Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the increase in employers' National Insurance contributions on levels of business (a) investment and (b) closures in Wales.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to employer National Insurance contributions (NICs) announced at Autumn Budget 2024. The TIIN sets out the impact of the policy on the exchequer, the economic impacts of the policy, and the impacts on individuals, businesses, and civil society organisations, as well as an overview of the equality impacts.

The Government decided to protect the smallest businesses from these changes by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. This means that this year, 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all, and more than half of all employers will either gain or will see no change.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, on what date his Department will announce plans for the deployment of new nuclear generation projects at (a) Wylfa and (b) Oldbury.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Great British Energy – Nuclear purchased the sites at Wylfa and Oldbury in 2024. As sites which have previously hosted a nuclear power station, both have positive attributes for new nuclear. No decisions have yet been taken on any projects to be deployed at either site. Our plans will be set out in due course

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the National Audit Office Report entitled Energy efficiency installations under the Energy Company Obligation, published on 14 October 2025, what the cost to the public purse is of remediating defective retrofit work carried out under the Energy Company Obligation scheme in Wales.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The remediation costs sit with the original installer and we have been clear that no household should be asked to pay any money to put things right. We expect most remediation for solid wall insulation installed under ECO4 or GBIS to cost between £250 and £6,000 for IWI and £5,000 and £18,000 for EWI. This should be covered by the guarantee should the installer no longer be trading.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the National Audit Office Report entitled Energy efficiency installations under the Energy Company Obligation, published on 14 October 2025, how many homes in Wales have had defective retrofit work carried out on them under the Energy Company Obligation scheme.

Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government commissioned an independent statistical audit in April 2025. Two random samples of audits of external (EWI) and internal wall installations (IWI), across the household populations of both schemes were commissioned to understand non‑compliance rates. 98% of EWI audits need to be remediated. For IWI, that number is 29%.

The samples are not large enough to reliably perform any regional analysis. As we continue with further audits, we will seek to begin to collect this data.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate his Department has made of (a) the percentage of electricity supplied to the national grid from renewable forms of energy and (b) how much of this is generated from sources in Wales.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Data for electricity generated in Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, by fuel, is published in Energy Trends: December 2024, special feature article - Electricity generation and supply in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England, 2019 to 2023 - GOV.UK. Data for 2024 will be published on 18^th December 2025.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will make an estimate of the proportion of electricity supplied to the national grid that was generated in Wales.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Data for electricity generated in Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, by fuel, is published in Energy Trends: December 2024, special feature article - Electricity generation and supply in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England, 2019 to 2023 - GOV.UK. Data for 2024 will be published on 18^th December 2025.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether her Department has received information from relevant Departments on their plans to issue remaining (a) Remediable Service Statements and (b) Remedial Pension Saving Statements to all people affected by the McCloud remedy for pubic sector pensions.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The McCloud remedy under the Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022 took effect from October 2023 and will deliver a full remedy to all affected public service pension scheme members. Schemes are currently implementing the remedy. As part of this, all affected members are receiving a remediable service statement setting out the details of their pension entitlements and some members will also receive a Remediable Pension Savings statement in respect of their annual allowance position during the remedy period.

Scheme managers are responsible for supplying members with these statements and for setting out timetables for sending out the remaining statements. HM Treasury encourages schemes to complete this process as quickly as possible and regularly discusses McCloud remedy progress and timetables with responsible authorities, including the Welsh Government, which has responsibility for the Firefighters’ pension scheme in Wales.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce the time taken to issue remaining (a) Remediable Service Statements and (b) Remedial Pension Saving Statements to people affected by the McCloud remedy.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The McCloud remedy under the Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022 took effect from October 2023 and will deliver a full remedy to all affected public service pension scheme members. Schemes are currently implementing the remedy. As part of this, all affected members are receiving a remediable service statement setting out the details of their pension entitlements and some members will also receive a Remediable Pension Savings statement in respect of their annual allowance position during the remedy period.

Scheme managers are responsible for supplying members with these statements and for setting out timetables for sending out the remaining statements. HM Treasury encourages schemes to complete this process as quickly as possible and regularly discusses McCloud remedy progress and timetables with responsible authorities, including the Welsh Government, which has responsibility for the Firefighters’ pension scheme in Wales.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions she has had with the Welsh government on the (a) implementation of and (b) planned timelines for the McCloud remedy for public sector pensions in Wales.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The McCloud remedy under the Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022 took effect from October 2023 and will deliver a full remedy to all affected public service pension scheme members. Schemes are currently implementing the remedy. As part of this, all affected members are receiving a remediable service statement setting out the details of their pension entitlements and some members will also receive a Remediable Pension Savings statement in respect of their annual allowance position during the remedy period.

Scheme managers are responsible for supplying members with these statements and for setting out timetables for sending out the remaining statements. HM Treasury encourages schemes to complete this process as quickly as possible and regularly discusses McCloud remedy progress and timetables with responsible authorities, including the Welsh Government, which has responsibility for the Firefighters’ pension scheme in Wales.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when she plans to issue remaining (a) Remediable Service Statements and (b) Remedial Pension Saving Statements to people affected by the McCloud remedy.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The McCloud remedy under the Public Service Pensions and Judicial Offices Act 2022 took effect from October 2023 and will deliver a full remedy to all affected public service pension scheme members. Schemes are currently implementing the remedy. As part of this, all affected members are receiving a remediable service statement setting out the details of their pension entitlements and some members will also receive a Remediable Pension Savings statement in respect of their annual allowance position during the remedy period.

Scheme managers are responsible for supplying members with these statements and for setting out timetables for sending out the remaining statements. HM Treasury encourages schemes to complete this process as quickly as possible and regularly discusses McCloud remedy progress and timetables with responsible authorities, including the Welsh Government, which has responsibility for the Firefighters’ pension scheme in Wales.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a cut in VAT for the hospitality sector in Wales.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government recognises the significant contribution made by hospitality businesses to economic growth and social life in the UK.

VAT is a reserved tax, applying UK wide. VAT is a broad-based tax on consumption, and the 20 per cent standard rate applies to most goods and services, including alcohol, whether served in hospitality establishments or sold in supermarkets. HMRC estimate that the cost of a 5 per cent reduced rate for accommodation, hospitality and tourist attractions would be around £10 billion this financial year. If the scope were also to include alcoholic beverages, the cost would be approximately £3 billion greater.

The Government is supporting the hospitality sector through the business rates system. To deliver our manifesto pledge, we intend to introduce permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties, including those on the high street, from 2026/27. Ahead of these changes being made, we have prevented RHL relief from ending in April 2025 by extending it for one year at 40 per cent up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business and frozen the small business multiplier.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, over what period the £625 million for construction skills training announced at the Spring Statement 2025 will be (a) allocated and (b) released in each financial year; and how expenditure and outcomes will be monitored and reported.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Following recent machinery of government changes, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will have lead responsibility for the Construction Skills Package and will act as Senior Responsible Owner (SRO). Policy responsibility and budget control for different elements of the package will sit across DWP and the Department for Education (DfE), with Baroness Smith retaining ministerial responsibility for the skills portfolio, including the Construction Skills Package.

Construction skills policy and funding in Wales is devolved. HM Treasury has confirmed that information on funding received by the Welsh Government can be found in the Block Grant Transparency: October 2025 - GOV.UK. The Welsh Government is free to allocate this funding as it sees fit across its responsibilities.

The £625 million announced for construction skills training is largely for the Spending Review period from FY2026-27 to FY2028-29. Funds will be allocated and released aligned with the delivery needs of each strand of the programme.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which body is responsible for administering and overseeing the £625 million construction skills programme.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Following recent machinery of government changes, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will have lead responsibility for the Construction Skills Package and will act as Senior Responsible Owner (SRO). Policy responsibility and budget control for different elements of the package will sit across DWP and the Department for Education (DfE), with Baroness Smith retaining ministerial responsibility for the skills portfolio, including the Construction Skills Package.

Construction skills policy and funding in Wales is devolved. HM Treasury has confirmed that information on funding received by the Welsh Government can be found in the Block Grant Transparency: October 2025 - GOV.UK. The Welsh Government is free to allocate this funding as it sees fit across its responsibilities.

The £625 million announced for construction skills training is largely for the Spending Review period from FY2026-27 to FY2028-29. Funds will be allocated and released aligned with the delivery needs of each strand of the programme.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the £625 million of funding to train up to 60,000 additional skilled construction workers, announced at the Spring Statement 2025, will be distributed; and how much funding the Welsh Government will receive through the Barnett Formula as a result.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Following recent machinery of government changes, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will have lead responsibility for the Construction Skills Package and will act as Senior Responsible Owner (SRO). Policy responsibility and budget control for different elements of the package will sit across DWP and the Department for Education (DfE), with Baroness Smith retaining ministerial responsibility for the skills portfolio, including the Construction Skills Package.

Construction skills policy and funding in Wales is devolved. HM Treasury has confirmed that information on funding received by the Welsh Government can be found in the Block Grant Transparency: October 2025 - GOV.UK. The Welsh Government is free to allocate this funding as it sees fit across its responsibilities.

The £625 million announced for construction skills training is largely for the Spending Review period from FY2026-27 to FY2028-29. Funds will be allocated and released aligned with the delivery needs of each strand of the programme.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 28 March 2025 to Question 41189, what was the total value of (a) rents and (b) royalty fees paid by private businesses to the Crown Estate in Wales in the 2024-2025 financial year.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The Crown Estate’s Integrated annual report and accounts are published each year, and laid before Parliament. These set out details of The Crown Estate’s financial returns and information on how it delivers value for the long-term benefit of the UK. The Crown Estate will provide separate reporting for Wales in its 2025-26 accounts.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate she has made of the number of jobs to be created through the first phase of the Floating Offshore Wind Programme in the Celtic Sea; and how many of these will be in Wales.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

As part of the tender process for Offshore Wind Leasing Round 5, bidders were required to set out plans for creating onshore benefits from the development of the new wind farms. This included committing to creating new apprenticeships, and supporting those currently not in education, employment or training.

Research commissioned by The Crown Estate found that across the UK up to 5,300 new jobs and up to £1.4 billion could be generated for the economy by galvanising the supply chain and infrastructure opportunities arising from the development of these new floating wind farms off the coast of South Wales and Southwest England.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 28 March 2025 to question 41189, how many private businesses based in Wales paid (a) lease and (b) royalties fees to the Crown Estate in 2024-25.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

This information is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. The Crown Estate will provide separate reporting for Wales in its 2025-26 annual report and accounts.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the statement by the Welsh Government entitled Funding to Support Devolved Public Sector Employers with Increased National Insurance Costs, published on 30 May 2025, what steps her Department is planning to take to address the remaining £36 million shortfall in funding for Welsh public sector employers arising from the increase in employer National Insurance Contributions.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

At Autumn Budget 2024, the Chancellor agreed to provide funding to the public sector to support them with the additional cost associated with changes to employer National Insurance Contributions policy.

The Welsh Government received £185 million of this support through the Barnett formula. This is the normal operation of the funding arrangements as set out in the Statement of Funding Policy. It is for the Welsh Government to allocate this funding in devolved areas including funding for local authorities as it sees fit, reflecting its own priorities and local circumstances, and it is accountable to the Senedd for these decisions.

HM Treasury ministers regularly engage with their Welsh Government counterparts, including through forums such as the Finance: Interministerial Standing Committee (F:ISC), to discuss a range of issues affecting Wales, including the impact of changes to employer National Insurance contributions on Welsh Government funding. The most recent F:ISC was on 17 October where these topics were discussed.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much funding was provided to the Welsh Government (a) through the Barnett consequentials and (b) any other mechanisms as a result of the increase in employer National Insurance Contributions for public sector employers in Wales in the 2025-2026 financial year.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

At Autumn Budget 2024, the Chancellor agreed to provide funding to the public sector to support them with the additional cost associated with changes to employer National Insurance Contributions policy.

The Welsh Government received £185 million of this support through the Barnett formula. This is the normal operation of the funding arrangements as set out in the Statement of Funding Policy. It is for the Welsh Government to allocate this funding in devolved areas including funding for local authorities as it sees fit, reflecting its own priorities and local circumstances, and it is accountable to the Senedd for these decisions.

HM Treasury ministers regularly engage with their Welsh Government counterparts, including through forums such as the Finance: Interministerial Standing Committee (F:ISC), to discuss a range of issues affecting Wales, including the impact of changes to employer National Insurance contributions on Welsh Government funding. The most recent F:ISC was on 17 October where these topics were discussed.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when she last met with the Welsh Government to discuss the potential impact of the increase in employer National Insurance Contributions on public sector employers in Wales.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

At Autumn Budget 2024, the Chancellor agreed to provide funding to the public sector to support them with the additional cost associated with changes to employer National Insurance Contributions policy.

The Welsh Government received £185 million of this support through the Barnett formula. This is the normal operation of the funding arrangements as set out in the Statement of Funding Policy. It is for the Welsh Government to allocate this funding in devolved areas including funding for local authorities as it sees fit, reflecting its own priorities and local circumstances, and it is accountable to the Senedd for these decisions.

HM Treasury ministers regularly engage with their Welsh Government counterparts, including through forums such as the Finance: Interministerial Standing Committee (F:ISC), to discuss a range of issues affecting Wales, including the impact of changes to employer National Insurance contributions on Welsh Government funding. The most recent F:ISC was on 17 October where these topics were discussed.

Palestine Action hunger strike

Armed exports to the United Arab Emirates and the situation in Sudan

Steve and Isobel Weake and Cycle Power Adaptive Cycling Club

Northern Powerhouse Rail and Wales

Thanking postal workers

Political prisoners in Bangladesh

Palestinian children in Israeli military detention

Jury trial rights

Independent Office for Police Conduct findings on Norman Bettison

Gaelic and Scots recognised as official languages

International Day of People with Disabilities

Repression following the Iran-Israel war

Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways National Rail Heritage Award

Magic Lantern Cinema in Tywyn, BIFA Award 2025

UK Government Budget and structural investment in Wales

Israel’s use of cluster munitions

Tackling van and tool theft

Higher education funding

National ban on street-racing

Safeguarding pubs, brewers and one million jobs

Access to banks

Garej Arwyn Cyf in Penygroes, 2025 Motor Ombudsman Regional Star Award

Reduction to UK Official Development Assistance

Phenylketonuria awareness and access to treatment (No. 2)

Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Week 2025

Road Safety Week 2025

Dying in Poverty 2025

Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Day on 20 November 2025

50th Anniversary of women’s right to independent mortgages

Safe and legal routes for Sudanese people to the UK

110 years of the Women's Institute

New private capital in the NHS in the Autumn Budget

Naloxone

Anniversary of the Darfur genocide

Future of the BBC

Family Business Week 2025

Lung Cancer Awareness Month

Mission Marigold

Cumulative disruption proposals and the right to protest

Fireworks anti-social behaviour and regulation

Two-child limit

Found: Rehabilitation in Wales Members present • Ruth Jones MP (Chair) • Ann Davies MP • Gill German MP • Llinos Medi

Found: Members present: Ruth Jones (Chair); David Chadwick; Ann Davies; Gill German; Simon Hoare; Ben Lake; Llinos Medi

Found: North Dorset) Claire Hughes (Labour; Bangor Aberconwy) Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru; Ceredigion Preseli) Llinos Medi