Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the level of performance of the Welsh economy.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

Growth is the number one mission of the government. I have worked with UK and Welsh Government colleagues to drive over £1.5 billion in private investment from the likes of Eren Holding and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners into Wales. We are creating tens of thousands of jobs in every corner of Wales through our Freeports, Investment Zones, support for steelworkers, inward investments and our thriving green industries.

Our new Industrial Strategy is central to the Growth Mission and will channel support to eight growth-driving sectors – those in which the UK excels today and will excel tomorrow. The Strategy will play to Wales’s sectoral strengths, including Advanced Manufacturing, Clean Energy, Life Sciences and Creative Industries.

My department has been working closely across UK Government and the Welsh Government on the Industrial Strategy. I have also established the Welsh Economic Growth Advisory Group, a group that brings together business, industry, university and union leaders to discuss key economic topics across Wales.

The positive impact our UK and Welsh Labour Governments are having is clear in how the Welsh economy is changing. Unemployment fell significantly last quarter. And, since we came into office, real wages have continually increased while interest rates have been cut four times. We are creating jobs and putting more pounds in the pockets of working families across Wales.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of increases in employer National Insurance contributions on employment in Wales.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

We have protected the smallest businesses and more than doubled the Employment Allowance to £10,500, meaning that over half of small and micro businesses will pay less or no national insurance contributions at all. Small and medium-sized enterprises account for 99.3% of total enterprises in Wales.

UK Government analysis shows that 865,000 UK businesses will pay no NI contributions at all as a result of these measures. In addition, more than half of employers with NI contribution liabilities will either see no change or an overall gain from 2025.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of increases in employer National Insurance contributions on wages in Wales.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

Raising the revenue required to fund public services and restore economic stability requires difficult decisions on tax, which is why we are asking employers to contribute more.

The changes broadly return NICs revenues as a proportion of GDP to the level they were before the previous government’s cuts to employee and self-employed NICs, but do so in a way that does not result in higher taxes in people’s payslips.

This Government has taken quick and sensible action to boost wages for millions of lower paid workers who are the backbone and future of our economy. Around 150,000 workers across Wales received a record pay rise through the UK Government’s increases to the living wage and minimum wage. For full time workers 21 and over, this will provide up to £1,400 a year more for these individuals and up to £2,500 a year more for full time workers between 18-20.

Real total wages have continually increased since this Labour Government was formed in July 2024, and are up 1.7% on the year for January 2025 to March 2025.

These increased incomes are set to boost financial stability for millions of families, improve spending power and deliver economic growth.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on steps to support the tourism industry in Wales.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

Although tourism is devolved, the UK Government is firmly committed to working with the Welsh Government to support Wales’ tourism industry.

In March, my colleague the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, alongside the Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, visited Elan Valley Lakes. This project, which will benefit from £11.8 million investment from both UK and Welsh Governments, will enhance visitor experience to the site and safeguard the natural beauty and biodiversity of the Elan Valley.

In addition, in February, the UK Government announced £15 million in funding for Venue Cymru and the Newport Transporter Bridge. These are three key projects that will strengthen Wales’ tourism industry and attract more visitors.

I also support the millions of pounds of investment into the tourism industry in Wales made by the Welsh Government in their Budget, which the Conservative and Plaid Cymru parties in the Senedd decided to vote against.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on steps to improve infrastructure in Wales.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

I have regular discussions with Welsh Government colleagues on a range of issues, including improving infrastructure across Wales.

Improving infrastructure is key to this Government’s mission to kick-starting economic growth across the UK. This government acknowledges that its predecessors have short-changed Wales for years on rail investment, including because of HS2. One of my top priorities is to reverse years of historic underfunding in Wales’ rail infrastructure. The UK and Welsh governments have agreed a prioritisation of rail improvement projects developed by the Wales Rail Board and this has informed our work in the run up to the Spring Spending Review.

This government is also committed to improving our energy infrastructure as part of our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower. The Clean Power 2030 Action Plan sets out a clear pathway to delivering a secure, affordable, and fully decarbonised electricity system by the end of the decade. We are putting Wales at the forefront of our clean energy mission by supporting green energy innovation such as tidal power in North Wales, floating offshore wind development in the Celtic Sea and investing in the Celtic and Anglesey Freeports.

The Chancellor confirmed two Investment Zones and two Freeports for Wales at the Autumn Budget. Each Freeport will receive £26 million which can be spent on infrastructure improvements, while simultaneously unlocking significant inward investment. In addition, our Welsh Investment Zones and Freeports will support tens of thousands of new jobs.

The Port of Mostyn recently announced a major expansion to make the port ready for the next generation of larger offshore wind turbines, expected to create 130 jobs during construction and 300 permanent jobs to follow.

In the Port Talbot area, over £28 million of Transition Board funding will support four regeneration projects and over 370 jobs.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps she has taken with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle poverty in Wales.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

The Government is committed to tackling poverty and we will achieve this by increasing living standards through our Plan for Change.

Up to 160,000 workers across Wales received a record pay rise through the UK Government’s increases to the living wage and minimum wage. For full time workers 21 and over, this means up to £1,400 a year more for these individuals and up to £2,500 a year more for full time workers between 18-20. These increased incomes are set to boost financial stability for millions of families.

We are creating tens of thousands of jobs in every corner of Wales through our Freeports, Investment Zones, support for steelworkers, inward investments and our thriving green industries.

The positive impact our UK and Welsh Labour Governments are having is clear in how the Welsh economy is changing. Unemployment fell significantly last quarter. And, since we came into office, real wages have continually increased while interest rates have been cut four times. We are creating jobs and putting more pounds in the pockets of working families across Wales.

The Government is also developing a Child Poverty Strategy that will be UK-wide, building on shared effort across all nations and regions of the UK and placing children and families at its centre.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on school standards in Wales.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

I have regular discussions with the Welsh Government on a range of issues, including Education. In addition, officials from the Department for Education (DfE) and the Welsh Government regularly meet and share best practice as do DfE Ministers and their Welsh Government counterparts.

As Education is devolved, the Welsh Government is responsible for school standards in Wales. The UK Government delivered the biggest budget settlement in the history of devolution, with £21 billion of new money for the Welsh Government to spend on public services such as schools.

In Financial Year (FY) 2024/25, the Welsh Government provided almost £200 million to support school standards across Wales. For FY 2025/26, the Welsh Government is awarding a further almost £170 million for school standards, which the Conservative and Plaid Cymru parties in the Senedd decided to vote against.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many permanent civil servants in her Department are staff without assigned posts; and how many are placed in an equivalent (a) people action team, (b) priority movers list, (c) redeployment register, (d) talent pool and (e) skills match hub in the most recent period for which data is available.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

There are no permanent Civil Servants in my Department without assigned posts and no permanent Civil Servants are placed in a people action team, priority movers list, redeployment register, talent pool, or skills match hub in the most recent period for which data is available.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to improve transport links between Wales and the rest of the UK.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

We are investing an historic £445 million into Welsh rail to right years’ of underfunding by previous governments and unleash Wales’ economic potential.

This new investment will improve transport links, including for Padeswood on the Borderlands Line through Wrexham, and between Cardiff and Bristol.

This will mean new stations, enable more and faster trains on the key lines across North and South Wales, connecting people with the new, well-paid jobs we’re creating across Wales.

This announcement also includes providing £48 million over four years to the Welsh Government to continue to upgrade the Core Valleys Lines.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Autumn Budget 2024 on family farms in Wales.

Answered by Nia Griffith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)

The Government is steadfastly committed to family farms in Wales. That is why we protected the farm budget at its current level and allocated £337 million to the Welsh Government at the Autumn Budget.

Furthermore, at the UK-EU Summit on the 19^th of May, the Prime Minister announced that the UK would deliver a new agri-food deal with the European Union. This will make agrifood trade with our biggest market cheaper and easier, cut costs and red tape for Welsh producers and retailers, and help keep prices down and increase choice in the shops.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support the steel industry in Wales.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

Welsh steel has a bright future under this government. Our improved deal with Tata Steel UK has delivered £1.3 billion investment and protected over 5,000 jobs.

We have committed a further £2.5 billion for steel over the course of this Parliament with our Steel Strategy due to be announced soon.

Steel communities are the heart of Wales. I have allocated over £70 million Transition Board funding to help people, businesses and communities with retraining, business support and growth, and regeneration.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on improving rail connectivity in Wales.

Answered by Nia Griffith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)

We are working with Welsh government on a range of shared priorities, which includes rail connectivity.

We are investing an historic £445 million into Welsh rail to right years’ of underfunding by previous governments and unleash Wales’ economic potential.

This will mean new stations, enable more and faster trains on the key lines across North and South Wales, connecting people with the new, well-paid jobs we’re creating across Wales.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether she has had discussions with the Welsh Government on the potential economic impact of the proposed visitor levy on the economy in Wales.

Answered by Nia Griffith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)

The Welsh tourism sector is thriving; last year British residents took over 7 million overnight trips in Wales, spending more than £2billion.

Visitor levies are widely used abroad, and, if a visitor levy were introduced by all Welsh local authorities, it could raise up to £33million.

This money can be invested in local services and infrastructure to support tourism, helping to improve facilities like toilets, footpaths and beaches, which will benefit both visitors and local residents.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on increasing economic growth in Wales.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

Growth is the number one mission of this government. We are creating tens of thousands of jobs in every corner of Wales through our Freeports, Investment Zones, support for steelworkers, inward investments and our thriving green industries.

I have also established the Welsh Economic Growth Advisory Group, which brings together business, industry, university and trade union leaders to plan how we unleash Wales’s economic potential.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many permanent civil servants in his Department had their contract of employment terminated as a result of poor performance in the (a) 2022-23, (b) 2023-24 and (c) 2024-25 financial years.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

No permanent Civil Servants in my Department had their contract of employment terminated as a result of poor performance in the 2022-23, 2023-24, or 2024-25 financial years.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how much funding the Welsh government requested from her Department for coal tip safety and remediation work as part of the Spending Review 2025.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

At the Spending Review, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that HM Treasury would provide the Welsh Government with the funding it requested to continue its vital coal tip safety work. Ensuring coal tips across Wales remain safe is of the upmost importance and this is why the UK Government is committing £118 million over the three years of the Spending Review period (over financial years 2026/27-2028/29). This is in addition to the £25m provided at Autumn Budget last year, bringing the total UK Government investment in coal tip safety to over £140m. This is another example of how two governments working in partnership are delivering for the people of Wales.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many staff network events took place in her Department in May 2025; and what the names of those events were.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

No staff network events took place in my Department in May 2025.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on plans for cross-border healthcare.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

I meet with the First Minister of Wales regularly to discuss a range of issues, including health. We are working in a spirit of genuine collaboration to do everything possible to cut waiting lists and build an NHS fit for the future.

A good example of our two Governments working together on health is the Interministerial Group (IMG) for Health and Social Care, which met on 30 April, chaired by the Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care. The IMG brought together Ministers from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Devolved Governments to discuss shared priorities across health in the UK.

I welcome the news that waiting lists, including long waits, have fallen in recent months. These improvements come after we provided the Welsh Government with an additional £1.7 billion to invest in public services like the NHS at the Autumn Budget. An extra £600 million in funding has now been announced by the Welsh Government for health and social care in their Budget for 2025/26. Furthermore at the Spending Review last week, we announced a record £22.4 billion per year on average for the Welsh Government between 2026-27 and 2028-29, to invest in public services and drive down waiting lists. This is the largest budget settlement in the history of devolution.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether her Department has updated guidance on the use of single-sex facilities in response to the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

We will review and update policy wherever necessary to ensure it complies with the latest legal requirements. We aim to ensure appropriate facilities are available for all staff.

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