Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what the (a) membership and (b) remit is of the people, skills and business sub-group of the Tata Steel and Port Talbot Transition Board.
Answered by David T C Davies - Secretary of State for Wales
(a) Membership
The People, Skills and Business sub-group membership will include a wide range of people including Tata Steel representatives, business leaders, officials in the UK Government and the Welsh Government, employees of Neath Port Talbot Council and community representatives, including a regional Member of the Senedd. Trade Union representatives will also be invited.
(b) Remit
The People, Skills and Business sub-group is being established to provide immediate support for the people, businesses and communities directly affected by Tata Steel UK’s decarbonisation transition. The sub-group will operate beneath the Transition Board, to coordinate activity at a local level and report progress and challenges and make recommendations to the Transition Board.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many gigabit broadband scheme vouchers have been (a) applied for and (b) granted as part of phase two of that scheme.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Overall, under the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme and previous iterations, over 108,000 vouchers have been used to connect rural premises to a gigabit-capable connection.
Phase two of the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme was implemented on 5 December 2022. As part of this phase, we increased the maximum voucher value available for homes and businesses to £4,500.
Since December 2022, Building Digital UK (BDUK) has received applications for over 12,800 vouchers, of which over 12,000 have been approved and issued to date.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many times the Wales Rail Board has met since it was established.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Wales Rail Board held an inaugural meeting in March 2022 and has met on six further occasions since then.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress his Department has made on delivering St Clears railway station via the Restoring Your Railway Fund.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
We have previously made £4.7m available to the Welsh Government towards the cost of reopening a railway station at St. Clears. The Welsh government has requested work on this project is paused, pending a decision on the location of a new hospital.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress has the Wales Rail Board made in identifying rail infrastructure (a) improvements and (b) investments since March 2022.
Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Wales Rail Board continues to play an important role working with UK Government to identify a range of rail infrastructure improvements and investments in Wales to meet current needs and anticipated future demand.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of changing its guidance on Allocation of asylum accommodation policy to ensure that asylum seekers enrolled on higher education courses are accommodated within a commutable distance of the institution that they are studying at.
Answered by Robert Jenrick
Our current asylum system is under extreme pressure and allocation of asylum accommodation is on a ‘no choice basis’. Any exceptional circumstances raised are taken into consideration when allocating accommodation. There are currently no plans to amend the Allocation of Asylum Accommodation policy guidance for asylum seekers who are in higher education.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when a Minister from his Department last made an official visit to Aberavon constituency.
Answered by David T C Davies - Secretary of State for Wales
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and I both live in Wales and serve Welsh constituencies. We have a consistent presence in Wales as we conduct many visits, events and meetings in Wales on a regular basis.
Details of Ministerial visits and meetings are published on the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales’ website and in Quarterly Ministerial Transparency Returns. In addition, visits and meetings conducted in support of the Wales Office priorities are published in the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales Annual Report and Accounts.
The UK Government has provided extensive support to Aberavon. A typical household in Wales has received almost £2000 in UK Government support to help with the cost of living. This includes around 186,000 payments delivered in Aberavon through the Energy Bills Support Scheme. During the Covid-19 pandemic around 9000 jobs were supported through the furlough scheme, around £15 million was claimed through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and over £39 million was given to businesses through government-backed business loans.
The UK Government has also supported innovation within Aberavon with around £10 million awarded by Innovate UK since April 2019. Aberavon has also received over £34,000 through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme to level up local sports facilities. In addition, Aberavon will benefit from the Celtic Freeport, backed by £26 million from UK Government. The Celtic Freeport aims to attract significant inward investment, including £3.5 billion in green energy as well as the creation of 16,000 jobs, generating £900 million in Gross Value Added by 2030.
In addition, Neath Port Talbot, the local authority for the Aberavon constituency, is receiving over £34 million from the UK Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Aberavon is also benefitting from the £235 million Swansea Bay City Deal including the newly opened £8 million Baglan Bay Technology Centre and the South Wales Industrial Transition from Carbon Hub (SWITCH) facility.
This Government is investing in Wales like never before; over £790 million in four City and Regional Growth Deals covering the whole of Wales, £585 million for local authorities to invest through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, including over £100 million for the Multiply adult numeracy programme, £330 million in capital investment through the Levelling Up Fund and £3.2 million to preserve community assets through the Community Ownership Fund. Wales will benefit from two Freeports backed by £52 million, the British Business Bank’s new £130m Regional Investment Fund, and from Project Gigabit which will enable hard to reach communities to access lightning-fast gigabit capable broadband.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when a Minister from his Department last made an official visit to Aberconwy constituency.
Answered by David T C Davies - Secretary of State for Wales
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and I both live in Wales and serve Welsh constituencies. We have a consistent presence in Wales as we conduct many visits, events and meetings in Wales on a regular basis.
Details of Ministerial visits and meetings are published on the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales’ website and in Quarterly Ministerial Transparency Returns. In addition, visits and meetings conducted in support of the Wales Office priorities are published in the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales Annual Report and Accounts.
The UK Government has provided extensive support to Aberconwy. A typical household in Wales has received almost £2000 in UK Government support to help with the cost of living. This includes over 170,000 payments delivered in Aberconwy through the Energy Bills Support Scheme. During the Covid-19 pandemic over 10,000 jobs were supported through the furlough scheme, over £24 million was claimed through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and around £49 million was given to businesses through government-backed business loans
The UK Government has also supported innovation within Aberconwy with around £100,000 awarded by Innovate UK since April 2019. Aberconwy has also received over £5,000 through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme to level up local sports facilities.
In addition, Conwy, the local authority for the Aberconwy constituency, is receiving over £24 million from the UK Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Conwy is also receiving over £18 million from the Levelling Up Fund to improve transport connections in the Conwy Valley. Aberconwy will also benefit from the £240 million North Wales Growth Deal.
This Government is investing in Wales like never before; over £790 million in four City and Regional Growth Deals covering the whole of Wales, £585 million for local authorities to invest through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, including over £100 million for the Multiply adult numeracy programme, £330 million in capital investment through the Levelling Up Fund and £3.2 million to preserve community assets through the Community Ownership Fund. Wales will benefit from two Freeports backed by £52 million, the British Business Bank’s new £130m Regional Investment Fund, and from Project Gigabit which will enable hard to reach communities to access lightning-fast gigabit capable broadband.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when a Minister from his Department last made an official visit to Blaenau Gwent constituency.
Answered by David T C Davies - Secretary of State for Wales
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and I both live in Wales and serve Welsh constituencies. We have a consistent presence in Wales as we conduct many visits, events and meetings in Wales on a regular basis.
Details of Ministerial visits and meetings are published on the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales’ website and in Quarterly Ministerial Transparency Returns. In addition, visits and meetings conducted in support of the Wales Office priorities are published in the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales Annual Report and Accounts.
The UK Government has provided extensive support to Blaenau Gwent. A typical household in Wales has received almost £2000 in UK Government support to help with the cost of living. This includes around 194,000 payments delivered in Blaenau Gwent through the Energy Bills Support Scheme. During the Covid-19 pandemic over 10,000 jobs were supported through the furlough scheme, around £19 million was claimed through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and around £34 million was given to businesses through government-backed business loans.
The UK Government has also supported innovation within Blaenau Gwent with around £680,000 awarded by Innovate UK since April 2019. Blaenau Gwent has also received around £48,000 through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme to level up local sports facilities. Blaenau Gwent will also benefit from UK Government funding to refurbish public tennis courts across the UK.
Our Semiconductor Strategy targets UK strengths, including compound semiconductors. As the home of the world's first compound semiconductor cluster, South East Wales, including Blaenau Gwent, is well placed to benefit from the Semiconductor strategy and the funding announced.
In addition, Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council, the local authority for the Blaenau Gwent constituency, is receiving over £28 million from the UK Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Blaenau Gwent is also receiving over £9 million from the Levelling Up Fund for a new High Value Engineering (HiVE) training and education facility based in Ebbw Vale. This is in addition to the £90,000 awarded to the Queen’s Ballroom in Tredegar through the Community Ownership Fund. Blaenau Gwent is also benefitting from the £1.2 billion Cardiff Capital Region City Deal, including a £2 million investment in Apex Manufacturing and a £1.7 million investment in Pulse Plastics.
This Government is investing in Wales like never before; over £790 million in four City and Regional Growth Deals covering the whole of Wales, £585 million for local authorities to invest through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, including over £100 million for the Multiply adult numeracy programme, £330 million in capital investment through the Levelling Up Fund and £3.2 million to preserve community assets through the Community Ownership Fund. Wales will benefit from two Freeports backed by £52 million, the British Business Bank’s new £130m Regional Investment Fund, and from Project Gigabit which will enable hard to reach communities to access lightning-fast gigabit capable broadband.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when a Minister from his Department last made an official visit to Arfon constituency.
Answered by David T C Davies - Secretary of State for Wales
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and I both live in Wales and serve Welsh constituencies. We have a consistent presence in Wales as we conduct many visits, events and meetings in Wales on a regular basis.
Details of Ministerial visits and meetings are published on the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales’ website and in Quarterly Ministerial Transparency Returns. In addition, visits and meetings conducted in support of the Wales Office priorities are published in the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales Annual Report and Accounts.
The UK Government has provided extensive support to Arfon. A typical household in Wales has received almost £2000 in UK Government support to help with the cost of living. This includes around 157,000 payments delivered in Arfon through the Energy Bills Support Scheme. During the Covid-19 pandemic around 9,000 jobs were supported through the furlough scheme, over £22 million was claimed through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and over £36 million was given to businesses through government backed business loans
The UK Government has also supported innovation within Arfon with over £10 million awarded by Innovate UK since April 2019. Arfon has also received over £70,000 through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme to level up local sports facilities.
In addition, Gwynedd, the local authority for the Arfon constituency, is receiving over £24 million from the UK Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Gwynedd is also receiving over £18 million from the Levelling Up Fund for the LLewyrch o’r LLechi project which includes upgrades to walking and cycling routes for the National Slate Museum. This is in addition to the £250,000 awarded to the Tyn Llan Pub in Llandwrog through the Community Ownership Fund. Arfon is also benefitting from the £240 million North Wales Growth Deal, including a £3 million investment in the Digital Signalling Processing Centre at Bangor University.
This Government is investing in Wales like never before; over £790 million in four City and Regional Growth Deals covering the whole of Wales, £585 million for local authorities to invest through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, including over £100 million for the Multiply adult numeracy programme, £330 million in capital investment through the Levelling Up Fund and £3.2 million to preserve community assets through the Community Ownership Fund. Wales will benefit from two Freeports backed by £52 million, the British Business Bank’s new £130m Regional Investment Fund, and from Project Gigabit which will enable hard to reach communities to access lightning-fast gigabit capable broadband.