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Written Question
Research: Tax Allowances
Thursday 14th March 2024

Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many applications for R&D tax credits were denied in each month in 2023.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC publish R&D statistics annually, the latest publication can be found on Gov.uk at Research and Development Tax Credits Statistics: September 2023.


Written Question
Research: Tax Allowances
Thursday 14th March 2024

Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many applications for R&D tax credits were approved in each month in 2023.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC publish R&D statistics annually, the latest publication can be found on Gov.uk at Research and Development Tax Credits Statistics: September 2023.


Written Question
Research: Tax Allowances
Thursday 14th March 2024

Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many applications for R&D tax credits were outstanding in each month in 2023.

Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)

HMRC publish R&D statistics annually, the latest publication can be found on Gov.uk at Research and Development Tax Credits Statistics: September 2023.


Written Question
Wales Office: Defamation
Tuesday 12th March 2024

Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, with reference to paragraphs 7.16 and 7.17 of the Ministerial Code, on how many occasions Ministers in his Department have informed the Law Officers that they are the defendants in a libel action in (a) their personal capacity, (b) their official position and (c) both since 19 December 2019.

Answered by David T C Davies - Secretary of State for Wales

As per paragraph 2.13 of the Ministerial Code, it is not possible to disclose whether Law Officers have or have not provided advice on such matters. Paragraph 2.13 states: “The fact that the Law Officers have advised or have not advised, and the content of their advice must not be disclosed outside Government without their authority”.


Written Question
Tŷ William Morgan: Staff
Monday 11th March 2024

Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what the average level of staff attendance has been at the UK Government hub in Cardiff, Tŷ William Morgan in each month since December 2022.

Answered by David T C Davies - Secretary of State for Wales

The Wales Office does not hold data on average levels of staff attendance for UK Government departments and agencies, and other public bodies, based in the UK Government hub in Ty William Morgan, Cardiff.


Written Question
Railway Stations: St Athan
Monday 11th March 2024

Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to his Department's new story entitled New railway station backed for the Vale of Glamorgan, published on 19 February 2024, how much funding his Department has committed to fund the development of a business case for a new station at St Athan.

Answered by Huw Merriman - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

As part of the government’s plan to grow the economy through continued investment in local transport we have committed to explore options for a new station at St Athan. We are currently working with Network Rail, Transport for Wales, and the Vale of Glamorgan Council to define the scope of business case development required and the associated costs.


Written Question
Cybercrime: Wales
Tuesday 27th February 2024

Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to help tackle cyber-related crime in (a) Cardiff Central constituency, (b) Cardiff local authority area and (c) Wales.

Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)

Tacking cyber crime is at the heart of the Government’s National Cyber Strategy 2022-25, which is supported by £2.6 billion of investment through the National Cyber Fund.

Key to delivery is ensuring that local policing has the resources needed to deal with the cyber threats we face. In 2023/24, the Home Office is receiving £18 million from the National Cyber Fund to provide a range of capabilities and resource to tackle and respond to cyber crime. This funding is supplemented by a further £16 million of Home Office funding through the Police Settlement Programme.

This funding continues to build law enforcement capabilities at the national, regional, and local levels to ensure they have the capacity and expertise to deal with the perpetrators and victims of cyber crime. We directly fund a specialist Cyber Crime Unit at South Wales Police, and more specialist teams at the TARIAN Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU). This ROCU team is integral to our response to high-harm, high-impact crimes like cyber extortion, and is a multi-disciplinary team of police officers and police staff seconded from the three forces of South Wales, Gwent and Dyfed-Powys.

TARIAN ROCU works closely with South Wales Police Cyber Crime Unit and work to intervene if people are deemed at risk of becoming involved in cyber offending. This includes working with young and vulnerable individuals offering other intervention and diversion opportunities to young people outside of cyber education, such as life skills, and job interview skills. South Wales Police Cyber Crime Unit engage with all local authorities within the area to ensure effective delivery.

Businesses and organisations based in Wales work closely with ROCUs across the private and public sectors, and at community level. Additionally working collaboratively with the Welsh Government to support the offer of funding to Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) for Cyber Essential training, which is a government backed scheme that helps protect organisations against a range of cyber attacks.

We have also rolled out Regional Cyber Resilience Centres in Wales and in each of the other nine policing regions. The Centres are a collaboration between the police, public, private sector and academic partners to provide cyber security advice to SME’s so that they can protect themselves better in a digital age. Details of the Cyber Resilience Centre for Wales can be found at www.wcrcentre.co.uk

All vulnerable victims of fraud and cyber crime in Wales receive contact and PROTECT advice from law enforcement, specifically aimed at helping them to protect themselves in future from revictimization.


Written Question
Fraud: Wales
Tuesday 27th February 2024

Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to help tackle fraud-related crime in (a) Cardiff Central constituency, (b) Cardiff local authority area and (c) Wales.

Answered by Tom Tugendhat - Minister of State (Home Office) (Security)

In May 2023, the Government published the Fraud Strategy which set out a national response to address the threat of fraud. This includes steps to block fraud, improve the law enforcement response and empower victims.

Through the Online Safety Act and the Online Fraud Charter, we are taking robust action to tackle online fraud. We have invested £100m in law enforcement, including the launch of the new National Fraud Squad - with 400 investigators now in post - and the replacement of the current Action Fraud reporting service. This new service, which covers Wales, will improve support and reporting for victims and allow great prevention and disruption of fraud.

On 12th February 2024, we launched ‘Stop! Think Fraud’ our new national campaign against fraud, which encourages the public to be aware of potential fraud. Impactful adverts will be prominent across the UK, on billboards, radio, TV and social media. The campaign is expected to reach over 95% of population in Wales.


Written Question
Sales: Conditions of Employment
Tuesday 6th February 2024

Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of employment practices in the direct sales industry in (a) Cardiff Central constituency, (b) England and (c) Wales.

Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government regularly engages with businesses with a range of employment practices across the UK to better understand current and future challenges and opportunities within sectors.

While the Government is unable to comment on the working practices of individual companies, we clear that businesses should always treat their workforce and partners fairly, and ensure they are fulfilling their legal responsibilities. An individual’s entitlement to employment rights such as the minimum wage are determined by their employment status (employee, limb (b) worker or self-employed).

The Government encourages individuals to seek advice from ACAS, who deal with questions from employers, individuals, and others about a wide range of employment relations matters. Where an individual is unable to resolve a dispute with their engager, they have the right to go to an Employment Tribunal.


Written Question
Sales: Minimum Wage
Tuesday 6th February 2024

Asked by: Jo Stevens (Labour - Cardiff Central)

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, if he will make an estimate of the number and proportion of direct sales companies paying at least the minimum wage in (a) Cardiff Central, (b) England and (c) Wales.

Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)

All businesses – irrespective of their size or business sector – are responsible for paying the correct minimum wage to their staff. The government is clear that anyone entitled to be paid the minimum wage should receive it and takes robust enforcement action against employers who do not pay their staff correctly. HMRC enforces minimum wage regulations on behalf of DBT.

The government would urge any worker who believes they are being paid below their entitlement to contact either ACAS or HMRC directly. ACAS offer free, impartial, and confidential advice on rights and entitlements to both workers and employers. ACAS officers will pass on cases to HMRC for further consideration where appropriate. HMRC will look at every case that a worker brings to it directly.