First there needs to be urgent clearance of the backlog and a regular service for all. This might have worked better if it had been worked out with local people, and rolled out community by community.

James Davies (Conservative): These changes have been a very expensive backward step, which have made recycling more difficult. 

The flimsy trolleybox and its attachments will result in more street litter too. I repeatedly attempted to get the council to listen to common sense, but they were determined to proceed with the Welsh Government’s preferred model.  

The rollout of the changes has been woeful. In the short term, I would run a hybrid arrangement with the former co-mingled system where necessary to clear the backlog.  It is clear more staff will be required than was planned and this will make the financial case for the changes even less convincing.  

In the medium term I would look to all opportunities to return to a simpler and more user-friendly kerbside recycling service.

Becky Gittins, Labour: As a local authority issue, it is of course important to be honest that this is not something that any future MP would be able to resolve. 

In my view, the recent missed collections are clearly unacceptable and have understandably caused a lot of frustration for residents. The local authority is rightly taking urgent steps to catch-up on the missed collections.

Paul Penlington, Plaid Cymru: I was a Denbighshire County Councillor when these trollibocs were first suggested, imposed by Welsh Labour without consultation.

I argued against them then on the grounds that the system we had was fine and the cost was ridiculous. £22 million of public money later it is an utter shambles yet the Labour administration are ploughing on trying to convince us it's just teething trouble.

I suspect any alleged environmental or financial benefits are already lost. We need an immediate emergency response to protect public health so I would suggest a return to the previous system before it's too late and a thorough review and audit of this scheme before either scrapping it altogether or reintroducing it more carefully.

Rob Roberts, Independent: This is an interesting one. In my previous Delyn constituency people have been asking for a stacking box system for a long time.

Flintshire council uses a box and a couple of bags for recycling, which has a tendency to blow plastic and paper all over the place when the weather is bad.

As with all things like this, I will represent the views of the people who get in touch, but I think it's important that councillors have to live or die by their decisions and be empowered to make decisions, which can then be judged by the public they are supposed to serve.

Kirsty Walmsley (Reform): Refuse collection is one of the most basic services residents expect the council to provide. The inability to do so, shows a failing in governance.

I think the council should be held to account over this and I support the petition to hold an inquiry into the Denbighshire waste collection system.

The scheme cost £22 million of taxpayers money in return for decreased services, and questionable improvements to recycling rates. While the scheme proposes to save £500k a year, this figure will no doubt disappear as more money will need to be spent to increase capacity and address the current issues.

The council needs holding to account to ensure more care is taken in the future decision making.

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

Alec Dauncey (Liberal Democrat): It's hard for an MP from Wales to promise really big local change on day one. Things in our daily lives, health, transport, education, farming, are mostly decided in Cardiff. 

I'm imagining 'day one' as a new MP - new staff and an office and stuff like that. If there was a whiteboard in the office, I’d write 'lifting children out of poverty' on it. Liberal Democrats have a policy of getting rid of the rule that means a third child gets less help than the first two. 

More than a quarter of children in Wales live in poverty. I'd work with anyone on that. There's another party in Wales who agree, but the two big ones won't do that simple thing for children in poverty. I’d start work on pushing the Government to fix that. 

That would mean making a fuss, writing questions to ministers, speaking in debates. That might sound like just talk, but I hope I’m being honest and realistic.

James Davies (Conservative): I would get back into my diary urgent meetings about providing Healthy Prestatyn with the support it needs to improve the service it offers.  I would also urgently progress the agreed visit of Butlin’s senior management to view the surroundings of the Pontins site.

Becky Gittins, Labour: Labour’s missions for national renewal would be truly transformative for North Wales. 

Some of the most visible locally would be additional neighbourhood police; additional funding for our NHS by tackling super-rich tax dodgers and the opportunity for new, skilled jobs right here at home as part of our green prosperity plan.

Paul Penlington, Plaid Cymru: One of my personal priorities is to tackle poverty. Clwyd East is one of the poorest areas of the UK with pensioner poverty of 18%, in work poverty of 22% and child poverty at a shameful 37%.

I wouldn't be able to solve that on day one obviously but I would begin working on it on day one, and on every subsequent day.  Child poverty, in work poverty and pensioner poverty are a national disgrace. We are one of the richest countries in the world, all politicians who have allowed this to happen should hang their heads in shame at the levels of poverty we have.

Plaid Cymru are calling for fair funding for Wales. If we were adequately funded we could invest in modern industries, decent jobs, public services and a whole raft of areas that would begin to alleviate poverty.

Rob Roberts, Independent: I would set up a new website where everyone in Clwyd East could register to comment on and vote on the big issues of the day. That would enable me to vote in Westminster in the way my constituents would prefer. 

Otherwise, nothing. I don't think people need or want revolutionary change. People just want honest hard work and people who work for the local community. 

Kirsty Walmsley (Reform): Being an MP is not just about your voting record, it is about being accessible and engaging with the community.  On day one, I would prioritise setting up surgeries across the constituency and meetings with key stakeholders in the community.

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

Alec Dauncey (Liberal Democrat): The local waterways are controlled by Natural Resources Wales and the Welsh Government. MPs shouldn’t promise to fix local things they can’t. 

The Liberal Democrats would send more money to Wales from Westminster than the other main parties. We’re saying that there should be £500,000 per year in extra funding for Natural Resources Wales to police sewage pollution. 

At Westminster, we’d tax water companies for sewage incidents and give local environmental groups a place on water companies’ boards.

James Davies (Conservative): This matter is devolved to the Labour Welsh Government. 

Wales has four times as many sewage discharges proportionately than England. However, local watercourses are cleaner than in the past, as is the sea here, which records “excellent” water quality.  

There is greater awareness of sewage discharges than historically, because monitors have been installed to record them.  Climate change also means heavier episodes of rain which can overwhelm combined sewer systems.  

In such circumstances, limited dilute discharges are the only alternative to the flooding of roads and homes with dirty water.  The only solution is a slow and expensive (£600bn) separation of surface water and foul waste drains across the country.  

This process is underway. In the meantime Wales must adopt safeguards introduced in England to fine and properly hold to account water companies which discharge dirty water when there is no valid excuse.

Becky Gittins, Labour: Aspects of waterway management are devolved and I am pleased that the Welsh Labour Government have done a better job of maintaining environmental standards that the Conservatives in England. 

For example, in Wales three times as many rivers receive a “good” ecological status in comparison to England. Nonetheless, there is still work to do, and a UK Labour government would deliver further improvements, such as allowing regulators to block bonus payments to executives whose companies pollute our waterways.

Paul Penlington, Plaid Cymru: The Welsh and Westminster governments have ignored this issue for many years and even deny it's a problem. The rivers of Clwyd East and the coastal strip experience thousands of hours of sewage overflow every year. Frankly it's disgusting, a danger to public health and environment.

A great deal of Welsh Water is exported generating profits of several billion pounds. Money that does not come to the public purse. We are calling for fair funding for Wales that includes control of our own resources. If water was owned and run by the people of Wales the profits could be invested in modern sewerage systems and means of cleanly recycling waste.

The additional benefits being training and employment for local people on this and future projects using our water beneficially. Tidal power, hydroelectric etc. are the industries of the future.

Rob Roberts, Independent: I would be honest with people. A rarity, I appreciate. On some occasions, during periods of heavy rainfall, it is necessary to release the pressure on the system in this way. 

The alternative is that our Victorian-era sewage system will back up and outflow into streets and homes instead. There are, of course, a large number of times where it is happening when it isn't necessary.

When I was on the Welsh Affairs Committee we had the water company executives in for a very robust questioning session and produced a report on the issue.  

Personally, I think that only Chief Executives and COO's should be held personally liable. This is the only way to push towards stopping this nasty practice.

Kirsty Walmsley (Reform): We need to invest money in upgrading our sewage systems, hold water companies accountable and continue to increase public awareness.

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?

Alec Dauncey (Liberal Democrat): Liberal Democrats have a mass of ideas in our manifesto to support children’s early years. From doubling Statutory Maternity and Shared Parental Pay to £350 a week to a ‘Toddler Top-Up’ rate of Child Benefit for one-year-olds. 

The Welsh Government are responsible for a lot, Liberal Democrat MPs would send money to Wales for 30 hours a week of childcare for every child from nine months to school age.

James Davies (Conservative): I would extend 30 hours of free childcare a week to all working parents of children aged nine months to four years, to match the Conservative UK Government’s plans for England. 

Funding has already been provided to the Welsh Government for this purpose, which has refused to match the pledge so far.

Becky Gittins, Labour: Specific early years support is a devolved matter for the Welsh Labour Government. The best way MPs can support local families is to tackle the cost of living crisis and grow our economy. 

This means delivering economic stability after 14 years of Conservative chaos, and so give businesses the confidence to invest in our area. Economic security will allow better investment in our public services, including the Welsh Government’s Childcare offer.

Paul Penlington, Plaid Cymru: Child poverty here is the result of Westminster's austerity agenda and Welsh Labour failures, it is the worst in the UK. Without Wales receiving the fair funding we are fighting for child poverty is set to get much worse.

Tories and Labour are offering nothing but further austerity. We are a party of ambition and ideas Our policy of free school meals to all primary school children, was, eventually, accepted by the Welsh Government. Plaid Cymru want to see that extended to also include secondary schools in Wales.

It requires long term investment and community development to eradicate poverty and improve children's chances but we have immediate measures to reduce poverty for example to increase child benefit by £20 per week for all children. That would help lift 330,000 families and more than 550,000 children and young people who are eligible from poverty.

We would also scrap the cruel ‘two-child’ limit on universal credit payments. Poverty in the UK is a result of political choices, we choose to try to end it.

Rob Roberts, Independent: A three-pronged approach. I think we need to have less of a burden on childcare providers so that they are able to reduce their costs.

I think that we should providing some kind of tax credit or benefit that will give parents support and flexibility to get back into the workplace while increasing the personal allowance and reducing taxation so that people have additional free income to be able to afford whatever option is most available. 

Kirsty Walmsley (Reform): As a parent, I have first-hand experience of using children’s centres and understand the role they play in supporting families.

However, I have also experienced the excellent support and care given by toddler groups run by volunteers, often run by churches. 

The voluntary sector needs to be celebrated for everything they do for the community. I would like to open into conversation with the voluntary sector to see what extra support they need to continue their work and expand upon it.