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 discussions he has had with his counterparts in the Welsh Government on limiting the spread of bluetongue virus.
Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
I refer the honourable member to the answer given on 4 June 2025 to question UIN 57569.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how much funding Building Digital UK has received in each year since it was established.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Building Digital UK (BDUK) became an Executive Agency on 1 April 2022. Each year, it publishes information on its total budget in its Annual Reports and Accounts. These are published on GOV.UK and cover the period from 1 April to 31 March.
In 2022 to 2023, the total annual budget was £90 million, and in 2023 to 2024 the total annual budget was £140 million. Information for 2024 to 2025 will be published in the next Annual Report and Accounts.
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, how many people received the Winter Fuel Payment in Wales in the (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25 financial year; and what estimate she has made of the number of people who will receive it in Wales in the 2025-26 financial year.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
For winter 2023 to 2024, around 631,000 pensioners received the Winter Fuel Payment in Wales. This is based on Winter Fuel Payment statistics for winter 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK.
Data covering winter 2024 to 2025 is not yet available. The next release of Winter Fuel Payment statistics will cover this period and will be published on 16 September 2025.
From this winter, individuals with an income of £35,000 or below, will benefit from a Winter Fuel Payment. Winter Fuel Payments are £200 for a household with someone of State Pension age and £300 for a household with someone aged 80 or over. They will be paid automatically to anyone who has not opted out. Individuals with a taxable income above £35,000 a year will see any Winter Fuel Payment recouped via HMRC.
This means that the majority of pensioners in England and Wales – around 9 million individuals – will now benefit from Winter Fuel Payments.
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 estimate she has made of the number of (a) people and (b) households that will receive the winter fuel payment in Wales in the 2025-26 financial year.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
For winter 2023 to 2024, around 631,000 pensioners received the Winter Fuel Payment in Wales. This is based on Winter Fuel Payment statistics for winter 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK.
Data covering winter 2024 to 2025 is not yet available. The next release of Winter Fuel Payment statistics will cover this period and will be published on 16 September 2025.
From this winter, individuals with an income of £35,000 or below, will benefit from a Winter Fuel Payment. Winter Fuel Payments are £200 for a household with someone of State Pension age and £300 for a household with someone aged 80 or over. They will be paid automatically to anyone who has not opted out. Individuals with a taxable income above £35,000 a year will see any Winter Fuel Payment recouped via HMRC.
This means that the majority of pensioners in England and Wales – around 9 million individuals – will now benefit from Winter Fuel Payments.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the planned changes to the Winter Fuel Payment, announced on 9 June 2025, for what reason an income threshold of £35,000 for the Winter Fuel Payment was decided.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Government wants more pensioners to benefit from Winter Fuel Payments. The £35,000 threshold means that the vast majority of pensions - more than three quarters and around 9 million individuals - will benefit from a Winter Fuel Payment. The threshold is also broadly in line with average earnings. This change also ensures that the means-testing of winter fuel payments has no effect on pensioner poverty.
Restricting Winter Fuel Payments to those with incomes below or equal to £35,000 means those on lower and middle incomes will still receive the help they need and ensures fairness for both pensioners and taxpayers.
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 she has made of the potential impact of the cancellation of the in-person Pathways to Work public consultation event in Wales, scheduled for 3 June 2025, on stakeholders in Wales.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As part of our commitment to hear from members of the public directly, including disabled people and their representatives, we have now held a number of virtual and in person public consultation events, as per the advertised schedule on GOV.UK. Unfortunately, the Cardiff in person event (initially scheduled for 3 June) was postponed at the last minute due to the venue cancelling and no appropriate accessible alternative being available at such short notice. We are working with the Welsh Government to rearrange this event and have reached out to all registered participants directly, also offering a priority space on other virtual events.
Additionally, a Wales-only virtual consultation event has now been arranged and scheduled for 26 June.
Throughout the consultation we are committed to putting the views and voices of disabled people and people with health conditions at the heart of everything we do. We encourage members of the public to continue to respond to the consultation online, in writing and via email.
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, whether her Department intends to provide an in-person Pathways to Work public consultation event in Wales following the cancellation of the Cardiff event on 3 June 2025.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As part of our commitment to hear from members of the public directly, including disabled people and their representatives, we have now held a number of virtual and in person public consultation events, as per the advertised schedule on GOV.UK. Unfortunately, the Cardiff in person event (initially scheduled for 3 June) was postponed at the last minute due to the venue cancelling and no appropriate accessible alternative being available at such short notice. We are working with the Welsh Government to rearrange this event and have reached out to all registered participants directly, also offering a priority space on other virtual events.
Additionally, a Wales-only virtual consultation event has now been arranged and scheduled for 26 June.
Throughout the consultation we are committed to putting the views and voices of disabled people and people with health conditions at the heart of everything we do. We encourage members of the public to continue to respond to the consultation online, in writing and via email.
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, for what reason the Pathways to Work public consultation event in Cardiff, scheduled for 3 June 2025, was cancelled.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
As part of our commitment to hear from members of the public directly, including disabled people and their representatives, we have now held a number of virtual and in person public consultation events, as per the advertised schedule on GOV.UK. Unfortunately, the Cardiff in person event (initially scheduled for 3 June) was postponed at the last minute due to the venue cancelling and no appropriate accessible alternative being available at such short notice. We are working with the Welsh Government to rearrange this event and have reached out to all registered participants directly, also offering a priority space on other virtual events.
Additionally, a Wales-only virtual consultation event has now been arranged and scheduled for 26 June.
Throughout the consultation we are committed to putting the views and voices of disabled people and people with health conditions at the heart of everything we do. We encourage members of the public to continue to respond to the consultation online, in writing and via email.
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 she has made of the adequacy of the availability of utility social tariffs for people (a) on low income and (b) with disabilities that do not receive (i) Universal Credit and (ii) PIP.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is committed to tackling poverty and discusses access to social tariffs regularly with her Cabinet colleagues as part of her work to address poverty. This includes through her role as co-chair of the Child Poverty Taskforce.
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, (a) what specific matters were discussed during and (b) what were the outcomes of her meeting with the First Minister of Wales on the Pathways to Work Green Paper on 4 June 2025.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The meeting between Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and the First Minister of Wales on 4th June 2025 was a positive discussion about areas of mutual interest, including the UK Government’s commitment to reforming the system of health and disability benefits so that it promotes and enables employment among as many people as possible.