7. Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): Basic Income and the transition to a zero-carbon economy

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:09 pm on 13 July 2022.

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Photo of Jane Dodds Jane Dodds Liberal Democrat 4:09, 13 July 2022

That's absolutely right. There is a view that, actually, universal basic income means that people can be freed up to be those entrepreneurs, to be those self-starters, and it is a shame that we didn't hear some of those positive suggestions from our colleagues over there.

I really just wanted to also talk about how Wales has been innovative. Wales has the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, we have stopped the smacking of children, we have free prescriptions, no hospital charges for parking, a moratorium on road building. We are leading in these initiatives, and we should be proud of that. We shouldn't be looking back to the dark ages; we should be looking to the future.

I want to thank Luke as well for his continued support on universal basic income. Diolch yn fawr iawn, Luke. You have talked about how important it is for the poorest and most marginalised in our society to have that just transition, with one in five workers still in those high-carbon industries.

Carolyn, thank you very much. Diolch yn fawr iawn. You talked about that path to zero carbon and how we need to take those tough decisions. You're absolutely right that we have to look at how we can support those people where those tough decisions are needed, because the climate crisis, as you say, is debilitating.

Finally, thank you to the Minister, as well—diolch yn fawr iawn—for your support and for your remarks. The Welsh Government, as we know, declared a climate emergency in 2019. I've said before that this is an emergency, and we should treat it as such. We need to use the time right now to plan how to ensure stability and security for those most vulnerable to the changes that our economy will experience in the coming years. That's why I believe that extending this pilot will give us real insight into how we balance the scales in what could be an unjust transition.

Let's remember that basic income pilots across countries across the world have shown that productivity increases with a basic income, and, again, I just appeal to the Conservatives: please, as I've said before, look at the evidence. Talk to care-experienced young people. Look at what is happening across some of those initiatives—Canada, Namibia, the Finnish experiment—going back many, many years, some of these. Please talk to care-experienced young people, don't make the assumption that it's not going to change their lives—some of us have, and we hear directly from them. So, I just appeal to you, and, if I can help you make contact with them, please do let me know.

We have to transition to net zero, but we can avoid the uncertainty associated with that transition. It needn't be inevitable. I hope the Senedd can signal our support to those workers and communities and continue to lead on a basic income here in the United Kingdom. Diolch yn fawr iawn.