Asked by: Chris Ruane (Labour - Vale of Clwyd)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether his Department uses ONS estimates of personal wellbeing in formulating policy; and what policies his Department has introduced to improve personal well-being in the last 12 months.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales (OSSW) takes the wellbeing of our staff very seriously and is committed to providing a high level of support. The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) employ staff on behalf of OSSW and therefore the Office adopts and applies MOJ wellbeing policies to our staff.
MOJ published a report on staff mental health and wellbeing in August 2019:
The report covers the four positive wellbeing measures used by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) for the UK population: life satisfaction, sense of purpose, happiness and anxiety.
The Office uses a wide range of MoJ policies that support wellbeing, including a carers charter and passport. During the past 12 months, MoJ has introduced guidance on supporting victims of domestic abuse (November 2018) and a policy to support EU nationals (August 2019). In August, MoJ introduced the Gender Identity and Intersex Policy and Guidance for staff who identify as transgender, non-binary and intersex. This sets out standards of behaviours and useful resources to ensure everyone is treated fairly at work.
OSSW staff can access a range of MoJ wellbeing services which include: access to internal mental health first aiders, the 24/7 hour employee assistance helpline, occupational health referral and counselling sessions (if deemed appropriate) and membership of relevant employee support networks.
In addition to MoJ policies, the Office engages with other Government Departments in the UK Governance Group to raise staff awareness of wellbeing techniques. This includes discussion of staff wellbeing at staff events and senior leadership meetings.
Asked by: Chris Ruane (Labour - Vale of Clwyd)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent progress the Government has made on the future of the proposed Wylfa Newydd power plant.
Answered by Alun Cairns
Wylfa Newydd remains a suitable site for nuclear new build in the future. The site is still owned by Hitachi, and the UK Government remains in discussions with them regarding its future.
We are committed to creating a broad-based resilient economy through our modern Industrial Strategy and will continue to work with the Welsh Government and local partners to ensure that North Wales prospers.
The Government remains committed to the nuclear sector, giving the go ahead to the first new nuclear power station in a generation at Hinkley Point C and investing £200m through our landmark Nuclear Sector Deal, which was signed in North Wales.
Asked by: Chris Ruane (Labour - Vale of Clwyd)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, with reference to the funding package announced for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, what assessment he has made of the Barnett consequential for Wales.
Answered by Alun Cairns
The UK Government contribution to the 2022 Commonwealth Games budget is subject to the Barnett Formula which HM Treasury will apply in the normal way at the Spending Review, as set out in the Statement of Funding Policy.
Asked by: Chris Ruane (Labour - Vale of Clwyd)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, on how many occasions his Department has received representations from the UK Statistics Authority on his Department's presentation and use of statistics in each year since 2010.
Answered by Alun Cairns
Details on the UK Statistics Authority’s interventions are published in the correspondence, publications, and issues log sections of their website since 2010.
The Authority’s Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) also carry out regular assessments and systemic reviews, details of which can also be found on the Authority’s website.
In September 2018, the Authority published the first annual summary of its interventions for the financial year 2017/18. The report for 2018/19 will be published in the autumn.
Asked by: Chris Ruane (Labour - Vale of Clwyd)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, on what dates (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have met with counterparts in the Department for Work and Pensions to discuss poverty rates for disabled people in Wales in each of the last two years; and what the outcomes were of those meetings.
Answered by Alun Cairns
Wales Office Ministers and I meet regularly with colleagues from the Department for Work and Pensions on an array of issues including those facing disabled people in Wales.
The percentage of working age adults in Wales who live in a household where there was someone with a disability that were in relative poverty has fallen 3 percentage points when compared with two years earlier.
We are committed to supporting disabled people across the UK, and under this Government around 1 million disabled households will gain on average around £100 more per month on Universal Credit than on legacy benefits.
Asked by: Chris Ruane (Labour - Vale of Clwyd)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many civil servants in his Department have been seconded to (a) the Department for Exiting the European Union and (b) the Department for International Trade in each of the last three years.
Answered by Kevin Foster
None.
Asked by: Chris Ruane (Labour - Vale of Clwyd)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many companies based in (a) Wales, (b) the UK, (c) the EU and (d) the rest of the world had contracts or grants awarded by his Department in each of the last three years; and what the value of those contracts or grants was.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales does not issue contracts directly. The Office buys goods and services under Government frameworks agreements and receives procurement services from the Ministry of Justice. The Office has not awarded any grants.
Asked by: Chris Ruane (Labour - Vale of Clwyd)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to the Answer of 4 April 2019 to Question 239184 on 4 April on Stronger Towns Fund: Wales, on what date he held those meetings; and if he will publish the attendees at those meetings.
Answered by Alun Cairns
I have recently discussed the Stronger Towns Fund on several occasions with Cabinet colleagues in different forums.
Asked by: Chris Ruane (Labour - Vale of Clwyd)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will meet with Welsh MPs from all political parties to discuss the (a) design of and (b) consultation process for the shared prosperity fund.
Answered by Alun Cairns
I recently met the all-party group for post-Brexit funding for nations, regions and local areas to discuss the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. As I said at Wales Oral Questions on 3 April, I would be happy to meet with the honourable Gentleman and colleagues to discuss the Fund.
Asked by: Chris Ruane (Labour - Vale of Clwyd)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to the Answer of 1 April to Question 237625, how many occasions he has met with Cabinet colleagues to discuss the Stronger Towns Fund; and what the outcome was of each such meeting.
Answered by Alun Cairns
I have a met with Cabinet colleagues on a number of occasions to discuss the Stronger Towns Fund. Ministers and officials will continue to work together to ensure that the fund delivers for communities across Wales and the UK.