Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of increases in the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage on people in Wales.

Answered by Nia Griffith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

Up to 160,000 workers across Wales received a record pay rise through increases to the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage.

Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will see a real-terms pay increase of £1,400 per year, whilst 18-to-20-year-olds will get a record boost of £2,500 each year. This will help provide people across Wales with better financial stability.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she expects Network Rail to have completed a feasibility study on making Burntisland railway station accessible.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

This government is committed to improving the accessibility of the railway and recognises the social and economic benefits this brings to communities.

In May 2024, the previous government selected 50 stations for initial feasibility work for potential upgrades as part of our Access for All programme. This did not include Burntisland railway station. We expect to provide an update to stakeholders during the summer.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent progress her Department has made on increasing driving examiner recruitment in Fife.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times.

The driving test centres that serve candidates in Fife are Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy. From a recent recruitment campaign a potential new driving examiner (DE) has been offered a position in Dunfermline. Following successful completion of training and pre-employment checks, it is hopeful the candidate will be in post by autumn. A further potential DE who had been offered a post in Kirkcaldy, has since withdrawn from the process.

DVSA will be undertaking another recruitment campaign shortly and will again advertise for posts in this area.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what guidance her Department has issued to (a) UK charities and (b) the Charity Commission to ensure that charities do not invest in illegal settlements in occupied territory which are a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has not issued such guidance to charities or to the Charity Commission for England and Wales. The Government and Charity Commission for England and Wales expect charities to act lawfully, in line with the charity’s purpose, and in the charity’s best interest.

Any concerns about a charity’s activities should be referred to the charity in the first instance. If their response is unsatisfactory or there is a belief that the charity is acting unlawfully or engaged in misconduct or mismanagement, concerns can be raised with the Charity Commission. The Charity Commission takes such concerns seriously, prioritising resources and taking appropriate and proportionate action. As a civil regulator, the Charity Commission refers all potential criminal matters to the relevant law enforcement body for investigation.

The Charity Commission provides a range of guidance to help charity trustees understand their legal duties and requirements, as well as how to make decisions in the best interests of their charity.