Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what the (a) membership and (b) remit is of the place and regeneration sub-group of the Tata Steel and Port Talbot Transition Board.
Answered by David T C Davies - Secretary of State for Wales
(a) Membership
The Place and Regeneration sub-group membership will include a wide range of people including Tata Steel representatives, business leaders, employees of the UK Government and the Welsh Government, employees of Neath Port Talbot Council and community representatives, including a regional Member of the Senedd. Trade Union representatives will also be invited.
(b) Remit
The Place and Regeneration sub-group will provide the Transition Board with advice on how to protect and grow the economic environment as a result of Tata Steel UK’s decarbonisation transition. They operate beneath the Transition Board, to coordinate activity at a local level and report progress and challenges and make recommendations to the Transition Board.
The Place and Regeneration sub-group will develop a Local Economic Action Plan that will provide the Transition Board with advice on how to ensure regeneration and economic growth for the local area for the next decade.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether the Tata Steel and Port Talbot Transition Board has undertaken its review of the group’s terms of reference.
Answered by David T C Davies - Secretary of State for Wales
The Tata Steel / Port Talbot Transition Board reviewed and agreed the terms of reference at the inaugural Board meeting on Thursday 19 October 2023.
The Tata Steel / Port Talbot Transition Board has been established to provide advice on how to protect and grow the economic environment and to support and mitigate the impact on those workers, businesses and communities directly affected by Tata Steel UK decarbonisation transition.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether representatives from trade unions were invited to attend the two meetings of the Tata Steel and Port Talbot Transition Board.
Answered by David T C Davies - Secretary of State for Wales
I invited Community, Unite and GMB trade union representatives to both of the Tata Steel and Port Talbot Transition Board meetings that have taken place so far. There have been trade union representatives in attendance at both meetings.
I also met with the trade unions outside of the Transition Board and will continue to engage interested parties from trade unions, business and the communities affected.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent estimate he has made of when the Tata Steel and Port Talbot Transition Board will receive recommendations on investment from the sub-groups.
Answered by David T C Davies - Secretary of State for Wales
The Tata Steel and Port Talbot Transition Board will start to receive recommendations on investments from the sub-groups after the formal consultation on the transition has begun. Decisions on investment will happen once the consultation has concluded and there is an understanding of what the impact of Tata Steel’s decarbonisation plans will be.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether he has had discussions with the Welsh Government on the impact of increased rental costs on tenants in Wales.
Answered by David T C Davies - Secretary of State for Wales
Although housing is a devolved matter the UK Government is supporting renters in Wales by increasing the Local Housing Allowance (LHA). From April 2024, the UK Government will be investing £1.2 billion increasing LHA rates to cover the lowest 30% of local market rents. Around 1.6 million private renters in receipt of Housing Benefit or Universal Credit will gain nearly £800 per year on average in additional help towards their rental costs in 2024/25. In Wales, around 82,500 households are set to benefit from the boost.
This significant investment, taken together with the wider benefits uprating, will improve housing affordability for low-income households on benefits renting in the private sector, helping them afford their rent and reducing the risk of rent arrears and homelessness.
More broadly, the UK Government and Welsh Government are working closely to apply the prohibition against Blanket Ban practices in Wales. Through the Renters (Reform) Bill we will achieve our shared objective to make sure families with children and people who receive benefits can access homes in the private rented sector.
Moreover, the National Living wage will increase by 9.8% to £11.44 per hour for workers over 21 and the National Minimum wage will increase by 14.8% to £8.60 per hour for people aged 18-20. This will benefit 140,000 people in Wales and is further evidence of the support the UK Government is providing to support people with the cost of living.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether he has had discussions with the Welsh Government on the impact of increased rental costs on renters in Wales.
Answered by David T C Davies - Secretary of State for Wales
Although housing is a devolved matter the UK Government is supporting renters in Wales by increasing the Local Housing Allowance (LHA). From April 2024, the UK Government will be investing £1.2 billion increasing LHA rates to cover the lowest 30% of local market rents. Around 1.6 million private renters in receipt of Housing Benefit or Universal Credit will gain nearly £800 per year on average in additional help towards their rental costs in 2024/25. In Wales, around 82,500 households are set to benefit from the boost.
This significant investment, taken together with the wider benefits uprating, will improve housing affordability for low-income households on benefits renting in the private sector, helping them afford their rent and reducing the risk of rent arrears and homelessness.
More broadly, the UK Government and Welsh Government are working closely to apply the prohibition against Blanket Ban practices in Wales. Through the Renters (Reform) Bill we will achieve our shared objective to make sure families with children and people who receive benefits can access homes in the private rented sector.
Moreover, the National Living wage will increase by 9.8% to £11.44 per hour for workers over 21 and the National Minimum wage will increase by 14.8% to £8.60 per hour for people aged 18-20. This will benefit 140,000 people in Wales and is further evidence of the support the UK Government is providing to support people with the cost of living.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the payment of compensation to sub-postmasters in Wales affected by issues with the Horizon system.
Answered by David T C Davies - Secretary of State for Wales
The Government has already paid out over £153 million to over 2,700 victims. In the overturned convictions scheme, 95 convictions have been overturned, with 31 claimants agreeing full and final settlements. Over £33 million has been paid out to those with overturned convictions, which includes interim payments and partial settlements.
Of the original trailblazing postmasters in the “GLO” group who took the Post Office to court and exposed the Horizon Scandal, £27 million has been paid out to 477 claimants. The original 2,417 postmasters who claimed through the original Horizon Shortfall Scheme have now all had offers of compensation. Offers have totalled over £107m and over £93 million has been paid out in this scheme, with Post Office now dealing with late applications and with those cases where the initial offer was not accepted.
In the coming weeks, we will introduce new primary legislation to quash all convictions that were reliant on erroneous Horizon evidence. Once this legislation is passed, and convictions have been overturned, they will be entitled to at least £600,000 in compensation to rebuild their lives.
Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what the (a) membership and (b) remit is of the people, skills and business sub-group of the Tata Steel and Port Talbot Transition Board.
Answered by David T C Davies - Secretary of State for Wales
(a) Membership
The People, Skills and Business sub-group membership will include a wide range of people including Tata Steel representatives, business leaders, officials in the UK Government and the Welsh Government, employees of Neath Port Talbot Council and community representatives, including a regional Member of the Senedd. Trade Union representatives will also be invited.
(b) Remit
The People, Skills and Business sub-group is being established to provide immediate support for the people, businesses and communities directly affected by Tata Steel UK’s decarbonisation transition. The sub-group will operate beneath the Transition Board, to coordinate activity at a local level and report progress and challenges and make recommendations to the Transition Board.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether he has had recent discussions with (a) the Secretary of State for Transport and (b) Network Rail on the potential impact of Control Period 7 funding on (i) rail services and (ii) the condition of rail infrastructure in Wales.
Answered by David T C Davies - Secretary of State for Wales
My officials and I have regular discussions with counterparts in the Department for Transport and Network Rail on a wide range of transport matters in Wales.
Between 2024 and 2029, the UK Government will be providing a record £44.1 billion settlement for Network Rail in Control Period 7 across England and Wales. This £44.1 billion settlement is roughly a 4% increase in real terms when compared to the previous control period.
The UK Government is committed to improving rail infrastructure in Wales and has allocated £1 billion to electrify the North Wales Mainline, delivered the £76 million electrification of the Severn Tunnel, contributed £144 million to the upgrade of the Core Valley Lines and provided £77.7 million for improvements to Cardiff Central Station.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when the Tata Steel/ Port Talbot Transition Board will next meet.
Answered by David T C Davies - Secretary of State for Wales
The Tata Steel/Port Talbot Transition Board plan to next meet on 1 February 2024.
I chair the Transition Board which was set up to support people, businesses and communities affected by Tata Steel’s decarbonisation transition. The Transition Board will have access to up to £100 million to invest in skills and regeneration programmes for the local area.