Jonathan Edwards

Movements in pump prices are largely driven by crude oil prices and reduction in fuel duty. In January 2013, the Office for Fair Trading published the results of a Call for Information to investigate whether or not competition problems existed in the road fuels market.

The Government believes that it is important that consumers get a fair deal and that falls in oil prices materialise into lower prices for motorists. We wrote to major fuel retailers on 7 November seeking reassurance that they were fully passing on changes in the oil price to UK consumers at pumps in full and as quickly as possible.

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment partnership (TTIP) and the NHS have been raised and discussed with the Welsh Government at official and Ministerial level during Joint Ministerial Committee meetings.

In the negotiations, the European Commission has explicitly ruled out public services from the scope of any market liberalisation in TTIP, and it has therefore not been necessary to discuss any exclusions related to specific public services.

Ministers in the Welsh Governments, through regular Joint Ministerial Committee meetings, have an opportunity to input into the UK position where appropriate and Ministers have been kept abreast of developments. Officials from the Devolved Administrations are also invited to frequent cross-Whitehall meetings on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, and are in regular contact with trade policy officials in Whitehall.

The Department has not commissioned any recent research on coal resources in Wales available using gasification technology. There are currently two conditional underground coal gasification licences in Wales, one in the Dee Estuary, the other in the Loughor Estuary and both issued to Cluff Natural Resources plc by one of DECC’s non-departmental public bodies, the Coal Authority.

The Government has committed nearly £2 billion since 2010 to maintain a network of at least 11,500 branches and to protect and modernise the network by 2018, securing its long-term sustainable future.

Under the Government funded Network Transformation programme, the Post Office is modernising and improving its national network with branches benefiting from investment and customers seeing big improvements with converted branches typically offering much longer opening hours in brighter more attractive customer environments. National rollout of Network Transformation began in October 2012, and to-date 3,363 post offices have already been modernised under the programme. The programme is fully-funded and by March 2018 around 8,300 branches will have converted, with a further 3,400 ‘Community Branches’ benefitting from access to a £20 million investment fund.

I include a breakdown of modernised branches to-date, by nation and region, in the table below.

Network Transformation – Number of modernised branches by UK nation and region (data provided by Post Office Limited – as at 2 November 2014)

Technology Strategy Board expenditure, including its support for Catapult centres, in each of the last three years in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales was as follows:

The first round of city deals with the 8 largest cities in England were concluded in July 2012 with 18 further deals agreed with English Cities by July 2014. City deals are bespoke negotiations between Government and local places based on the opportunities of a particular place and with no specific budget.

The Chancellor announced in the Autumn Statement that the UK Government would negotiate a City Deal with Glasgow and the Clyde Valley and the Prime Minister announced Heads of Terms with Glasgow and the Clyde Valley on 4thJuly.

The Deputy Prime Minister has received no representations from Welsh cities about city deals.

The first round of city deals with the 8 largest cities in England were concluded in July 2012 with 18 further deals agreed with English Cities by July 2014. City deals are bespoke negotiations between Government and local places based on the opportunities of a particular place and with no specific budget.

The Chancellor announced in the Autumn Statement that the UK Government would negotiate a City Deal with Glasgow and the Clyde Valley and the Prime Minister announced Heads of Terms with Glasgow and the Clyde Valley on 4thJuly.

The Deputy Prime Minister has received no representations from Welsh cities about city deals.

The first round of city deals with the 8 largest cities in England were concluded in July 2012 with 18 further deals agreed with English Cities by July 2014. City deals are bespoke negotiations between Government and local places based on the opportunities of a particular place and with no specific budget.

The Chancellor announced in the Autumn Statement that the UK Government would negotiate a City Deal with Glasgow and the Clyde Valley and the Prime Minister announced Heads of Terms with Glasgow and the Clyde Valley on 4thJuly.

The Deputy Prime Minister has received no representations from Welsh cities about city deals.

Previous trade agreements outline a number of high-level principles in relation to arrangements for controlling the prices of medicines. We do not expect the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership to include any additional obligations in this area.

There are regular discussions between UK Government and Welsh Government Ministers on matters of mutual interest.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Angus on 19 June 2014, Official Report, column 667W.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Angus on 19 June 2014, Official Report, column 667W.

I have not received any such representations.

It is the responsibility of individual local authorities to appoint an officer of the council to be the returning officer for local government elections in their area. Electoral law provides that returning officers for local government elections shall also be local returning officers for European Parliamentary elections. It therefore does not fall to the Government to assess the suitability of individuals carrying out these roles.

I have regular meetings with the Chair of the Electoral Commission.

Cabinet Office officials have been working closely with the Electoral Commission, and have discussed a range of issues, to support the efficient and effective administration of the forthcoming European Parliamentary election.

I have regular meetings with the Chair of the Electoral Commission.

Cabinet Office officials have been working closely with the Electoral Commission and have discussed a range of issues to support the efficient and effective running of the forthcoming European Parliamentary election.

The Government does not provide guidance to the Electoral Commission on the status of returning officers.

The final reports of the four Boundary Commissions in the 2018 Boundary Review were submitted to the Government and laid before Parliament in September 2018.

The Government will continue to monitor closely the current legal proceedings in relation to the Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland’s final report.

As we set out in our manifesto, the Government will ensure we have updated and equal parliamentary boundaries, making sure every vote counts the same.

The Government would prefer to leave the EU on 31 October with a deal. If this is not possible we will have to leave with no deal.

In the event of no deal the Government will prioritise the flow of goods at the border while continuing to take a risk-based approach to controls and checks on goods to minimise additional friction.

Extensive engagement activity continues with businesses, traders, ports and other stakeholders. The Government is also stepping up engagement with key Member States such as France. We will continue to work to make sure we have the best possible preparation to support the flow of goods.

The Government continues to prepare for a range of possible scenarios to maintain continuity of existing trading relationships, including one in which we do not reach an agreement with the EU on the terms of our withdrawal. As the Chancellor said to the Treasury Select Committee, should there be no deal, we would react to that in the usual way and support the economy through whatever transition is needed to get to a new, appropriate equilibrium.

The Government as a whole is working to ensure that EU Exit Implementation is carried out to a high quality. This includes planning for a range of scenarios, and all Government departments have been involved in no deal planning. However, the percentage of time and personnel spent on exiting the EU without a deal - or specific activities related to this - is not recorded or easily accessible.

The Government as a whole is working to ensure that EU Exit Implementation is carried out to a high quality. This includes planning for a range of scenarios, and all Government departments have been involved in no deal planning. However, the percentage of time and personnel spent on exiting the EU without a deal - or specific activities related to this - is not recorded or easily accessible.

While leaving the EU with a deal remains the Government’s top priority, the Government is accelerating no deal preparations to ensure the country is prepared for every eventuality. This work involves the whole of Government working together to ensure the UK is prepared for all scenarios on and after exit day

The Devolution Guidance Note for Wales was updated to take account of the new reserved powers model introduced by the Wales Act 2017, which came into effect on 1 April 2018. The revised guidance was published on 20 April 2018.

This guidance describes the devolution settlement as it currently has effect, and it is under constant review in order to reflect any changes. Leaving the EU will see considerable additional decision-making powers flow to the National Assembly for Wales and so we will need to update the guidance in due course to reflect these new powers

At the last session of the Joint Ministerial Committee (Plenary), Ministers agreed to review the current intergovernmental structures in light of the UK's exit from the EU to ensure they are fit for purpose. It is important that the Devolution Guidance Notes are also updated to reflect any further changes agreed as a result of this process.

President Obama and I discussed a wide range of issues including promoting the increased free trade between the EU and US. At the same time the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was in Washington DC meeting the US Secretary of Agriculture to discuss opening the US market to the exports of UK beef and lamb.

Details of Cabinet meetings outside London will be announced in due course.

Citizens of the EU who are resident in the UK can already vote in European Parliamentary and local elections, if they do not wish to vote in their home state. Equally, British citizens living in other member states can choose to vote in their European Parliamentary elections.

No such arrangements exist for parliamentary elections in the UK or in other member states. The government has no plans to change these arrangements.