To match an exact phrase, use quotation marks around the search term. eg. "Parliamentary Estate". Use "OR" or "AND" as link words to form more complex queries.


Keep yourself up-to-date with the latest developments by exploring our subscription options to receive notifications direct to your inbox

Written Question
Hydrogen: Wales
Monday 7th September 2020

Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent)

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps he is taking to support the Welsh hydrogen economy.

Answered by Simon Hart - Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip)

The Government aims to consult on a preferred business model for low-carbon hydrogen production in 2021. This will be key to stimulating the deployment of hydrogen across the UK.

In addition, I am pleased to see that the South Wales Industrial Cluster is being supported by UK Research and Innovation’s £170m Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge, which is looking at options for decarbonising the region’s industrial base, including using hydrogen.

My officials regularly engage with officials in other departments across the UK Government to raise awareness of the opportunities in Wales for hydrogen energy generation.


Written Question
UK Shared Prosperity Fund: Wales
Thursday 7th May 2020

Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent)

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on the Shared Prosperity Fund.

Answered by Simon Hart - Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip)

I speak regularly with Welsh Government Ministers about a range of matters including the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. In particular, I have had regular dialogue with Jeremy Miles MS, Counsel General and Minister for European Transition, to discuss the UKSPF. My officials and those from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government are also in regular discussion with their counterparts in the Welsh Government.


Written Question
Economic Situation: Wales
Thursday 7th May 2020

Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent)

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether his plans for economic recovery in Wales after the covid-19 outbreak include the commencement of the consultation on the Shared Prosperity Fund.

Answered by Simon Hart - Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip)

The Government is committed to tackling inequality and ensuring jobs and growth in all four nations of the UK. The UK Shared Prosperity Fund will play a key role in delivering on those aims and in driving economic growth in Wales following the Covid-19 outbreak.

Government officials have held 25 engagement events across the UK, attended by over 500 representatives from a breadth of sectors, which has helped inform progress on policy design. The Government looks forward to continuing to work closely with partners as we develop the Fund.


Written Question
Wales Office: Iron and Steel
Wednesday 5th June 2019

Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent)

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what proportion of steel and steel products procured by his Department in (a) 2017 and (b) 2018 was sourced from (i) the UK and (ii) Wales.

Answered by Kevin Foster

The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales did not procure any steel or steel products in 2017 and 2018.


Written Question
EU Grants and Loans: Wales
Monday 15th October 2018

Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent)

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of replicating the funding from EU Structural Funds for programmes in Wales after the UK leaves the EU.

Answered by Alun Cairns

Future decisions on funding will form part of the 2019 Spending Review, but in the meantime the draft Withdrawal Agreement states that the UK would continue to participate in 2014-2020 programmes until they close. Further, due to the Government’s guarantee for EU-funded programmes, UK organisations, including those in Wales, will receive funding in the unlikely event that the Withdrawal Agreement is not ratified.

The UK’s exit from the EU provides us with an opportunity to reconsider how funding for growth across the UK is designed and delivered. Our manifesto committed to creating a UK Shared Prosperity Fund, of which the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government published further details in a Written Ministerial Statement on 24 July.


Written Question
Wales Office: Food
Tuesday 31st May 2016

Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent)

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what the annual budget is for food produced for his Department's offices; and what proportion of food produced for his Department was sourced from British producers in the last period for which figures are available.

Answered by Guto Bebb

Given the small amount of expenditure involved, the Wales Office does not have a budget specifically for food. It uses external caterers to supply food and drink for events in its London and Cardiff offices. Records are not kept on where the food is sourced from.


Written Question
Wales Office: Dairy Products
Wednesday 11th May 2016

Asked by: Nick Smith (Labour - Blaenau Gwent)

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what proportion of dairy products procured for his Department was sourced from British producers in the latest period for which figures are available.

Answered by Guto Bebb

The Wales Office does not procure any dairy products.