Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment has her Department made of the effect of illegal streaming on a) the financial sustainability of UK broadcasters and b) their ability to invest in domestic content production.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government recognises that the illegal streaming of content negatively impacts the revenues of UK broadcasters, which is why we have committed in our Creative Industries Sector Plan to ensure UK intellectual property rights are the best protected in the world.
The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) in conjunction with Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), recently announced that its funding for the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit Unit (PIPCU), hosted by the City of London Police, will continue until 2029, and strengthen their ongoing partnership in UK intellectual property enforcement. This partnership actively targets websites and platforms providing illegal access to copyrighted material, such as the illegal streaming of television content.
We want to ensure the future sustainability of the broadcasting sector so that they can continue to commission and produce high quality content in the UK. That’s why we have committed to taking action to support the sector through our implementation of the Media Act 2024. We are also considering the findings in Ofcom’s Public Service Media (PSM) Review, which includes a number of recommendations looking to support the future sustainability of public service media.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment has she made of the potential merits of opening a new station at Crumlin as part of proposals to re-open the Abertillery spur of the Ebbw Vale Line.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In February the Prime Minister and the First Minister endorsed Transport for Wales’ ‘Today, Tomorrow, Together’ vision for rail investment in Wales, confirming that it should form the basis of the Wales Rail Board’s future pipeline of projects.
The vision document includes a proposed scheme to reinstate a spur from the Ebbw Valley Line to Abertillery. As part of its role in prioritising rail enhancements for Wales to inform future spending reviews, the Wales Rail Board will consider the timing and scope of this scheme, including any associated enhancement of the main Ebbw Valley branch line such as opening a station at Crumlin.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many animals were used in LD50 tests to evidence compliance with UK-only regulations in each of the last five years.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Home Office publishes detailed annual statistics on the use of animals in science, including procedures for acute and subacute toxicity testing which covers tests such as LD50 (Lethal Dose 50) and LC50 (Lethal Concentration 50). These figures represent the total number of procedures carried out in this category each year.
The Home Office does not collect information on whether individual procedures were conducted specifically to meet UK only regulatory requirements, so the data is not available in the form requested.
Based on the published annual statistics, the total number of procedures in the acute and sub‑acute toxicity category (which includes LD50 and LC50 tests) in each of the last five years is as follows:
2024: 11,992
2023: 11,519
2022: 12,651
2021: 11,758
Statistics for 2025 have not yet been published. Official statistics on the use of animals in science are released annually and are available here:
www.gov.uk/government/collections/animals-in-science-statistics
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress has her Department made in reviewing traps aside from snares used to catch wildlife.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In the Animal Welfare Strategy, published in December 2025, the Government committed to ban the use of snares in England and conduct a review of other traps used to catch wildlife in England for which welfare concerns have been raised. The Animal and Plant Health Agency has already been commissioned to conduct a review of the evidence relating to the spring traps listed on the Spring Trap Approval Order as it applies in England and work is underway.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she intends to bring forward legislation to outlaw the use of snare traps.
Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation and this included a commitment to bring an end to the use of snare traps in England. This was recently reaffirmed in the Government’s Animal Welfare Strategy, published in December 2025. Defra is now actively looking to bring a ban on snares into force as swiftly as possible.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a ban on greyhound racing in England.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Animal Welfare strategy published in December 2025 sets out Government priorities until 2030. The Government currently has no plans to ban greyhound racing. While the Government recognises the concerns some people have about greyhound racing, there is legislation in place to protect the welfare of racing greyhounds in England and a regulatory body – the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) – that has made many improvements to greyhound welfare. We will continue to monitor animal welfare conditions.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of regulations on greyhound welfare in the racing industry.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The welfare of racing greyhounds in England is covered by the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the Welfare of Racing Greyhounds Regulations 2010 (the 2010 Regulations). The 2010 Regulations include a number of welfare requirements, such as requiring all greyhound tracks to have a veterinary surgeon in attendance to ensure that every greyhound is fit to run.
In addition to these statutory protections, the sport’s main regulatory body – the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) enforces welfare standards (including those in the 2010 Regulations) at GBGB affiliated tracks, as well as at GBGB licensed trainers’ kennels. Independent, external oversight of GBGB’s regulatory work at tracks and trainers’ kennels is provided by the UK’s National Accreditation Body - the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS).
We will continue to monitor animal welfare conditions.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with Welsh Government on (a) proposals to ban greyhound racing and (b) regulations to improve greyhound welfare.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra officials engage regularly with officials in the Welsh Government on a range of animal welfare issues.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the report entitled Tenure change: turning existing dwellings and buildings in social homes, published by the Bevan Foundation and Shelter Cymru in March 2026; and, in that context, what assessment has she made of the potential impact of VAT on a) general refurbishment works and b) renovation of empty dwellings on the number of empty properties being brought back into use for social housing in Wales.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
To support the re-use of existing buildings for new homes, conversions of buildings from a commercial to residential use, the renovation of properties that have been empty for two or more years, and conversions from one residential use to another all benefit from a reduced 5% rate of VAT.
General refurbishment works are subject to the standard 20% VAT rate, which applies to most goods services. Exceptions to the standard rate have always been limited and balanced against affordability considerations.
The Government is supporting the delivery of new social housing through the VAT system by preparing to consult on a zero rate of VAT for the sale of land intended for new social housing. This is specifically intended to simplify and accelerate the construction of social housing.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions has she had with representatives from Welsh Government on the results of its automatic voter registration pilots.
Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Welsh Government’s automatic voter registration pilots are discussed when Ministers from across the UK attend the regular meetings of the Interministerial Group (IMG) for Elections and Registration. The meetings are led by the ministers with election policy in their portfolios and meeting reports are then published by the government. Updates on the work relating to the Welsh pilots are a regular agenda item, with the most recent discussion taking place in February.
UK Government and Welsh Government officials are also in regular contact on a range of electoral conduct and registration topics, including the Welsh Government’s pilots on automatic electoral registration.