Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what estimate he has made of the number of people employed in the nuclear energy industry in (a) Wales, (b) England, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland in each of the last three years.

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

DESNZ do not produce their own figures on the number of jobs within the civil nuclear sector. The industry-led Nuclear Workforce Assessment (NWA) (produced annually by Cogent Skills) does contain data on the number of civil nuclear jobs across Wales, England and Scotland but not Northern Ireland. New nuclear projects are expected to create thousands of high-quality jobs across the UK, with the 2024 NWA estimating the need for an additional 24,000 employees by the early 2030s.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether his Department plans to make an assessment of the potential impact of the changes to minimum energy efficiency standards on self-catering accommodation in Wales.

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

Government recently consulted on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector. The consultation closed on 2^nd May and was accompanied by a consultation-stage options assessment. We have engaged widely with stakeholders during the consultation process and a government response with a further impact assessment will be published in due course.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what criteria were used to determine how local authorities qualified for funding under the Pride in Place programme.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

On 25 September the government announced its flagship Pride in Place Programme, supporting 244 of Great Britain’s most in need neighbourhoods with up to £20 million each over the next decade. This will serve as the cornerstone of this government’s support for communities, incorporating the existing 25 trailblazer areas announced at Spending Review and the 75 Plan for Neighbourhoods programme areas that were announced in March.

New areas across England were selected using a robust, metrics-based methodology based on deprivation (the Index of Multiple Deprivation) and community need (the Community Needs Index) to identify areas with the poorest social and economic outcomes.

The full list of areas and place selection methodology was published and is set out on gov.uk here.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the press notice entitled £214m new funding for Welsh communities to improve neighbourhoods and restore pride, published on 25 September 2025, when the capital funding for Welsh local authorities will be made available; and over what period that funding will be released.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government has announced its flagship Pride in Place programme, supporting 244 of Great Britain’s most in need neighbourhoods with up to £20 million each over the next decade. Nine Local Authorities in Wales will benefit from the new programme. These areas will join five communities where work is already underway, taking the total to fourteen local authorities across Wales sharing £280 million. Local authorities will be invited to propose the communities within their areas to participate in the Pride in Place Programme for UK Government approval with capacity and capital funding to all places from Spring 2026.

On top of this every local authority in Wales will receive £34.5 million of capital funding through a new Pride in Place Impact Fund to improve their public spaces, including fixing broken bus shelters, reopening park toilets, more bins to help stop litter and revamping run-down leisure centres. Funding from the Pride in Place Impact Fund will go directly to Local Authorities, who will play a leading role in shaping and delivering projects in partnership with their local communities and MPs. The Pride in Place Impact Fund is a two-year programme ending in March 2027. Each Local Authority will shortly receive its first payment of £750,000 with a second to follow next year.

With support from the Wales Office, we will work in partnership with the Welsh Government to implement the new programme to complement the work of their Transforming Towns and Placemaking Initiatives.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the press notice entitled £214m new funding for Welsh communities to improve neighbourhoods and restore pride, published on 25 September 2025, whether the £34.5million in capital funding for Welsh local authorities will be released (a) directly to local authorities, (b) through Corporate Joint Committees or (c) through the Welsh Government.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government has announced its flagship Pride in Place programme, supporting 244 of Great Britain’s most in need neighbourhoods with up to £20 million each over the next decade. Nine Local Authorities in Wales will benefit from the new programme. These areas will join five communities where work is already underway, taking the total to fourteen local authorities across Wales sharing £280 million. Local authorities will be invited to propose the communities within their areas to participate in the Pride in Place Programme for UK Government approval with capacity and capital funding to all places from Spring 2026.

On top of this every local authority in Wales will receive £34.5 million of capital funding through a new Pride in Place Impact Fund to improve their public spaces, including fixing broken bus shelters, reopening park toilets, more bins to help stop litter and revamping run-down leisure centres. Funding from the Pride in Place Impact Fund will go directly to Local Authorities, who will play a leading role in shaping and delivering projects in partnership with their local communities and MPs. The Pride in Place Impact Fund is a two-year programme ending in March 2027. Each Local Authority will shortly receive its first payment of £750,000 with a second to follow next year.

With support from the Wales Office, we will work in partnership with the Welsh Government to implement the new programme to complement the work of their Transforming Towns and Placemaking Initiatives.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 9 September 2025 to Question 75166 on Crown Estate: Wales, whether (a) the recruitment campaign has begun for a Crown Estate Commissioner with special responsibility for Wales and (b) a specific date for the appointment of that Commissioner has been decided upon.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

The recruitment campaign started on 16 October and will progress in accordance with the Governance Code for Public Appointments. This is also a Crown appointment and as such the Prime Minister will make a recommendation to His Majesty The King and a Royal Warrant issued.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 9 September 2025 to Question 75165 on Crown Estate: Wales, if he will publish the full minutes of the meeting between the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, the Welsh Government's Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Welsh Government's Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning on 10 September 2025.

Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury

It would not be appropriate to share the minutes of this meeting as it would inhibit open and frank discussion in the development of government policy.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on securing a new nuclear project at Wylfa.

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

My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State has regular discussions with Ministerial Colleagues on a number of issues.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of the report by the Nuclear Industry Association entitled Jobs May 2025, published on 5 December 2024.

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

New nuclear projects are expected to create thousands of high-quality jobs across the UK. The annual industry-led 2024 Nuclear Workforce Assessment (NWA), published by Cogent Skills, estimates the civil and defence nuclear sector could grow by an additional 24,000 employees by the early 2030s. The Department is working with the Nuclear Industry Association as part of the Nuclear Skills Plan, a collaborative effort between government, industry and academia to address the sector’s workforce needs.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of a new nuclear project at Wylfa on (a) employment and (b) investment benefits in North Wales.

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

In 2024, Great British Energy – Nuclear acquired the site at Wylfa in 2024, which has previously hosted a nuclear power plant and has positive attributes for new nuclear.

No decisions have yet been taken on any projects to be deployed at Wylfa. Our plans will be set out in due course.

The government values nuclear energy’s important role in delivering energy security and homegrown clean power while generating investment and supporting thousands of skilled jobs in communities across the country.

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