Christina Rees

The UK Presidency alongside our Operational Partners continue to work tirelessly to support the delivery of an in-person COP26 in Glasgow.

As the Prime Minister announced at the G7, the UK Government has begun work to provide COVID-19 vaccines to accredited COP26 delegates who would be unable to get them otherwise.

I urge all accredited delegates who do not have access to a vaccine to register their interest through the UNFCCC registration portal as soon as possible and no later than 23 July.

This Government is committed to LGBT equality throughout the United Kingdom and that is why we are proud to have introduced marriage for same sex couples in England and Wales. We recently announced the launch of a National LGBT Survey asking LGBT people about their experiences of accessing public services, and our intention to consult on reforming the Gender Recognition Act 2004.

Equalities policy is a devolved matter so improving services and support for LGBT people locally would be the responsibility of the Welsh Government.

The reservations listed in Schedule 1 to the draft Wales Bill reflects the Government’s view of where the Welsh devolution boundary lies following the devolution of further powers to the Assembly provided for in the draft Bill.

The Wales Office is the lead Government department on the draft Wales Bill, and is the primary point of contact with the Welsh Government on matters related to the draft Bill.

Annex B to the Powers for a Purpose Command Paper provided an illustrative list of the main areas in which reservations would be needed in a reserved powers model. The list described the Government’s emerging thinking as the new reserved powers model was being developed. The Government published its full proposals in the draft Wales Bill on 20 October 2015.

As set out in the Autumn Statement, the Government will develop a new approach to consumer protection in energy markets, which will apply from April 2024 onwards.

The Government is committed to work with consumer groups and industry to consider the best approach, including options such as social tariffs, as part of wider retail market reforms.

The Government wants as many homes and small businesses to be able to benefit from smart meters as possible. Therefore, it has taken steps to make smart meters the default metering offer in Great Britain.

This includes obligating energy suppliers, under licence conditions, to take all reasonable steps to install a smart meter where a meter is fitted for the first time or when an existing meter needs to be replaced.

Prepayment customers see particular benefits from smart meters, which enable consumers to top-up remotely and track their balance easily, so they do not unknowingly run out of credit.

Smart meters use radio waves in the home to allow remote readings to be taken from gas and electricity meters. There is no evidence that radio waves produced by smart meters pose a health risk. More information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/smart-meters-radio-waves-and-health/smart-meters-radio-waves-and-health.

In respect of 5G, UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) advice states that there should be no consequences for public health. More information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/5g-technologies-radio-waves-and-health/5g-technologies-radio-waves-and-health.

Smart meters use radio waves in the home to allow remote readings to be taken from gas and electricity meters. There is no evidence that radio waves produced by smart meters pose a health risk. More information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/smart-meters-radio-waves-and-health/smart-meters-radio-waves-and-health.

In respect of 5G, UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) advice states that there should be no consequences for public health. More information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/5g-technologies-radio-waves-and-health/5g-technologies-radio-waves-and-health.

As published in the 15^th December Written Ministerial Statement concerning wholesale energy prices and future energy retail market policy, the Department’s work on green tariffs and carbon content was paused to prioritise activity in relation to the unprecedented global increases in gas prices.

The Government's immediate priority for retail energy markets is to ensure the successful delivery of the Energy Bill Support Scheme, Energy Price Guarantee and the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, as well as the other support being provided to energy users. The government will set out next steps on the future of the retail market in due course.

Sport is a devolved matter, and responsibility for the delivery of grassroots sport in Wales sits with Sport Wales. However, UK Sport, ​which receives funding from the UK government and the National Lottery and prepares athletes for Olympic and Paralympic Games, works closely with Sport Wales, including on ​support for leadership in sport, for the 66 World Class Programme athletes who indicate Wales as their home nation, and on​ securing the rights to host major sports events. Such events in Wales since 2013​ have generated an estimated ​£11m in economic impact.

Digital connectivity is a clear priority for this Government. The Super Connected Cities Programme, which closed in 2015, installed WiFi in 1491 public buildings with a combined annual footfall of over 114 million, including in Wales. WiFi was also installed on 1422 public vehicles.

BDUK’s Superfast programme will provide at least 24 Megabits per second (Mbps) coverage to 95% of the UK by the end of this year. In Neath, superfast coverage is already above 95%.

As a result of the Government's landmark agreement with mobile operators in 2014, each mobile operator will deliver mobile coverage to 90% of the UK's landmass by the end of this year. Additionally O2 will deliver indoor 4G coverage to 95% of premises in Wales, also by the end of 2017.

On 9 February this year we published Sporting Future - First Annual Report which confirms that Government is considering how best to take forward work on employers promoting physical activity in the light of publication of the Green Paper on Health and Work in October 2016. The government plans to announce proposals in March 2017.

I have regular meetings with UK Anti-Doping, as well as the UK's international partners, to discuss a range of anti-doping matters. The most effective way to combat doping in sport is through a collaborative approach where Governments work in partnership with the sports movement, the World Anti-Doping Agency and other National Doping Organisations.

I refer the honourable member to my response to PQ 22672, submitted to Parliament on 19 January.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

In England, the holiday activities and food programme provides heathy meals, enriching activities, and free childcare places to children from low-income families. This benefits their heath, wellbeing and learning, and contributes to recovery from COVID-19. This is supported by over £200 million funding each year.

To support people who need additional welfare help, the government is providing an extra £500 million of local support via the Household Support Fund, which is being extended to March 2023. This brings the total amount provided to £1.5 billion since October 2021.

Devolved administrations will receive £79 million through the Barnett formula up to October 2022, and a further £79 million from October 2022 to March 2023.

Schools are responsible for the provision of school meals and may enter individual contracts with suppliers and caterers to meet this duty.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

In England, the holiday activities and food programme provides heathy meals, enriching activities, and free childcare places to children from low-income families. This benefits their heath, wellbeing and learning, and contributes to recovery from COVID-19. This is supported by over £200 million funding each year.

To support people who need additional welfare help, the government is providing an extra £500 million of local support via the Household Support Fund, which is being extended to March 2023. This brings the total amount provided to £1.5 billion since October 2021.

Devolved administrations will receive £79 million through the Barnett formula up to October 2022, and a further £79 million from October 2022 to March 2023.

Schools are responsible for the provision of school meals and may enter individual contracts with suppliers and caterers to meet this duty.

Defra is conducting analysis of its Retained EU Law stock to determine what should be preserved as part of domestic law, as well as REUL that should be removed, or amended. A list of regulations to be revoked or allowed to sunset, through the REUL Bill will be published in due course.

Defra is committed to tackling the trade in illegal timber. We implement the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), which makes it an offence to place illegally logged timber on the EU market for the first time, and the EU Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Regulation, which aims to combat illegal logging and improve the supply of legal timber to the EU. The EU FLEGT Regulation establishes Voluntary Partnership Agreements (VPAs) between the EU and timber producing countries. Once VPAs have been agreed, timber producing countries will issue exports with a ‘FLEGT licence’ which verifies the timber’s legality.

The Government’s Timber Procurement Policy also requires Government Departments, Executive Agencies and Non-Departmental Public Bodies to procure timber and timber products that are both legal and sustainable.

It is positive that UK companies and other bodies are making similar commitments to trade in both legal and sustainable timber by signing up to WWF’s Forest Campaign.

Defra actively shares intelligence relating to abuse of the EU pet travel scheme. Evidence collected by APHA, Local Authorities and welfare organisations has led to investigations in other EU countries.

The UK maintains effective border controls and all the relevant agencies work together to target people who systematically abuse the rules.

The illegal trade is ultimately driven by demand. Defra have published guidance on buying a pet and have worked closely with the Pet Advertising Advisory Group to drive up standards for online advertisements.

The UK is committed to meeting the needs of all displaced populations, including Internally Displaced Persons. We are providing more multiyear funding to support internally displaced populations and the communities that host them, through both humanitarian and longer term development programmes including those in Iraq, Nigeria, South Sudan and Yemen.

We support, through core and bilateral funding, some of the key agencies involved in IDP response, including the UN office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

The ‘benefits realisation’ requirements of the HS2 rolling stock procurement requires the successful tenderer to achieve a number of skills, education and employment objectives including items such as apprenticeship and graduate recruitment in addition to supporting the National College for High Speed Rail in Birmingham and Doncaster. It also requires the successful tenderer to promote supply chain opportunities to the wider supply chain across the UK including new entrants and SMEs. Tenderers’ plans for delivering the ‘benefits realisation’ requirements are assessed in Stage 4 of HS2’s tender evaluation model.

The Great Western electrification is the biggest and most complex electrification scheme for more than a generation and it is planned to be completed during Control Period 5.

We have committed to capping regulated rail fares at the Retail Price Inflation (RPI) for five years from 2016 and we have also stopped operators increasing individual regulated fares by up to 2% more than RPI. Train operators will use the July 2015 RPI figure, published in August, to set regulated rail fares for 2016. Data on these fares will be published in December 2015.

We are unable to provide a response to this request as it is not possible for us to identify the data requested by geographic location.

We are unable to provide a response to this request as it is not possible for us to identify the data requested by geographic location.

The data requested is not currently held by the department and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

I refer the Hon and Rt Hon Members to the answer I gave on 13 December 2022 to Question UIN 106507.

Automatic enrolment has achieved a quiet revolution through getting employees into the habit of pension saving, and reversing the decline in workplace pension participation in the decade prior to these reforms. Workplace pension participation rates are being transformed with 87% of eligible employees saving into one in 2018, up from 55% in 2012.

The DWP does not hold data for individual constituencies in relation to opt outs or the number of individuals who have saved above the automatic enrolment minimum contribution level. However, we do know that overall around 9% of automatically enrolled workers have chosen to opt out which is significantly below original estimates; and our latest evaluation report shows that, in April 2017, approximately 5.9 million eligible employees were already meeting the April 2019 minimum contribution rates.

In the Neath constituency, since 2012, approximately 3,000 eligible jobholders have been automatically enrolled and 860 employers have met their duties.

Automatic Enrolment Evaluation Report 2018, available via the following weblink: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/764964/Automatic_Enrolment_Evaluation_Report_2018.pdf.

The Pensions Regulator’s data on Automatic enrolment declaration of compliance by constituency, available via the following weblink: https://www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk/en/document-library/research-and-analysis/data-requests