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Written Question
Local Growth Deals: Wales
Friday 29th January 2021

Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will publish information on his Department's progress in signing new Growth Deals in Wales.

Answered by Simon Hart - Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip)

We signed a Final Deal Agreement for the North Wales Growth Deal on 17 December 2020. We also successfully agreed Heads of Terms for a Mid Wales Growth Deal on 22 December with a view to negotiating a Final Deal Agreement. When this is signed, it will mean that the whole of Wales will be covered by £790m of UK Government City and Growth Deal funding. The Government is committed to ensuring that these deals deliver economic growth and jobs across the whole of Wales and I will continue to work closely with my colleagues to enable that to happen.


Written Question
Business: Wales
Tuesday 19th January 2021

Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent assessment his Department has had made of the adequacy of the economic support available for Welsh businesses during the covid-19 outbreak.

Answered by Simon Hart - Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip)

The UK Government is focused on supporting Welsh businesses and jobs through the Covid-19 outbreak. We have provided over £1.3 billion in Bounce Back Loans, £374 million in Coronavirus Business Interruption Loans, £523 million through the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme, as well as £20 million through the Future Fund.

The UK Government has also protected over 400,000 Welsh jobs through the Job Retention Scheme, introduced VAT deferrals and VAT cuts for the tourism industry, provided an additional £9.3 billion to the welfare system across the UK, and created new innovative schemes such as ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ from which Wales has benefitted to the value of £13 million.

On top of this direct support we have provided the Welsh Government with a £5.2 billion funding guarantee for the current financial year to help tackle coronavirus. The Welsh Government will also receive an additional £1.3 billion next year, including £770 million for tackling the pandemic.


Written Question
Exports: Wales
Wednesday 2nd December 2020

Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps his Department is taking to promote Welsh exports.

Answered by Simon Hart - Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip)

My Department works closely with the Department for International Trade to support Welsh businesses and promote Welsh Exports. The UK Government is working to secure new opportunities through free trade agreements and market access agreements. The recently signed Japan and Canada trade agreements will give Welsh businesses greater opportunities to export. The UK Government has negotiated a return to market access to the USA for British beef exports which resulted in beef from Merthyr Tydfil being exported to the USA in September for the first time in over 20 years.

When COVID restrictions allow, I look forward to promoting Welsh exports in person.


Written Question
Business: Wales
Wednesday 2nd December 2020

Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the economic support available for Welsh businesses during the covid-19 outbreak.

Answered by Simon Hart - Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip)

I have regular discussions with my Rt hon Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the UK Government’s support for jobs and businesses in Wales during the Covid-19 outbreak.

Wales is benefitting directly from UK Government support to enable businesses and employees to get through the covid-19 outbreak. Our Coronavirus Business Loan Scheme has supported over 1,600 Welsh businesses; we have backed 48,000 bounce back loans; our Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) has protected over 401,000 jobs and our Self-Employed Income Support Scheme has helped over 113,000 self-employed people in Wales. The UK Government has also guaranteed £5 billion in further funding to the Welsh Government for 2020-21 to support its response to the virus.

At the Spending Review 2020, the Chancellor of the Exchequer confirmed an additional £1.3 billion for the Welsh Government for 2021-22, including £770m to support the response to Covid-19. This demonstrates that we are taking the steps needed to support businesses in Wales and right across the UK.


Written Question
Economic Situation: Wales
Friday 6th November 2020

Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions he has had with Welsh business representatives on the recovery of the Welsh economy from the covid-19 outbreak.

Answered by Simon Hart - Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip)

I have regular discussions with a wide range of Welsh businesses and business representative organisations about the effects of Covid-19 and economic recovery.

It is clear that thriving businesses are critical to economic growth and the Government has provided unprecedented levels of support to businesses across the UK to ensure that we are in the best possible place to drive economic recovery from the Covid-19 outbreak.