Asked by: Gerald Jones (Labour - Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the impact of the UK's exit from the EU on the cost of exporting food to the EU.
Answered by Mark Spencer - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Trade and Cooperation Agreement provides businesses tariff and quota free access to the EU market, provided that these goods meet ‘Rules of Origin’ requirements.
UK businesses must comply with customs procedures when exporting food. These procedures include Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) border controls as well as technical regulations, standards and conformity assessments. For some food businesses, there may be costs associated with compliance to these procedures. Before the UK left the EU, assessments were made of these costs reflecting a variety of potential trading arrangements with the EU. Work is ongoing to assess these costs now the new trading arrangements under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement are being implemented.
Asked by: Gerald Jones (Labour - Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the strength of the Union.
Answered by Alister Jack - Secretary of State for Scotland
I discuss the strengths and benefits of the Union with colleagues on a regular basis.
This Government is committed to protecting the Union and promoting the strengths that have made it the most successful political and economic union the world has ever seen.
Asked by: Gerald Jones (Labour - Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people in Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney constituency hold a Biometric Residency Permit.
Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)
This information is not publicly available and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Gerald Jones (Labour - Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he plans to reply substantively to the correspondence of 11 March 2024 from the hon. Member for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney, reference MC2024/04369.
Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
The response to the correspondence in question was sent to the hon. Member on 23 April 2024. The delay was due to an administrative oversight, for which I apologise. (Please note that the correct reference is MC2024/04269 rather than 04369 which we had previously advised.)
Asked by: Gerald Jones (Labour - Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to respond substantively to the correspondence of 1 February 2024 from the hon. Member for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney, reference MC112949.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice responded to the letter on 14 March 2024. The Ministry of Justice takes the handling of correspondence very seriously and in this instance, due to an administrative error, there was a delay in responding. As outlined in our response, we apologise for the delay in responding.
Asked by: Gerald Jones (Labour - Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when she plans to issue a substantive written response to the correspondence of 15 January 2024 from the hon. Member for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney, reference MCB2024/00632.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
I wrote to the hon. Member on 1 March about the constituent’s eligibility for the Warm Home Discount scheme.
Asked by: Gerald Jones (Labour - Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress her Department has made on developing a sponsorship code of conduct that all sporting bodies must adhere to when accepting sponsorship form the gambling industry.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
DCMS has been working with representatives from the sports sector, including sports governing bodies, to agree a new code of conduct for socially responsible gambling sponsorship. We hope to make further announcements once the code is finalised and agreed early next year.
Asked by: Gerald Jones (Labour - Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to support women experiencing menopausal symptoms in the workplace.
Answered by Mims Davies - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Helen Tomlinson, the Government’s Menopause Employment Champion, is working with businesses to raise awareness of the menopause in the workplace and support women to have the fulfilling careers they deserve.
On World Menopause Day, we published ‘No time to step back’, a progress report from Helen, and launched new content on the DBT ‘Help to Grow’ website outlining guidance to support women experiencing menopause and its impact at work.
Asked by: Gerald Jones (Labour - Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions he has held with Cabinet colleagues on progress in implementing the Windsor Framework.
Answered by Steve Baker - Minister of State (Northern Ireland Office)
Our priority now is ensuring the timely and successful implementation of the Framework. To this end, we have published further guidance on how the Windsor Framework will work in practice, including detail on improved customs processes and movements of goods and subsidy control, and on the UK Internal Market Scheme, the Retail Movement Scheme and the Duty Reimbursement Scheme.
This all delivers on our commitment to the Windsor Framework, its implementation and supporting businesses and members of civic societies in Northern Ireland. We have – and will continue to - engage extensively with businesses, communities and political parties in Northern Ireland to support them in adapting to these new arrangements, which will be phased in over nearly two and half years.
Asked by: Gerald Jones (Labour - Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, on what date a Minister from his Department last undertook an official visit to Clwyd South constituency.
Answered by David T C Davies - Secretary of State for Wales
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and I both live in Wales and serve Welsh constituencies. We have a consistent presence in Wales as we conduct many visits, events and meetings in Wales on a regular basis.
Details of Ministerial visits and meetings are published on the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales’ website and in Quarterly Ministerial Transparency Returns. In addition, visits and meetings conducted in support of the Wales Office priorities are published in the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales Annual Report and Accounts.
The UK Government has provided extensive support to Clwyd South. A typical household in Wales has received almost £2000 in UK Government support to help with the cost of living. This includes over 189,000 payments delivered in Clwyd South through the Energy Bills Support Scheme. During the Covid-19 pandemic over 12,000 jobs were supported through the furlough scheme, around £27 million was claimed through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and around £41 million was given to businesses through government-backed business loans.
The UK Government has also supported innovation within Clwyd South with over £1 million awarded by Innovate UK since April 2019. Clwyd South has also received around £78,000 through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme to level up local sports facilities
In addition, Wrexham and Denbighshire, the local authorities for the Clwyd South constituency, are receiving over £22 million and over £25 million respectively, from the UK Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Wrexham is also receiving over £13 million from the Levelling Up Fund for the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct & Canal World Heritage Site and Dee Valley AONB. Clwyd South will also benefit from the £240 million North Wales Growth Deal.
This Government is investing in Wales like never before; over £790 million in four City and Regional Growth Deals covering the whole of Wales, £585 million for local authorities to invest through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, including over £100 million for the Multiply adult numeracy programme, £330 million in capital investment through the Levelling Up Fund and £3.2 million to preserve community assets through the Community Ownership Fund. Wales will benefit from two Freeports backed by £52 million, the British Business Bank’s new £130m Regional Investment Fund, and from Project Gigabit which will enable hard to reach communities to access lightning-fast gigabit capable broadband.