Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent estimate he has made of the number of people in Wales who do not have an acceptable form of photo ID as set out in the Elections Act 2022.
Answered by Lee Rowley
Further to the response to the UQ I gave on the floor of the House on 21 February 2023, the Cabinet Office has published an extensive survey on levels of ownership of photographic identification, which includes geographical breakdowns. The results have been published here.
Information relating to the number of online applications for the Voter Authority Certificate can be found here. This includes data on applications made in England, Wales and Scotland respectively.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many applications have been made for a Voter Authority Certificate from people living in Wales; and how many of those applications have been successful.
Answered by Lee Rowley
Further to the response to the UQ I gave on the floor of the House on 21 February 2023, the Cabinet Office has published an extensive survey on levels of ownership of photographic identification, which includes geographical breakdowns. The results have been published here.
Information relating to the number of online applications for the Voter Authority Certificate can be found here. This includes data on applications made in England, Wales and Scotland respectively.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 7 February 2023 to Question 138288 on Freeports: Wales, whether each and every individual approved freeport bid in Wales will receive £26 million of initial funding.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
Further to the answer I gave to Question UIN 138288, announcements will be set out in the usual way.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether it is his Department's policy that all approved freeport bids in Wales will receive £26 million of initial funding.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
The UK and Welsh governments have committed to delivering a Freeport in Wales. Subject to business case approval, there is access to seed capital funding of up to £26 million.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will conduct an impact assessment on the delivery of architecture courses across Welsh universities and in the Machynlleth Centre for Alternative Technology of the Architects Act 1997 (Amendment) Regulations 2022.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
The Architects Act 1997 (Amendment) Regulations 2022 enable the Architects Registration Board, the regulator for architects, to have autonomy over which international architecture qualifications it recognises and with which overseas regulators it enters into recognition agreements.
Reciprocal recognition agreements with overseas regulators will not only mean that the UK can expand its talent pool, but UK architecture qualifications will also be recognised abroad making the UK a more attractive place to both study and practise. The Impact Assessment published alongside the Professional Qualifications Bill can be found here.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether local authorities in Wales will have control over the use of Multiply Programme funds as part of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund including (a) activity and (b) expenditure profile.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
In Wales we have encouraged local authorities across the four regional strategic geographies to collaborate on the delivery of UKSPF and Multiply. This has been set out in detail in the UKSPF Prospectus and published on GOV.UK.
We have now received UKSPF investment plans from the strategic geographies of North Wales, Mid Wales, South West Wales and South East Wales, and have begun the assessment process of these.
The investment plans include the selection of interventions they wish to support, including their proposed Multiply activity, and their expenditure profile of both their core UKSPF and Multiply allocation.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an estimate of the potential average timeframe for receiving (a) a decision of eligibility for the Homes for Ukraine scheme following submission of an application for sponsorship of named individuals and (b) immigration clearance to enter the UK for named individuals who are accepted for sponsorship.
Answered by Neil O'Brien - Shadow Minister (Policy Renewal and Development)
I refer the Hon Member to the answers given to Question UIN 145857 on 28 March 2022 and Question UIN 144955 on 29 March 2022, which include links to published guidance, including Guidance for Local Authorities, and information at Gov.uk. The Ukraine Family Scheme is run by the Home Office. The Home Office have published information on visas received and issued online.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will publish details of each stage of the Homes for Ukraine scheme for sponsors who register their interest in sponsoring named individuals, including timescales.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
I refer the Hon Member to the Secretary of State's Oral Statement to Parliament of 14 March 2022.
Asked by: Hywel Williams (Plaid Cymru - Arfon)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of using university accommodation for refugees from Ukraine.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
I refer the Hon Member to the Secretary of State's Oral Statement to Parliament of 14 March 2022.