Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when a Minister from his Department last visited Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney 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 Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney. A typical household in Wales has received almost £2000 in UK Government support to help with the cost of living. This includes over 205,000 payments delivered in Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney through the Energy Bills Support Scheme. During the Covid-19 pandemic over 11,000 jobs were supported through the furlough scheme, around £25 million was claimed through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and around £37 million was given to businesses through government-backed business loans.

The UK Government has also supported innovation within Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney with around £100,000 awarded by Innovate UK since April 2019. Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney has also received over £26,000 through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme to level up local sports facilities.

In addition, Merthyr Tydfil and Caerphilly, the local authorities for the Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney constituency, are receiving over £27 million and over £34 million respectively, from the UK Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The constituency also benefits from the £1.2 billion Cardiff Capital Region City Deal, including the £31 million region-wide housing viability gap fund.

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.