Written questions by Roberts.

What the total cost in (a) 2019 prices and (b) today after being adjusted for inflation of HS2 as estimated by CEO of HS2 Ltd in his preliminary report to her Department.

Mark Wild is leading a comprehensive reset of the programme to deliver the remaining works at the lowest reasonable cost. As part of this work, he will advise the Department on a revised cost estimate for HS2. As Mark Wild set out in his letter, HS2 Ltd’s unassured estimate of the maximum cost of HS2 excluding Euston in June 2024 was £61.8bn in Q3 2019 prices, however he identified the programme was facing significant additional pressures which he will assess as part of the reset. Once a revised cost estimate is agreed, this will be expressed in an updated price base and better capture the inflation incurred since 2019, following a commitment made by the Department to the Public Accounts Committee in December.

With reference to the June 2025 Statement of Funding Policy, published on 11 June, and the oral contribution of the Secretary of State for Wales during the oral question on Devolution: Crown Estate of 11 June, Official Report, column 958, whether the East-West rail project is classified by her department as carrying a 100% comparability factor for Wales.

The East-West 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.

With reference to her Department's consultation on reforming Local Justice Areas, what assessment has she made of the adequacy of her Department's adherence to the statutory duty to provide a Welsh language impact assessment.

The Ministry of Justice produced a Welsh language impact assessment during consultation (published on 16 April 2025, shortly after the consultation’s launch), and has committed to publishing a further assessment alongside the finalised proposals, once these are determined.The existing assessment is available at section 10 of the Equalities Statement: LJA Consultation Equalities Statement.

What discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on the Strategic Defence Review.

The Welsh Government was invited to respond to the public consultation through a letter from Lord Robertson. I have also held a call with the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales to brief the Welsh Government on the content of the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) and its significance for Wales. We will continue engagement with Welsh Government Colleagues on a range of Ministry of Defence matters including the SDR.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the ban on employment for women seeking asylum on levels of gender-based violence and exploitation.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 3 June to Question 53862.

Whether any of the six munitions and energetics factories announced in the Strategic Defence Review will be built in Wales.

Wales already contributes to munitions development, and we hope businesses based in Wales will continue to do so as we build our always on defence munitions strategy. We will set out that detail in due course, but our overall munitions investment will help support jobs and growth across every nation of the UK. We already have important facilities across the UK, supporting thousands of jobs. This new investment will be used to build at least six munitions and energetics factories across the UK, creating hundreds of skilled jobs and supporting the Government's Plan for Change by driving growth in every region and nation of the UK.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the work ban for people seeking asylum on future employment opportunities.

Our primary responsibility remains to crack down on illegal working, and ensure that those employers and employees who play by the rules are not undercut by those who are not. Asylum seekers who have had their claim outstanding for 12 months or more, through no fault of their own, can currently apply for permission to work in jobs on the Immigration Salary List (ISL). The Home Office keeps all aspects of the immigration and asylum system under regular review, and recently published a White Paper setting out the Government’s plans for reform in relation to the exploitation and abuse of migrant workers, and a wide range of other areas. The Home Office also continues to invest in a programme of transformation to speed up asylum decision making and therefore reduce the time people spend in the asylum system. This approach will ensure that genuine asylum seekers can be accepted quickly and gain access to the labour market, and those who are not can be removed to their home country.

If he will make an estimate of the number of radio teleswitch service meters in use in (a) Wales, (b) Gwynedd and (c) Dwyfor Meirionnydd constituency in the latest period for which data is available.

Most recent figures provided to the Department from Ofgem indicates that as of 2nd May there were c.9,500 RTS meters remaining in Wales.Ofgem does not collect constituency level data on RTS meters from suppliers.

What assessment has he made of the accuracy of the list of RTS Switch off Identified Properties for properties in Gwynedd which have storage heaters as their primary source of heating.

The Department is not aware of a list of RTS properties that separately identifies premises with and without storage heaters.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of Ofgem's data on Smarter Meter Switch off Identified Properties on the number of properties in Gwynedd with storage heaters as their primary source of heating.

Smart meters, and the communication services that support smart metering, will not be switched off. The Department does not receive information from energy suppliers about the number of households with storage heaters.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of delaying the Radio Teleswitch Service switch off.

The industry-led Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS) is reaching the end of its operational life and can no longer be adequately maintained.The switch-off will start from the end of June, and the Government and Ofgem have called on suppliers to rapidly increase the pace of RTS replacements, so that there is a smooth transition and consumers are protected. We continue to closely monitor progress.

What steps his Department will take to support households unable to access Energy Company Obligation 4 before its expiration on 31 March 2026.

Eligibility for the Energy Company Obligation 4 (ECO4) and the Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) does not guarantee assistance, the Department cannot direct who receives support. ECO4 and GBIS have already supported an estimated 292,490 households to February 2025, with around 9,000 homes per month in the last quarter. We are committed to meeting fuel poverty and Net Zero targets, and we are currently considering what policy mix will best achieve that, including what role energy company obligations should play post-2026.

What estimate he has made of the number of households on Economy 7 tariffs in Gwynedd impacted by the Radio Teleswitch service switch off.

The Department does not receive information from energy suppliers on the number of households on specific tariffs, such as Economy 7.

If she will make an assessment of the adequacy of routes available to people in Gaza to join families in the UK.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave on 13 March to Question 35970.

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of establishing an independent inquiry into the death of Robbie Powell in 1990.

The Government offers its deepest sympathy to the parents of Robbie Powell for the tragic loss of their son in 1990.Robbie Powell’s death has been the subject of a number of investigative and judicial processes over the last 30 years. The intense scrutiny of Robbie’s case, provided through these reviews, suggests that it is unlikely that a further inquiry would reveal anything which has not been uncovered already, or would identify further significant lessons to be learned.Even though the events occurred prior to the devolution of the National Health Service, this should not prevent the National Assembly for Wales from considering this case.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of visa uncertainty on employment opportunities for Ukrainians in the UK.

We keep the Ukraine schemes under continuous review in line with the ongoing conflict and the Ukrainian government’s desire for the future return of its citizens to Ukraine. This is why the Ukraine Schemes are temporary and do not lead to settlement in the UK. It is important our approach respects these wishes.The Ukraine Permission Extension scheme provides the same rights and entitlements to access work, benefits, healthcare and education as the current Ukraine schemes.The Home Office continues to engage with our stakeholders and partners to ensure employers are fully informed and can continue to support Ukrainians. We have also updated the online guidance for employers with details of the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme, which is available on GOV.UK.

What plans her Department has for future visas for Ukrainian refugees once the 18-month Ukraine Permission Extension scheme expires.

We keep the Ukraine schemes under continuous review in line with the ongoing conflict and the Ukrainian government’s desire for the future return of its citizens to Ukraine. This is why the Ukraine Schemes are temporary and do not lead to settlement in the UK. It is important our approach respects these wishes.The Ukraine Permission Extension scheme provides the same rights and entitlements to access work, benefits, healthcare and education as the current Ukraine schemes.The Home Office continues to engage with our stakeholders and partners to ensure employers are fully informed and can continue to support Ukrainians. We have also updated the online guidance for employers with details of the Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme, which is available on GOV.UK.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of continuing thank you payments following the end of the Ukraine Permission Extension scheme.

The Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme allows existing Ukraine scheme visa holders to apply for further permission to remain in the UK for an additional 18-months. To support Ukrainians who are still in Homes for Ukraine sponsorship arrangements as they transition to living independently, the government has also extended thank you payments for 18-months under the UPE scheme only.The UPE visa period provides guests and sponsors with time to plan to live independently and, if needed, to secure independently funded accommodation.

How many probation service staff providing pre-sentencing report delivery were in employment for courts in (a) England and (b) Wales in each of the last 10 years.

The number of Probation Officers and Probation Services Officers (FTE) working in the Courts internal function as of December of each year since 2017: EnglandWalesTotal2017988.048.81,036.82018970.456.41026.92019885.754.3940.02020863.653.7917.32021894.752.4947.12022894.456.5950.92023956.164.01,020.120241,060.779.71,140.4The above table details, from internal management information, the FTE Probation Officers and Probation Services Officers who were recorded as working in the Courts internal function in December of each year. Data prior to 2017 is not easily obtainable or reliable as it would come from a different data source. It would not be reliable to provide a trend between the two data sources. Staff in this internal function would have spent some (but not necessarily all) of their time delivering Pre-Sentence Reports. Staff are also required to carry out other forms of work in court e.g. triaging court lists and producing other types of reports. There are some other staff who may carry out Pre-Sentence Reports in addition to those in the table (sessional staff and some staff from the Offender Management internal function). These staff would carry out Pre-Sentence Reports on an ad-hoc basis and their contribution would not be quantifiable. Any change year-on-year does not necessarily mean a change in funding for these staff and could reflect of how many staff were in post and available to carry out this work. Administrative or managerial staff are not included in these figures, although these staff play an important role in supporting PO and PSO colleagues with the delivery of Pre-Sentence Reports.

How many (a) standard delivery, (b) fast delivery, and (c) oral pre-sentence reports were produced in (i) Wales and (ii) England in 2024.

The Probation Service is responsible for producing pre-sentence reports (PSRs) where they have been requested by the Court. The PSR assesses the offender’s behaviour, the risk they pose, and recommend sentencing options tailored to the individual. The report can suggest community sentences and specific requirements like treatment programmes. Ultimately, the PSR provides recommendations to the Court, but the final decision rests with the judge.The following table shows the number of PSRs prepared by the Probation Service and presented to the criminal courts in England and Wales between January 2024 and December 2024.Magistrates' and Crown CourtsEnglandWalesTotalTotal pre-sentence court reports (PSR)91,8577,14999,006Standard PSR4,8387485,586Fast Delivery PSR written71,1574,37675,533Fast Delivery PSR oral15,8622,02517,887Note, PSR figures by region are published every April as part of the Offender Management Statistics quarterly bulletin. Please also note that the data pipeline used to compile the figures has been updated. This change was introduced for the 2024 figures. More details can be found in the 'Probation data process transition' section of Chapter 6 of the publication, available here: Offender management statistics quarterly: October to December 2024 - GOV.UK.