Written questions by Lake.

What her policy is on the development of the digital pound.

HM Treasury and the Bank of England are continuing to explore the case for the digital pound. No decision has been taken on whether to introduce the digital pound.  The work currently being undertaken will provide the evidence base for a decision in due course.  Any decision will also take account of international developments and wider trends in money and payments. If a decision was taken to proceed with the digital pound, primary legislation would be introduced prior to its launch. Legislation would be preceded by a further public consultation and would guarantee users’ privacy and control of their money.

What the total amount provided to the Welsh Government for the financial year 2025-2026 to compensate Welsh public services for costs arising from the increase in employers national insurance contributions will be.

At Autumn Budget 2024, the Chancellor agreed to provide funding to the public sector to support them with the additional cost associated with changes to employer National Insurance Contributions policy. The Welsh Government will receive funding through the Barnett formula in the usual way in 2025-26, including on this support. This is the normal operation of the funding arrangements as set out in the Statement of Funding Policy. The Welsh Government settlement is growing in real terms in 2025-26 and is the largest settlements in real terms of any since devolution. Overall, the Welsh Government receives at least 20% more funding per person than equivalent UK Government spending in the rest of the UK. That translates into over £4 billion more in 2025-26.

Whether the funding allocated to public services in Wales to compensate for costs arising from the increase in employers national insurance contributions will be allocated to the Welsh Government through the Barnett Formula.

At Autumn Budget 2024, the Chancellor agreed to provide funding to the public sector to support them with the additional cost associated with changes to employer National Insurance Contributions policy. The Welsh Government will receive funding through the Barnett formula in the usual way in 2025-26, including on this support. This is the normal operation of the funding arrangements as set out in the Statement of Funding Policy. The Welsh Government settlement is growing in real terms in 2025-26 and is the largest settlements in real terms of any since devolution. Overall, the Welsh Government receives at least 20% more funding per person than equivalent UK Government spending in the rest of the UK. That translates into over £4 billion more in 2025-26.

Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to support the effective delivery of the National Telecare Campaign in Ceredigion Preseli constituency.

The Government is working with industry to support the industry-led and industry-funded National Telecare Campaign. The objective of this campaign is for telecare users to be identified so that they can be provided with additional support when their landlines are upgraded from analogue to digital.It is important that the campaign reaches vulnerable customers across the UK. In Wales, a TV advert will be broadcast on ITV Wales, in English with Welsh subtitles. A mix of English and Welsh, and Welsh only will be used for printed adverts, video on demand, and social media.

What discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on the potential impact of providing compensation for public services in Wales for costs arising from the increase in employers national insurance contributions through the Barnett Formula.

At Autumn Budget 2024, the Chancellor agreed to provide funding to the public sector to support them with the additional cost associated with changes to employer National Insurance Contributions policy. The Welsh Government will receive funding through the Barnett formula in the usual way in 2025-26, including on this support. This is the normal operation of the funding arrangements as set out in the Statement of Funding Policy. The Welsh Government settlement is growing in real terms in 2025-26 and is the largest settlements in real terms of any since devolution. Overall, the Welsh Government receives at least 20% more funding per person than equivalent UK Government spending in the rest of the UK. That translates into over £4 billion more in 2025-26.

Whether levels of compensation payments reflect the impact that failures in the Horizon system had on the families of affected sub-postmasters.

Many of the impacts experienced by family members of affected postmasters will already be compensated for under the relevant scheme in which postmasters are seeking redress. For example, there will be full compensation paid to the affected postmaster for joint losses such as where a family home has been lost, and this will take account of the financial impacts on family members.The Government is however considering whether to extend additional redress to members of postmasters’ families who were affected by the scandal and will provide an update in due course.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will ask the UN Secretary General to investigate (a) how many allegations of human rights abuses have been made to the Moroccan National Human Rights Council in Western Sahara and (b) whether those allegations have been investigated in each year since 2015.

The UK is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide, including in Western Sahara. We consistently support the UN efforts to resolve the situation in Western Sahara, and support language in relevant UN Security Council Resolutions that encourages the parties to continue their efforts to enhance the promotion and protection of human rights in Western Sahara, including the freedoms of expression and association. We engage regularly with the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary General on Western Sahara.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Government of Morocco on the expulsion of (a) Dolores Travieso Darias, (b) Flora Moreno Ramos and (c) Silvestre Suarez Fernandez from El Aaiun.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office have had no such discussions regarding these three individuals.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the human rights situation in the occupied territory of Western Sahara.

The UK is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide, including in Western Sahara. We consistently support the UN efforts to resolve the situation in Western Sahara, and support language in relevant UN Security Council Resolutions that encourages the parties to continue their efforts to enhance the promotion and protection of human rights in Western Sahara, including the freedoms of expression and association. We engage regularly with the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary General on Western Sahara.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Spring Statement of 26 March 2025, Official Report, column 945, how many and what proportion of the 1.3 million homes to be built in the UK this parliament will be built in (a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland.

The 1.3 million homes figure referenced represents a forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) based solely on the impact of the changes the government made to the National Planning Policy Framework on 12 December 2024. The OBR does not provide a breakdown between England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

When she plans that access to each of the Extended Area Services masts located in Ceredigion Preseli constituency will be shared with mobile network operators.

We can confirm that four EAS masts have already been activated for the Shared Rural Network (SRN) and are delivering new 4G mobile coverage from all four mobile network operators across Ceredigion Preseli.We continue to work with Building Digital UK (BDUK) and the operators to activate the remaining five masts for the SRN. BDUK officials have informed me that the Hon. Member has signed up for the next BDUK MP drop-in session and they would be happy to update him further on SRN EAS progress in Ceredigion Preseli then.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing (a) alternative proof of Visa status to digital-only eVisas, such as (i) secure QR codes and (ii) equivalent physical documentation and (b) a compensation scheme for individuals impacted by eVisa errors.

The Home Office is moving to a digital immigration system, and there are no plans to issue physical documents in future.Successful visa applicants receive written confirmation by email or letter that they have been granted permission and have a digital immigration status, which they can keep for their personal records. However, these documents cannot be used as evidence of their status.We evaluated the QR code proposal put forward by the3million and our response is published on their website: https://the3million.org.uk/publication/2023121501.We already operate a process of ex gratia payments if the Home Office is found to be at fault, and this will not change with the introduction of eVisas.We consistently monitor the transition to eVisas, and encourage people to report any issues so they can be addressed. We listen to feedback from visa holders, stakeholders and MPs and address concerns, such as introducing greater flexibility for carriers to accept BRPs that expired on 31 December 2024 until 1 June 2025, to smooth the transition for those travelling internationally without compromising on border security.We keep all visa routes and digital visa systems, including the introduction and implementation of the eVisa system, under review and will update Parliament in the normal manner.

Whether she has plans to undertake a review of the (a) implementation and (b) roll-out of the migration to a fully digital eVisa system.

The Home Office is moving to a digital immigration system, and there are no plans to issue physical documents in future.Successful visa applicants receive written confirmation by email or letter that they have been granted permission and have a digital immigration status, which they can keep for their personal records. However, these documents cannot be used as evidence of their status.We evaluated the QR code proposal put forward by the3million and our response is published on their website: https://the3million.org.uk/publication/2023121501.We already operate a process of ex gratia payments if the Home Office is found to be at fault, and this will not change with the introduction of eVisas.We consistently monitor the transition to eVisas, and encourage people to report any issues so they can be addressed. We listen to feedback from visa holders, stakeholders and MPs and address concerns, such as introducing greater flexibility for carriers to accept BRPs that expired on 31 December 2024 until 1 June 2025, to smooth the transition for those travelling internationally without compromising on border security.We keep all visa routes and digital visa systems, including the introduction and implementation of the eVisa system, under review and will update Parliament in the normal manner.

What recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of the regime of discounts applied to meat charges incurred by undertaking inspection obligations under Official Controls Regulations on the small abattoir industry in Wales.

On 28 February 2025, further to engagement with industry representative bodies, the Food Standards Agency published the 2025/26 charge rates for inspections in meat premises in England and Wales. As in previous years, charges in 2025/26 will be offset by a taxpayer-funded discount scheme which will provide the greatest proportional support to smaller abattoirs, and will therefore benefit the small abattoir industry in Wales. A separate exercise is being conducted in respect of 2025/26 charges for abattoirs in Northern Ireland.

Whether she has had recent discussions with the Welsh Government on the provision of speech and language therapy in youth justice services in Wales.

This Government recognises the vital role that Speech and Language Therapists play in supporting young people within the justice system. I discussed matters relating to youth justice in Wales when I met with Welsh Government Minister Janet Hutt earlier this month.

If he will take steps to include reform of inherited cardiac conditions in the 10-year plan for the NHS.

The 10-Year Health Plan will deliver the three big shifts the National Health Service needs to be fit for the future: from hospital to community, from analogue to digital, and from sickness to prevention. All of these are relevant to improving cardiac health in all parts of the country.More tests and scans delivered in the community, better joint working between services, and greater use of apps and wearable technology will all help people manage their long-term conditions, including cardiac disease, closer to home. Moving from sickness to prevention will help us provide treatment earlier, rather than only intervening when conditions deteriorate.NHS England has published a national service specification for inherited cardiac conditions that covers patients who often present as young adults with previously undiagnosed cardiac disease or families requiring follow up due to a death from this cause. NHS England is currently reviewing this service specification in line with the national service specification methods review process. The specification is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/cardiology-inherited-cardiac-conditions.pdf

What steps he is taking to reduce the time taken for people displaying symptoms of inherited cardiac condition to receive a diagnosis from (a) GPs and (b) cardiac specialists.

In 2017, NHS England published a national service specification for inherited cardiac conditions (ICC) which defines the standards of care expected from organisations commissioned by NHS England. The specification sets the national minimum standards for the diagnosis, treatment, and outcome of patients with ICC.NHS England is reviewing this service specification, working with a broad range of stakeholders, including National Health Service clinical experts, the Association of Inherited Cardiac Conditions, Cardiomyopathy UK, Heart Valve Voice, and the British Heart Foundation. This review considers the referral of ICC patients from primary care into ICC specialised services and considers how families of ICC patients are supported through the screening and identification process. The service specification review has also considered referrals directly from primary into secondary care, which would improve the timeliness of patient diagnosis.Department ministers regularly have discussions with their colleagues and counterparts in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland on matters of cross border interest.

What steps he is taking to improve the uptake of (a) existing and (b) new treatments for people with inherited cardiac conditions.

In 2017, NHS England published a national service specification for inherited cardiac conditions (ICC) which defines the standards of care expected from organisations commissioned by NHS England. The specification sets the national minimum standards for the diagnosis, treatment, and outcome of patients with ICC.NHS England is reviewing this service specification, working with a broad range of stakeholders, including National Health Service clinical experts, the Association of Inherited Cardiac Conditions, Cardiomyopathy UK, Heart Valve Voice, and the British Heart Foundation. This review considers the referral of ICC patients from primary care into ICC specialised services and considers how families of ICC patients are supported through the screening and identification process. The service specification review has also considered referrals directly from primary into secondary care, which would improve the timeliness of patient diagnosis.Department ministers regularly have discussions with their colleagues and counterparts in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland on matters of cross border interest.

What recent discussions he has had with his Welsh counterpart on levels of diagnosis of inherited cardiac conditions in Wales.

In 2017, NHS England published a national service specification for inherited cardiac conditions (ICC) which defines the standards of care expected from organisations commissioned by NHS England. The specification sets the national minimum standards for the diagnosis, treatment, and outcome of patients with ICC.NHS England is reviewing this service specification, working with a broad range of stakeholders, including National Health Service clinical experts, the Association of Inherited Cardiac Conditions, Cardiomyopathy UK, Heart Valve Voice, and the British Heart Foundation. This review considers the referral of ICC patients from primary care into ICC specialised services and considers how families of ICC patients are supported through the screening and identification process. The service specification review has also considered referrals directly from primary into secondary care, which would improve the timeliness of patient diagnosis.Department ministers regularly have discussions with their colleagues and counterparts in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland on matters of cross border interest.

What steps his Department is taking to (a) support and (b) ensure equitable access to new treatments for people with inherited cardiac conditions.

In 2017, NHS England published a national service specification for inherited cardiac conditions (ICC) which defines the standards of care expected from organisations commissioned by NHS England. The specification sets the national minimum standards for the diagnosis, treatment, and outcome of patients with ICC.NHS England is reviewing this service specification, working with a broad range of stakeholders, including National Health Service clinical experts, the Association of Inherited Cardiac Conditions, Cardiomyopathy UK, Heart Valve Voice, and the British Heart Foundation. This review considers the referral of ICC patients from primary care into ICC specialised services and considers how families of ICC patients are supported through the screening and identification process. The service specification review has also considered referrals directly from primary into secondary care, which would improve the timeliness of patient diagnosis.Department ministers regularly have discussions with their colleagues and counterparts in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland on matters of cross border interest.