Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on fiscal steps to reduce the cost of living in Wales.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
The Welsh and UK Labour Governments are determined to boost living standards for families right across Wales.
It’s why we secured a record wage increase to the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage for up to 160,000 workers.
It’s why we are creating thousands of new jobs in our green industries, our freeports and investment zones.
And it’s why, just two weeks ago, we confirmed a second year of funding for our three economic inactivity trailblazers across Wales – to help people into good, well-paid jobs.
Labour is the only party on the side of working people in Wales and across the UK.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether she has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the future of terrestrial TV distribution in Wales.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
I have regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of matters.
DCMS, as the lead department, are seeking to understand how people receive their television now and in the next decade. As part of this process, DCMS has established a stakeholder forum which will take views on this topic from a range of broadcasters active in Wales, including S4C, the BBC and ITV. The forum also benefits from the perspectives of a number of groups representing the interests of Welsh and UK-wide audiences, such as Voice of the Listener and Viewer, Digital Poverty Alliance and Silver Voices.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on support for the rural economy in Wales.
Answered by Fay Jones
I regularly have conversations with Ministerial colleagues on support for the rural economy in Wales. I am delighted the Chancellor announced £5m at Budget for an Agri-food launchpad in North and Mid Wales which will deliver jobs, growth, and boost productivity for our rural communities.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether he plans to take steps to promote research in Welsh universities in the context of the Welsh universities showcasing event held on 17 October 2023.
Answered by David T C Davies
I was delighted to welcome all eight of the universities in Wales and the Open University to an event showcasing the sector at Lancaster House on 17 October 2023. The event highlighted the strength and breadth of Welsh university research and its ability to deliver tangible benefits to communities in Wales, the UK and across the world. I am committed to ensuring Welsh universities play a vital role in positioning the UK at the forefront of research and development, and I firmly believe the event has helped make progress towards this goal. Senior representatives from each of UKRI’s research councils were present at the event and had the opportunity to see just some of the research excellence found across Wales’ areas of academic strength.
The UK Government is committed to supporting the higher education sector, demonstrated by our ongoing investment of £39.8 billion in research and development between 2022 and 2025. Moreover, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) recently announced a £60 million Regional Innovation Fund to support regions that have lower levels of research and development investment. As part of this, the Welsh Government will receive £3.4 million in Barnett consequentials. I hope this will be invested in the Welsh higher education sector.
Wales is already leading the way in areas as diverse as MedTech, AgriTech and Net Zero and also has a world-leading compound semiconductor cluster based in South Wales. I will continue to champion the strengths of the Welsh university sector. My officials regularly meet with their counterparts in DSIT and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). Discussions with the Wales Innovation Network (WIN) are ongoing on how to build on the momentum created by the event held at Lancaster House on 17 October 2023.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the Welsh Local Government’s report that higher energy bills could means that councils across Wales have £200 million less to spend than in 2023-24.
Answered by Robert Buckland
We understand the pressure that businesses, charities, and public sector organisations are facing with their energy bills, which is why the UK Government is taking immediate action to ensure customers are protected over the winter period.
Through the new Energy Bill Relief Scheme, the Government will provide a discount on energy prices for local authorities whose bills have been significantly inflated by the global energy crisis.
A Treasury-led review will be launched to inform a decision on future support after March 2023.
Local Government Finance in Wales is devolved and is a matter for the Welsh Government. The Spending Review 2021 set the largest annual block grant, in real terms, of any spending review settlement since devolution. Over the Spending Review period, the UK government is providing the Welsh Government with 20% more funding per person than equivalent UK Government spending in other parts of the UK.