Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the written statement of 20 January 2026 on Mobile Phones and Social Media: Use by Children, HCWS1262, when she plans to publish the consultation on proposed measures to keep children safe online.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
We have now launched our consultation on children’s use of technology and social media. This is a short, swift consultation which allows the different voices within the debate to be heard. The consultation will close on the 26th May . The government is planning to respond in the summer.
The consultation is backed by a national conversation about the impact of technology on children’s wellbeing. Ministers have already been hearing the views of parents, children and civil society through nationwide events.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of withdrawing the visa concession for temporary employment as sheep shearers on (a) animal welfare in Wales and (b) the Welsh sheep sector.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Immigration Rules concessionary arrangements are temporary and subject to regular Ministerial review. The sheep shearing concession had been operating for 14 years and closed after the 2025 shearing season as it is reasonable to expect that over this period a long-term sustainable solution had been found to fill this workforce gap. To provide plenty of time to plan and transition to new arrangements the sector was informed last year that the concession would not be renewed again.
In addition, those in the UK on visas which allow general work rights, such as dependants or Youth Mobility Scheme visa holders, are free to take up work as a sheep shearer subject to the relevant visa restrictions.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with a) British Wool, b) the Farmers' Union of Wales and c) NFU Cymru on the withdrawal of the visa concession for temporary employment as sheep shearers.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Immigration Rules concessionary arrangements are temporary and subject to regular Ministerial review. The sheep shearing concession had been operating for 14 years and closed after the 2025 shearing season as it is reasonable to expect that over this period a long-term sustainable solution had been found to fill this workforce gap. To provide plenty of time to plan and transition to new arrangements the sector was informed last year that the concession would not be renewed again.
In addition, those in the UK on visas which allow general work rights, such as dependants or Youth Mobility Scheme visa holders, are free to take up work as a sheep shearer subject to the relevant visa restrictions.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with the Welsh Government on the withdrawal of the visa concession for temporary employment as sheep shearers.
Answered by Mike Tapp - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Immigration Rules concessionary arrangements are temporary and subject to regular Ministerial review. The sheep shearing concession had been operating for 14 years and closed after the 2025 shearing season as it is reasonable to expect that over this period a long-term sustainable solution had been found to fill this workforce gap. To provide plenty of time to plan and transition to new arrangements the sector was informed last year that the concession would not be renewed again.
In addition, those in the UK on visas which allow general work rights, such as dependants or Youth Mobility Scheme visa holders, are free to take up work as a sheep shearer subject to the relevant visa restrictions.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to help protect and support Kurdish communities in North-East Syria.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement I made to the House on 28 January 2026.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of data on the impact of flooding on social housing tenants.
Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
In January 2025 the Environment Agency commissioned an independent review of Property Flood Resilience (PFR). The review identified gaps and opportunities to grow the PFR market, resulting in a new action plan for all relevant parties to take forward.
The National Housing Federation (NHF) representing 600 housing associations who provide nearly 2.7 million homes formed part of the review’s Leadership Group.
The review found that there is growing awareness among housing associations of the increasing flood risk and noted they already have access to a comprehensive Flood Toolkit. Social landlords however face several challenges including data gaps, securing temporary accommodation and ensuring residents have access to the right advice and support.
The review recommended that social landlords develop clear and coordinated strategies to prepare for and mitigate flood risk for their tenants and homes aligning PFR measures with wider work to improve energy efficiency, building safety and decency. The NHF has committed to delivering several actions over the next five years to strengthen members’ flood readiness.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how will property subject to tenancies agreed under (a) the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986 and (b) the Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995 be valued for the purposes of calculating an estate's inheritance tax liability.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
The reforms to reliefs for agricultural and business property do not affect the existing rules on how assets are valued. The general rule for inheritance tax is that assets are valued at their ‘open market value’ at the date of death. If a property is subject to an agricultural tenancy, the open market value will reflect that fact. The value of the freehold interest subject to the tenancy may therefore be less than the vacant possession value. The valuation will consider factors including the type of agricultural tenancy, term length or security of tenure, property specific factors and the rent payable.Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps she is taking to ensure equitable funding by the national wealth fund across all nations of the United Kingdom.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The National Wealth Fund's Strategic Plan sets out its ambition to accelerate place-based investment across all four nations of the UK, and it has dedicated directors in each nation to support this.
The National Wealth Fund is already investing in Wales and will continue to work closely with devolved governments and local leaders to help accelerate project delivery and drive regional growth.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the spending of the national wealth fund in Wales.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The National Wealth Fund's Strategic Plan sets out its ambition to accelerate place-based investment across all four nations of the UK, and it has dedicated directors in each nation to support this.
The National Wealth Fund is already investing in Wales and will continue to work closely with devolved governments and local leaders to help accelerate project delivery and drive regional growth.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she has made and assessment of the potential merits of completing an updated assessment of the potential savings to the Exchequer from withdrawing the postponed VAT accounting process, taking into account (a) increased deferred VAT payments since implementation, (b) growth in missing trader fraud and VAT loss due to misuse or non-compliance,(c) sectoral analysis of industries contributing most to deferred VAT and (d) behavioural and enforcement trends since PVA’s introduction.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)
Postponed VAT accounting provides significant support for businesses, helping to manage cash flow and facilitate imports. HMRC undertakes regular operational work to ensure compliance with the rules around postponed VAT accounting.
The VAT gap has reduced from 13.8% in 2005-06 to 6.2% in 2024-25, and has remained broadly stable since 2020-21.
The Government keeps all tax policy under review as part of the policy making process