Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether he has met representatives of the Welsh Local Government Association to discuss financial support to welcome refugees from Ukraine.
Answered by Simon Hart - Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip)
Representatives from across Government meet frequently with colleagues in the Welsh Local Government Association to update them on a number of matters, including the handling of the current Ukrainian crisis.
Given this is a constantly evolving matter, we are keeping under review how best the UK Government can support refugees fleeing Ukraine and how we allocate financial resource to do so.
At the same time, we have been working at pace to launch the Ukraine Family Scheme and it is now open for extended family members to apply.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on supporting economic growth in Newport West constituency.
Answered by Simon Hart - Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip)
I have regular discussions with my ministerial colleagues on a range of matters, including economic growth. The UK Government closely monitors economic growth across the UK and has taken steps to support economic growth in Wales.
The UK Government have provided £46 million through the UK Community Renewal Fund, of which Newport received £2.8 million. This included £850,000 for a ‘Foot in the Door’ programme aimed at improving access to pre-employment training activity for 300 beneficiaries in Newport and over £700,000 to the Welsh Institute of Digital Information to invest in its research and development centre at the University of South Wales Newport campus.
Furthermore, the UK Government is investing £790 million in city and growth deals across Wales, with the Cardiff Capital Region, which includes Newport, receiving £500 million. These Growth Deals empower Wales’ regions to determine how best to drive jobs and growth in their areas, and to identify their own needs and strengths.
The UK Government also recently published the Levelling Up White Paper that sets out our ambitions on levelling up across the UK, tackling regional and local inequalities so we can see growth, more jobs, and higher wages UK-wide. Wales remains front and centre in the UK Government’s plans to level up and have received £121 million through the first rounds of the Levelling Up Fund, in addition to £464,000 through the Community Ownership Fund. These funds will support vital transport improvements, invest in local skills, support local people into employment and regenerate town centres. All to drive local growth and invest for the people and communities most in need, across Wales.
The UK Government is further supporting young people in Wales through the Kickstart programme, which provides fully funded six-month jobs for 16-24-year olds on Universal Credit, with 6,000 jobs already started in Wales. Sustainable jobs are integral to building back better and we are determined to level up every part of the UK.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent steps his Department has taken to help strengthen the Union.
Answered by Simon Hart - Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip)
The UK Government is clear in our commitment to the Union as a successful partnership which brings tangible benefits to people across the United Kingdom. The resources of the UK Government play an important role in delivering these benefits, as highlighted by the record amounts of Barnett-based funding we are providing to the Welsh Government.
Our response to the pandemic has demonstrated the strength and importance of the Union, with the UK Government working with the devolved administrations more closely and productively than ever. I meet with the First Ministers and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland in regular calls chaired by the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, and will continue to do so as we seek to work together on matters of common interest.
My Department and I are fully focused on delivering jobs and economic growth in Wales, promoting levelling up and our transition to a net zero economy in doing so. The Government’s Plan for Wales sets out the UK Government’s commitments to Wales as we drive economic recovery from the pandemic.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many Welsh (a) citizens and (b) residents are of Ukrainian heritage.
Answered by Simon Hart - Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip)
My Department does not hold this information.
The UK Government has announced a bespoke humanitarian support package for the people of Ukraine, which includes an expanded Family Visa Scheme enabling British nationals, and people settled here to bring a wider group of family members to the UK.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether he has had discussions with the Welsh Government on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its potential impact on the people in Wales.
Answered by Simon Hart - Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip)
The UK Government is engaging with the Welsh Government and all the Devolved Administrations to keep them appraised of the developing situation on Ukraine, the UK’s response, and potential impacts on the UK. This includes engagement with the First Minister of Wales.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether he has had recent discussions with Cabinet colleagues on Government Departments procuring more products that are made in (a) Newport West constituency and (b) Wales.
Answered by Simon Hart - Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip)
I have regular discussions with my Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues, including those around procurement. The Government wants businesses from every corner of the UK to be successful in bidding for UK public contracts.
We are reforming the procurement rules to make it simpler, quicker and cheaper for suppliers, including small and mid-size enterprises and social enterprises, to bid for public sector contracts. The Welsh Government has confirmed that it will also join the reforms.
The reforms will support the Government’s levelling up priorities by making it easier for public sector buyers to take account of social value when awarding contracts. This will allow public sector procurement to play into the strengths of Welsh businesses, including those in Newport West, who are well placed to deliver benefits.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent steps the Government has taken to tackle the impact of rising energy costs on industry and businesses in Newport West constituency.
Answered by Simon Hart - Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip)
The Government recognises this is a worrying time for businesses of all sizes, due to significant increases in global energy prices.
Since 2013, we have provided Energy-Intensive Industries with extensive support, with more than £2 billion to help with the costs of electricity, including over £600 million for the steel industry. This support includes electricity price relief schemes for eligible Energy Intensive Industries in sectors such as steel, chemicals, cement, ceramics, paper, and glass. We also have funds in place to support businesses with high energy use, to cut their bills and reduce their carbon emissions, including the £315 million Industrial Energy Transformation Fund.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the impact of police funding for Wales on crime levels in Newport West constituency.
Answered by Simon Hart - Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip)
I have regular discussions with my Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of subjects, including policing and criminal justice matters in Wales.
Welsh Police Forces will receive £820 million in total in 2022/23, an increase of up to £39.2 million on the 2021/22 settlement, and Gwent Police Force, which covers the Newport West constituency, will see an increase of £7.7 million in its 2022/23 funding.
Furthermore, Police forces in Wales have been allocated a combined total of 603 additional officers for years one and two of the police uplift. At 31 December, they had recruited 479 officers towards this allocation, with Gwent Police Force having recruited 93 additional uplift officers against an allocation of 124 officers.
It should be noted that the Covid-19 pandemic has had a considerable impact on the levels of crime across the country, during this reporting period. In respect of the levels of crime in Newport West, Gwent Police Force recorded a 6% drop in crime (excluding fraud) on the previous year in September 2021.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment he has made of the impact of the First Minister of Northern Ireland's resignation on trade between Wales and Northern Ireland.
Answered by Simon Hart - Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip)
The Government is monitoring and assessing these critical trade routes between Wales, Northern Ireland, and the rest of the UK. Ministers meet regularly to discuss such matters.
The decision by the Democratic Unionist Party to withdraw the First Minister from the Northern Ireland Executive is extremely disappointing. The Government’s priority is to see a strong functioning Northern Ireland Executive delivering a better, more prosperous, shared future for all the people of Northern Ireland.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the impact of the National Insurance contribution rise on (a) households and (b) employers in Newport West constituency.
Answered by Simon Hart - Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip)
I have regular discussions with my Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues, including National Insurance contributions (NICs).
The Government is committed to responsible management of the public finances. That is why the Government has taken the tough but responsible decision to increase taxes, introducing a UK-wide 1.25% Health and Social Care Levy based on NICs, in order to fund a significant increase in permanent spending on the NHS and social care. There is a significant Union dividend for Wales within this levy, meaning that Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will benefit by around 15% more than is generated from their residents, equivalent to around £300 million every year on average.
Regarding the impact on households; NICs is progressive, the Primary Threshold means that the lowest earners do not pay any NICs. The highest earning 15% will pay over half the revenues raised by the Levy and 6.1 million people earning less than the Primary Threshold (equivalent to £9,880 a year in 2022-23) will not pay the Levy.
Regarding the impact on businesses; while it is fair that businesses contribute, as they benefit from having a healthy workforce, big businesses will pay the most. 70% of the money raised from business will come from the biggest 1% of employers (those with at least 250 employees). Just under 40% of all employers with employer NICs/Levy liabilities (630,000 employers) are expected not to pay the Levy due to the Employment Allowance. The next 42% of businesses (675,000 employers) will face an average increase of £475 per year, less than 1% of their overall wage bill.