Written questions by Davies.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of reducing the Soft Drinks Industry Levy thresholds on consumers.

An assessment of impacts – including health impacts for consumers – is enclosed within the ‘Strengthening the Soft Drinks Industry Levy’ consultation document. This is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/strengthening-the-soft-drinks-industry-levy. The government welcomes feedback on the proposed changes as part of the consultation, which is open until 21 July 2025 and will inform decisions at a future Budget. If the government decides to make changes to the levy, it will publish a tax information and impact note (TIIN) to give account of the confirmed policy’s impacts.

What steps she is taking to help tackle DVLA delays in the processing of applications for driving licenses by people who are reapplying following a disqualification.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) sends renewal reminders to drivers before their current licence is due to expire to prompt renewal applications to be made as early as possible. Where the DVLA is made aware that a driving licence is required urgently for employment purposes the application will be processed as a priority. Most applicants will be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing they meet certain criteria as outlined in this guidance at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inf1886-can-i-drive-while-my-application-is-with-dvla. There are no delays in straightforward driving licence applications regardless of whether the driver was previously disqualified. These are being processed within normal turnaround times. Driving licence applications where a medical condition(s) requires investigation can take longer as the DVLA is often reliant on information from third parties, including medical professionals, before a licence can be issued. DVLA is continuing to make improvements to the services provided to drivers with medical conditions and is introducing a new strategic system to process cases. This will provide better services for customers and allow straightforward applications to be processed more quickly. In the 2024/25 financial year, the average time to make a licensing decision in such cases was 44 working days, a significant reduction from 54 working days in the 2023/24 financial year.

Pursuant to the Answer of 23 April 2025 to Question 45439 on Personal Independence Payments and with reference to the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill, published on 18 June 2025, whether PIP claimants of pension age who (a) are subject to a planned award review and (b) request a change of circumstances review from November 2026 will be impacted by changes to eligibility requirements.

The vast majority of claimants over State Pension age are on ongoing awards, with a light-touch review scheduled for 10 years. This is because we know that, as people get older, their conditions tend to get worse rather than better, and as such we think that is sensible and proportionate to reduce reassessment burdens on people over the pensionable age. These claimants will therefore not undergo a review of their PIP award at the 10-year light touch review point, unless they request one due to change in their circumstances. In line with existing policy, if they do request a review – such as due to an improvement or deterioration in their condition – after the new rules come into effect in November 2026, the four-point criteria will apply. There is a small number of claimants over State Pension age on fixed-term awards, often because they have a planned operation or treatment that is likely to make a significant difference to how their condition affects them. Case managers will consider these on a case-by-case basis.

What steps she is taking to support people whose driving license expires whilst waiting for the DVLA to process their application for a renewal when this impacts their employment.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) sends renewal reminders to drivers before their current licence is due to expire to prompt renewal applications to be made as early as possible. Where the DVLA is made aware that a driving licence is required urgently for employment purposes the application will be processed as a priority. Most applicants will be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing they meet certain criteria as outlined in this guidance at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inf1886-can-i-drive-while-my-application-is-with-dvla. There are no delays in straightforward driving licence applications regardless of whether the driver was previously disqualified. These are being processed within normal turnaround times. Driving licence applications where a medical condition(s) requires investigation can take longer as the DVLA is often reliant on information from third parties, including medical professionals, before a licence can be issued. DVLA is continuing to make improvements to the services provided to drivers with medical conditions and is introducing a new strategic system to process cases. This will provide better services for customers and allow straightforward applications to be processed more quickly. In the 2024/25 financial year, the average time to make a licensing decision in such cases was 44 working days, a significant reduction from 54 working days in the 2023/24 financial year.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether Wales will receive any consequential funding through the Barnett formula as a result of UK Government actions on the bluetongue virus in England.

The Barnett formula is applied in the usual way, as set out in the Statement of Funding policy, to all changes to Defra’s budget. It is applied when departmental budgets change - not when departments announce how they are spending their budgets. Barnett consequentials provided to the Welsh Government are not ringfenced for a specific policy area. It is for the Welsh Government to allocate their funding in devolved areas, including agriculture, as they see fit. The Welsh Government can therefore take its own decisions on managing and investing available resources, reflecting its own priorities and local circumstances, and it is accountable to the Senedd for these decisions.

What the average waiting time is for the DVLA to process applications from people that are reapplying for driving licenses following their disqualification (a) on medical grounds and (b) for a criminal offence.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) sends renewal reminders to drivers before their current licence is due to expire to prompt renewal applications to be made as early as possible. Where the DVLA is made aware that a driving licence is required urgently for employment purposes the application will be processed as a priority. Most applicants will be able to continue driving while their application is being processed, providing they meet certain criteria as outlined in this guidance at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inf1886-can-i-drive-while-my-application-is-with-dvla. There are no delays in straightforward driving licence applications regardless of whether the driver was previously disqualified. These are being processed within normal turnaround times. Driving licence applications where a medical condition(s) requires investigation can take longer as the DVLA is often reliant on information from third parties, including medical professionals, before a licence can be issued. DVLA is continuing to make improvements to the services provided to drivers with medical conditions and is introducing a new strategic system to process cases. This will provide better services for customers and allow straightforward applications to be processed more quickly. In the 2024/25 financial year, the average time to make a licensing decision in such cases was 44 working days, a significant reduction from 54 working days in the 2023/24 financial year.

Whether her Department plans to review its policy on defining military compensation as income in Pension Credit means tests.

The first £10 of any War Pension payment or Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) award made due to injury or disablement is disregarded in Pension Credit. Income is calculated on a weekly basis, so the disregard is £10 per week. Four additions to the War Disablement Pension are completely disregarded: Constant Attendance Allowance; Mobility Supplement; Severe Disablement Occupational Allowance; and dependency increases for anyone other than the applicant or her / his partner. War Pensions and AFCS awards are a qualifying income for the Savings Credit element of Pension Credit, which is available to those who reached State Pension age before April 2016. Armed Forces Independence Payments are fully disregarded in Pension Credit and can also allow the recipient to qualify for an additional disability amount. There are no plans to review the treatment of military compensation in Pension Credit.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the spread of bluetongue virus on food security in (a) Wales and (b) other parts of the UK.

Bluetongue does not impact human health or food safety, and the current outbreak of bluetongue serotype 3 affecting England has not had an impact on food security in the UK. Disease control is a devolved matter, and it is for the devolved administrations to assess their disease risks and respond accordingly. However, Defra and the Devolved Governments work closely together with the aim to provide, where possible, a consistent and coordinated response across the UK. A key forum for this is the Animal Disease Policy Group, which is a UK-wide policy decision making group. Defra’s disease control measures aim to limit the spread of infection, seeking to contain the number of animals that need to be culled, either for disease control purposes or to safeguard animal welfare, whilst balancing the burdens of controls against the benefits of eradication of bluetongue. Our approach aims to reduce adverse impacts on the rural and wider economy, the public, rural communities and the environment (including impact on wildlife), whilst safeguarding the health and safety of those involved in controlling the outbreak and minimising the overall cost of any outbreak.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s capacity to effectively tackle the spread of bluetongue virus.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) leads Government action on animal disease control and has outbreak response plans, supported by the bluetongue virus (BTV) national reference laboratory at The Pirbright Institute. Response times are kept under regular review between Defra, Welsh Government, Scottish Government and APHA and appropriate action initiated where additional operational support is required. Defra’s disease control measures aim to limit the spread of BTV infection through proportionate and evidence-based control measures, whilst balancing the burdens of controls against the benefits of eradication of bluetongue and minimising the cost of any outbreak both to government and farmers.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of imposing an all-England restricted zone from 1 July 2025 in response to the bluetongue virus on (a) livestock markets and (b) other businesses (i) in Wales and (ii) along the Wales-England border.

From 1 July 2025 the restricted zone for bluetongue will be extended to cover all of England. This change is being made because the area of England where disease has been found is now too large for movement restrictions to remain an effective and proportionate way of controlling the disease. Disease control is a devolved matter, and it is for the devolved administrations to assess their disease risks and respond accordingly. However, Defra and the Devolved Governments work closely together with the aim to provide, where possible, a consistent and coordinated response across the UK. A key forum for this is the Animal Disease Policy Group, which is a UK-wide policy decision making group. Defra and Devolved Governments also engage closely with industry to inform policy development and implementation through the Livestock Core Group. The Government recognises that keepers and businesses can also be affected not only by the impacts of bluetongue disease on animals, but also by disease control measures. That is why Government seeks to minimise these burdens where safe to do so using exemptions under licenses, whilst maintaining the integrity and efficacy of measures intended to mitigate the risk of disease spread.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of potential merits of establishing a compensation scheme for farmers affected by the imposition of restricted zones in response to the bluetongue virus.

The Government recognises that keepers and businesses can be affected not only by the impacts of bluetongue disease on animals, but also by disease control measures. That is why Defra seeks to minimise these burdens where safe to do so by using exemptions under licenses, whilst maintaining the integrity and efficacy of measures intended to mitigate the risk of disease spread. Compensation is available for keepers whose animals are required to be culled for disease control purposes by the Government. However, we would not expect to cull large numbers of animals due to bluetongue since culling becomes ineffective once disease is established within the biting midge population. There are no plans to introduce a wider compensation scheme in relation to bluetongue. As set out in The Animal Health Act 1981 compensation is not paid for consequential losses or business interruption including those caused by measures in force in disease control zones.

With reference to her oral statement on Spending Review 2025, Official Report, column 985, for what reason she referenced Swansea and Bridgend in the context of the extension of free school meals in England.

The government will provide £410 million per year by 2028-29 to expand Free School Meals eligibility from September 2026 to all pupils in England with a parent receiving Universal Credit. The Barnett formula will apply in the normal way; education is a devolved matter and so the Welsh Government is responsible for Free School Meals policy in Wales.

How much funding the Welsh government requested from her Department for coal tip safety and remediation work as part of the Spending Review 2025.

At the Spending Review, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that HM Treasury would provide the Welsh Government with the funding it requested to continue its vital coal tip safety work. Ensuring coal tips across Wales remain safe is of the upmost importance and this is why the UK Government is committing £118 million over the three years of the Spending Review period (over financial years 2026/27-2028/29). This is in addition to the £25m provided at Autumn Budget last year, bringing the total UK Government investment in coal tip safety to over £140m. This is another example of how two governments working in partnership are delivering for the people of Wales.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the Welsh Government on limiting the spread of bluetongue virus.

I refer the honourable member to the answer given on 4 June 2025 to question UIN 57569.

Innovation and Technology, how much funding Building Digital UK has received in each year since it was established.

Building Digital UK (BDUK) became an Executive Agency on 1 April 2022. Each year, it publishes information on its total budget in its Annual Reports and Accounts. These are published on GOV.UK and cover the period from 1 April to 31 March.In 2022 to 2023, the total annual budget was £90 million, and in 2023 to 2024 the total annual budget was £140 million. Information for 2024 to 2025 will be published in the next Annual Report and Accounts.

With reference to the planned changes to the Winter Fuel Payment, announced on 9 June 2025, for what reason an income threshold of £35,000 for the Winter Fuel Payment was decided.

The Government wants more pensioners to benefit from Winter Fuel Payments. The £35,000 threshold means that the vast majority of pensions - more than three quarters and around 9 million individuals - will benefit from a Winter Fuel Payment. The threshold is also broadly in line with average earnings. This change also ensures that the means-testing of winter fuel payments has no effect on pensioner poverty. Restricting Winter Fuel Payments to those with incomes below or equal to £35,000 means those on lower and middle incomes will still receive the help they need and ensures fairness for both pensioners and taxpayers.

How many people received the Winter Fuel Payment in Wales in the (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25 financial year; and what estimate she has made of the number of people who will receive it in Wales in the 2025-26 financial year.

For winter 2023 to 2024, around 631,000 pensioners received the Winter Fuel Payment in Wales. This is based on Winter Fuel Payment statistics for winter 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK. Data covering winter 2024 to 2025 is not yet available. The next release of Winter Fuel Payment statistics will cover this period and will be published on 16 September 2025. From this winter, individuals with an income of £35,000 or below, will benefit from a Winter Fuel Payment. Winter Fuel Payments are £200 for a household with someone of State Pension age and £300 for a household with someone aged 80 or over. They will be paid automatically to anyone who has not opted out. Individuals with a taxable income above £35,000 a year will see any Winter Fuel Payment recouped via HMRC. This means that the majority of pensioners in England and Wales – around 9 million individuals – will now benefit from Winter Fuel Payments.

What estimate she has made of the number of (a) people and (b) households that will receive the winter fuel payment in Wales in the 2025-26 financial year.

For winter 2023 to 2024, around 631,000 pensioners received the Winter Fuel Payment in Wales. This is based on Winter Fuel Payment statistics for winter 2023 to 2024 - GOV.UK. Data covering winter 2024 to 2025 is not yet available. The next release of Winter Fuel Payment statistics will cover this period and will be published on 16 September 2025. From this winter, individuals with an income of £35,000 or below, will benefit from a Winter Fuel Payment. Winter Fuel Payments are £200 for a household with someone of State Pension age and £300 for a household with someone aged 80 or over. They will be paid automatically to anyone who has not opted out. Individuals with a taxable income above £35,000 a year will see any Winter Fuel Payment recouped via HMRC. This means that the majority of pensioners in England and Wales – around 9 million individuals – will now benefit from Winter Fuel Payments.

(a) what specific matters were discussed during and (b) what were the outcomes of her meeting with the First Minister of Wales on the Pathways to Work Green Paper on 4 June 2025.

The meeting between Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and the First Minister of Wales on 4th June 2025 was a positive discussion about areas of mutual interest, including the UK Government’s commitment to reforming the system of health and disability benefits so that it promotes and enables employment among as many people as possible.

For what reason the Pathways to Work public consultation event in Cardiff, scheduled for 3 June 2025, was cancelled.

As part of our commitment to hear from members of the public directly, including disabled people and their representatives, we have now held a number of virtual and in person public consultation events, as per the advertised schedule on GOV.UK. Unfortunately, the Cardiff in person event (initially scheduled for 3 June) was postponed at the last minute due to the venue cancelling and no appropriate accessible alternative being available at such short notice. We are working with the Welsh Government to rearrange this event and have reached out to all registered participants directly, also offering a priority space on other virtual events. Additionally, a Wales-only virtual consultation event has now been arranged and scheduled for 26 June. Throughout the consultation we are committed to putting the views and voices of disabled people and people with health conditions at the heart of everything we do. We encourage members of the public to continue to respond to the consultation online, in writing and via email.