Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many meetings he has held at (a) Downing Street and (b) the House of Commons with elected representatives from Wales since his appointment; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by David T C Davies - Secretary of State for Wales
As Secretary of State for Wales, I conduct the vast majority of Government businesses within the Wales Office, including meetings with elected representatives in Wales.
I have had meetings with elected representatives from Wales in Parliament and in Downing Street.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on the steps he is taking to increase tourism links between Wales and Northern Ireland.
Answered by David T C Davies - Secretary of State for Wales
Tourism is devolved in Wales, however the UK Government, through Visit Britain, works with Visit Wales and the other devolved nations’ tourist boards to grow domestic tourism across the UK, including between Wales and Northern Ireland. In addition, UK Government engages with the devolved administrations through the Devolved Administrations' Inter-ministerial Group for Tourism.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when he last held discussions with the Welsh Government on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Answered by Robert Buckland
I have regular contact with the First Minister of Wales and his Ministerial team on a range of issues, including how the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) will help to level up communities in Wales.
The UK Government has engaged with each devolved administration on the design of the UKSPF, at both official and ministerial levels. This has helped inform the most appropriate mix of interventions and funding allocations for each nation. We remain committed to engaging with the devolved administrations as the UKSPF is implemented.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment he has made of the impact of the Shared Prosperity Fund on people living in Newport West constituency.
Answered by Robert Buckland
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) is a key part of the UK Government’s ambitious Levelling Up agenda and a significant component of our support for places in Wales and indeed across the whole of the UK. It provides £2.6 billion of new funding UK-wide for local investment up to March 2025.
Communities in Newport will benefit from a share of the £278 million in UKSPF which has been allocated to the Cardiff Capital Region. This investment will boost productivity, jobs and living standards whilst empowering local leaders to restore local pride and a sense of community.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many members of staff have left his Department since 12 December 2019.
Answered by Robert Buckland
37 staff have left the Department in the period 12 December 2019 to 6 September 2022. This excludes agency staff.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on the Government's proposals for the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Answered by Robert Buckland
I discussed a range of issues with the First Minister of Wales when we met last month, including the UK Government’s legislative programme, and discussed this issue briefly with him this week.
I look forward to further discussions with the First Minister and his Ministerial team in the coming months, and trust that the Welsh Government will work with me constructively on matters which include a devolved interest.
This includes the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, which will fix the practical problems the protocol has created whilst avoiding a hard border, and protect the integrity of the UK and EU Single Market.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what the total budget was for his Department in each year since 2010.
Answered by Robert Buckland
The total budget for the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales since 2010 is provided below:
Financial Year | Total Budget (£m) |
2010-11 | 5,700 |
2011-12 | 6,736 |
2012-13 | 6,870 |
2013-14 | 5,922 |
2014-15 | 4,954 |
2015-16 | 4,412 |
2016-17 | 4,728 |
2017-18 | 5,236 |
2018-19 | 4,952 |
2019-20 | 5,375 |
2020-21 | 5,417 |
2021-22 | 6,144 |
2022-23 | 5,687 |
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how much his Department spent on energy in each of the last three years.
Answered by Robert Buckland
The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales spend on energy in the last three years is provided below:
Financial Year | Spent on energy (£) |
2019-20 | 17,155 |
2020-21 | 13,648 |
2021-22 | 12,186 |
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on the Government's proposals for the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Answered by Simon Hart - Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip)
The Foreign Secretary wrote to the Minister for Economy in the Welsh Government ahead of introduction of the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill to inform the Minister of the forthcoming legislation and seek the consent of the Senedd for provisions in the Bill that are within devolved competence. FCDO officials have also met with officials in the Welsh Government to discuss the content of the Bill.
FCDO ministers and officials will continue to engage with the Welsh Government and other devolved administrations on the Northern Ireland Protocol during the Bill's passage through Parliament.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions he has had with the Welsh Government ahead of the Government's proposals to open an offshore asylum processing centre in Rwanda.
Answered by Simon Hart - Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip)
While immigration is a reserved matter, representatives from across Government have met with counterparts in the Welsh Government regarding the New Plan for Immigration announcements and will continue to do so as part of regular engagement with the Devolved Administrations.
This is part of the United Kingdom’s plan to address the international challenge of illegal migration, control our borders and break the business model of people smuggling gangs.