Written questions by Chadwick.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to introduce a ban on personal meat imports, in the context of recent confirmed cases of Foot and Mouth in Europe.

On 12 April 2025, the Government banned personal imports of meat and dairy products from foot and mouth disease (FMD) susceptible animals from the European single market area, to protect our farmers from FMD. The Government had already banned personal imports of these commodities from Germany, Hungary, Slovakia and Austria in response to confirmed outbreaks of FMD in those countries.

Whether she will consider proposals to support parents of chronically ill children from day 1 of that child's diagnosis.

The Government understands the difficulties and distress that children with serious health conditions or critical illnesses face. Children and their families who are living with a medical condition will be facing a difficult time in their lives which is why the department provides a wide range of financial support for both individuals and their carers. Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is open to new claims for children aged under 16 if a child’s condition or illness is both of a long-term nature and gives rise to care or mobility needs. The earliest that entitlement to DLA can start is when a three-month qualifying period condition has been met. This qualifying period helps establish that the disability and resulting care, supervision or mobility needs are of a long-standing nature and ensures that disability benefits are targeted to support those with long-term health conditions or disabilities. The qualifying period starts from the point that care, or mobility needs commence rather than the date the condition is diagnosed. Children claiming DLA under the special rules for end of life do not have to satisfy the three-month qualifying period. In these cases, the claim is fast tracked, and the higher-rate care component is awarded from the date of claim.

Whether the East West Rail will be designated as an England and Wales project.

East West Rail is set to cover the route from Oxford to Cambridge and is therefore part of the RNEP portfolio which covers funding for projects in England and Wales. The RNEP portfolio can be distributed to any scheme across England and Wales.

Media and Sport, if she will reconsider the maximum cap on the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme which can be claimed by any one church in 2025-26.

The Department has no plans to reconsider the £25,000 cap in 2025/26. Based on previous scheme data, we expect 94% of claims to be unaffected by the change.Future Government spending is a matter for the 2026 Spending Review.

With reference to the Secretary of State for Transport's Oral Statement of 24 March 2025 on Road Maintenance, whether she has made an estimate of the Barnett consequential funding for Wales of the additional £500 million highway maintenance funding.

At Phase 1 of the 2025 Spending Review, an additional £500 million was allocated to the Department for Transport to fund local highways maintenance in 2025-26. The Barnett formula was applied in the usual way to changes in the Department for Transport’s Delegated Expenditure Limit (DEL) budget. At Spending Reviews, the Barnett formula is applied to changes to each UK Government department’s overall DEL budget, rather than to individual programmes. The Welsh Government’s Spending Review settlement for 2025-26 is the largest in real terms of any Welsh Government settlement since devolution.  The Welsh Government is receiving at least 20% more funding per person than equivalent UK Government spending in England. That translates into over £4 billion more in 2025-26 and includes £1.7 billion through the operation of the Barnett formula. 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 Main Estimates 2023-24. The most recent report was published in July 2023. An update to Block Grant Transparency to include Autumn Budget 2024 changes will be published in due course:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/block-grant-transparency-july-2023

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the roll-out of facial recognition surveillance in Cardiff on (a) residents and (b) visitors.

All police forces must comply with legislation and published guidance when they use facial recognition technology. This includes carrying out their Public Sector Equality Duty. South Wales Police has published equality and data protection impact assessments on live facial recognition technology on their website.

Whether her Department has issued guidance to South Wales Police on the roll-out of facial recognition surveillance in a city-wide CCTV network.

All police forces are expected comply with existing legislation and published guidance when they use facial recognition technology. In particular, when forces use live facial recognition, they must comply with the College of Policing’s Authorised Professional Practice. Its use must always be justified and pass the tests of necessity, proportionality and use for a policing purpose.

What steps her Department is taking to help ensure (a) that the rollout of digital quarterly submissions for tax returns under MTD for ITSA does not lead to penalties for non-compliance and increased stress for vulnerable groups who do not have the digital skills or digital access to meet the new requirements and (b) that measures are in place for people without digital access or digital skills to continue to submit manual books where necessary.

Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax is designed to make it easier for users to get their tax right and keep on top of their affairs. Taxpayers will use software to keep digital records and send simple quarterly updates to HMRC; in turn, this will help to finalise their Income Tax position after the year end. A new fairer penalty regime will also be introduced to support taxpayers submitting more frequent updates under MTD. They will not be penalised for occasionally missing a deadline. Instead, they will receive a penalty point towards a points threshold. They will only receive a financial penalty once that threshold is met. The government recognises that not everyone is able to interact with HMRC digitally. Digitally excluded taxpayers will be able to apply for an exemption from MTD and will continue to file using existing processes. HMRC will set out further information on the exemption process when it opens later in 2025.

If she will bring forward proposals for a furlough scheme for parents of chronically ill children.

The Government recognises the important role parents and carers play in looking after disabled people and people with health conditions, including chronically ill children. Significant support is available to support disabled people and their families and carers, such as Disability Living Allowance for children worth up to £184.30 per week, and Carer’s Allowance worth up to £81.90 per week. This Government is going further to give carers greater flexibility to work and increase their financial security by raising the Carer’s Allowance Weekly Earnings Limit to the equivalent of 16 hours at the National Living Wage from 6th April 2025. This will be the largest increase to the earnings limit since Carer’s Allowance was introduced in 1976.We are also strengthening the right to request flexible working arrangements through the Employment Rights Bill, enabling parents and carers to better balance work around their caring commitments.

How many people in Wales will be impacted by welfare reform.

Information on the impacts of the Pathways to Work Green Paper will be published in due course, with some information already published alongside the Spring Statement. These publications can be found here Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper - GOV.UK. There are currently 347,100 Universal Credit claimants in Wales, with 267,100 claimants of Personal Independence Payments. 89,000 claimants in Wales are receiving both Personal Independence Payments and Universal Credit. Overall, 15% of working age people in Wales receive a disability or incapacity benefit and around a quarter are neither in work nor looking for work. To raise living standards in every corner of our country, we need to unleash the talents of people across the UK wherever they live. However, the system we inherited has left millions of people trapped on benefits, without the support they need to build a better life. We know many sick and disabled people want to work, with the right help and support. They deserve the same rights, chances and choices to get good jobs as anybody else. That is why the government is fixing the social security system so that it gives those who could work the help they need, and those who can’t work the dignity and security they deserve. The Department for Work and Pensions will continue to work with the Welsh government and other devolved governments, which will include looking at Welsh specific impacts to help support people back into work if they are able to, but also protect those who rely on our social security system.

What steps she is taking to reduce economic inactivity in Wales.

As set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper, we have committed £240m of investment towards sixteen trailblazers to test new and innovative ways to support people into work and tackle the root causes of inactivity, including one in Wales. My department has been working in close partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions and the Welsh Government to co-develop and deliver the trailblazer in Wales. Since coming into government, I have worked with UK and Welsh Government colleagues to drive over £1.5 billion in private investment from Eren Holding and Kellogg’s, creating and sustaining over 400 jobs. Wales is also set to benefit from a £250 million investment from one of the world’s largest semiconductor manufacturers which is expected to support over 500 high value jobs and hundreds more through the wider supply chain. In addition, we will support tens of thousands of new jobs through our Welsh Investment Zones and Freeports.

What steps she is taking to improve productivity rates in Wales.

Growth is the number one mission of the government. Our new Industrial Strategy is central to that Growth Mission and our Plan for Change. The Industrial Strategy will channel support to eight growth-driving sectors – those in which the UK excels today and will excel tomorrow. The Strategy will play to Wales’s sectoral strengths, including Advanced Manufacturing, Clean Energy, Life Sciences and Creative Industries. My department has been working closely across UK Government and the Welsh Government on the Industrial Strategy. I have also established the Welsh Economic Growth Advisory Group, a group that brings together business, industry, university and trade unions to discuss key economic issues across Wales.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with (a) Canada, (b) Australia and (c) New Zealand on establishing a formal diplomatic alliance between those countries and the UK.

The Foreign Secretary has not held any discussions about establishing a new diplomatic alliance with these countries. However, Australia, Canada and New Zealand are among the UK's closest and most-valued allies, and we continue to deepen our partnership, including through established alliances and initiatives such as the Commonwealth, 5EYES, NATO, AUKUS and G7. The Foreign Secretary speaks with his Australian, Canadian and New Zealand counterparts regularly.

Whether he has considered inviting Canada to contribute to the Global Combat Air Programme.

All three Global Combat Air Programme nations have highlighted an openness to working with other nations, while keeping us on track with the programme delivery schedule and helping us deliver future military capabilities.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) raising the annual capital borrowing cap for the Welsh Government and (b) introducing a mechanism where it rises with inflation.

We remain committed to working in partnership with the Welsh Government to ensure the Fiscal Framework continues to deliver value for money while upholding our shared commitment to fiscal responsibility. Discussions regarding the Welsh Government’s request to amend the budget management tools outlined in the Framework are ongoing. As set out in the Welsh Government Fiscal Framework agreed in 2016, a full review is triggered if the Welsh Government’s relative funding falls below 115% of equivalent UK Government spending per head in the rest of the UK.

Whether Northern Powerhouse Rail is designated as an England and Wales project.

Funding for heavy rail infrastructure is reserved in Wales, meaning that the UK Government, rather than the Welsh Government, is directly responsible for funding heavy rail infrastructure projects, including those in Wales. Consequently, any heavy rail project that the Department delivers is designated as an England and Wales project. This designation would apply to Northern Powerhouse Rail. This is consistent with the funding arrangements for all other policy areas that are reserved in Wales.

If he will bring forward legislative proposals to allow (a) town, (b) community and (c) parish councils to be eligible complainants to ombudsman services.

The Government has no current plans to change the provisions relating to whom may make a complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman or other statutory Ombudsman schemes.

What support is available for members of the armed forces who have served in Northern Ireland.

This Government recognises the important contribution and sacrifice of those who served in Northern Ireland to keep us safe, and that of the families who enabled them to do so. Veterans who served in Northern Ireland are eligible for a range of support, wherever they reside in the United Kingdom: veterans can access tailored employment support via the Career Transition Partnership, which supports those leaving military service in search of new job opportunities, and Op ASCEND, a new employment pathway for veterans operating across the United Kingdom. Veterans who are resident in England can access specialist care for physical and mental health conditions via Op RESTORE and Op COURAGE respectively. Alternative provision is available in Scotland and Wales, as responsibility for health is devolved. For those who may be homeless or at risk of homelessness, housing guidance and support is available across the country via Op FORTITUDE, a single referral pathway to connect veterans with help and support. For veterans resident in Northern Ireland, the Veterans’ Welfare Service Northern Ireland is a specialist statutory welfare service for veterans and their families. The service provides information and practical support, including physiotherapy and psychological therapies for eligible veterans. The Northern Ireland Veterans’ Commissioner and 11 Veterans’ Champions advocate for veterans’ needs and support veterans in the local community. Where historic investigations impact on veterans who served during Op BANNER, I have committed that the Ministry of Defence will continue to provide welfare and legal support to those affected.

Whether he has had discussions with NICE on the potential use of PEMGARDA to protect clinically vulnerable people against covid-19 in emergency situations.

It is critical that medicines used in the United Kingdom are safe and effective and as such, medicines cannot be marketed in the UK without a marketing authorisation. These are granted by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) which assesses all medicines with regard to their quality, safety, and efficacy. Pemivibart, sold under the brand name Pemgarda, for use in the prophylaxis of COVID-19 does not yet have a marketing authorisation. It is the responsibility of the company to apply to the MHRA for the relevant marketing authorisation. Should an application for it be received, the MHRA will consider this accordingly.In England, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) considers all newly licenced medicines, those that have received a marketing authorisation, to determine whether they represent a clinically and cost-effective use of National Health Service resources. If the manufacturer of Pemgarda seeks a licence from the MHRA, then the NICE may consider it through its technology appraisal programme.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department offers support to private homeowners to assist in removing spray foam roof insulation.

Building owners are responsible for costs of maintaining their buildings throughout the lifespan of these buildings. There are no government schemes to support private homeowners with the removal of spray foam insulation in lofts or elsewhere.