Written questions by Lake.

What are the Zone A rates for retail properties used to calculate the business rates due in (a) Aberystwyth, (b) Tregaron, (c) Aberaeron, (d) Lampeter, (e) Llandysul, (f) Cardigan, (g) St Dogmaels, (h) Crymych, (i) Fishguard, (j) Goodwick and k) Clunderwen.

Retail Zone A rates are specific to individual properties, so there will be a range of Zone A values in each of the locations referred to.

Pursuant to the answer of 2 December 2025 to question 95185, what the updated average annual change in the Welsh Government’s capital budget is between 2025-26 and 2029-30; and whether that budget will increase.

As a result of decisions at Budget 2025, the Welsh Government will receive an additional £185m CDEL through the operation of the Barnett formula on top of the record settlement provided at Spending Review 2025. This will ensure the Welsh Government are funded above their independently assessed level of need in all years of the Spending Review 2025 period.

What the cost to the public purse has been of UK military flights over Gaza since October 2023.

While I am unable to disclose these costs for reasons of operational security and as a matter of policy, Defence operational spend in relation to the Israel-Gaza conflict and the wider Middle East has been published in its Annual Reports and Accounts for financial years 2023-24 and 2024-25.

What estimate she has made of the number of additional people who will paying the (a) basic rate and (b) higher rate of income tax broken down by country, in the context of the extension of the income tax threshold freeze announced in the Autumn Budget 2025

The number of people forecast to pay tax by marginal rate can be found in Table 3.19 in the OBR’s November 2025 Economic and fiscal outlook – detailed forecast tables: receipts, linked below: https://obr.uk/download/november-2025-economic-and-fiscal-outlook-detailed-forecast-tables-receipts/?tmstv=1764165511 The previous Government made the decision to maintain income tax thresholds at their current levels from April 2021 until April 2028.

What assessment she has made of the impact of inflation on the real terms value of the £505 million in Barnett Formula consequential funding for the Welsh Government announced at the Autumn Budget 2025.

Welsh Government block grant funding is growing in real terms between 2024-25 and 2028-29.

What assessment has she made of the impact of the additional Barnett Formula consequential funding for the Welsh Government announced at the Autumn Budget 2025 on the average annual growth of the Welsh Government’s capital budget between 2025-26 and 2029-30.

The additional funding that the Welsh Government will receive as a result of decisions at Autumn Budget 2025 and through the operation of the Barnett Formula increases the average annual growth of the Welsh Government’s capital budget between 2025-26 and 2029-30 compared to the settlements provided at Spending Review 2025.

Will the 10% increase in the size of the Welsh Government's (a) annual capital borrowing limit (b) cumulative capital borrowing (c) overall limit on the size of the Wales Reserve, (d) annual limit for drawing down from the Wales reserve for day-to-day spending and (e) annual limit for drawing down from the Wales reserve for capital spending, as announced in the Autumn Budget 2025, fully restore the real terms value losses that these limits have experienced to due inflation since they were initially fixed in cash terms.

The updates to the Welsh Government’s Fiscal Framework announced at Autumn Budget 2025 increase the real value of the Welsh Government’s budget management tools. The annual uprating of the limits from 2027-28 will maintain the real value of the Welsh Government’s capital borrowing and Wales Reserve.

What assessment has her department made of the potential impact of the Autumn Budget 2025 on the forecasts for (a) living standards (b) Real Household Disposable Income in Wales, as compared to the pre-Autumn Budget 2025 forecasts.

HM Treasury does not prepare forecasts for the UK economy. Forecasts, including for RHDI per person, are the responsibility of the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). In their November forecast, after accounting for the effects of policy, the OBR forecasts real household disposable income per person to rise by 2.9% over this Parliament.

Communities and Local Government, when he last met with the National Fire Chiefs Council to discuss wildfires; and if he will publish the minutes.

Ministers regularly meet with external stakeholders. As is precedent, details of Ministerial meetings with external organisations and individuals are published quarterly on GOV.UK.

In pursuant to the answer to Question 91154, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of (a) collecting and (b) publishing data on the revenue raised from the Apprenticeship Levy from (a) businesses who work across the UK but have a presence in Wales and (b) businesses primarily based in Wales.

Receipts data for the Apprenticeship Levy is published by HM Revenue and Customs in their Tax and NIC Receipts publication which can be found online at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmrc-tax-and-nics-receipts-for-the-uk HMRC does not require or collect data on where in the UK the economic activities occurs in order to collect the Apprenticeship Levy. Receipts data based on company registered addresses do not necessarily reflect where liabilities are accrued. For example, the data on receipts from companies with registered addresses in Wales will not include businesses registered in Northern Ireland, Scotland, or England, who have a presence and pay employees in Wales.

What discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on the current real terms value of their capital borrowing powers as compared with their real terms value when they were introduced.

HM Treasury ministers regularly engage with their Welsh Government counterparts, including through forums such as the Finance: Interministerial Standing Committee (F:ISC), to discuss a range of issues affecting Wales. We remain committed to working in partnership with the Welsh Government to ensure the smooth delivery of their funding settlement.

With reference to the total identifiable expenditure per head on railways as shown in her department's Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis 2025, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of spending on railways in Wales in the last five years.

Our 10 year UK Infrastructure Strategy, published in June 2025, acknowledged that for too long Wales’s long-term rail infrastructure needs have not been recognised and committed the UK Government to delivering at least £445 million of rail enhancements funding for Wales. This transformative rail package, the majority of which will be delivered over the Spending Review Period to 2030, will reconnect Wales’s industrial heartlands, improve commuter journeys and drive economic growth in communities that have long suffered from poor transport links. This funding is on top of the almost £2 billion that Network Rail will invest in the operation, maintenance, and renewal of railways in Wales during Control Period 7 (2024-2029), to tackle climate change, improve train performance from current levels, and invest in the areas that matter most to passengers and freight users.

What recent assessment has she made of the potential merits of conducting a Wales specific impact assessment on the implementation of changes to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief announced at the Autumn Budget 2024.

Ministers from several Government departments have met with organisations, including NFU Cymru and the Farmers’ Union of Wales, to discuss the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026. The Government believes its reforms get the balance right between supporting farms and businesses, fixing the public finances, and funding public services. The reforms reduce the inheritance tax advantages available to owners of agricultural and business assets, but still mean those assets will be taxed at a much lower effective rate than most other assets. Despite a tough fiscal context, the Government will maintain very significant levels of relief from inheritance tax beyond what is available to others and compared to the position before 1992. Where inheritance tax is due, those liable for a charge can pay any liability on the relevant assets over 10 annual instalments, interest-free. Information from claims is not recorded to enable regional or national breakdowns of the number of estates expected to be affected. However, the Government has set out that the reforms are expected to result in up to 520 estates across the UK claiming agricultural property relief, including those also claiming business property relief, paying more inheritance tax in 2026-27. Almost three-quarters of estates claiming agricultural property relief, including those that also claim for business property relief, will not pay any more tax as a result of the changes in 2026-27, based on the latest available data. The Government has also set out that around 1,500 estates across the UK only claiming business property relief are expected to pay more inheritance tax in 2026-27, with around 1,000 of these expected to only hold shares designated as “not listed” on the markets of recognised stock exchanges, such as the Alternative Investment Market. The remaining 500 estates will include business assets from sectors across the economy that are eligible for business property relief. These reforms mean that around three-quarters of estates claiming business property relief in 2026-27 (excluding those estates only holding shares designated as “not listed”) will not pay any more inheritance tax in 2026-27. The reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief are forecast to raise a combined £520 million in 2029-30. The independent Office for Budget Responsibility certified this costing at Autumn Budget 2024 and it does not expect the reforms to have a significant macroeconomic impact. The Government published a tax information and impact note on 21 July 2025 and this is available at www.gov.uk/government/publications/reforms-to-agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms.

How much funding raised by the Apprenticeship Levy was passed to the Welsh Government as part of the Welsh Block Grant in each year of the past five years.

While the Apprenticeship Levy is UK wide, apprenticeship policy and spending is devolved. This means that the devolved governments receive funding through the Barnett formula in relation to English apprenticeship spending as part of their block grant. The Block Grant Transparency publication breaks down all changes in the devolved governments’ block grant funding from the 2015 Spending Review up to and including Spending Review 2025. The most recent report was published in October 2025:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/block-grant-transparency-july-2023

How much of the total Apprenticeship Levy funding collected by HMRC from employers (a) primarily based in Wales and (b) who work across the UK but have a headcount in Wales was transferred to the Treasury in each of the past five years.

UIN 91154 - While the Apprenticeship Levy is UK wide, apprenticeship policy and spending is devolved. This means that the devolved governments receive funding through the Barnett formula in relation to English apprenticeship spending as part of their block grant. It is for the devolved governments to allocate their funding in devolved areas as they see fit, including investing in their skills programmes.UIN 91152 - Reliable estimates of the revenue raised from the Apprenticeship Levy from businesses who work across the UK but have a presence in Wales are not available.While the Apprenticeship Levy is UK wide, apprenticeship policy and spending is devolved. This means that the devolved governments receive funding through the Barnett formula in relation to English apprenticeship spending as part of their block grant. It is for the devolved governments to allocate their funding in devolved areas as they see fit, including investing in their skills programmes.UIN 91151 - Reliable estimates of the revenue raised from the Apprenticeship Levy from businesses primarily based in Wales are not available.While the Apprenticeship Levy is UK wide, apprenticeship policy and spending is devolved. This means that the devolved governments receive funding through the Barnett formula in relation to English apprenticeship spending as part of their block grant. It is for the devolved governments to allocate their funding in devolved areas as they see fit, including investing in their skills programmes.

How much funding was raised by the Apprenticeship Levy from employers who work across the UK, but have a headcount in Wales, in each year of the past five years.

UIN 91154 - While the Apprenticeship Levy is UK wide, apprenticeship policy and spending is devolved. This means that the devolved governments receive funding through the Barnett formula in relation to English apprenticeship spending as part of their block grant. It is for the devolved governments to allocate their funding in devolved areas as they see fit, including investing in their skills programmes.UIN 91152 - Reliable estimates of the revenue raised from the Apprenticeship Levy from businesses who work across the UK but have a presence in Wales are not available.While the Apprenticeship Levy is UK wide, apprenticeship policy and spending is devolved. This means that the devolved governments receive funding through the Barnett formula in relation to English apprenticeship spending as part of their block grant. It is for the devolved governments to allocate their funding in devolved areas as they see fit, including investing in their skills programmes.UIN 91151 - Reliable estimates of the revenue raised from the Apprenticeship Levy from businesses primarily based in Wales are not available.While the Apprenticeship Levy is UK wide, apprenticeship policy and spending is devolved. This means that the devolved governments receive funding through the Barnett formula in relation to English apprenticeship spending as part of their block grant. It is for the devolved governments to allocate their funding in devolved areas as they see fit, including investing in their skills programmes.

How much funding was raised by the Apprenticeship Levy from employers primarily based in Wales in each of the past five years.

UIN 91154 - While the Apprenticeship Levy is UK wide, apprenticeship policy and spending is devolved. This means that the devolved governments receive funding through the Barnett formula in relation to English apprenticeship spending as part of their block grant. It is for the devolved governments to allocate their funding in devolved areas as they see fit, including investing in their skills programmes.UIN 91152 - Reliable estimates of the revenue raised from the Apprenticeship Levy from businesses who work across the UK but have a presence in Wales are not available.While the Apprenticeship Levy is UK wide, apprenticeship policy and spending is devolved. This means that the devolved governments receive funding through the Barnett formula in relation to English apprenticeship spending as part of their block grant. It is for the devolved governments to allocate their funding in devolved areas as they see fit, including investing in their skills programmes.UIN 91151 - Reliable estimates of the revenue raised from the Apprenticeship Levy from businesses primarily based in Wales are not available.While the Apprenticeship Levy is UK wide, apprenticeship policy and spending is devolved. This means that the devolved governments receive funding through the Barnett formula in relation to English apprenticeship spending as part of their block grant. It is for the devolved governments to allocate their funding in devolved areas as they see fit, including investing in their skills programmes.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of exempting search and rescue vehicles from Vehicle Excise Duty.

The Government annually reviews the rates and thresholds of taxes and reliefs to ensure that they are appropriate and reflect the current state of the economy. The Chancellor makes decisions on tax policy at fiscal events in the context of the public finances.

Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that pricing mechanisms for infrastructure access do not adversely impact private investment in rural gigabit rollout.

As the independent regulator for telecommunications, Ofcom is responsible for making regulatory decisions in the fixed telecoms sector, including on the Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) product.In July, we published our draft Statement of Strategic Priorities for telecommunications, the management of radio spectrum, and postal services that sets out the Government’s view on infrastructure sharing in the fixed telecoms sector, including asking Ofcom to demonstrate greater transparency in how they calculate and set PIA prices.In the draft Statement we also set out the importance of continued investment, competition and fair pricing. The government is considering consultation responses, market development and the economic context before the final version is published.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2025 to Question 42630 on Employers' Contributions: Welsh Government, what mechanism her Department will use to provide compensation for public services in Wales for the increase in employers’ National Insurance contribution costs after 2025/26.

The Welsh Government’s budget is growing in real terms between 2024-25 and 2028-29 and their Spending Review settlement is the largest in real terms since devolution in 1998. At Autumn Budget 2024, the Chancellor agreed to provide funding to the public sector to support with the changes to employer National Insurance. The devolved governments received funding through the Barnett formula 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 current Welsh Government Spending Review settlement is the largest settlement in real terms of any since devolution.