Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding was (a) allocated and (b) spent on railways in Wales between 2010 and 2024 by fiscal period.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The table below shows the UK Government funded expenditure on operations, maintenance, renewal and enhancement of railways in Wales for each financial year, noting that we do not have data for the financial year 2010/2011.
Financial Year | 11/12 | 12/13 | 13/14 | 14/15 | 15/16 | 16/17 | 17/18 | 18/19 | 19/20 | 20/21 | 21/22 | 22/23 | 23/24 |
£million | 230 | 249 | 318 | 307 | 388 | 508 | 502 | 551 | 460 | 414 | 434 | 521 | 525 |
Spending on railways in Wales by the Welsh Government, including continuing subsidy for rail services operated by Transport for Wales is not included, nor is payment made by the Department in respect of services that Transport for Wales operates wholly within England.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the electrification of the train line between Uckfield and Hurst Green on economic growth in Sussex.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
A Strategic Outline Business Case was developed by Network Rail in 2021 which considered the potential benefits of electrifying the line between Hurst Green and Uckfield. This assessment concluded that the scheme would have positive impacts on train service performance and reliability, together with wider economic benefits. The scheme was paused by the previous government following Spending Review 2021; no development work has taken place since that point.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the electrification of the train line between Uckfield and Hurst Green on train reliability.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
A Strategic Outline Business Case was developed by Network Rail in 2021 which considered the potential benefits of electrifying the line between Hurst Green and Uckfield. This assessment concluded that the scheme would have positive impacts on train service performance and reliability, together with wider economic benefits. The scheme was paused by the previous government following Spending Review 2021; no development work has taken place since that point.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the electrification of the train line between Uckfield and Hurst Green on passenger service.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
A Strategic Outline Business Case was developed by Network Rail in 2021 which considered the potential benefits of electrifying the line between Hurst Green and Uckfield. This assessment concluded that the scheme would have positive impacts on train service performance and reliability, together with wider economic benefits. The scheme was paused by the previous government following Spending Review 2021; no development work has taken place since that point.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of running the Class 171 diesel fleet of trains on the line between Uckfield and Hurst Green on the environment.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Secretary of State has not made a specific assessment of the environmental impact of operating diesel trains on the Uckfield branch line. As the line is not electrified, it is a matter for the operator to ensure that they meet the needs of customers by deploying the appropriate rolling stock to deliver train services while reducing environmental impacts wherever possible.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the (a) closure of Oakwood theme park and (b) potential impact of changes to employer National Insurance contributions on the (i) hospitality and (ii) tourism sectors in Wales.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
I have regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of matters, including those affecting the Welsh economy.
I was saddened to hear about the closure of Oakwood Theme Park. I understand this will be a concerning time for workers at the park and their families. However, Wales's tourism and hospitality offering continues to be among the best in the world, and both the UK and Welsh Governments are committed to supporting these sectors.
Regarding the impact of changes to National Insurance contributions on the sector, the UK Government has protected the smallest businesses by more than doubling the Employment Allowance to £10,500, ensuring over half of small and micro businesses pay less or no national insurance contributions. Small and Medium sized enterprises account for 99.3% of total enterprises in Wales.
The UK Government is committed to supporting the Welsh tourism and hospitality sectors. In February, we announced a £15 million investment for Venue Cymru and the Newport Transporter Bridge. These are two key projects that will help boost the tourism and culture sectors in Wales.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether she has had discussions with Welsh farmers on changes to inheritance tax.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
Yes.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, when he plans to remove minimum wage age bands.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government is committed to ensuring that every adult worker benefits from a genuine living wage, and we will remove the discriminatory age bands for adults.
From April 2025, we are boosting the National Minimum Wage for 18–20-year-olds by 16.3% or £1.40 to £10.00 per hour, a record increase and a significant step towards our commitment.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he sought external legal advice when drafting the Employment Rights Bill.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
With respect to the Employment Rights Bill, the Department has been supported by legal advice from the Government Legal Department and, where appropriate, external legal advice. Legal advice provided to the Government is privileged.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has carried out a proportionality assessment on clause 16 of the Employment Rights Bill.
Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Employment Rights Bill establishes a new day one statutory right for all employees who have experienced the loss of a loved one. The measures in the bill set a framework for the entitlement, and the details will be set out in secondary legislation.
The Government has published an Impact Assessment, which covers the impacts on businesses and workers. Due to the sensitive and personal nature of bereavement, we will be consulting stakeholders on the specifics of the entitlement to ensure that Bereavement Leave is sculpted by the needs of employees and employers.