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In an election touted as one of the most important of our lifetimes, it has rarely been so important for voters to familiarise themselves with party policies.

The incoming Government will have a range of massive decisions to make - on Brexit, national security and dealing with pressing economic challenges.

If the Lib Dems get in, they will also legalise cannabis cafes and decriminalise prostitution.

We've combed through all of the parties' manifestos to pick out where they stand on the key issues.

Labour's is called For the Many, Not The Few; the Lib Dems' is called Change Britain's Future, Plaid's manifesto carries the strapline Defending Wales; the Conservatives' is called Forward, Together.

Here is where the parties stand on key issues

Benefits

The Lib Dems

The Lib Dems are the only party pledging to stop the freeze on benefits - at a cost of £3.2bn.

They say they would hike benefits in line with inflation.

They would also:

Abandon the limit on child benefits to two children

Reverse cuts to housing benefit for under 21s.

Scrap the Work Capability and Personal Independence Payment assessments

Labour

Labour has not promised to end the freeze on benefits

It would scrap the Work Capability and Personal Independence Payment assessments

Plaid

Plaid wants social security devolved.

It says:"We would use those powers, for example, to ban private firms from carrying out benefits assessments for profit.”

The three parties are committed to scrapping the so-called bedroom tax.

The Conservatives

The Tories say they “have no plans for further radical welfare reform in this parliament and will continue the roll-out of Universal Credit, to ensure that it always pays to be in work”.

Pensions

Conservatives

The Tories are the only party pledging to end the pension triple lock.

They would keep a "double lock", meaning pensions still rise with inflation. But they won't automatically go up by 2.5%.

The party will also means-test Winter Fuel Payments.

Plaid

“Plaid Cymru will ensure a Living Pension for all and we will fight to guarantee the triple lock [which ensures pensions increase by at least 2.5% annually].”

Labour

Labour will “guarantee the state pension ‘triple lock’ throughout the next Parliament.” It would stop the pension-age rising beyond 66.

Lib Dems

The Lib Dems say the state pension would still rise by “the highest of earnings growth, prices growth or 2.5% for the next parliament”. They would withdraw winter fuel payments from wealthier pensioners who pay higher-rate tax.

Cannabis and prostitution

The Lib Dems would "decriminalise the sale and purchase of sex and the management of sex work". They say this would allow the police to focus on human trafficking and forced prostitution.

And they would legalise cannabis cafes, as has been done in many countries around the world. They say there would be a "legal, regulated market for cannabis" to break the grip of criminal gangs.

Plaid says it has “worked closely with the Police and Crime Commissioners in an attempt to decriminalise cannabis for medicinal use”.

Tax

The Lib Dems

The Lib Dems would raise income tax by 1% on everyone to raise an extra £6bn to fund on the NHS and social care

Labour

No rises in tax or National Insurance or VAT for anyone earning below £80k a year

An increase in the tax rate on people earning over £80k a year to 45%

A new 50% tax rate on earnings above £123k - together, these measures would raise £6.4bn a year

Higher Corporation tax, raising £19.4bn a year

Conservatives

The Tories' key pledges on tax are:

To raise the tax-free personal allowance to £12,500

Raise the threshold for the 40p tax rate to £50,000 by 2020

Not increase VAT

Immigration

(Image: PA)

Plaid

“We will create a Welsh Migration Advisory Service so that we can have a system that suits Wales’s needs... International students must be taken out of net migration targets.”

Labour

“Labour offers fair rules and reasonable management of migration. In trade negotiations our priorities favour growth, jobs and prosperity.

“We make no apologies for putting these aims before bogus immigration targets.”

Lib Dems

“Reinstate post-study work visas for graduates in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) subjects who find suitable employment within six months of graduating” and “give the devolved administrations the right to sponsor additional post-study work visas”.

Conservatives

The Tories want “annual net migration in the tens of thousands” and will “bear down on immigration from outside the European Union” and “increase the earnings thresholds for people wishing to sponsor migrants for family visas”. They also plans to “toughen the visa requirements for students”.

Tidal lagoons

Plaid says: “Plaid Cymru will increase energy generation from renewables including delivering tidal lagoons in Swansea Bay, Cardiff and Colwyn Bay.”

Labour says: “We are committed to renewable energy projects, including tidal lagoons, which can help create manufacturing and energy jobs as well as contributing to climate change commitments.”

The Lib Dems say they would “give the immediate go-ahead to the Swansea Bay tidal lagoon project.”

The Tories say they will “explore ways to harness Welsh natural resources for the generation of power”.

Trident

(Image: Danny Lawson/PA Wire)

Plaid says: “We are determined to scrap Trident, resisting any attempts to relocate it to Wales.”

Labour says: “Labour supports the renewal of the Trident nuclear deterrent.”

The Lib Dems say: “We propose continuing with the Dreadnought programme, the submarine-based replacement for Vanguard, but procuring three boats instead of four and moving to a medium-readiness responsive posture. This would mean replacing continuous at-sea deterrence – instead maintaining the deterrent through measures such as unpredictable and irregular patrolling patterns.”

The Conservatives would "retain the Trident continuous-at-sea nuclear deterrent to provide the ultimate guarantee of our security"

Prisons

Plaid says: “[We] will block the development of the Port Talbot super prison and instead provide much-needed prison spaces for women and youth offenders in Wales.”

Labour says: “We will recruit 3,000 more prison officers and review the training and professional development available.”

The Lib Dems would “introduce a presumption against short prison sentences and increase the use of tough, non-custodial punishments including weekend and evening custody, curfews, community service and GPS tagging.”

The Tories say: “We will invest over £1bn to modernise the prison estate, replacing the most dilapidated prisons and creating 10,000 modern prison places.”

EU nationals

(Image: Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

Plaid says: “Plaid Cymru will guarantee the rights of all Europeans currently living and working in Wales.”

Labour says: “A Labour government will immediately guarantee existing rights for all EU nationals living in Britain and secure reciprocal rights for UK citizens who have chosen to make their lives in EU countries.”

The Lib Dems say: “We will press for the UK to unilaterally guarantee the rights of EU nationals in the UK, ending their ongoing uncertainty.”

The Conservatives say: “We will control immigration and secure the entitlements of EU nationals in Britain and British nationals in the EU.”

Trade after Brexit

(Image: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire)

Plaid says: “Plaid Cymru will ensure that Wales can continue to buy and sell to Europe without any costly barriers.”

Labour says: “We will scrap the Conservatives’ Brexit White Paper and replace it with fresh negotiating priorities that have a strong emphasis on retaining the benefits of the Single Market and the Customs Union – which are essential for maintaining industries, jobs and businesses in Britain.”

The Lib Dems say: “We believe that any deal negotiated for the UK outside the EU must ensure that trade can continue without customs controls at the border, and must maintain membership of the single market...”

The Conservatives pledge: “We will reconvene the Board of Trade with a membership specifically charged with ensuring that we increase exports from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well as England, and that trade policy is directly influenced by every part of our United Kingdom.”

Funding for the Welsh Government

Plaid says: “We will demand fair funding for Wales by pushing for a new independent Commission to oversee an agreed way of redistributing funds across the UK, based on a needs-based formula.”

Labour says: “We need long-term reform of how the UK allocates public expenditure to ensure that it reflects the needs of different parts of our country and that no nation or region of the UK is unfairly disadvantaged.”

The Lib Dems say: “We recognise the findings of the Holtham commission that the current formula underfunds Wales, and will commission work to update this analysis. We will address the imbalance by immediately ensuring that the Barnett floor is set at a level that reflects the need for Wales to be funded fairly, and seek over a parliament to increase the Welsh block grant to an equitable level.”

The Conservatives would keep the Barnett formula in place.

Votes at 16

(Image: Rob Browne)

Plaid says: “We want to grant 16 and 17 year olds the right to vote and reform the voting system so that it is more representative.”

Labour says: “We will reduce the voting age to 16. At 16, you are eligible to pay tax, get married or even join the army. You deserve a vote.”

The Lib Dems want “votes at 16 for all elections and referendums across the UK”.

The Conservatives would keep the voting age at 18.

Farming after Brexit

(Image: Scott Barbour/Getty Images)

Plaid says: “Plaid Cymru will fight to ensure that every penny of European funding, including farming payments, is replaced by the UK government.”

Labour says: “A Labour Government will end the uncertainty for our farmers and food producers by securing continued EU market access allowing British farmers and food producers to continue to sell their products on the Continent.”

A Lib Dem Government would ensure farming “doesn’t lose out in the event of Britain leaving the EU, rebalancing away from direct subsidy and refocusing support towards the public benefits that come from effective land management including countryside protection, flood prevention, food production and climate-change mitigation”.

The Tories say: “We will protect the interest of Welsh farmers as we design our new UK farming policy and work with the devolved administrations to ensure the strength of the Welsh brand is maintained.”

Tax devolution

Plaid says: “We will demand that Wales has the power to set its own rates of tax including Corporation Tax, Air Passenger Duty and VAT.”

Labour does not make a formal pledge but it commits to “forward legislation to make the devolution settlement more sustainable as set out by the Welsh Labour government in its Alternative Wales Bill” – and this included the devolution of Air Passenger Duty.

The Lib Dems would “deliver proper home rule for Wales and a Welsh Parliament by implementing the remaining Silk part 1 proposals on financial powers”.

The Conservatives do not promise further tax devolution.

Rail improvements

Plaid says: “Plaid Cymru wants to see a real Wales-wide transport system, including re-opening the Carmarthen-Aberystwyth railway, improved Valleys line services, improvements to the A55 and the expansion of the Traws Cymru bus network.”

Labour says: “[We] will deliver rail electrification and expansion across the whole country, including in Wales and the South West.”

The Lib Dems would devolve “funding of Network Rail in relation to the Wales network”.

The Conservatives promise to “modernise the railway infrastructure across Wales, including new and improved stations”.

Protecting the steel industry

(Image: Media Wales)

Plaid says: “We will demand stringent anti-dumping measures, previously blocked by the UK Government, and put in place a comprehensive plan to ensure the future of the steel industry.”

Labour says: “The Conservatives consistently blocked efforts to respond to such dumping with the duties needed to defend the British steel industry. Labour will develop the full range of trade remedies necessary to support key sectors affected by these unfair practices.”

The Tory and Lib Dem manifestos do not specifically address the steel industry.

Tuition fees

Plaid says: “Plaid Cymru opposed raising tuition fees to £9,000 during the Lib Dem-Tory coalition. We believe that, in principle, education should be free for all and we will continue to work towards this aim.”

Labour says: “[We] will reintroduce maintenance grants for university students, and we will abolish university tuition fees [in England].”

The Lib Dems would “reinstate maintenance grants for the poorest students”.

In England, the Conservatives will “make it a condition for universities hoping to charge maximum tuition fees to become involved in academy sponsorship or the founding of free schools.”

The future of S4C

(Image: Western Mail)

Plaid says: “We will ensure that S4C receives the funding it needs.”

Labour says: “Labour is committed to keeping Channel 4 in public ownership and will guarantee the future of Welsh-language broadcaster S4C.”

The Lib Dems want to “maintain Channel 4 in public ownership and protect the funding and editorial independence of Welsh language broadcasters”.

The Tories promise to “continue to support S4C as a part of a UK broadcasting structure and in its key role promoting the Welsh language”

Phone signals and broadband

Plaid says: “We will deliver universal superfast broadband availability by 2022... We commit to making ultra-fast broadband available to all of Wales and rolling out 5G mobile signal nationwide.”

Labour says: “We will improve 4G coverage and invest to ensure all urban areas, as well as major roads and railways, have uninterrupted 5G coverage.”

It would “deliver universal superfast broadband availability by 2022.”

The Lib Dems would “work with Ofcom to ensure that mobile phone companies provide fast and reliable coverage in rural areas.” They would “ensure that every property in the UK is provided, by 2022, with a superfast broadband connection with a download speed of 30Mbps, an upload speed of 6Mbps, and an unlimited usage cap.”

The Tories say that by 2020 “every home and every business in Britain” will have access to high speed broadband.

Their manifesto adds: “By 2022 we will extend mobile coverage further to 95% geographic coverage of the UK. By the same date, all major roads and main line trains will enjoy full and uninterrupted mobile phone signal, alongside guaranteed WiFi internet service on all such trains.”