Wales Office

The UK Government is working intensively with countries, businesses and civil society organisations around the world to secure our path to global net zero emissions by 2050 and deliver a safe, secure, sustainable and inclusive COP26. The UK set the tone for the level of ambition we invite all countries to rise to when earlier this year we announced our commitment to reduce emissions by 78% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels.

Climate change does not recognise territorial borders. The summit aims to mobilise countries to bring down global emissions, improve air quality, reduce pollution and protect and restore natural ecosystems globally. These benefits would be felt by citizens and communities in Newport, Wales and beyond.

COP26 is also an opportunity to showcase the breadth of engagement in climate action across the UK. All parts of the UK will have important roles to play in ensuring the summit’s success and will benefit from the collective momentum generated by COP26. We are working with the Welsh Government to ensure an inclusive and ambitious summit for the whole UK. We are grateful to those organisations from Wales that applied to have a physical presence at the summit in the UK-managed Green Zone, about which we hope to make an announcement in due course. Welsh communities have also taken part in the Together for Our Planet and Race to Zero campaigns and engaged with the COP26 Schools Pack.

The UK is committed to playing a leading role in developing an ambitious post-2020 global biodiversity framework to be adopted at COP 15.

As part of this framework, the UK will be supporting ambitious global targets to bend the curve of biodiversity loss by 2030, including targets to ensure more ocean and land is protected, ecosystems are restored, species population sizes are recovering and, that by 2050 extinctions are halted. This ambitious set of targets must be supported by increased finance for nature and strengthened reporting and review mechanisms to facilitate the achievement of them.

There is close working between the UK Government and the devolved administrations on our ambitious objectives for COP 15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity to ensure we deliver the transformational change required.

The Government is wholeheartedly committed to tackling abuse online and we continue to press social media platforms to take a much tougher approach in their response to such abuse. UK Government officials have been working closely with officials in the Welsh Government, throughout the development of the Online Safety Bill, and will continue to engage throughout the legislative process.

Similarly, UK Government Ministers, including the Home Secretary, and officials regularly meet social media companies to discuss the steps that they are taking to address harmful content on their platforms, including hate crimes and racist abuse.

Freeports will regenerate communities across the UK by attracting new businesses, spreading jobs, investment and opportunity to towns and cities up and down the country.

I have regular discussions with the Welsh Government on a range of issues, including Freeports. The UK Government remains committed to establishing at least one Freeport in Wales. We wrote to the Welsh Government on 11 July and I would welcome the support of the Welsh Government to ensure Freeports are introduced in Wales as soon as possible.

The Welsh Government is due to receive Barnett in the usual way and it should be for the Welsh Government to decide how much seed funding to provide to a Freeport in Wales. Through the application of the Barnett formula at the 2020 Spending Review, the Welsh Government is receiving around £123 per head in 2021-22 for every £100 head spent by the UK Government on devolved matters in England. However, it is important to recognise that the seed funding is only one part of the offer available to ports and businesses. There are a variety of benefits from Freeports, including on tax, customs, planning and innovation, many of these which will be delivered by the UK Government.

The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales (OSSW) receives information from a wide range of regulatory bodies and non-departmental public bodies. The Office scrutinises and checks the information it receives as part of the normal course of business. OSSW itself has no arms-length bodies.

The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales has received 90 items of correspondence from honourable Members since 1 April 2020; 69 of these items were responded to by Minister David TC Davies and myself, and 19 were answered by other Government Departments. Two items of correspondence are yet to be answered.

The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales is committed to reducing our energy usage to help achieve the UK’s net-zero emissions target. The Office incurred the following costs for energy usage in the financial years listed:

This Government is keen to ensure we build back better in a way that supports the whole economy and delivers for all parts of the UK. Our Plan for Growth sets out the opportunities we will seize across the UK to drive economic growth, create jobs and support British industry.

The Plan for Growth will support our efforts to unite and level up the country: tackling geographic disparities; supporting struggling towns to regenerate; ensuring every region and nation of the UK has at least one globally competitive city; and strengthening the Union.

In addition, I recently launched the Plan for Wales, which outlines the UK Government’s ambitious plans for Wales, which aim to deliver thousands of skilled jobs and ensure Wales’ place as a hub for innovation and the green industries of the future. Over the next 12 months, the Wales Office will continue to work with BEIS on a vision for high growth sectors, an Innovation Strategy, as well as strategies for net zero, hydrogen and space.

I have regular discussions with stakeholders, including those from the seafood sector on maximising opportunities from the UK-EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement.

Under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the UK has secured tariff-free access for fisheries products and a substantial transfer of quota from the EU benefitting fishing communities across the UK including those in Wales. The transfer is equivalent to 25% of the value of the EU’s historic catch in UK waters worth £146 million delivered over 5 years. All fisheries administrations will have regulatory control, giving the Welsh Government powers over part of the UK's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) adjacent to Wales.

I have regular discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport about a wide range of issues including broadcasting matters and the funding settlement for S4C. Furthermore, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and I have had a number of constructive discussions about the licence fee settlement for S4C with the Minister of State for Media and Data.

S4C is the only Welsh language TV channel in the world and the UK Government understands this incredibly distinctive position.

DCMS has received S4C’s submission of need and negotiations are ongoing.

As has been the case under successive Administrations, it is not government policy to comment on security procedures in government buildings.

The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales has referred requests to the Cabinet Office Clearing House where appropriate and in line with the published criteria which is available on gov.uk here - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-and-freedom-of-information.

I refer the Hon. Member to the Cabinet Office guidance to departments on use of private emails. www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-departments-on-private-email-use

I refer the Hon. Member to the Cabinet Office guidance to departments on use of private emails. www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-departments-on-private-email-use

It is government policy not to comment on specific technical security controls; however, the incidental personal use of private email accounts from departmental systems is subject to our ‘Acceptable Use’ policy, in spare time.

I have regular discussions with Cabinet Colleagues on how to support Welsh Businesses build back better from the pandemic.

The UK Government has provided 3 billion pounds in direct support to businesses in Wales, in addition to the extra 8.6 billion pounds given to the Welsh Government to tackle the pandemic.

I have regular discussions with my Rt. Hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on our financial support to people affected by the Covid-19 outbreak.

We have provided the Welsh Government with an extra 8.6 billion pounds to tackle the pandemic, that’s over £2,700 per person in Wales. That is on top of 7.4 billion pounds of additional UK Wide support through the welfare system.

This Government has been clear that we expect employers to treat their employees fairly and in the spirit of partnership. Using threats about firing and rehiring as a negotiation tactic is unacceptable. We expect employers and employees to negotiate new terms and conditions and there are laws around how this must be done, and legal protections in place when firms are considering redundancies. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy asked Acas to conduct an evidence-gathering exercise to improve our evidence base. We welcome Acas’ report on this work which was published on 8 June.

The Acas report demonstrated that there are different views on whether the practice can ever be justified. It finds general agreement that fire and rehire should only be used in limited circumstances – such as to prevent job losses when other options have been exhausted. Acas have been asked to produce clearer and more comprehensive guidance to help employers explore all the options before considering ‘fire and rehire’.

I have had a number of discussions with the COP26 President Designate about the opportunities that exist in Wales to support the drive to net zero, including as part of the COP26 Devolved Administrations Ministerial Group, which I last attended on 10 June.

The UK Government is actively progressing plans to deliver a Green Industrial Revolution that drives the transition to net zero and levels up across the UK. The Prime Minister set out his ambitious 10 Point Plan back in November, which will mobilise £12 billion of UK Government investment to create and support up to 250,000 highly-skilled green jobs across the UK, and spur over three times as much private sector investment by 2030.

As I set out in the UK Government’s Plan for Wales, Wales is at the heart of this agenda. We have backed the South Wales Industrial Cluster with £21.5 million to develop detailed plans to support the region’s net zero transition. We are supporting floating offshore wind, which has the potential to deliver significant supply chain benefits to South Wales and beyond, with a range of policy measures. In addition, we have committed £15.9 million to pioneer low-carbon transport technologies in Cwmbran.

We recognise there is more to do and will bring forward a Net Zero Strategy and plans to decarbonise buildings and transport later this year, which will present further opportunities to the people of Newport West, wider South East Wales and beyond.

The Government recognises the important role science and research will play in levelling up across the UK. That is why the UK Government is investing record amounts across the UK and is committed to reaching a target spend of 2.4% of GDP on research and development by 2027.

I have regular discussions with BEIS and UKRI on a wide range of subjects, including science and research within Wales. My Department is working across government to ensure our ambitions deliver for the whole of the UK and utilise Wales’ creativity, determination and distinctive innovation expertise as we build back greener. UKRI has invested £84.8m in Wales through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund to address current and future societal challenges being faced by businesses. In addition, the Compound Semiconductor Cluster has received £25m through the Strength in Places Fund, and we have provided £20m to the South Wales Industrial Cluster to explore routes to decarbonisation.

I have regular discussions with the Welsh Government on a wide range of subjects including the EU settlement scheme (EUSS).

As of May 2021, the Home Office received 92,700 applications through the EU Settlement Scheme from EEA citizens living in Wales.

I have regular discussions with the Home Secretary on a wide range of subjects including the EU settlement scheme (EUSS).

There are no plans to extend the 30 June 2021 deadline for applications to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) by those EU citizens and their family members resident in the UK by the end of the transition period.

For those who are eligible who have not applied before 30 June, this Government will not simply turn off support for people.

We understand there will be valid reasons why a small proportion of those eligible have not applied before the deadline, as we have set out in our reasonable ground guidance. It is our priority to ensure we continue to support people who are eligible to apply and anyone who is eligible who has still not applied should make a late application as soon as possible.

The end of the grace period will mean fundamental changes, for both EU citizens living in the UK and vice versa. The UK Government is committed to supporting our EU friends, family and neighbours wishing to remain in the UK after 30 June through these changes.

I have regular discussions with Welsh Ministers on a wide range of subjects pertaining to the environment, like air quality.

Air quality is a largely devolved policy area. The UK Government, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive have provisionally agreed a UK-wide ‘Air Quality Common Framework’. This framework outlines how the four administrations will effectively work together to improve air quality, in line with our current and future obligations, following the UK’s exit from the EU. The framework sets out governance arrangements including mechanisms for joint decision-making, dispute resolution and strategic direction. The ‘common framework working group’, meets regularly in line with the commitment for all four administrations to engage with each other at the earliest opportunity on any development in AQ policy, including the Welsh Government’s Clean Air Plan.

The UK-wide National Air Pollution Control Programme (NAPCP) sets out the proposed measures and technical analysis, which demonstrate how the legally binding 2020 and 2030 emission reduction commitments for five damaging pollutants can be met across the UK. The UK government and the devolved administrations work collaboratively and consult at UK level on actions needed to improve air quality under the NAPCP.

I have regular discussions with Welsh Ministers on a wide range of subjects pertaining to the environment, like air quality.

As air quality is a largely devolved policy area, the UK Government, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive (NIE) have provisionally agreed a UK-wide ‘Air Quality Common Framework’. This framework outlines how the four administrations will work together to improve air quality, in line with our current and future obligations, following the UK’s exit from the EU. The governance arrangements under the framework set a commitment for all administrations to engage with each other on any development in AQ policy, including the Welsh Government’s Clean Air Plan.

I attend weekly meetings chaired by my Rt Hon Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster with all three First Ministers and the deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland to discuss the UK-wide response to Covid-19. This is just one example of the vast number of meetings that take place between UK Government Ministers and officials and their counterparts in the Welsh Government.

I have regular discussions with the Home Secretary on a wide range of subjects including the EU settlement scheme (EUSS).

In addition, my officials are in regular contact with colleagues in the Home Office about how they can best support their efforts.

UK Government has worked extensively to promote awareness of the EUSS. The Home Office has already spent a total of £4.6 million on marketing campaigns to encourage those EU citizens and their family members who have not yet applied to do so. The Home Office recently launched a new £1.5 million wave of UK-wide advertising to ensure EU citizens and their family members are aware of the deadline and know they need to apply.

As of May 2021, the Home Office received 92,700 applications through the EU Settlement Scheme from EEA citizens living in Wales.

The UK Government is committed to making sure everybody eligible for the EUSS can apply, including those who are vulnerable or need extra support. Since April 2019, £17 million has been awarded by the UK Government in grant funding to a network of 72 organisations, who provide a wide range of invaluable support across the UK, ensuring those most at-risk continue to get the help they need.

The UK Government has two grant funded organisations; Tros Gynnal Plant and Newport Mind who operate and provide a wide range of support services to vulnerable and hard to reach EU citizens across Wales.

The UK Government has committed a further £4.5 million of grant funding for the period 1 April to 30 September this year to fund the current network of 72 organisations to continue to provide a range of support across the UK well beyond the 30 June deadline.

Where it is appropriate, the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales has approached the Cabinet Office Clearing House for advice on Freedom of Information requests.

The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales has made no assessment of artificial intelligence in respect of its responsibilities.

The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales works to answer Freedom of Information requests within the timescales set out in the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and does not operate a red, amber and green rating system in doing so.

The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales does not use artificial intelligence in the implementation of its policies. There has been no expenditure incurred by the Office on artificial intelligence.

I work closely with my colleagues in the Department for International Trade to ensure that businesses and consumers across Wales feel the benefits of our world-class Free Trade Agreements and take advantage of new opportunities as we unlock access to new markets. The Government carried out preliminary scoping assessments for each FTA negotiation with a full impact assessment published prior to implementation.

The Trade and Investment Hubs are central to promoting British exports from all parts of the UK, to help level up the country and build back better. The hub in Cardiff will be home to export and investment specialists who will provide businesses with expert support and advice to maximise export potential, boost trade in new markets overseas, and help businesses feed directly into the free trade agreements programme.

Levelling up is at the heart of the Government’s agenda and the commitments in the Plan for Wales to build back better and drive jobs, growth and prosperity. This includes making £27 billion available through the Levelling Up Fund, UK Community Renewal Fund and UK infrastructure Bank as well as investment in critical broadband, mobile and transport connectivity.

At Spending Review 2020, all Departments agreed provisional priority outcomes across all of the UK, along with metrics for measuring progress against these outcomes. The full list can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/spending-review-2020-documents.

The Government will be looking at additional mechanisms for measuring progress on its levelling up ambitions as part of the forthcoming Levelling Up White Paper.

We are backing the North Wales Growth Deal with £120m including for innovative net zero projects such as the Morlais tidal energy test facility. We are seeing a further 2 gigawatts of offshore wind in development. And we are also providing close to £5m for the Holyhead Hydrogen Hub.

We are backing the North Wales Growth Deal with £120m including for innovative net zero projects such as the Morlais tidal energy test facility. We are seeing a further 2 gigawatts of offshore wind in development. And we are also providing close to £5m for the Holyhead Hydrogen Hub.

None. Devolution of the benefits system is not an issue that is raised on the doorsteps of Wales and even the Welsh Government has not asked for powers equivalent to Scotland.

This Government is clear in our commitment to the Union as an unparalleled and successful partnership between our four great nations.

My Department and I are working across Whitehall to deliver strategic priorities for Wales that will level up communities, improve infrastructure, create jobs and economic growth.

Freeports will increase trade, create employment and attract investment. We want to ensure that the whole of the UK can benefit, and remain committed to establishing at least one Freeport in Wales as soon as possible.

I have had no discussions with the Welsh Government on a Welsh independence referendum.

The value to Wales of being part of a strong United Kingdom has been clearly demonstrated by the UK Government’s actions during the Covid-19 pandemic. We have safeguarded Welsh jobs through employment support schemes like the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, and reduced transmission of Covid-19 through the successful rollout of the vaccine programme.

We have protected Welsh jobs and businesses by ensuring trade continues to flow freely throughout the United Kingdom by virtue of the UK Internal Market Act 2020, and our programme of City and Growth Deals together with our local growth funds are helping to level up communities across the UK.

Furthermore, the Government is progressing our ambitious plans to establish Freeports across the UK and, under the Union Connectivity Review, boost transport links between the nations of the UK.

The Government remains committed to ensuring that all businesses are able to seize the opportunities our new trading relationship with the EU brings. We have successfully agreed wide-ranging provisions that seek to facilitate trade by avoiding unnecessary regulatory, non-tariff, barriers between the two parties and continue to offer a wide range of support to businesses exporting to the EU. This includes the £20m SME Brexit Support Fund, which provides access to grants and practical support.

My ministerial colleagues and I across government have been speaking directly to businesses across the country through department-led roundtables and other engagement fora, to develop a shared understanding and plan for the future. These engagements have been integral in supporting businesses most affected by our new trading relationship with the EU, helping them to adjust and continue to successfully compete on a global stage.

I discuss a wide range of issues relating to the Coronavirus pandemic with Cabinet colleagues on a regular basis. However, The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales is not the lead UK Government Department responsible for the NHS Test and Trace database system policy. The lead department is the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).

The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales is not the lead UK Government Department responsible for the NHS Test and Trace database system and does not therefore develop policy relating to the use of the system. The lead department is the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).

The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales is not the lead UK Government Department responsible for the NHS Test and Trace database system and does not therefore develop policy relating to the use of the system. The lead department is the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).

I have regular discussions with stakeholders, including those from the seafood sector on maximising opportunities from the UK-EU Trade and Co-operation Agreement.

Having left the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy, Welsh fishermen and women will be in a position to rebuild our fishing fleet and increase quotas in the coming years. That is why on 24 March, we announced how the additional quota secured as a result of leaving the EU would be shared between the four UK administrations this year. This approach was agreed with the Welsh Government and delivers uplifts for the Welsh industry in sole, plaice and other important stocks.

We recognised the disruption caused to seafood exporters by delays at the border in the early part of this year. To address this, we launched the £23m package of support to deliver the Seafood Disruption Scheme and Seafood Response Fund. This is designed to help UK fishing and shellfish aquaculture businesses that have been affected by the downturn of export and domestic markets for fish and shellfish due to the coronavirus pandemic and/or disruption to seafood exports earlier this year

The Government remains deeply disappointed with the BBC’s decision to restrict the over-75 licence fee concession to only those in receipt of pension credit. We recognise the value of free TV licences for over-75s across the UK, including those in the Newport West constituency and Wales as a whole and believe they should be funded by the BBC.

In the 2015 funding settlement, the government agreed with the BBC that responsibility for the concession would transfer to the BBC in June 2020. This reform was subject to public discussion and debated extensively during the passage of the Digital Economy Act 2017 through Parliament. This legislation provides that the future of the concession is the responsibility of the BBC, not of the government.

The Government has been clear that the BBC must ensure that it supports those affected by its decision, and it must look at how it uses its substantial licence fee income to support older people.

I have regular discussions with the Welsh Government and Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of climate change matters, including the preparations for COP26 to ensure an inclusive and ambitious COP26 for the whole of the UK. This includes when I recently met the Welsh Government Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs at the COP26 Devolved Administrations Ministerial Group on 22 March 2021.

The COP26 Devolved Administrations Ministerial Group brings together the COP26 President Designate, Territorial Secretaries of State and climate change ministers from the devolved administrations to ensure effective engagement and collaboration on COP26 and will meet quarterly in the run up to the summit. There is also ongoing official-level engagement with the Welsh Government on COP26.