Asked by: Julia Buckley (Labour - Shrewsbury)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether she has had recent discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of aligning building regulations in England with those in Wales.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
I have regular discussions with my Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of matters. I also recently met with the Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government, Jayne Bryant MS, to discuss the Welsh Government’s plans for legislation on building safety in Wales.
Although buildings policy is a devolved matter, officials at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Building Safety Regulator and the Welsh Government maintain close working relationships. Representatives from all devolved nations attend the Building Advisory Committee Working Group on Fire Safety, which provides an authoritative view to the Building Safety Regulator how the functional requirements of Part B of the Building Regulations are implemented.
Asked by: Johanna Baxter (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire South)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes in the level of the national minimum wage and living wage on people in Wales.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
Up to 160,000 workers in Wales have just received a pay rise as the increases in the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage take effect.
Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will see a real-terms pay increase of £1,400 per year, whilst 18-to-20 year olds will get a record boost of £2,500 each year, helping to provide families with better financial stability, improved living standards and kickstarting growth.
Asked by: Kanishka Narayan (Labour - Vale of Glamorgan)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed increase in defence spending on the economy in Wales.
Answered by Nia Griffith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)
At the Spring Statement, the Chancellor increased the defence budget by £2.2 billion in 2025-26. This will boost the Welsh economy and our thriving defence sector, where the Ministry of Defence is already supporting 7,700 jobs across the length and breadth of the country.
Earlier this month, I visited Qioptic and Wagtail in North Wales, just two of the wide range of companies in Wales who play a vital role in defending the UK.
Asked by: Chris Murray (Labour - Edinburgh East and Musselburgh)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed increase in defence spending on the economy in Wales.
Answered by Nia Griffith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)
At the Spring Statement, the Chancellor increased the defence budget by £2.2 billion in 2025-26. This will boost the Welsh economy and our thriving defence sector, where the Ministry of Defence is already supporting 7,700 jobs across the length and breadth of the country.
Earlier this month, I visited Qioptic and Wagtail in North Wales, just two of the wide range of companies in Wales who play a vital role in defending the UK.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes in the level of the employer National Insurance contributions on the economy in Wales.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
The government recognises the need to protect the smallest employers which is why we have more than doubled the Employment Allowance to £10,500, meaning more than half of businesses with NICs liabilities either gain or see no change. SMEs account for 99.3% of total enterprises in Wales.
The previous Conservative Government left us a £22bn black hole in public finances and the highest debt burden in 70 years – we are fixing the mess the party left to kickstart economic growth and put more money in people’s pockets.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on road connectivity between England and Wales.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
Cross-border travel is crucial for people between Wales and England to unlock economic growth, employment opportunities and better connect the Union.
Improving transport connectivity is a priority for me, and I have been working in partnership with the Transport Secretary and the Welsh Government through the Wales Rail Board to deliver the transport improvements Wales needs.
Asked by: Richard Baker (Labour - Glenrothes and Mid Fife)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on support for clean energy projects in Wales.
Answered by Nia Griffith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)
The UK Government is delivering our clean energy mission in Wales as part of our Plan for Change.
Earlier this month, The Crown Estate announced that three Welsh ports have been shortlisted to develop floating offshore wind projects in the Celtic Sea. These windfarms will generate up to 4.5 gigawatts of renewable energy, create up to 5,000 jobs and deliver a £1.4 billion boost to the economy.
Asked by: Kirsty Blackman (Scottish National Party - Aberdeen North)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many (a) press, (b) media and (c) other communications posts there are in her Department; and what the salary band is for each post.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
The Wales Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Gregory Stafford (Conservative - Farnham and Bordon)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether she has had recent discussions with (a) the Welsh government, (b) Natural Resources Wales and (c) the Canal and River Trust on the extraction of water during drier periods to supply the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
I have regular discussions with Welsh Government Ministers and stakeholder organisations in Wales on a wide range of matters, including the environment. Whilst water management is devolved to the Welsh Government, the UK Government recognises the environmental and economic value of canals in Wales and is investing £13.9m in restoring the Montgomery canal.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many meetings has she held with the (a) Farmers Union of Wales (b) National Farmers Union Cymru, (b) Country Land and Business Association Cymru, (c) Tenant Association Farmers Cymru (d) Countryside Alliance Wales and (e) Central Association for Agricultural Valuers since 30 October 2024.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
The farming unions are a key partner for the Wales Office – the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and I are committed to working with them and maintaining an active dialogue. In November 2024, both the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and I met with the Farmers Union of Wales, National Farmers’ Union Cymru, Country Land and Business Association and the Tenant Farmers Association. I separately met with the National Farmers' Union Cymru again later that month.
In January of this year, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State attended the National Farmers Union Cymru Council, and then had a meeting with the National Farmers Union Cymru in March. She will also be meeting with the Farmers Union of Wales at the end of this month.
I want to reiterate that the Government’s commitment to the farming sector is steadfast – that is why we protected the farm budget at its current level, allocating £337 million to the Welsh Government at the Autumn Budget.