What are the general election issues in Wales?

People across the UK will be heading to polling stations in July - but what will the general election mean for Wales?

Wales sends politicians to two parliaments - one in Westminster and one in Cardiff.

The governments at either side of the M4 do different things. At this election voters will be deciding who will be going to the Westminster parliament.

But at this general election it is likely that the parties that are in opposition to Labour will be scrutinising, and attacking, the record of the Welsh government.

The Welsh Parliament in Cardiff Bay, and the Welsh government up the road in Cathays Park, is in charge of health, education, agriculture and councils, among other bits and bobs.

The things the UK government is in charge of include criminal justice and policing, benefits, most taxation, foreign affairs and the military.

Importantly, it provides most of the funding for devolved public services.

During election campaigns who does what can get confusing - not least because sometimes Welsh politicians blur the lines themselves.

For this election, Labour will likely face attacks from the Conservatives, Plaid Cymru and potentially others over what their government has been doing in Cardiff.

The party has been running the show here since the original National Assembly was set up in 1999.

The state and performance of the Welsh NHS will undoubtedly be under the spotlight during the campaign, says BBC Wales health correspondent Owain Clarke.

On some measures, the Labour-run NHS here is performing worse than across the border, for example, the numbers waiting more than two years for planned treatments.

In Wales there are 22,980 cases where somebody has been waiting that long while in England, which has a much larger population, there are only 252.

The Welsh government is likely to point to other measures which suggest NHS in Wales is more than holding its own.

For example, ministers say spending on the NHS is set to increase by 4% this year in Wales, but by less than 1% in England, where it is run by the Conservative UK government.

Wales’ education record will also be a big talking points for politicians in both Cardiff Bay and Westminster.

Wales ranked lowest of all the UK nations when the results of the latest round of international tests for 15-year olds in reading, maths and science (or PISA) were published at the end of last year – and the gap with other parts of the UK had grown.

The Welsh government said things were getting better before the pandemic, but education correspondent Bethan Lewis says we can expect this devolved issue to feature in election clashes between the two main UK parties.

Higher education is also the responsibility of Welsh ministers, but UK government policy has a big impact on universities here - for example the recent row over how UK visa rules affect international student numbers, and therefore Welsh universities’ finances.

BBC Wales money editor Felicity Evans said the decision to call the election now could be connected to recent good news when it comes to the economy.

The latest being today’s inflation data which, at 2.3%, is edging closer to the Bank of England’s target of 2%.

But falling inflation does not mean falling prices and many people are still struggling with the impact of the big price hikes of two or three years ago.

Rishi Sunak will be hoping the Bank of England will cut interest rates in June to provide some relief for mortgage holders, but markets have reined in those expectations because today’s inflation figure is actually a bit higher than forecast.

Businesses will be looking for certainty and stability from the government, says BBC Wales Business Correspondent Huw Thomas.

While most prefer to avoid getting into political territory at all, the decisions taken in Westminster have an impact on everything from the taxes they pay, to the ease with which they can import and export their goods, he added.

Like households, businesses have battled soaring energy prices and an increase in their everyday costs, so they’ll be looking for commitments about economic stability and, in some cases, extra help.

Devolved issues including health, education and the environment could be used by the Tories to criticise Labour leadership in Wales - and will still play a role in general election discourse

Environmental issues are set to be higher up the agenda at this general election than ever before, according to BBC Wales environment correspondent Steffan Messenger.

Green groups have urged the parties to set out clearly how they'll manage the transition to a net zero future and ensure poorer communities aren't left behind.

Wales can expect pledges around new clean energy infrastructure and debate about its role in delivering nuclear power too.

Meanwhile, Welsh farming policy will be raised on the campaign trail, despite it being an area that is devolved to Cardiff Bay.

Particularly in rural areas, he added.

The Welsh government has been trying to douse the flames of farmer protests recently, announcing a delay to its plans for greener agricultural subsidies.

Rishi Sunak has jumped at every opportunity to criticise the situation, while UK Labour has distanced itself from the most controversial aspect - a 10% tree cover rule for farms.