Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to ensure that areas in Wales that will not receive rail funding from the £445 million announced at the Spending Review 2025 receive rail investment from the UK Government.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an estimate of the relative level of per head spending on railway infrastructure in (a) Wales and (b) England.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of levels of funding provided by the UK Government for railways in Wales.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Welsh Government have made a formal request for the devolution of heavy rail infrastructure to Wales.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government committed to invest £445 million to enhance rail infrastructure across Wales at the Spending Review. Through the Wales Rail Board, the UK and Welsh Government are collaborating to make sure this investment delivers the greatest passenger benefits, drives economic growth, promotes social mobility, and tackles inequality.
Great British Railways will have a close and collaborative relationship with Transport for Wales, underpinned by objectives set jointly by UK and Welsh Ministers, to ensure the railway better serves passengers and freight.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Welsh Government have made a request for Northern Powerhouse rail to be designated as an England only project.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
We are working closely with the Welsh Government following our major commitment to the NPR programme.
Territorial classification of specific programmes depends on whether the policy area is devolved to the relevant devolved government in each nation or reserved to the UK Government. Heavy rail is reserved to the UK Government in England and Wales.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether expert working groups on copyright and AI include representatives from (a) Wales and (b) of Welsh-language interests.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology held successful working groups to bring together representatives from both the creative and AI sectors. The working groups worked with a wide range of different representatives, including companies that have operations in Wales and organisations representing creatives across the UK, including Wales. DCMS officials met with Welsh government officials to discuss the creative sector and AI, and will continue to identify areas of collaboration going forward.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has for protected funding for UK fruit and vegetable growers, following the closure of the Fruit and Vegetable Aid Scheme.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Government is committed to our excellent horticulture sector and the vital role that it plays in strengthening food security by ensuring a reliable and sustainable supply of fresh home-grown produce. Future support for the horticulture sector is being considered alongside Defra’s work to simplify and rationalise agricultural grant funding, ensuring that grants deliver the most benefit for food security and value for money for the taxpayer.
We are already doing a great deal to support the sector. Of at least £200 million allocated to The Farming Innovation Programme (FIP) through to 2030, to date nearly £40 million—representing 26% of total awards—has been granted to research projects benefiting the sector offering targeted opportunities for fruit and vegetable businesses to become more profitable, resilient, and sustainable. Further opportunities for farmer and grower led trials to test ideas and solutions are also now available in FIP via ADOPT grants. Wider Government support includes: our five-year extension to the Seasonal Worker visa route, providing much needed stability and certainty to businesses; as well as extending the easement on import checks on medium risk fruit and vegetables ahead of the new SPS agreement deal with the EU.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment has he made of the number of FAS and PPF members whose original pension scheme did not provide for specified pre-1997 indexation and will therefore not be included in the Government’s plans announced in the Budget on 26 November.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
At the Budget, the Chancellor announced that the Government will introduce pre-1997 indexation in the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) and the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS), for members whose original schemes provided this. Compensation payments from these schemes on pensions built up before 6 April 1997 will be CPI-linked (capped at 2.5%), and this will apply prospectively.
The PPF have made an assessment that around 165,000 PPF members and 91,000 current FAS members have some pre-97 benefits where their former schemes provided mandatory indexation. The remaining members will not fall within the scope of our reforms, either because these members had no mandatory pre-97 indexation in their original schemes, or no pre-97 service.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with the Welsh government regarding the drafting of the Railways Bill.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport has worked closely with the Welsh Government throughout the development of the Railways Bill.
This engagement has included both ministerial and official-level meetings to ensure constructive and collaborative development of provisions enabling a responsive railway in the Wales and borders area.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the impact of not uprating Local Housing Allowance on homelessness in Wales.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State confirmed in his Written Ministerial Statement (HCWS1101) that Local Housing Allowance rates and the benefit cap will not be increased for 2026-27. He considered a range of factors, including the rentals levels across Great Britain, the wider fiscal context and welfare priorities. This included the decision to prioritise removing the two child limit, which will lift 450k children out of poverty.
Responsibility for housing and homelessness is devolved to the Welsh Government, while social security is reserved to the UK Government.
Discretionary Housing Payments are available from local authorities for those who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs.