Asked by: Henry Tufnell (Labour - Mid and South Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to support the decarbonisation of industry in South West Wales through the development of non‑pipeline carbon capture, utilisation and storage projects.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government recognises the importance of CCUS and NPT to the decarbonisation of South Wales. As part of the CCUS Programme, we are working with the South Wales Industrial Cluster to assess viable decarbonisation pathways, including CCUS enabled solutions via non-pipeline transport.
The government’s consultation on its proposals for NPT deployment across the UK has just concluded and we are in the process of analysing responses.
Alongside this, the government launched the NPT Pathfinder Selection Process on the 9 April. This is the first time NPT projects will be eligible to apply for storage at the East Coast Cluster and we look forward to seeing which projects come forward to take up this exciting opportunity.
Both initiatives will help inform further NPT deployment in the future, and as such, support the decarbonisation of South Wales.
Asked by: Henry Tufnell (Labour - Mid and South Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to support the development and use of green methanol in the road haulage sector.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The supply of green methanol for use in road vehicles is eligible for support under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO). The RTFO, a certificate trading scheme, has been successful in supporting a UK market for renewable fuels since 2008. In 2024, 68 million litres of renewable methanol was reported as supplied under the RTFO scheme. This is equivalent to around 2% of renewable fuel supplied under the scheme.
Asked by: Henry Tufnell (Labour - Mid and South Pembrokeshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of Stare for Energy Security and Net Zero, on the potential inclusion of refined petroleum products within the UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism; and when the outcomes of those discussions will be made available.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
As announced at Budget 2025 the government is considering the feasibility and impacts of including refined products in the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) in future. The government recognises that refineries play a role in energy security and the UK’s industrial base. Government Ministers are holding a roundtable with the refining sector on 4 February 2026 and will also publish a call for evidence on the fuel sector shortly.
Asked by: Henry Tufnell (Labour - Mid and South Pembrokeshire)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when she plans to begin a formal assessment of the potential addition of refined petroleum products to the scope of the UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
As announced at Budget 2025 the government is considering the feasibility and impacts of including refined products in the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) in future. The government recognises that refineries play a role in energy security and the UK’s industrial base. Government Ministers are holding a roundtable with the refining sector on 4 February 2026 and will also publish a call for evidence on the fuel sector shortly.
Asked by: Henry Tufnell (Labour - Mid and South Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to improve mobile connectivity in a) Mid and South Pembrokeshire and b) Tenby.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Government’s ambition is for all populated areas to have access to higher quality standalone 5G by 2030. This ambition includes villages and rural communities as well as towns and cities.
We expect this ambition to be delivered through commercial rollout plans from the network operators. Government continues to work closely with the mobile network operators to ensure their continued investment into the expansion and improvement of mobile networks and that this translates into benefits for communities right across the UK, as well as identifying and addressing barriers to deployment where they exist and it is practical to do so.
In Ofcom’s Connected Nations Annual Report, published on 19 November 2025, it is reported that 4G is available across 90% of the Mid and South Pembrokeshire constituency from all four operators, while 5G (combined standalone and non-standalone) is available outside 87% of premises in the constituency from at least one MNO.
Asked by: Henry Tufnell (Labour - Mid and South Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of indexing payments from the Financial Assistance Scheme for pensions accrued before 1997 by Allied Steel and Wire members.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
We are committed to consider what we have heard on this issue. I have heard first hand all the challenges facing ASW workers and others with pre-1997 accrued pensions. However any change in this area has significant implications on public finances for the taxpayer funded Financial Assistance Scheme.
We will continue to work through these important issues with the Pension Protection Fund. The PPF has recently reviewed, and made publicly available, its assessment of the potential impacts of addressing pre-1997 indexation for all the schemes within its remit.
Asked by: Henry Tufnell (Labour - Mid and South Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent progress he has made on implementing the Defence Industrial Strategy 2025.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
We are progressing the implementation plan for the Defence Industrial Strategy. I am happy to report to the House that I spoke with the Welsh Government about the roll out of a Defence Growth deal for Wales and how Wales will benefit from the £250 million fund allocated.
Asked by: Henry Tufnell (Labour - Mid and South Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent progress he has made on setting out a roadmap for carbon capture utilization and storage projects in south Wales.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is committed to supporting the deployment of carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) across the UK, including in South Wales by allocating £9.4 billion in capital budgets over the Spending Review period.
As part of the CCUS Programme, we are working with the South Wales Industrial Cluster to assess viable decarbonisation pathways, including CCUS enabled solutions. The Cluster has received support through the Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge and is being considered under the Track-1 expansion process. This work is helping to inform a roadmap for CCUS deployment in the region, including options for non-pipeline transport and storage. We continue to engage with industry and local stakeholders to ensure that South Wales is well positioned to benefit from future CCUS investment and infrastructure development.
Asked by: Henry Tufnell (Labour - Mid and South Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps he is taking to help ensure that dispersed industrial sites in south Wales can access (a) onshore and (b) offshore non-pipeline transport storage capacity solutions.
Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises the importance of enabling dispersed industrial sites in South Wales to access carbon storage solutions. Through the Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage (CCUS) Programme, we are exploring non-pipeline transport (NPT) options including road, rail, and shipping to support onshore and offshore storage access for sites not connected to pipeline infrastructure.
The South Wales Industrial Cluster has received support through the Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge and Track-1 expansion process, helping to assess viable NPT pathways. We continue to engage with industry and local stakeholders to develop a roadmap for CCUS deployment in the region, including storage capacity solutions that reflect the unique geography and industrial profile of South Wales.
Asked by: Henry Tufnell (Labour - Mid and South Pembrokeshire)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of devolving (a) probation and (b) youth justice services in Wales.
Answered by Alex Davies-Jones
The Ministry of Justice and Welsh Government regularly discuss justice matters in Wales and are developing a programme of work to consider administrative options on youth justice delivery and partnership arrangements on probation services. This work is currently underway.