Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the planned changes to the Winter Fuel Payment, announced on 9 June 2025, for what reason an income threshold of £35,000 for the Winter Fuel Payment was decided.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government wants more pensioners to benefit from Winter Fuel Payments. The £35,000 threshold means that the vast majority of pensions - more than three quarters and around 9 million individuals - will benefit from a Winter Fuel Payment. The threshold is also broadly in line with average earnings. This change also ensures that the means-testing of winter fuel payments has no effect on pensioner poverty.
Restricting Winter Fuel Payments to those with incomes below or equal to £35,000 means those on lower and middle incomes will still receive the help they need and ensures fairness for both pensioners and taxpayers.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the cancellation of the in-person Pathways to Work public consultation event in Wales, scheduled for 3 June 2025, on stakeholders in Wales.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As part of our commitment to hear from members of the public directly, including disabled people and their representatives, we have now held a number of virtual and in person public consultation events, as per the advertised schedule on GOV.UK. Unfortunately, the Cardiff in person event (initially scheduled for 3 June) was postponed at the last minute due to the venue cancelling and no appropriate accessible alternative being available at such short notice. We are working with the Welsh Government to rearrange this event and have reached out to all registered participants directly, also offering a priority space on other virtual events.
Additionally, a Wales-only virtual consultation event has now been arranged and scheduled for 26 June.
Throughout the consultation we are committed to putting the views and voices of disabled people and people with health conditions at the heart of everything we do. We encourage members of the public to continue to respond to the consultation online, in writing and via email.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether her Department intends to provide an in-person Pathways to Work public consultation event in Wales following the cancellation of the Cardiff event on 3 June 2025.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As part of our commitment to hear from members of the public directly, including disabled people and their representatives, we have now held a number of virtual and in person public consultation events, as per the advertised schedule on GOV.UK. Unfortunately, the Cardiff in person event (initially scheduled for 3 June) was postponed at the last minute due to the venue cancelling and no appropriate accessible alternative being available at such short notice. We are working with the Welsh Government to rearrange this event and have reached out to all registered participants directly, also offering a priority space on other virtual events.
Additionally, a Wales-only virtual consultation event has now been arranged and scheduled for 26 June.
Throughout the consultation we are committed to putting the views and voices of disabled people and people with health conditions at the heart of everything we do. We encourage members of the public to continue to respond to the consultation online, in writing and via email.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason the Pathways to Work public consultation event in Cardiff, scheduled for 3 June 2025, was cancelled.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As part of our commitment to hear from members of the public directly, including disabled people and their representatives, we have now held a number of virtual and in person public consultation events, as per the advertised schedule on GOV.UK. Unfortunately, the Cardiff in person event (initially scheduled for 3 June) was postponed at the last minute due to the venue cancelling and no appropriate accessible alternative being available at such short notice. We are working with the Welsh Government to rearrange this event and have reached out to all registered participants directly, also offering a priority space on other virtual events.
Additionally, a Wales-only virtual consultation event has now been arranged and scheduled for 26 June.
Throughout the consultation we are committed to putting the views and voices of disabled people and people with health conditions at the heart of everything we do. We encourage members of the public to continue to respond to the consultation online, in writing and via email.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the availability of utility social tariffs for people (a) on low income and (b) with disabilities that do not receive (i) Universal Credit and (ii) PIP.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is committed to tackling poverty and discusses access to social tariffs regularly with her Cabinet colleagues as part of her work to address poverty. This includes through her role as co-chair of the Child Poverty Taskforce.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, (a) what specific matters were discussed during and (b) what were the outcomes of her meeting with the First Minister of Wales on the Pathways to Work Green Paper on 4 June 2025.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The meeting between Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and the First Minister of Wales on 4th June 2025 was a positive discussion about areas of mutual interest, including the UK Government’s commitment to reforming the system of health and disability benefits so that it promotes and enables employment among as many people as possible.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Bus Services (No.2) Bill [Lords] on Wales.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Bus Services (No.2) Bill primarily applies in England only. However, a small number of measures apply to Wales.
My officials are engaging with the Welsh Government to discuss the Bill’s interaction with Wales. This is in the context of the Welsh Government bringing forward the Bus Services (Wales) Bill, which proposes a fundamental restructure of Welsh bus services. These discussions are ongoing.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the report by the University of Manchester entitled Rattling the supply chains: creating a more sustainable way to do business, published on 22 April 2025.
Answered by Mike Kane - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport acknowledges this report's contribution to resilient and sustainable supply chain discussions. The UK's reliance on global supply chains offers economic benefits but poses risks such as geopolitical tensions and environmental changes. To address these, through the G7 Supply Chains Working Group, this government is actively working to strengthen their resilience, ensuring it remains secure, diverse, and sustainable in the face of global challenges.
This work is part of a broader government effort, led by the Department for Business and Trade, to ensure UK supply chains remain secure and diverse. The University of Manchester's report will inform ongoing policy development.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a separate criminal offence of desecration of a corpse.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government understands the concerns of bereaved families who are pressing for a review of the legislative framework around the desecration of corpses. While there is no specific offence of desecrating a corpse in England and Wales, other related offences can apply, such as preventing the lawful burial of a body. When the concealment or desecration of a body is linked to a homicide (to avoid detection, for example), the current sentencing framework treats this as an aggravating factor, ensuring robust sentences. The Government recognises that desecration could include a range of behaviours and is keeping the law under review.
The Government is also taking action to expand the offence of sexual penetration of a corpse under section 70 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. The Crime and Policing Bill will replace this offence with a broader offence of sexual activity with a corpse. This will ensure that all intentional sexual touching of a corpse is criminal, not just penetration as is currently the case. Non-penetrative sexual touching will attract a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment. The Bill will increase the maximum penalty for sexual penetration from 2 years’ imprisonment to 7 years.
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.