Written questions by Davies.

What assessment has he made of the number of households that will be affected by the removal of the two child cap but subjected to the benefit cap following changes announced in the Budget Statement on 26 November in (a) Wales and (b) across the UK.

The requested information is not available.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of removing the benefit cap alongside the removal of the two child cap announced in the Budget Statement on 26 November 2025.

No assessment has been made The benefit cap aims to incentivise work as, where possible, it is in the best interest of children to be in working households. Being in work substantially reduces the chance of poverty: the poverty rate of children living in households where all adults work is 17% compared to 65% for children who live in households where no adults work. Returning to employment, or increasing the number of hours worked, significantly increases the likelihood of a household not being affected by the cap. People who are working and earning at least £846 each month are exempt from the benefit cap. There is also protection for the most vulnerable as those who are caring or are severely disabled are exempt from the benefit cap. The Government is committed to helping people move into and progress in work and we are delivering a step-change in employment and skills support for parents, enabling parents to balance work and caring responsibilities through high quality, flexible jobs, and improving access to childcare so parents are better able to work.

What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the potential impact of not uprating Local Housing Allowance on homelessness in Wales.

I have discussions with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on a regular basis and on a range of issues. My officials work closely with DWP, MHCLG and other departments, including regarding Local Housing Allowance (LHA). The Government is taking action to support low-income households, including removing the two-child limit to reduce child poverty, benefitting 69,000 children in Wales. In addition, we are increasing the National Living Wage and the National Minimum Wage building on April 2025 increases that already helped up to 160,000 workers in Wales, cutting household energy bills by £150 per year and uprating the Universal Credit Standard Allowance by over 6%. This is the first ever sustained real terms increase in the Standard Allowance, directly benefitting 320,000 households in Wales. Discretionary Housing Payments are available from local authorities for those who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs and need further support.

What assessment he has made of the impact of not uprating Local Housing Allowance on homelessness in Wales.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State confirmed in his Written Ministerial Statement (HCWS1101) that Local Housing Allowance rates and the benefit cap will not be increased for 2026-27. He considered a range of factors, including the rentals levels across Great Britain, the wider fiscal context and welfare priorities. This included the decision to prioritise removing the two child limit, which will lift 450k children out of poverty.Responsibility for housing and homelessness is devolved to the Welsh Government, while social security is reserved to the UK Government.Discretionary Housing Payments are available from local authorities for those who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs.

What assessment has he made of the number of FAS and PPF members whose original pension scheme did not provide for specified pre-1997 indexation and will therefore not be included in the Government’s plans announced in the Budget on 26 November.

At the Budget, the Chancellor announced that the Government will introduce pre-1997 indexation in the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) and the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS), for members whose original schemes provided this. Compensation payments from these schemes on pensions built up before 6 April 1997 will be CPI-linked (capped at 2.5%), and this will apply prospectively. The PPF have made an assessment that around 165,000 PPF members and 91,000 current FAS members have some pre-97 benefits where their former schemes provided mandatory indexation. The remaining members will not fall within the scope of our reforms, either because these members had no mandatory pre-97 indexation in their original schemes, or no pre-97 service.

What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on steps to ensure that that fossil fuel companies fund the costs of climate recovery in the UK.

My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State has regular discussions with Ministerial Colleagues on a number of issues.

Whether her Department plans to maintain tax relief on pension contributions.

Pensions tax relief is one of the most expensive reliefs in the personal tax system, costing £78.2 billion in 2023/24. The Government remains committed to encouraging pension saving, to help ensure that people have an income, or funds on which they can draw, throughout retirement.

What recent assessment she has made of the impact of frozen personal tax thresholds on pensioners’ disposable incomes.

The previous government made the decision to freeze the income tax Personal Allowance at its current level of £12,570 until April The previous government published a Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) setting out the impacts.

What plans he has to review the criteria used to determine the State Pension age to reflect regional inequalities in healthy life expectancy.

The Government launched the third Government Review of State Pension age on 21 July.This Review will consider a wide range of evidence including the latest ONS life expectancy and healthy life expectancy projections, findings from the Government Actuary on adult life in retirement, and an independent report led by Dr Suzy Morrissey, which will consider which facts are most relevant in setting State Pension age.

With reference to the oral contribution of the Minister of State for Energy during the Westminster Hall debate on Coal Tip Safety and Prohibition of New Coal Extraction Licences on 22 October 2025, whether the further work which has been done on mapping coal tips since 2020 has produced a new provisional figure for the cost of remediating coal tips in Wales.

Coal tips are a devolved matter and it would be for the Welsh Government to produce any updated estimate of the cost of remediating coal tips in Wales. The Welsh Government has done a considerable amount of work mapping recorded coal tips and they believe that £118m, which they have received from the UK Government and is additional to the funding they have already committed to coal tip safety, is a sufficient amount of funding that can be used to protect and help communities living near coal tips.

What discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on (a) the ‘Future of TV Distribution’ stakeholder forum and (b) the potential impact of its decision making on Wales.

I have regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of matters. In July, the then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Wales met with Broadcast 2040+ to understand their perspectives on the long-term future of terrestrial TV in Wales. The lead department on this matter, DCMS established the Future of TV Distribution stakeholder forum which takes views from a range of broadcasters active in Wales, including S4C, the BBC and ITV. The forum also benefits from the perspectives of a number of groups representing the interests of Welsh and UK-wide audiences, such as Voice of the Listener and Viewer, Digital Poverty Alliance and Silver Voices. Before any decisions are made, including in relation to Wales, close consideration will be given to how any changes would impact audiences, and especially those who rely on digital terrestrial television as their primary means of watching television.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of a statutory right to (a) paid leave and (b) job protection for parents of (i) critically and (ii) terminally ill children.

The Department for Business and Trade has committed to consult on employment rights for parents of seriously ill children, including terminally ill children, and will develop this consultation in partnership with key stakeholders such as the charity It's Never You. Developing and delivering this consultation will allow the department to properly consider the merits and potential costs of any such entitlement.

How many and what proportion of households in receipt of Universal Credit that are affected by the Benefit Cap have (a) no debt deductions from their Universal Credit award, (b) a deduction of more than 0% of their standard allowance and less than or equal to 5%, (c) a deduction of more than 5% and less than or equal to 10%, (d) a deduction of more than 10% and less than or equal to 15% and (e) a deduction of more than 15% in (i) Wales, (ii) Scotland and (iii) England.

Statistics related to Universal Credit deductions are routinely published. The latest publication, published on 12 August 2025, is available here: Universal Credit statistics, 29 April 2013 to 10 July 2025 - GOV.UK The narrative Universal Credit deductions statistics, June 2024 to May 2025 - GOV.UK and supporting supplementary data tables provide a range of breakdowns including deduction amounts as a percentage of the standard allowance, in Table 2 of the supplementary tables and breakdowns by Local Authorities and Parliamentary Constituencies. Statistics on households that have had their benefits capped is also routinely published. The latest publication is available here: Benefit Cap statistics - GOV.UK. Data on UC households affected by the Benefit Cap that have deductions is not published.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of reducing the Housing Benefit taper rate from 65 per cent to 55 per cent.

The Department acknowledges there is a challenge presented by the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit for those residing in Supported and Temporary Accommodation and receiving their housing support through Housing Benefit. The department is considering the issue carefully in partnership with stakeholders. As funding is required to allow a change, any future decisions will take account of the current fiscal context.

If she will undertake a review of the impact of changes implemented as part of the Pensions Act 2014 on the ability of widows to inherit a spouse's state pension entitlement.

There are no current plans to carry out such a review. The new State Pension, for people reaching State Pension age from 6 April 2016 onwards, is based on an individual's own National Insurance record. In general, it is not possible, as it was under the old State Pension system, for a person to increase their State Pension or to qualify for a State Pension based on their late spouse or civil partner's National Insurance record, although there is some protection under the transitional arrangements for the new State Pension. The new State Pension modernised the State Pension system, moving away from an out-of-date model in the past where many women depended on their husbands for their State Pension entitlement. The new State Pension is rooted in the contemporary world, with people’s entitlement determined by their own National Insurance record. The change on inheritance was one of a number of reforms which need to be seen in the round. These include much greater recognition for periods when women are outside the labour market, caring for children. These reforms have resulted in much improved State Pension outcomes for women. Women reaching State Pension age in the year to December 2024 on average received 99.1% of the amount received by men, with equalisation expected shortly. Under the previous system, on average, women receive 86% of the amount received by men.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of increasing the Housing Benefit earnings disregard from £5 to £57.

The Department acknowledges there is a challenge presented by the interaction between Universal Credit and Housing Benefit for those residing in Supported and Temporary Accommodation and receiving their housing support through Housing Benefit. The department is considering the issue carefully in partnership with stakeholders. As funding is required to allow a change, any future decisions will take account of the current fiscal context.

Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of introducing a legal requirement for broadband and fibre providers to provide 2 month contracts.

Ofcom, the independent regulator of telecommunications, is responsible for setting the rules on contract lengths for telecom services in the UK. Under Ofcom’s General Conditions, providers must offer at least one 12-month contract for each service, e.g. landline, broadband. Consequently, Government has not made any such assessments on the provision of a two-month contract. We would expect that any assessment would need to include the practical and financial implications of such short contracts for the operators as well as potential clients.

What assessment has she made of the potential merits of using the certificate of sponsorship start date to start the qualifying period for care workers on skilled worker visas to apply for indefinite leave to remain.

The requirement to hold a certificate of sponsorship is part of the eligibility criteria of the skilled worker route and does not confer any permission to enter or stay in the UK. An applicant for settlement must show a period of lawful continuous residence.The new Immigration Rules will end overseas recruitment for Care Workers and take effect on 22 July. Transitional arrangements will allow in country switching until 2028 and individuals will continue to be able to extend their permission. The qualification period for Indefinite Leave to Remain begins when the individuals first entered the UK in the Skilled Worker route.The Immigration White Paper sets out proposed changes to settlement rules. We will consult on the details of the policy later this year. These are important changes, we recognise how important this is to people, and will listen to what people tell us in that consultation. We will provide further details of how the scheme will work after that.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing a concession for care workers in the qualifying time for indefinite leave to remain due to delays in UK visa and immigration processing times for skilled worker visas.

There are no delays in processing straightforward Health and Care Worker visa applications.Section 3C leave, as defined in Section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971, automatically extends a person’s immigration permission if they have submitted an application to extend or vary their permission before the person’s existing permission expires. Time spent on the skilled worker route under section 3C can be counted towards settlement.We will be consulting on the earned settlement scheme later this year and further details on the proposed scheme will be provided at that time.

What steps he is taking to increase the level of exports from Welsh businesses to the EU before the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreemen is implemented.

DBT hosts a wide range of events across all sectors to promote exports, including bringing over 100 businesses to Cardiff as part of the Made in the UK, Sold to the World tech roadshow in Cardiff. We are also piloting Digital Trade Corridors to ease border processes and modernising export services to improve accessibility. These measures aim to reduce trade friction and help Welsh businesses grow their EU exports ahead of the SPS Agreement’s implementation. My department hosted events for all UK food and drink businesses in July, attended by Welsh exporters Wrexham Lager, Village Bakery and the Lobster Pot.