Oral Answers to Questions

Rosie Cooper Excerpts

Wednesday 8th July 2020 Commons Chamber

The Secretary of State was asked—

[Rosie Cooper (West Lancashire) (Lab)]

What recent discussions he has had with the First Minister of Wales on the covid-19 outbreak.

[Wendy Chamberlain (North East Fife) (LD)]

What recent discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on the covid-19 outbreak.

[The Secretary of State for Wales (Simon Hart)]

The Under-Secretary of State for Wales and I have regular discussions with the First Minister of Wales and his ministerial team on the response to covid-19, totalling 124 meetings and calls since the pandemic began.

[Rosie Cooper [V]]

As the Secretary of State knows, the Welsh Labour Government are making a thank-you payment of £500 to every social care worker in Wales. Does he agree that it is a kick in the teeth to those workers that the Treasury intends to tax that bonus payment, and will he join me and the Welsh First Minister in urging the Chancellor to think again?

[Simon Hart]

We have discussed this at Wales questions before. It is disappointing that the Welsh Government did not discuss this in greater detail with the Treasury earlier on, because we could have found a way around it. Those discussions are ongoing, and there is a reasonably positive dialogue, but as I say, the answer to this would have been found in earlier engagement, rather than by making an announcement that they knew required primary legislation for which there was not time.