Written questions by Chadwick.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of ending the Energy Company Obligation on private sector investment in home energy efficiency in Wales.

To bring energy bills down for all, the decision has been made not to continue the Energy Company Obligation when the current scheme ends. We recognise that the decision will be unwelcome news to those working within the supply chain for these schemes. The government has instead committed to additional grant funding of £1.5bn to be directed to upgrading low-income households, benefitting those in fuel poverty. Details of this will be set out in the Warm Homes Plan. We also intend to implement the manifesto commitment to increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the private and social rented sectors.

What estimate she has made of the number of Welsh taxpayers who will be brought into (a) paying income tax, (b) the higher rate band and (c) the additional rate band as a result of the threshold freeze to 2030–31.

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.

How much the average household in Wales is expected to save on energy bills as a result of the Budget’s Renewables Obligation measure, compared with households in England and Scotland.

At the Budget, the Chancellor announced an average £150 of costs off people’s energy bills from April next year. £88 of that comes from the decision to fund 75% of the domestic Renewables Obligation from the Exchequer. The measures announced at Budget apply to the whole of Great Britain, and a household in Wales will see the same level of benefit as an equivalent household in England or Scotland that consumes the same levels of electricity and gas.

Whether she plans to provide additional support to devolved governments for public sector pay costs.

Public sector pay is a devolved responsibility. This means it is for the devolved governments to decide how to allocate the funding they receive across their areas of responsibility, including public sector pay.

To publish a breakdown of the spending decisions in England that generated the £508 million of Barnett consequentials for Wales at the 2025 Autumn Budget.

As a result of decisions at Budget 2025, the Welsh Government will receive an additional £320 million RDEL and £185m CDEL through the operation of the Barnett formula on top of the record settlement provided at Spending Review 2025. This means that the Welsh Government’s settlement continues to grow in real terms between 2024-25 and 2028-29.The Welsh Government are free to allocate Barnett consequentials as they see fit across their devolved prioritiesWhere policy changes will take effect in years beyond the existing Spending Review 2025 period, the Barnett formula will apply when departmental budgets change at the next Spending Review.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the planned £4.9 billion in efficiencies and savings in 2030–31 on devolved governments’ budgets.

As a result of decisions at Budget 2025, the Welsh Government will receive an additional £320 million RDEL and £185m CDEL through the operation of the Barnett formula on top of the record settlement provided at Spending Review 2025. This means that the Welsh Government’s settlement continues to grow in real terms between 2024-25 and 2028-29.The Welsh Government are free to allocate Barnett consequentials as they see fit across their devolved prioritiesWhere policy changes will take effect in years beyond the existing Spending Review 2025 period, the Barnett formula will apply when departmental budgets change at the next Spending Review.

What recent assessment she has made of the effect of higher-than-forecast inflation and pay growth on devolved governments’ capacity to fund public sector pay settlements.

Public sector pay is a devolved responsibility. This means it is for the devolved governments to decide how to allocate the funding they receive across their areas of responsibility, including public sector pay.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of planned reductions in departmental spending after 2028 on the Welsh block grant during the next Senedd term.

As a result of decisions at Budget 2025, the Welsh Government will receive an additional £320 million RDEL and £185m CDEL through the operation of the Barnett formula on top of the record settlement provided at Spending Review 2025. This means that the Welsh Government’s settlement continues to grow in real terms between 2024-25 and 2028-29.The Welsh Government are free to allocate Barnett consequentials as they see fit across their devolved prioritiesWhere policy changes will take effect in years beyond the existing Spending Review 2025 period, the Barnett formula will apply when departmental budgets change at the next Spending Review.

If she will publish the Treasury’s analysis of how far the uplifts to Welsh Government borrowing and reserve limits restore the real-terms value of those limits since they were set a decade ago.

As announced at Autumn Budget 2025 there will be a 10% increase to annual and cumulative capital borrowing limits and the Wales Reserve overall and annual drawdown limits in 2026-27 which will increase the real value of the Welsh Government’s budget management tools.

Innovation and Technology, how much and what proportion of funding allocated to AI and semiconductor growth zones will be spent in Wales; and over what timeframe.

The AI Growth Zones programme aims to attract billions of pounds in private investment into AI data centres and drive economic growth through job creation. The programme will create opportunities for skills development and apprenticeships, forge research and development partnerships with local universities, and enable British businesses to participate in major AI projects.We have announced four AI Growth Zones, two of which are Welsh sites, with one in Anglesey and another in South Wales. These sites will benefit from major private investment, including Vanguard's planned £10 billion investment in the South Wales AI Growth Zone. In addition to this private capital, we are providing £5 million for each AI Growth Zone through UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) to support skills development and AI adoption, ensuring that local communities benefit directly from the programme. This funding will be available from April 2026 for all AI Growth Zones.

Whether the proposed high-value property surcharge in England will generate Barnett-related consequentials for devolved administrations.

There were no changes to UK Government DEL budgets as a result of the High Value Council Tax Surcharge so this policy did not result in Barnett consequentials.

What discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on the impact of the income tax threshold freeze on Welsh Rates of Income Tax revenues.

The previous Government made the decision to maintain income tax thresholds at their current levels from April 2021 until April 2028 As agreed between the UK and Welsh Governments, under the existing fiscal framework, the Welsh Government is responsible for 10p in income tax rates, whilst income tax thresholds in Wales remain reserved to the UK Government. The UK Government has regular discussions with the Welsh Government on their fiscal framework, including the impact of UK Government tax policy changes.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of front-loaded Barnett consequentials on the Welsh Government’s medium-term financial planning.

As a result of decisions at Budget 2025, the Welsh Government will receive an additional £320 million RDEL and £185m CDEL through the operation of the Barnett formula on top of the record settlement provided at Spending Review 2025. This means that the Welsh Government’s settlement continues to grow in real terms between 2024-25 and 2028-29.The Welsh Government are free to allocate Barnett consequentials as they see fit across their devolved prioritiesWhere policy changes will take effect in years beyond the existing Spending Review 2025 period, the Barnett formula will apply when departmental budgets change at the next Spending Review.

What is her department's current estimated cost of completing the Northern Powerhouse rail project.

We are fully committed to delivering Northern Powerhouse Rail and know the importance of getting this right. We want to learn the lessons from HS2 and so are taking the time to consider the details, which will include costs. We will set out our ambitions in the near future.

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

The Northern Powerhouse Rail project is classified as an England and Wales project. This approach applies to investment in heavy rail by the Department for Transport, including HS2 and East-West Rail, and is consistent with the funding arrangements for all other policy areas reserved in Wales as set out in the Statement of Funding Policy.

If he will take steps to ensure that there is a single, simple and comprehensive scheme providing up-front support with the running costs of medical devices provided by the NHS.

Within NHS England, financial support is already provided for certain specialist National Health Services to offset increased energy costs faced by patients using medical equipment at home. This includes patients using home haemodialysis or home oxygen concentration. In line with the commitments in the 10-Year Health Plan, the Department of Health and Social Care is working with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to help ensure more health vulnerable households also receive assistance with costs associated with their care.The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero is leading the development of an ambitious new Warm Homes plan and Fuel Poverty Strategy to help make homes warmer, more comfortable, and more energy efficient. The Department of Health and Social Care is working hard to ensure that expanding support for patients who use NHS-provided electrical medical devices in their own home is included in the Fuel Poverty Strategy.

If he will make it his policy to guarantee working-age people with a terminal illness a State Pension-level of income.

We have no such policy. Supporting people nearing the end of their life is important to the Government. The main way the Department does this is through the Special Rules for End of Life (SREL) which enable people who are nearing the end of their lives to get faster, easier access to Personal Independence Payment, Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit and Attendance Allowance. The Department is committed to ensure that eligible claimants at the end of life have their claims processed as quickly as possible. Latest figures show that in Great Britain, new claims to PIP under the Special Rules are being cleared in 3 working days on average.

If he will introduce a social tariff for energy to help lift people at the end of life out of fuel poverty.

We recognise that for many households energy bills remain too high. That's why on 19 June we announced that we are expanding the Warm Home Discount to around an additional 2.7 million households. This means that from this winter, around 6 million low-income households will receive the £150 support to help with their energy bill costs.

If she will make an estimate of the number of people in Wales that would be moved into higher rates of tax as a result of freezing of tax thresholds by 2030.

The previous Government made the decision to maintain income tax thresholds at their current levels from April 2021 until April 2028. 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

Innovation and Technology, whether his Department is still considering reforms to PIA.

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.My officials regularly engage with Ofcom to ensure we have the right regulatory environment in place to promote competition and investment in fibre roll-out across the UK, including in rural areas.