Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on steps to support the tourism industry in Wales.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
Although tourism is devolved, the UK Government is firmly committed to working with the Welsh Government to support Wales’ tourism industry.
In March, my colleague the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, alongside the Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, visited Elan Valley Lakes. This project, which will benefit from £11.8 million investment from both UK and Welsh Governments, will enhance visitor experience to the site and safeguard the natural beauty and biodiversity of the Elan Valley.
In addition, in February, the UK Government announced £15 million in funding for Venue Cymru and the Newport Transporter Bridge. These are three key projects that will strengthen Wales’ tourism industry and attract more visitors.
I also support the millions of pounds of investment into the tourism industry in Wales made by the Welsh Government in their Budget, which the Conservative and Plaid Cymru parties in the Senedd decided to vote against.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on steps to improve infrastructure in Wales.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
I have regular discussions with Welsh Government colleagues on a range of issues, including improving infrastructure across Wales.
Improving infrastructure is key to this Government’s mission to kick-starting economic growth across the UK. This government acknowledges that its predecessors have short-changed Wales for years on rail investment, including because of HS2. One of my top priorities is to reverse years of historic underfunding in Wales’ rail infrastructure. The UK and Welsh governments have agreed a prioritisation of rail improvement projects developed by the Wales Rail Board and this has informed our work in the run up to the Spring Spending Review.
This government is also committed to improving our energy infrastructure as part of our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower. The Clean Power 2030 Action Plan sets out a clear pathway to delivering a secure, affordable, and fully decarbonised electricity system by the end of the decade. We are putting Wales at the forefront of our clean energy mission by supporting green energy innovation such as tidal power in North Wales, floating offshore wind development in the Celtic Sea and investing in the Celtic and Anglesey Freeports.
The Chancellor confirmed two Investment Zones and two Freeports for Wales at the Autumn Budget. Each Freeport will receive £26 million which can be spent on infrastructure improvements, while simultaneously unlocking significant inward investment. In addition, our Welsh Investment Zones and Freeports will support tens of thousands of new jobs.
The Port of Mostyn recently announced a major expansion to make the port ready for the next generation of larger offshore wind turbines, expected to create 130 jobs during construction and 300 permanent jobs to follow.
In the Port Talbot area, over £28 million of Transition Board funding will support four regeneration projects and over 370 jobs.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps she has taken with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle poverty in Wales.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
The Government is committed to tackling poverty and we will achieve this by increasing living standards through our Plan for Change.
Up to 160,000 workers across Wales received a record pay rise through the UK Government’s increases to the living wage and minimum wage. For full time workers 21 and over, this means up to £1,400 a year more for these individuals and up to £2,500 a year more for full time workers between 18-20. These increased incomes are set to boost financial stability for millions of families.
We are creating tens of thousands of jobs in every corner of Wales through our Freeports, Investment Zones, support for steelworkers, inward investments and our thriving green industries.
The positive impact our UK and Welsh Labour Governments are having is clear in how the Welsh economy is changing. Unemployment fell significantly last quarter. And, since we came into office, real wages have continually increased while interest rates have been cut four times. We are creating jobs and putting more pounds in the pockets of working families across Wales.
The Government is also developing a Child Poverty Strategy that will be UK-wide, building on shared effort across all nations and regions of the UK and placing children and families at its centre.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on school standards in Wales.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
I have regular discussions with the Welsh Government on a range of issues, including Education. In addition, officials from the Department for Education (DfE) and the Welsh Government regularly meet and share best practice as do DfE Ministers and their Welsh Government counterparts.
As Education is devolved, the Welsh Government is responsible for school standards in Wales. The UK Government delivered the biggest budget settlement in the history of devolution, with £21 billion of new money for the Welsh Government to spend on public services such as schools.
In Financial Year (FY) 2024/25, the Welsh Government provided almost £200 million to support school standards across Wales. For FY 2025/26, the Welsh Government is awarding a further almost £170 million for school standards, which the Conservative and Plaid Cymru parties in the Senedd decided to vote against.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of increases in employer National Insurance contributions on wages in Wales.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
Raising the revenue required to fund public services and restore economic stability requires difficult decisions on tax, which is why we are asking employers to contribute more.
The changes broadly return NICs revenues as a proportion of GDP to the level they were before the previous government’s cuts to employee and self-employed NICs, but do so in a way that does not result in higher taxes in people’s payslips.
This Government has taken quick and sensible action to boost wages for millions of lower paid workers who are the backbone and future of our economy. Around 150,000 workers across Wales received a record pay rise through the UK Government’s increases to the living wage and minimum wage. For full time workers 21 and over, this will provide up to £1,400 a year more for these individuals and up to £2,500 a year more for full time workers between 18-20.
Real total wages have continually increased since this Labour Government was formed in July 2024, and are up 1.7% on the year for January 2025 to March 2025.
These increased incomes are set to boost financial stability for millions of families, improve spending power and deliver economic growth.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the level of performance of the Welsh economy.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
Growth is the number one mission of the government. I have worked with UK and Welsh Government colleagues to drive over £1.5 billion in private investment from the likes of Eren Holding and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners into Wales. We are creating tens of thousands of jobs in every corner of Wales through our Freeports, Investment Zones, support for steelworkers, inward investments and our thriving green industries.
Our new Industrial Strategy is central to the Growth Mission and will channel support to eight growth-driving sectors – those in which the UK excels today and will excel tomorrow. The Strategy will play to Wales’s sectoral strengths, including Advanced Manufacturing, Clean Energy, Life Sciences and Creative Industries.
My department has been working closely across UK Government and the Welsh Government on the Industrial Strategy. I have also established the Welsh Economic Growth Advisory Group, a group that brings together business, industry, university and union leaders to discuss key economic topics across Wales.
The positive impact our UK and Welsh Labour Governments are having is clear in how the Welsh economy is changing. Unemployment fell significantly last quarter. And, since we came into office, real wages have continually increased while interest rates have been cut four times. We are creating jobs and putting more pounds in the pockets of working families across Wales.
Asked by: Matt Vickers (Conservative - Stockton West)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of increases in employer National Insurance contributions on employment in Wales.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
We have protected the smallest businesses and more than doubled the Employment Allowance to £10,500, meaning that over half of small and micro businesses will pay less or no national insurance contributions at all. Small and medium-sized enterprises account for 99.3% of total enterprises in Wales.
UK Government analysis shows that 865,000 UK businesses will pay no NI contributions at all as a result of these measures. In addition, more than half of employers with NI contribution liabilities will either see no change or an overall gain from 2025.