First elected: 5th May 2005
Left House: 3rd May 2017 (Defeated)
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
These initiatives were driven by Mark Williams, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
MPs who are act as Ministers or Shadow Ministers are generally restricted from performing Commons initiatives other than Urgent Questions.
Mark Williams has not been granted any Urgent Questions
A Bill to make provision for the transfer of ownership and return to Greece of the artefacts known as the Parthenon Sculptures, or Elgin Marbles, purchased by Parliament in 1816; to amend the British Museum Act 1963 accordingly; and for connected purposes.
A Bill to devolve to Welsh Ministers responsibility for the determination of specified bank holidays in Wales; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to make provision about the physical and emotional welfare of children; and for connected purposes.
The Bill failed to complete its passage through Parliament before the end of the session. This means the Bill will make no further progress. A Bill to make provision for carers' rights to flexible working; and for connected purposes.
Mark Williams has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
The Post Office is negotiating with the major banks, including Lloyds and Barclays, with a view to extending and standardising the services available to the banks’ small business customers. These are commercial negotiations which are still ongoing. The Government is clear that completion of these negotiations should be a priority.
The Government is keen to see continued and wider availability of banking services through Post Office branches. In this context, we welcome the recent agreement between HSBC and the Post Office to provide HSBC’s business customers with services through Post Office branches.
The Post Office is negotiating with the major banks, including Lloyds and Barclays, with a view to extending and standardising the services available to the banks’ small business customers. These are commercial negotiations which are still ongoing. The Government is clear that completion of these negotiations should be a priority.
The Government is keen to see continued and wider availability of banking services through Post Office branches. In this context, we welcome the recent agreement between HSBC and the Post Office to provide HSBC’s business customers with services through Post Office branches.
I continue to see domestic oil purchasing syndicates as an important route for consumers to get the best price possible. My priority is keeping bills low for hardworking families and businesses, and with winter on its way it makes sense for consumers to plan ahead. The Department also recommends heating oil users to buy their heating fuel sooner rather than later to avoid longer delivery times as demand increases.
The Government believes that the new National Living Wage is affordable given the strength of the UK economy and labour market.
The Government will publish a full impact assessment for the introduction of the National Living Wage alongside the implementing regulations. This will contain a section on the impact on small businesses which includes many unincorporated businesses.
The Government is reducing Corporation Tax to 19% from 2017-18 and then to 18% from 2020-21; setting the Annual Investment Allowance at a new permanent level of £200,000; and increasing the Employment Allowance by £1,000 to £3,000 from 2016-17. The increase in the employment allowance means a business could employ four people on the National Living Wage and pay no National Insurance Contributions.
The Government believes that the new National Living Wage is affordable given the strength of the UK economy and labour market.
The Government will publish a full impact assessment for the introduction of the National Living Wage alongside the implementing regulations. This will contain a section on the impact on small businesses which includes many unincorporated businesses.
The Government is reducing Corporation Tax to 19% from 2017-18 and then to 18% from 2020-21; setting the Annual Investment Allowance at a new permanent level of £200,000; and increasing the Employment Allowance by £1,000 to £3,000 from 2016-17. The increase in the employment allowance means a business could employ four people on the National Living Wage and pay no National Insurance Contributions.
The Government carried out an analysis of the impact of the National Living Wage, using a similar approach to that published by the Office for Budget Responsibility, which considered the implications at the business, sector, regional and aggregate economy level.
The Government will publish a full impact assessment for the introduction of the National Living Wage alongside the implementing regulations. These regulations will be debated in both Houses of Parliament in time to come into force on 1 April 2016.
Following my rt hon Friend's the Secretary of State’s Written Ministerial Statement and Oral Statement to Parliament on 18 (HCWS40) and 22 June (Column 617) 2015 respectively, DECC is engaging with the onshore wind industry and other stakeholders to hear their views on our proposed grace period criteria as we frame the terms of the legislation. The precise grace period eligibility requirements will be determined through the legislative process and are subject to approval by Parliament. It will be for the developer of each individual project to determine in due course whether they meet those eligibility requirements and to apply for the grace period.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has received and declined an invitation to this forum and my Department does not plan to send a representative. We are aware of reports that the African Union has called for the forum to be cancelled but we do not intend to make any assessment.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills has received and declined an invitation to this forum and my Department does not plan to send a representative. We are aware of reports that the African Union has called for the forum to be cancelled but we do not intend to make any assessment.
UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) helps UK companies do business with Morocco through a range of exporting services, advice and practical support. UKTI informs companies of the UK’s position in relation to Western Sahara and UK businesses and human rights.
Details of Ministerial overseas travel is published quarterly and is available on the gov.uk website.
The Government is enthusiastically committed to the Welsh language and to providing Government services in the Welsh language where there is demand for them.
The Cabinet Office is improving the quality of service for Welsh speakers through user research, conducted jointly by the Wales Office and the Government Digital Service (GDS), as well as feedback from subject matter experts in governmental Welsh Language Units.
GDS has liaised with government departments on a user needs-based review of current Welsh-language content on GOV.UK. The content in Welsh will be more prominently promoted from the equivalent English-language pages.
The Government is enthusiastically committed to the Welsh language and to providing Government services in the Welsh language where there is demand for them.
The Cabinet Office is improving the quality of service for Welsh speakers through user research, conducted jointly by the Wales Office and the Government Digital Service (GDS), as well as feedback from subject matter experts in governmental Welsh Language Units.
GDS has liaised with government departments on a user needs-based review of current Welsh-language content on GOV.UK. The content in Welsh will be more prominently promoted from the equivalent English-language pages.
Cabinet Office work closely with the Wales Office to support Welsh speakers in accessing government information and services.
The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) carry out an annual survey to report on economic activity in the low carbon and renewable energy sector in the UK.
The latest release provides first estimates for 2015 and shows that an estimated 233,000 full-time equivalent employees were working directly in low carbon and renewable energy activities.
The ONS has not yet published estimates for 2015 of the additional employees supported in the supply chain to the sector. However, estimates for 2014 indicate that this activity could amount to around a further 200,000 full-time equivalent employees. Further information on the ONS releases can be found at the links below.
https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/environmentalaccounts/bulletins/finalestimates/2015
The Infrastructure Act 2015 makes clear that my rt. hon. Friend the Secretary of State will not grant consent for associated hydraulic fracturing unless the environmental impact of the development, which includes the relevant well, has been taken into account by the local planning authority.
We will expect operators to complete an Environmental Impact Assessment in order to fulfil condition 1 in section 50 of the Act.
The decision of where to source coal is a commercial decision for companies. Through our efforts to decarbonise our electricity system, we are increasing the diversity of our energy mix and reducing our reliance on unabated coal.
A list of all projects financed by the European Structural Funds in the 2007-13 period can be found on the Welsh Government website under ‘Funding’, ‘European funds in Wales’, ‘Previous European Structural Funds programmes’, ‘Approved project database 2007-2013’.
Implementation of the 2014-2020 European Structural Funds programmes is at an early stage. A list of projects to be financed in Wales by the Structural Funds for 2014-2020 can be found on the Welsh Government website under ‘Funding’, ‘European funds in Wales’, ‘European Structural Funds 2014-2020’, ‘Approved projects and ideas under development’.
The Seventh Framework Programme 2007-2013 has provided grants to research and innovation projects across the EU. The European Commission’s figures show that the total value of grants awarded to organisations in Wales under this programme was €145,243,199 (up to and including 11 November 2015). For 2014-2020, the Horizon 2020 programme (the successor to the Seventh Framework Programme) has awarded grants with a total value of €39,932,431 to organisations in Wales (up to and including 23 February 2016).
The below table from Visit Britain, which contains spending figures on Tourism for the aforementioned periods. The increase in funding during Financial Year 15/16 can be attributed to the inclusion of the North and South West Growth Funds.
| Europe | Asia | North America | Total Overseas Investment |
2014/15 Actuals | 7,912,466 | 8,769,694 | 7,714,661 | 25,641,070 |
2015/16 Actuals | 10,016,595 | 9,555,699 | 9,154,013 | 29,574,545 |
2016/17 Forecast | 6,053,255 | 7,923,478 | 6,659,807 | 20,961,784 |
I have recently consulted on potential measures to tackle partial not-spots in mobile phone coverage, including on national roaming. The consultation document and accompanying Impact Assessment set out my analysis of the potential impacts of each option under consideration on the telecoms industry and consumers.
We received a large amount of new information in response to the consultation, including from the four UK mobile network operators (EE, Three, Telefonica, Vodafone). My officials are currently analysing this information ahead of a final policy decision.
I have recently consulted on potential measures to tackle partial not-spots in mobile phone coverage, including on national roaming. The consultation document and accompanying Impact Assessment set out my analysis of the potential impacts of each option under consideration on the telecoms industry and consumers.
We received a large amount of new information in response to the consultation, including from the four UK mobile network operators (EE, Three, Telefonica, Vodafone). My officials are currently analysing this information ahead of a final policy decision.
Since the publication of the Law Commission’s report on the Electronic Communications Code, DCMS has been considering the implications of the recommendations on network roll out and service provision to consumers. In January 2014, we published an economic analysis of the impacts of various wayleave valuation regimes. A copy of this report has been placed in the House of Commons library.
My officials are continuing to assess the implications of the Law Commission’s recommendations and I will make public my plans to reform the Electronic Communications Code in due course.
The consultation on tackling partial not-spots closed on November 26. We received a large amount of new information in response to the consultation, including from the four UK mobile network operators (EE, Three, Telefonica, Vodafone). My officials are currently analysing this information ahead of a final policy decision. I will respond to the consultation in due course.
I have recently consulted on potential measures to tackle partial not-spots in mobile phone coverage, including on national roaming. The consultation document and accompanying Impact Assessment set out my analysis of the potential impacts of each option under consideration on the telecoms industry and consumers.
We received a large amount of new information in response to the consultation, including from the four UK mobile network operators (EE, Three, Telefonica, Vodafone). My officials are currently analysing this information ahead of a final policy decision.
I have recently consulted on potential measures to tackle partial not-spots in mobile phone coverage, including on national roaming. The consultation document and accompanying Impact Assessment set out my analysis of the potential impacts of each option under consideration on the telecoms industry and consumers.
We received a large amount of new information in response to the consultation, including from the four UK mobile network operators (EE, Three, Telefonica, Vodafone). My officials are currently analysing this information ahead of a final policy decision.
I have recently consulted on potential measures to tackle partial not-spots in mobile phone coverage, including on national roaming. The consultation document and accompanying Impact Assessment set out my analysis of the potential impacts of each option under consideration on the telecoms industry and consumers.
We received a large amount of new information in response to the consultation, including from the four UK mobile network operators (EE, Three, Telefonica, Vodafone). My officials are currently analysing this information ahead of a final policy decision.
I have recently consulted on potential measures to tackle partial not-spots in mobile phone coverage, including on national roaming. The consultation document and accompanying Impact Assessment set out my analysis of the potential impacts of each option under consideration on the telecoms industry and consumers.
We received a large amount of new information in response to the consultation, including from the four UK mobile network operators (EE, Three, Telefonica, Vodafone). My officials are currently analysing this information ahead of a final policy decision.
I have recently consulted on potential measures to tackle partial not-spots in mobile phone coverage, including on national roaming. The consultation document and accompanying Impact Assessment set out my analysis of the potential impacts of each option under consideration on the telecoms industry and consumers.
We received a large amount of new information in response to the consultation, including from the four UK mobile network operators (EE, Three, Telefonica, Vodafone). My officials are currently analysing this information ahead of a final policy decision.
I have recently consulted on potential measures to tackle partial not-spots in mobile phone coverage. The options under consultation were national roaming, infrastructure sharing, reforming virtual networks and a coverage obligation. Alongside this my officials are considering the implications of the Law Commission’s recommendations of reform on the Electronic Communications Code and how these impact on network roll out and service provision to consumers. |
National Roaming has been implemented in France on a localised level and in Australia on a voluntary basis between two operators, accessible to consumers on a subscription basis. The French and Australian models are outlined in my recent consultation on tackling partial not-spots in mobile phone coverage, however neither model correlates directly to the model of national roaming on which I have consulted.
The GREAT Britain campaign was established in 2011. It showcases the very best of what this country has to offer. The campaign is currently active in over 140 countries around the world and aims to deliver significant and long-term increases in trade, tourism, education and inward investment in support of our prosperity and growth agenda. Detailed evaluation of available results shows that the campaign is making a significant economic and reputational impact, with measurable returns to date significantly exceeding the cost of the campaign.
Government funding for GREAT Britain campaign:
2011/13 (development and launch costs covered two financial years) - £37 million
2013/14 - £30 million
2014/15 - £46.5 million
2015/16 - £46.5 million
The Government has recently launched a new Tourism Council, whose remit is jobs, skills and enterprise. The Council is a partnership between Government and industry and will be jointly chaired by myself, Matthew Hancock MP, the Minister for Skills and Enterprise, and Simon Vincent, Chair of the Hospitality Guild and Hilton President, Europe, Middle East and East Africa. In March, the Prime Minister announced that there will be two new apprenticeship Trailblazers for Tourism and Hospitality.
The number of trips taken in GB in 2013 was the 3rd highest in the 8 years that the current survey has been running and well above pre-recession averages, with spending second only to 2012. We do expect to see a natural increase in people booking holidays abroad as the economy improves but people are continuing to choose Britain for their holiday. Through its Holidays at Home are GREAT campaign, VisitEngland continues to promote England as a place for all residents of Britain to enjoy, and Visit Scotland and Visit Wales are also actively promoting their offer. The GB Tourism Survey also noted the record number of inbound tourists in 2013 reaching nearly 33 million.
Estimates of the direct tourism gross value added (GVA) contribution to the UK economy for each English region, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland were recently published by the Office for National Statistics for the year 2011. In total, they show that tourism directly contributed a GVA of around £50 billion to the UK (4% of the economy).
Region | ONS figures for 2011 (direct in £bn) |
Scotland | 5.0 |
Wales | 2.3 |
Northern Ireland | 0.3 |
London | 13.1 |
Rest of England | – |
North East | 1.1 |
North West | 5.1 |
Yorkshire and the Humber | 2.6 |
East Midlands | 2.3 |
West Midlands | 2.5 |
East of England | 3.4 |
South East | 6.6 |
South West | 4.4 |
Further economic analysis by Deloitte, commissioned by VisitBritain, suggests that if indirect economic effects are also included, GVA is forecast to be as high as £127 billion (9% of the UK economy) in 2013.
In terms of supporting small, local hospitality businesses, since April 2013 community venues have not had to apply to the local council for an entertainment license for events such as dance displays and concerts. Previously, such licenses currently cost, on average, more than £200 for new applications or needed at least 10 days' notice for Temporary Event Notices. At the 2014 Budget, the tax on a typical pint of beer was cut by 1 penny, the duty on ordinary cider was frozen this year, and the duty escalator for wine was ended. Duty on spirits was also frozen for 2014-15.
Furthermore, thematic marketing campaigns focusing on what England is most loved for including Heritage, Coast, Countryside and Culture, as well as Sport and Literature, will be delivered and developed as part of the three-year, £19.8m project 'Growing Tourism Locally', funded by the Government's Regional Growth Fund (BIS), with contributions from VisitEngland and private sector. The project focuses on working directly with destinations and the private sector, to create a number of dedicated marketing campaigns throughout the country with emphasis on specific areas and themes. This will also benefit SMEs in the hospitality sector.
Citizenship education is part the national curriculum at key stages 3 and 4. From September 2014 the new citizenship programmes of study included, for the first time, a requirement for schools to prepare pupils to manage their money and make sound financial decisions.
At key stage 3, pupils should be taught about the functions and uses of money, the importance and practice of budgeting, and managing risk. At key stage 4, this should progress onto pupils being taught about income and expenditure, credit and debt, insurance, savings and pensions, financial products and services, and how public money is raised and spent.
The new mathematics programme of study also makes clear that pupils should use formal mathematical knowledge to interpret and solve problems, including in financial mathematics.
The US authorities are conducting the necessary steps to formally lift their restrictions on exports of EU lamb to the US. Defra is working with the US authorities to ensure exports of lamb from the UK can commence as quickly as possible once the restrictions have been lifted.
Defra does not hold data on local authority Trading Standards inspections of animals during transit for slaughter abroad. APHA carry out supervised loadings on export consignments of live animals for slaughter.
Information is available on the number of convictions rather than on the number of prosecutions. In the last three years there have been the following number of convictions for breaches of the regulations protecting animal welfare during transport in England and Wales. Separate figures are not kept for convictions relating to live animal exports.
2015 - 8
2014 - 15
2013 – 14
Number of vehicles the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has inspected:
(a) during the loading of live animals:
99 during 2014
66 during 2015
127 during 2016
(b) at ports from which live animals have been exported:
A full impact assessment considering the potential environmental benefits of the plastic bag charge was developed as part of introducing it in October 2015. It is available at: www.legislation.gov.uk/
We recently published the first 6 months’ data reported to us on the charge. Based on this, we expect English consumers to use around six billion less single-use plastic carrier bags this year.
Major coffee chains already have a financial obligation to recover and recycle a proportion of the packaging they place on the market, including disposable coffee cups, as they are captured under the Packaging Waste Regulations. The industry is also taking further voluntary action aimed at significantly increasing paper cup recycling rates by 2020.
The Government is developing the 25 Year Environment Plan, part of which will consider our policies for resources, waste and recycling.
No applications have been received in 2016 for the emergency authorisation of neonicotinoids.
Defra has not made any assessment of the financial returns on investment in agricultural research since 2010 as this is considered too short a time frame to fully evaluate the impact of research and development. However, research used for the ex-ante evaluation of the £160 million UK Agri-tech strategy suggests strong returns to UK public research of the order of 17-60% per year (internal rate of return) for a period of 25 years¹.
An ex-post evaluation design and baseline study for the Agri-tech strategy is currently being developed by Defra, BIS and DfID in conjunction with evaluation experts SQW. We are also developing a framework for estimating the value for money of new Defra research and development activities.
¹ Thirtle and Holding (2003) “Productivity of UK Agriculture: Causes and Constraints”