Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to improve transport links between Wales and the rest of the UK.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
We are investing an historic £445 million into Welsh rail to right years’ of underfunding by previous governments and unleash Wales’ economic potential.
This new investment will improve transport links, including for Padeswood on the Borderlands Line through Wrexham, and between Cardiff and Bristol.
This will mean new stations, enable more and faster trains on the key lines across North and South Wales, connecting people with the new, well-paid jobs we’re creating across Wales.
This announcement also includes providing £48 million over four years to the Welsh Government to continue to upgrade the Core Valleys Lines.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how much his Department spent on recruitment consultants in each of the last three years.
Answered by David T C Davies
The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales has spent nothing on recruitment consultants in the last three years.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how much his Department has spent on headhunters in each of the last three years.
Answered by David T C Davies
The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales has spent nothing on headhunters in the last three years.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what the cost to the public purse has been of Ministerial severance pay in his Department in each year since 1 January 2016.
Answered by James Davies
Under the Ministerial and Other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991, eligible Ministers who leave office are entitled to a one-off payment equivalent to one quarter of their annual salary at the point at which they leave Government. This applies only where a Minister is under 65 and is not appointed to a ministerial office within three weeks of leaving government. Individuals may waive the payment to which they are entitled. That is a matter for their personal discretion, but this approach has been taken in the past. Details of such payments are published in departmental annual reports and accounts, and ministerial salaries are published on GOV.UK at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministerial-salary-data
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the Wales Office:
What assessment he has made of the potential merits of proposals to devolve aspects of the benefits system to Wales in line with those powers devolved to Scotland.
Answered by Lord Hart of Tenby
None. Devolution of the benefits system is not an issue that is raised on the doorsteps of Wales and even the Welsh Government has not asked for powers equivalent to Scotland.