Asked by: Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of a financial compensation scheme for (a) nuclear test veterans present during the nuclear testing programme from 1952 to 1967 and (b) their families.
Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)
There is no specific compensation scheme for either Nuclear Test Veterans or their families. Any veteran, including those of the nuclear tests, who believes they have suffered ill-health due to service has the right to apply for no-fault compensation under the War Pension Scheme if they served before 6 April 2005. War pensions are payable in respect of illness or injury as a result of service in the Armed Forces, with the benefit of reasonable doubt always given to the claimant. Decisions are medically certified and follow consideration of available service and medical evidence and carry full rights of appeal to an independent tribunal.
I have met with members of the Nuclear Test Veteran community on several occasions to hear their concerns and support constructive engagement with Government. The Secretary of State for Defence and the Prime Minister have also recently met with representatives of the community, demonstrating the importance of the issues raised and the Government’s commitment to listening to veterans and their families.
Asked by: Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of redress for households that received installations under the ECO4 scheme and were affected by the collapse of Consumer Energy Solutions in January 2026.
Answered by Martin McCluskey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government recognises the impact that the collapse of Consumer Energy Solutions may have had on households that received ECO4 measures.
Households affected by installation issues can seek support through TrustMark, which is responsible for overseeing the consumer protection process and coordinating with relevant assurance bodies, certification bodies and installers, as appropriate, to identify routes to investigation and resolution.
The Government's position remains that households should not be expected to bear the cost of rectifying non-compliant installation work through no fault of their own.
Asked by: Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru - Ynys Môn)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the difference between additional employer National Insurance costs and funding provided to meet those costs for public sector bodies in Wales.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The UK Government agreed to provide funding to support the public sector with the additional costs associated with changes to employer National Insurance Contributions policy.
The Welsh Government received funding through the Barnett formula for additional support provided to UK Government departments in 2025-26 as a result of this policy change.
It is for the Welsh Government to estimate its own pressures and determine how to allocate its funding across devolved public services.
Asked by: Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru - Ynys Môn)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of profits from the Crown Estate in Wales being paid directly into the Welsh Consolidated Fund.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Crown Estate's revenue account profits are returned to the UK Consolidated Fund and support public services across the United Kingdom, including in Wales. Any transfer of Crown Estate revenues to the Welsh Consolidated Fund would need to be considered alongside the Welsh Government's wider funding arrangements, including the operation of the fiscal framework and any associated block grant adjustment, to avoid a double benefit.
Asked by: Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the increase in the energy price cap from October 2026 on poverty in Wales.
Answered by Polly Billington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
As Fuel Poverty is a devolved issue, the Welsh Government is responsible for measuring fuel poverty in Wales. The Government recognises that any rise in the price cap will worry households in Wales and across Great Britain. Ofgem’s October 2026 cap has been limited by Government action, including removing VAT from domestic electricity bills from 1 October, expected to reduce the cap by around £45 a year, alongside £150 of costs taken off bills earlier this year.
These measures particularly support poorer households, who spend a higher share of income on energy. Around 6 million eligible households across Great Britain will also receive the £150 Warm Home Discount every winter for the rest of the decade. The Government is also investing £15 billion through the Warm Homes Plan to cut energy use, lower bills and improve homes, including in Wales.
Asked by: Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what consideration her Department gives to (a) the age of housing stock, (b) the proportion of off-grid properties and (c) average standing charges in Wales when designing energy support for households and businesses in Wales.
Answered by Polly Billington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government considers the impacts of different housing types and consumer circumstances across Great Britain when designing energy support schemes.
Energy efficiency is largely devolved in Wales, and the Welsh Government is responsible for its own fuel poverty and home upgrade programmes, while the UK Government continues to engage closely with Welsh Ministers and officials on areas of shared interest.
UK-wide support available in Wales includes the Boiler Upgrade Scheme, where the grant level for off-gas gid homes by oil or LPG was recently increased to £9,000.
The Government is investing £15 billion through the Warm Homes Plan and support is targeted towards households most at risk of fuel poverty, underpinned by the Fuel Poverty Strategy, which ensures extra funding goes to those on lower incomes and living in less energy-efficient homes.
Standing charges are regulated by Ofgem, which is responsible for decisions on their structure and level.
Asked by: Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru - Ynys Môn)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the impact of the capital/revenue split in the Local Growth Fund on local authorities in Wales.
Answered by Jim McMahon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Local Growth Fund represents a significant change in the UK Government’s approach to local growth investment, with a greater focus on long-term capital investment to support economic growth. MHCLG has worked closely with the Welsh Government on the design and implementation of the Fund, through which Wales will receive £546.5 million during this Spending Review period to support transformational projects and create lasting jobs and opportunities across Wales.
Asked by: Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru - Ynys Môn)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the impact of delays by the Valuation Office Agency in undertaking tax band valuations for holiday let accommodation in Wales on the amount of Council Tax charged on these properties.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
Since the legislative changes introduced on 1 April 2023, the Valuation Office (VO), which is part of HMRC, has seen a sustained increase in case volumes.
The VO are working hard to bring response times down and clear cases within 90 days. Additional resources have been allocated to self-catering cases, including the centralisation of the team to improve efficiency and processing times. The VO have also dedicated resources to look at the most challenging cases and requests where customers are experiencing financial hardship. Additionally, as part of HMRC’s Transformation Roadmap update 2026 The VO have pledged to reduce the average time for the VO to make a decision on self-catering properties to one month by October 2027
The VO is responsible for assessing properties for Council Tax and business rates purposes, whereas local councils are responsible for billing. As this is devolved to the Welsh Government, it would be for their Ministers to comment on any impact made on the amount of Council Tax that has been collected.
Asked by: Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru - Ynys Môn)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps her Department is taking to address delays by the Valuation Office Agency in undertaking tax band valuations for holiday let accommodation in Wales.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
Since the legislative changes introduced on 1 April 2023, the Valuation Office (VO), which is part of HMRC, has seen a sustained increase in case volumes.
The VO are working hard to bring response times down and clear cases within 90 days. Additional resources have been allocated to self-catering cases, including the centralisation of the team to improve efficiency and processing times. The VO have also dedicated resources to look at the most challenging cases and requests where customers are experiencing financial hardship. Additionally, as part of HMRC’s Transformation Roadmap update 2026 The VO have pledged to reduce the average time for the VO to make a decision on self-catering properties to one month by October 2027
The VO is responsible for assessing properties for Council Tax and business rates purposes, whereas local councils are responsible for billing. As this is devolved to the Welsh Government, it would be for their Ministers to comment on any impact made on the amount of Council Tax that has been collected.
Asked by: Llinos Medi (Plaid Cymru - Ynys Môn)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment has her department made of the potential merits of moving policy costs from domestic energy bills into general taxation.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
At last year’s Budget, the Chancellor took the decision to fund 75% of the domestic share of the Renewables Obligation through the Exchequer and ended the levy-funded Energy Company Obligation. These decisions took on average £150 of costs off household energy bills and are forecast to reduce inflation by over 0.2 percentage points in 2026/27.
The government keeps all taxes under review and is introducing a new framework to subject levies to enhanced scrutiny and ensure they are affordable, reflect good value for money, and do not impose unnecessary costs.