It was a privilege to celebrate St David’s Day in Wales and Westminster as we reflected on the history of our nation and consider the opportunities for change.

I opened a special St David’s Day debate in the Chamber by summarising the work of the Welsh Affairs Committee since I became chair.

We’ve already heard evidence from the First Minister Eluned Morgan, Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens and rail minister Lord Hendy on how the Labour governments are working together to deliver their ambitious agendas.

We have opened inquiries into the promotion of Wales as a destination for inward investment, the management of Parc Prison where 17 inmates died last year and the environmental and economic legacy of our industrial past.

Most recently, we have launched an inquiry into farming to explore the ways in which government can protect and support our world-class agricultural sector.

For the first time in 15 years, we have a Labour prime minister who is working for Wales and he invited us to celebrate St David’s Day at the heart of government.

I attended 10 Downing Street with Amanda Reynolds, chair of the Save the Six Bells campaign group in Peterstone. I wanted to invite Amanda as a community champion because I have seen her commitment to restoring a community hub in the village and the group has only grown stronger as they have faced more pressure and challenges.

We were able to discuss the Six Bells project with Welsh icons like Michael Sheen, Alun Wyn Jones and Ken Owens, as we celebrated the resilience and tenacity of our nation, as strong as ever in the 21st century.

In the general election, we promised to deliver change for working people and that is exactly what we are doing with the Employment Rights Bill, which has already progressed to the House of Lords.

The Bill guarantees rights like sick pay and protection from unfair dismissal and bans exploitative ‘zero hour’ contracts. We are putting the power back in the hands of working people with the right to guaranteed hours, reasonable notice of shifts, and compensation for short-notice cancellation.

This month, we took a major step forward in our mission to take back our streets from antisocial behaviour and violence. The Crime and Policing Bill gives power to police and local authorities to grip the issues in our communities head-on.

With new ‘respect orders’, local authorities and police will be able to impose restrictions on people committing antisocial behaviour with a criminal sanction if they breach it. The Bill also removes the need for police to issue a warning before they seize a vehicle being used antisocially and this is sure to help the battle against off-road biking in places like Argoed and Mynydd Maen.

I am delighted the government has incorporated the work from my first Private Members’ Bill, which fell when the election was called and puts a legal duty on offenders serving a sentence in the community to notify the police of any changes to their identity or name.

I was fortunate to have my name drawn in the Private Members’ ballot a second time, and my bill to ban the import of fur products into Britain is attracting attention across the UK.

We have had animal welfare champions, inside and outside of Newport West and Islwyn, welcome our campaign and it has picked up coverage from national newspapers like the Mirror.

But, five years after the start of the Covid pandemic, I want to be clear this is not just an issue that concerns animal welfare but the security of our nation in an uncertain world.

Animal welfare is inextricably linked to public health. During the pandemic, Covid-19 was identified on nearly 500 fur farms and led governments in Italy, Denmark and the Netherlands to ban the practice altogether.

So, the fur trade is not just cruel – which is why we banned fur farming in this country two decades ago. As long as we allow the import of fur products into this country, we are complicit with both the animal suffering and the public health risk. My Fur Bill comes back to the Commons for a vote on 13 June.

In recent weeks, I have been working with Allt-yr-yn residents Giles and Jaekyoung, whose beautiful dog Yuki was savagely attacked by another dog on 6 February.

I believe the current approach to dangerous dogs is outdated and too often fails innocent people and pets. I have written to the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, asking about plans to review the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and suggesting what we need is a cohesive law that focuses not on banning specific breeds but preventing these tragic incidents and encouraging responsible ownership.

I arranged a meeting with Giles and Jaekyoung and the Dogs Trust to discuss the next steps of this campaign. As the Dogs Trust said, Gwent Police are coming from a good starting place with the LEAD (Local Environmental Awareness on Dogs) initiative but we need to take a fresh look at the issue nationally. A clear area for improvement is data collection because without consistent evidence, it is more difficult to make the case for change. I promised to work closely with Giles and Jaekyoung, for as long as it takes.