Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what are the funding sources for the UK Steel Fund and how will funding be divided across these sources.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government is providing up to £2.5 billion to support the UK steel industry, in addition to the £500 million grant to Tata Steel at Port Talbot. This is being delivered through a combination of direct support for steel companies and the National Wealth Fund, which will aim to commit £5.8 billion to five priority sectors, including green steel. All funding is allocated on a case by case basis subject to scrutiny of individual propositions.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to her Department's joint press release entitled Prime Minister announces seven new stations and major rail funding commitment, published on 17 February 2026, and Transport for Wales' document entitled Today, Tomorrow, Together: A vision for rail across Wales and Borders, published on 18 February 2026, what projects are included in the £14 billion of funding.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In February, the Prime Minister endorsed Transport for Wales’s publication of the ‘Today, Tomorrow, Together’ vision for rail in Wales, agreeing that it should set the framework for a pipeline of projects and committing the UK Government to fund and deliver the projects described in the document as soon as possible. The pipeline is a generational transformational commitment, with exact additional UK Government funding allocations to be confirmed at future Spending Reviews.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Transport for Wales' document entitled Today, Tomorrow, Together: A vision for rail across Wales and Borders, published on 18 February 2026, what proportion of the funding set out in that document for rail schemes has her Department guaranteed to date.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The UK Government’s 2025 Spending Review and Infrastructure Strategy recognised Wales’s long-term infrastructure needs, and committed at least £445 million of rail enhancements to realise them.
This is in addition to the £2.5 billion operations, maintenance, and renewal (OMR) investment in Wales over railway Control Period 7 (April 2024 - March 2029).
This investment will reconnect Wales’s industrial heartlands, improve commuter journeys, and drive economic growth in communities that have long suffered from poor transport links. It will provide for increased service levels on the Wrexham to Liverpool line, increased service frequencies in the Cardiff area, delivery of new stations and services in South Wales, and a major upgrade to Cardiff Central Station.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Transport for Wales' document entitled Today, Tomorrow, Together: A vision for rail across Wales and Borders, published on 18 February 2026, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the level of funding for rail projects in the Wales and Borders railway network in the next Spending Review.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In February, the Prime Minister endorsed Transport for Wales’s publication of the ‘Today, Tomorrow, Together’ vision for rail in Wales, agreeing that it should set the framework for a pipeline of projects, and committing the UK Government to fund and deliver these projects as soon as possible.
The UK Government has already committed to delivering at least £445 million of rail enhancements funding for Wales. The Wales Rail Board includes representation from the Department for Transport, Network Rail, the Welsh Government and Transport for Wales, and has been established to provide joint strategic direction for schemes in Wales. It will be consulted on ahead of the next Spending Review so that Wales’s long-term infrastructure needs continue to be recognised.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, over what timeframe will the Government fully fund Transport for Wales’s Today, Tomorrow, Together rail pipeline.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
In February, the Prime Minister endorsed Transport for Wales’s publication of the ‘Today, Tomorrow, Together’ vision for rail in Wales, agreeing that it should set the framework for a pipeline of projects, and committing the UK Government to fund and deliver these projects as soon as possible.
The UK Government has already committed to delivering at least £445 million of rail enhancements funding for Wales. The Wales Rail Board includes representation from the Department for Transport, Network Rail, the Welsh Government and Transport for Wales, and has been established to provide joint strategic direction for schemes in Wales. It will be consulted on ahead of the next Spending Review so that Wales’s long-term infrastructure needs continue to be recognised.
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, whether the Farming & Food Partnership Board will consider stakeholders in (a) Wales and (b) other devolved nations when compiling sector growth plans, in the context of the operation of cross-border food supply chains.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Board will oversee Sector Growth Plans, which will be owned and delivered by each farming sector and will focus on achieving good growth in the farming sector by improving farm productivity, increasing profitability, and strengthening the contribution of domestically produced food for national security.
Defra has established the Board on an England-only basis, reflecting the scope of the Farming Profitability Review. This means that the Sector Growth Plans will focus on the agricultural sectors in England. Sector expert groups, who are leading the development of Sector Growth Plans, may wish to engage with stakeholders in devolved nations where relevant, including regarding cross-border supply chains.
Defra will continue to consider the scope of the Board, including its relationship with Devolved Administrations, as its work evolves.
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, whether the remit of the Farming & Food Partnership Board refers to UK or England-only agricultural sectors.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra has established the Board on an England-only basis, reflecting the scope of the Farming Profitability Review. While the Farming Profitability Review applied to England only, some of the recommendations relating to the Board envisaged involvement across the four nations.
In the longer term, to achieve its full potential, it is expected that the scope of the Board will evolve. Close working will be fostered with Government and sectoral leads across the four nations, reflecting the interconnection of the UK food system.
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 his Department has undertaken an Equality Impact Assessment for recent changes to the Motability Scheme.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Changes to the Motability Scheme were announced as part of the Autumn Budget. An Equality Impact Assessment including consideration of the impact on affected individuals was undertaken and published by HMT at that time and can be found here: Motability Scheme: reforming tax reliefs - GOV.UK.
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 supported living provided by local authorities in Wales is not recognised as exempt accommodation for the purposes of housing benefit.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Housing Benefit regulations contain a landlord definition used to determine whether supported housing and supported living qualifies as specified accommodation. Exempt accommodation is one of four categories of specified accommodation. Exempt accommodation can only be provided by non-metropolitan county councils in England, housing associations, registered charities and voluntary organisations where that body, or person acting on its behalf, also provides the claimants with care, support or supervision. Non-metropolitan county councils in England were included in the definition because these authorities were the only ones who did not administer Housing Benefit.
We continue to keep this under review and are considering ways in which this definition could be improved as we progress work with MHCLG to implement the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act. Any future decision on whether the definition should be changed will be considered in the context of the Government’s missions, including Local Government Reorganisation, as well as goals on housing and the financial environment.
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 a non-metropolitan county council in England is defined as exempt accommodation under housing benefit regulation.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Housing Benefit regulations contain a landlord definition used to determine whether supported housing and supported living qualifies as specified accommodation. Non-metropolitan county councils in England were included in the definition because these authorities were the only ones who did not administer Housing Benefit.
We continue to keep this under review and are considering ways in which this definition could be improved as we progress work with MHCLG to implement the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act. Any future decision on whether the definition should be changed will be considered in the context of the Government’s missions, including Local Government Reorganisation, as well as goals on housing and the financial environment.