Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Caerphilly)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions he has had on supporting the creation of good-quality jobs in parts of Wales with high rates of economic inactivity.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
I have regular discussions on how to support the creation of good-quality jobs across Wales.
The UK Government is investing in thousands of good-quality jobs through £2.5 billion for Small Modular Reactors at Wylfa, supporting 3,000 jobs; AI Growth Zones in North and South Wales, expected to create more than 8,000 jobs; and Investment Zones in Wrexham and Flintshire and Cardiff and Newport, expected to create over 10,000 high-quality jobs and attract more than £1.5 billion in private investment. Our plan for rail is also expected to support 12,000 jobs across Wales, while improving access to employment opportunities.
In Caerphilly, UK Government support through the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund has helped unlock Norgine’s £23 million investment in its Hengoed facility, expected to create 44 new jobs.
Additionally, we are supporting people into work through the Economic Inactivity Trailblazer programme, with £20 million allocated to the Welsh Government over 2025-26 and 2026-27 to test new approaches that bring together employment, health and skills support.
Asked by: Chris Evans (Labour (Co-op) - Caerphilly)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what support is being provided to households in Wales to help with essential living costs.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
The UK Government is taking action to support households in Wales with essential living costs by boosting incomes and reducing household bills.
From April, we increased the Universal Credit Standard Allowance by over 6%, benefiting 320,000 households in Wales, increased the basic and new State Pension by 4.8%, benefiting 700,000 pensioners, and increased the National Minimum and Living Wages, benefiting up to 170,000 workers in Wales.
We have also cut VAT on household electricity bills from 5% to zero from 1 October 2026 until 31 March 2027, helping households across Wales with energy costs this winter.
We will continue to work with the Welsh Government to ensure households across Wales can access the support they need.
Asked by: Andrew Ranger (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps he is taking to improve take-up of Pension Credit and Housing Benefit among eligible pensioners in Wales; and what discussions he has had with the Welsh Government and local authorities on coordinating efforts to increase take-up of those benefits and Council Tax Reduction.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
Maximising Pension Credit take-up is a key Government priority. The Government has been running its biggest ever Pension Credit take-up campaign across Great Britain, encouraging pensioners and their families to check their eligibility and make a claim.
This has been reinforced through the autumn campaign and Pension Credit Week of Action from 12 October, including advertising across television, radio, print and social media, supported by media partnerships and social media influencers.
Around 660,000 leaflets are also being distributed to selected households across Great Britain, and DWP continues to work closely with partners and local authorities to support the campaign.
DWP is also bringing together the administration of pensioner Housing Benefit and Pension Credit to deliver a more joined-up service, improve access to financial support and help ensure that more pensioners receive all the benefits to which they are entitled. Council Tax Reduction is devolved in Wales.
My department continues to engage with the Welsh Government and relevant partners to ensure that reserved and devolved support works effectively for people in Wales.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on devolving justice policy to the Welsh Government, what specific policy issues these discussions have covered, and whether the UK Government intends to devolve responsibility for courts and prisons to the Welsh Government.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
I recently met with the Welsh Government’s Cabinet Minister for Government Effectiveness and the Constitution to discuss our respective priorities, which included the Welsh Government’s position on justice. This is one example of the regular meetings I hold with Welsh Ministers to drive forward constructive joint working between our two governments.
The current devolution settlement enables Wales to benefit from the resources, expertise and resilience of a shared England and Wales justice system, while allowing for approaches that reflect Welsh circumstances.
The Prime Minister and I have been clear that we will give careful consideration to calls for the devolution of further powers. What matters is what works, and our guiding principle is whether further devolution would lead to better outcomes for the people of Wales.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps he is taking to ensure that Wales achieves maximum benefit from the Government's carbon capture and storage cluster programme.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
This Government is committed to ensuring that Wales benefits fully from the UK’s Carbon Capture Usage and Storage (CCUS) Cluster programme through the HyNet Cluster, which is expected to support thousands of jobs across North West England and Wales.
Following financial close of the HyNet Transport and Storage Network in April 2025, the Padeswood project in North Wales signed final contracts with Government and is expected to capture up to 800,000 tonnes of CO2 annually as well as supporting secure, long-term jobs.
Since August 2025, eight capture projects based across Wales and the North West of England have been in negotiations for the HyNet cluster. Officials in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) are continuing to negotiate with these projects to best deliver against the CCUS programme’s objectives.
CCUS will also be key to decarbonising South Wales' heavy industries, and the Milford Haven CO2 project is progressing proposals for carbon shipping in the region. As Secretary of State for Wales, I will continue to work with Cabinet colleagues to support industry throughout the region.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many meetings he has held with the Welsh Government since his appointment on 26 July 2026 to discuss its proposal to close junctions on the M4, on what dates those meetings took place, and what the outcomes of those meetings were.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
I have held discussions with Welsh Government counterparts on a range of issues since my appointment in July 2026.
On 6 October 2026, the Welsh Government announced an 18-month programme of work to develop road-based and engineering solutions for the M4, including consideration of the potential closure of junctions in the Newport area. Decisions relating to the M4 are devolved and are therefore a matter for the Welsh Government, but I am deeply concerned by these proposals and their impacts.
The UK Government recognises the need to address congestion on the M4. The Burns Commission recommended five new stations in South East Wales as part of a wider network of transport alternatives intended to ease congestion, improve journey time reliability and deliver economic benefits across South Wales.
At Spending Review 2025, £95 million was allocated to the Burns Stations, with an ambition to bring two stations into construction by 2029. This investment forms part of the UK Government's wider commitment of £445 million for rail enhancements in Wales.
In addition, the Prime Minister has committed to delivering Transport for Wales's vision document, which includes projects with an estimated value of up to £14 billion. These proposals would strengthen connectivity between communities and key employment centres, support new jobs and housing, and drive economic growth across Wales. By enabling more frequent, reliable and integrated public transport services, they would also provide people with a genuine alternative to the car and encourage modal shift from road to rail.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what representations he has made to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero in respect to the Parc Adfer CCS project as part of the Government’s ongoing HyNet Project Negotiation List Review.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
I regularly engage with Ministers in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on a range of matters, including industrial decarbonisation in Wales. I am eager to ensure that industries across North Wales are well placed to benefit from the HyNet Cluster, which is critical to decarbonising the region and securing high-quality jobs.
The UK Government remains committed to securing the maximum value from the HyNet cluster and is undertaking a holistic assessment against a range of factors, including affordability, value for money, maturity, deliverability, strategic contribution, and network capacity. Government appreciate the industry’s need for clarity on the HyNet Project Negotiation List Review and will provide further updates as soon as they are available.
Asked by: Louie French (Conservative - Old Bexley and Sidcup)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how much his Department spent on hotel accommodation for (a) staff and (b) Ministers broken down by (i) UK stays and (ii) overseas stays in the 2024-25 financial year.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
The Wales Office spent £29,614 on hotel accommodation in 2024-25. The spend is broken down as follows:
| Spend on UK Hotels | Spend on Overseas Hotels | Total Spend |
| £ | £ | £ |
Staff | 26,857 | 1,861 | 28,718 |
Ministers | 370 | 526 | 896 |
Total | 27,227 | 2,387 | 29,614 |
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how much his Department spent on interpreters and related translation services in 2025.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
The Wales Office spent £9,060.98 in financial year 2025-6 on translation services. This expenditure related to the translation of documents into Welsh. No expenditure was incurred on interpreting services.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many and what proportion of civil servants in his Department were on permanent home working contracts in 2025.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
No civil servants in my Department were on permanent home working contracts in 2025.