Written questions by Chadwick.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Welsh government on the limit of water abstractions from the river Usk to supply Monmouth and Brecon canal.

Water abstraction licensing in Wales, and conditions that may be attached to licences, are a devolved matter for Natural Resources Wales and the Welsh Government. Defra and the Environment Agency do not have a role in that. Issues of concern about the supply of water for the Monmouth and Brecon Canal are an operational matter for the Canal and River Trust, as the independent charity owning the canal, to resolve with Natural Resources Wales.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Welsh government on the cost of water extraction to supply the Monmouth and Brecon canal.

Water abstraction licensing in Wales, and conditions that may be attached to licences, are a devolved matter for Natural Resources Wales and the Welsh Government. Defra and the Environment Agency do not have a role in that. Issues of concern about the supply of water for the Monmouth and Brecon Canal are an operational matter for the Canal and River Trust, as the independent charity owning the canal, to resolve with Natural Resources Wales.

Whether he is taking steps to help support British (a) defence and (b) technology companies to participate in procurement processes arising from proposed increased military production in EU countries.

Working with industry, the government will continue focusing on markets offering the best export opportunities, and with whom stronger defence, digital and technology relationships support delivery of UK defence objectives, including across Europe. Domestically, the Cabinet Office's recent National Procurement Policy Statement sets out how public procurement can be used to kickstart economic growth, including by encouraging innovation and new technologies in line with the Industrial Strategy.As part of a defence innovation drive, the government will also look to enhance investment in defence start-ups and scale-up technology and capability, including through the National Security Strategic Investment Fund.More broadly, the government recognises the defence, digital and technology sector's importance to our economic growth mission which is why they were identified as two of the eight growth-driving sectors in our forthcoming Industrial Strategy, which will be published in spring 2025.

What recent estimate she has made of the total cost of the electrification of the remainder of the South Wales mainline to be.

This Government acknowledges that its predecessors have short-changed Wales for years on rail investment, including because of HS2. The South East Wales Transport Commission and North Wales Transport Commission provide the government with key recommendations for rail enhancements in these regions that will boost economic growth and provide good jobs and housing. The UK and Welsh governments have agreed a prioritisation of rail improvement projects developed by the Wales Rail Board which will inform work in the run up to the Spring Spending Review.

What steps he has taken since 5 July 2024 to ensure that NHS IT systems in England and Wales are fully compatible.

I regularly meet with Cabinet colleagues and with the First Minister to discuss a range of matters, including the NHS. Our two governments are working in close partnership to deliver for the people of Wales.I acknowledge the complex challenge of integrating IT systems across England and Wales and I know that both the NHS in Wales and in England are aware of the issue. I am pleased that Digital Health and Care Wales is working closely with the NHS in England to identify ways of addressing this.We are working in a spirit of genuine collaboration to do everything possible to cut waiting lists and build an NHS fit for the future. Our two Governments are already learning from best practice in areas such as the Welsh Government’s work on dentistry and GP practices, and in the UK Government’s plans to roll out extra elective capacity, including through new surgical hubs. There is also a Statement of Values and Principles that underpins the arrangements for treatment of patients living on the Wales-England border. We will continue to explore cross-border health arrangements where capacity allows.In the Autumn Budget, we provided the Welsh Government with an additional £1.7 billion to invest in public services like the NHS. An extra £600 million in funding has now been announced by the Welsh Government for health and social care in their Budget for 2025/26.

What recent estimate she has made of the total cost of the electrification of the North Wales mainline.

The previous Government made a series of unfunded commitments in its Network North plan, including the proposed electrification of the North Wales Main Line.The Government recognises the case for enhancing levels of service on the North Wales Main Line and is prioritising increasing capacity alongside improving connectivity. In August, Network Rail and Transport for Wales announced that it is undertaking local consultation, planning and development work to close four level crossings along the North Wales Main Line. This has the potential to increase rail capacity by 40%, with 50% more timetabled services on the North Wales Main Line.This government acknowledges that its predecessors have short-changed Wales for years on rail investment, including because of HS2. The North Wales Transport Commission and South East Wales Transport Commission provide the Government with key recommendations for rail enhancements in these regions that will boost economic growth and provide good jobs and housing.The UK and Welsh governments have agreed a prioritisation of rail improvement projects developed by the Wales Rail Board which will inform work in the run up to the Spring Spending Review.

What funding is available from his Department to support (a) Welsh companies making redundancies, (b) Welsh employees at risk of redundancy and (c) Welsh companies in retaining employees.

The Government aims to respond to any job losses from company distress cases swiftly and coherently, to reduce the local impact and support people back to work.Through the Redundancy Payments Service (RPS), part of the Insolvency Service, employers can access funding for redundancies, if required. For employers who are considering making 20 or more employees redundant at any one site, the RPS also notify the appropriate government departments and agencies, in confidence. This includes Jobcentre Plus and other service providers in their local area who will reach out with offers of assistance during the notification/consultation period.The Department for Work and Pensions locally deploy the Rapid Response Service to provide support to people affected by redundancy, regardless of whether they are receiving benefits. The aim is to help people into new employment as quickly as possible. The service supports people during their notice period and up to 13 weeks after they leave work.Additionally, the Welsh Government directly delivers services supporting redundant workers. ReAct Plus is a grant programme, offering tailored support to those trying to re-enter the labour market by removing barriers and providing grant support for vocational training, travel costs and care (including childcare) related to training.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the operational independence of the UK's F-35 fighter jet fleet.

The UK maintains the freedom of action to operate the F-35 Lightning at a time and place of our choosing.

If she will consider a permanent fund for therapeutic support for adoptive and special guardship families.

I refer the hon. Member for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe to the answer of 29 January 2025 to Question 26025.

Whether an emergency fund will be made available to adoption and special guardianship therapy providers to ensure there is no break in existing therapy work with children and families.

I refer the hon. Member for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe to the answer of 29 January 2025 to Question 26025.

What steps her Department is taking to ensure there is adequate enforcement of unfulfilled court compensation orders.

Courts may impose a compensation order on an offender requiring them to make financial reparation to the victim for any personal injury, loss or damage resulting from the offence. Compensation may be ordered for such amount as the court considers appropriate having regard to any evidence including any representations made by the offender or prosecutor. There is no limit on the value of a single compensation order handed down to an adult offender. For young offenders, the maximum limit is £5,000. Financial penalties imposed by the courts will often consist of multiple elements including, amongst others, compensation, victim surcharge, prosecutor’s costs and a fine. The imposition is enforced as a whole, and any receipts received are applied to the offender’s account in accordance with a strict legal hierarchy. This ensures that compensation is paid first to ensure that victims receive any monies they are due first, with the victim surcharge being the second element to be collected and the fine element being the last to be collected. The courts will do everything within their powers to trace those who do not pay and use a variety of means to ensure the recovery of criminal fines and financial penalties. This includes deducting money from an offender’s earnings, or benefits if they are unemployed, or, if appropriate, issuing warrants instructing approved enforcement agents to seize and sell goods belonging to the offender. Offenders can also be imprisoned for up to 12 months for non-payment of compensation orders. HM Courts & Tribunals Service is already investing over £14 million in technology to increase the collection of financial penalties imposed in the criminal courts, including compensation orders, with a replacement IT system currently under development.

What steps the Government is taking to support ongoing research into Alzeimher's.

The Government’s responsibility for delivering research into Alzheimer’s disease is shared between the Department of Health and Social Care, with research delivered via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), and the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology, with research delivered via UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).The NIHR is delivering a wide range of research initiatives into Alzheimer’s disease. For example, the NIHR is investing nearly £50 million over five years into the Dementia Trials Network, which seeks to significantly expand the United Kingdom’s early phase clinical trial capabilities for dementia.The NIHR also invests significantly in building the next generation of dementia researchers, which includes partnering with Alzheimer’s Society to fund and support a cohort of post-doctoral health and care researchers.UKRI funds research into the causes, prevention, and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s, across a broad portfolio of investments, including research projects, fellowships, and programmes of work within our institutes. Key recent investments in neurodegeneration research include the Dementia Research Institute, use of the Science Technology and Facilities Council’s facilities in Alzheimer’s research, an Innovate UK contribution to the Longitude Prize on Dementia, and £10 million of funding through the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund for a Neurological and Psychiatric Imaging Research and Therapeutics Hub at Kings College London.

What discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on reducing waiting times for NHS treatment.

I regularly meet with the First Minister to discuss a wide range of matters, including health and NHS waiting lists in Wales. Our two Governments are working in a spirit of genuine collaboration. In the Autumn Budget, we provided the Welsh Government with an additional £1.7 billion to invest in public services like the NHS. An extra £600 million in funding has now been announced by the Welsh Government for health and social care in their Budget for 2025/26. I welcome the news that waiting times in Wales are heading in the right direction. We will continue to support the Welsh Government to deliver improved public services for the people of Wales as we did with record funding in the Autumn Budget.

What steps she is taking to collaborate with the Welsh Government on cross-border healthcare.

We are working in a spirit of genuine collaboration to do everything possible to cut waiting lists and build an NHS fit for the future. Our two Governments are already learning from best practice in areas such as the Welsh Government’s work on dentistry and GP practices, and in the UK Government’s plans to roll out extra elective capacity, including through new surgical hubs. We will continue to explore cross-border health arrangements where capacity allows. In the Autumn Budget, we provided the Welsh Government with an additional £1.7 billion to invest in public services like the NHS. An extra £600 million in funding has now been announced by the Welsh Government for health and social care in their Budget for 2025/26. I welcome the news that waiting times in Wales are heading in the right direction. We will continue to support the Welsh Government to deliver improved public services for the people of Wales as we did with record funding in the Autumn Budget.

Food and Rural Affairs, what progress he has made on securing an EU-UK veterinary agreement.

In line with our manifesto commitment, the Government is committed to resetting our EU relationship, including by seeking to negotiate a SPS agreement. We have been clear that an SPS agreement could boost trade and deliver significant benefits on both sides. We will not be providing a running commentary on discussions with the EU. We cannot provide further information at this stage whilst negotiations are continuing.

What steps she is taking to work with the (a) CLA, (b) NFU, (c) FUW and (d) other industry bodies to protect working farms in the context of the proposed changes to APR and BPR.

As the Minister responsible for the UK tax system, I have participated in several meetings with agricultural organisations since Autumn Budget 2024 to listen to their views. Most recently, the Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs and I met with representatives from various agricultural organisations, including all those highlighted, on 18 February 2025.As the Government has outlined, the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting farms and businesses, and fixing the public finances. 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.

How the Child Poverty Taskforce will interact with the Welsh Government.

Child Poverty Taskforce Ministers and Officials meet regularly with Ministers and Officials from the Devolved Governments. Working closely with partners across all UK nations and regions is a central part of our approach to developing the strategy, as set out in Tackling Child Poverty: Developing Our Strategy.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with Ofwat on ensuring that any fines placed on water companies are not passed onto customers in the form of higher bills.

The cost burden for water company fines is borne by their shareholders, not by customers. Ofwat have been clear that when financial penalties are imposed on water companies, customers should not bear the costs and water companies cannot surcharge their customers to recover the funds. During its first week in office, the Government announced that funding for vital infrastructure investment is ringfenced and can only be spent on upgrades benefiting customers and the environment. Ofwat will ensure that when money for investment is not spent, companies refund customers.

Food and Rural Affairs, what progress he has made on permitting a vaccine for Bluetongue; and what discussions he has had with devolved Administrations on ensuring that vaccine is available across the United Kingdom.

Defra’s approach to bluetongue virus (BTV) considers the latest scientific evidence and veterinary advice and aims to limit the spread of infection through proportionate and evidence-based control measures. Close collaborative working on bluetongue vaccination with Devolved Governments is facilitated through the bluetongue vaccine task force. The task force was established in April 2024 by Defra as a cross-government and industry task force to progress opportunities for bluetongue vaccination for BTV-3. Supported by the work of the bluetongue vaccination taskforce, in the absence of UK authorised vaccines for BTV-3 following assessment by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) the Secretary of State in 2024 permitted the use of three unauthorised vaccines for emergency use in line with bluetongue legislation, in the UK subject to licence. A general licence permitting the use of these vaccines in England from 26 September 2024 has been published by Defra. The Welsh Government has also announced plans that a licence for the three BTV-3 vaccines for use in Wales from 1 March 2025 will be made available. Licences for Scotland and Northern Ireland are not currently available, but the use of BTV-3 vaccines in these areas remain under review. We advise animal keepers that are considering using the vaccine to speak to their private vet for advice. Defra, in conjunction with the VMD will continue to monitor the development and availability of BTV vaccines as they are put forward for market authorisation by vaccine manufacturers.

On how many occasions has the Groceries Code Adjudicator imposed the maximum fine on a retailer for non-compliance since 2013.

Since 2013 the Groceries Code Adjudicator has not imposed a fine on a retailer for non-compliance. The Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) has a number of levers to deal with non-compliance and resolve disputes. Following an investigation into a regulated retailer which has breached the Code, the Adjudicator can issue recommendations against a retailer, require retailers to publish details of a breach or fine retailers up to 1% of their annual turnover.