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 Preseli Pembrokeshire constituency.

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 Preseli Pembrokeshire. A typical household in Wales has received almost £2000 in UK Government support to help with the cost of living. This includes around 226,000 payments delivered in Preseli Pembrokeshire through the Energy Bills Support Scheme. During the Covid-19 pandemic over 11,000 jobs were supported through the furlough scheme, over £32 million was claimed through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and around £66 million was given to businesses through government-backed business loans.

The UK Government has also supported innovation within Preseli Pembrokeshire with around £1.7 million awarded by Innovate UK since April 2019. Preseli Pembrokeshire has also received over £26,000 through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme to level up local sports facilities. In addition, Preseli Pembrokeshire 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.

Alongside our March publication of Powering Up Britain, we have released the first tranche of the £240 million Net Zero Hydrogen Fund including support for the Trecwn Green Hydrogen Valley Project in Preseli Pembrokeshire. Additionally, funding from the UK Seafood Fund will boost the capability of fishers at Milford Haven to sustainably land, process and add value to produce for local, regional and international markets.

Pembrokeshire, the local authority for the Preseli Pembrokeshire constituency, is receiving over £23 million from the UK Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Pembrokeshire is also receiving over £17 million from the Levelling Up Fund for the regeneration of Haverfordwest. Preseli Pembrokeshire is also benefitting from over £900,000 for four Community Ownership Fund projects. The constituency also benefits from the £235 million Swansea Bay City Deal, including the £25 million region-wide digital infrastructure programme.

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.