Written questions by Medi.

Whether her Department has conducted an impact assessment of introducing a statutory duty of care in higher education.

Awaiting answer.

With reference to the oral contribution of the Minister for Children and Families during the debate on Universities: Statutory Duty of Care of 13 January 2026, Official Report, column 302WH, what the evidential basis is for the statement that introducing a statutory duty of care in higher education “risks becoming a ceiling rather than a floor” in institutional standards.

Awaiting answer.

What the evidential basis is for her Department’s concerns regarding unintended consequences of introducing a statutory duty of care in higher education.

Awaiting answer.

What comparative analysis of sectors subject to statutory duties of care has been undertaken to support her Department’s assessment of the likely impact of such a duty in higher education.

Awaiting answer.

Communities and Local Government, how many non-metropolitan county councils in England are supported housing providers.

This data is not collected centrally by the UK Government.

Communities and Local Government, whether the Welsh Government will receive consequential funding as a result of the decision to expand Phase 2 of the Pride in Place programme to an additional 40 places, based on an England-only methodology.

We are already supporting 14 communities across Wales through the Pride in Place programme, each with up to £20 million of funding to unlock the potential of the place they call home. The recent programme expansion is limited to English neighbourhoods since it is funded from existing MHCLG budgets for England. The governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have already received their share of this funding via their respective block grant.

What elements of the Warm Homes Plan will be delivered in Wales by (a) Local authorities and (b) Welsh Government.

All eligible households in England and Wales can benefit from the expanded Boiler Upgrade Scheme, funded with £2.7 billion to 2030. The Clean Heat Market Mechanism (CHMM) applies to the whole of the UK, as will round 2 of the Heat Pump Investment Accelerator Competition. The Heat Network Efficiency scheme is open to public, private and third sector grant applicants in England and Wales, and the Heat Network Market Framework also applies in Wales. New minimum energy efficiency standards in the private rented sector will help to lift households out of fuel poverty in England and Wales. The Government has also been actively engaging with the Welsh Government on the Warm Homes Agency since Spring 2025. The Agency will only operate in Wales with agreement from the Welsh Government, and discussions to secure this agreement are ongoing.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of updating the Approved Mileage Allowance Payments rate.

Approved Mileage Allowance Payments (AMAPs) are used by employers to reimburse an employee's expenses for business mileage in their private vehicle. These rates are also used by self-employed drivers to claim tax relief on business mileage (simplified motoring expenses) and can be used by organisations to reimburse volunteers who use their own vehicle for voluntary purposes. Employees can claim up to 45p/mile for the first 10,000 miles annually, followed by 25p/mile thereafter. An additional 5p/mile can be claimed for each passenger transported. The government recognises while AMAP rates have not changed since 2011, the motoring landscape has evolved significantly and it is an important issue for many people who claim motoring expenses. As the Chancellor announced earlier this month, the government will review this issue and will consider this matter further as part of a future fiscal event.

How many privately rented properties in Wales are eligible for the property‑value adjustment exemption set out in the consultation response entitled Improving the energy performance of privately rented homes.

From 1 October 2030, private rented homes must meet the required standard of EPC C, or have a valid exemption registered, to be let. Government has committed to developing a property-value adjustment exemption for privately rented properties that are valued at less than £100,000. No properties are eligible for the property-value adjustment exemption until 1 October 2030. Once the exemption is in place, private rented sector properties in Wales valued under £100,000 will be subject to a lower maximum spend requirement. Further guidance on exemptions will be published in due course.

With reference to pages 37 and 38 of 'Improving the energy performance of privately rented homes: impact assessment', for what reason there is no specific data for Wales.

The analysis in the impact assessment is produced using the Department’s National Buildings Model, which is based on the English Housing Survey and therefore covers England only. The results are scaled to reflect the number of dwellings in Wales, with Wales assumed to follow the overall average. Further details on the modelling approach and the National Buildings Model are set out in Annex B of the Impact Assessment. The UK government has worked closely with the Welsh government to develop the policy.

What steps he is taking to help reduce industrial energy costs for businesses in Wales.

The British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS) is a flagship policy designed to address high industrial electricity costs in manufacturing and boost their global competitiveness and will apply to eligible businesses in Wales. There are separate plans to increase the level of the discount on electricity network charges from 60% to 90% under the Network Charging Compensation Scheme. This will benefit several businesses across Wales who currently receive support through the British Industry Supercharger. The Government has also launched a consultation on Corporate Power Purchase Agreements to help businesses secure more stable electricity for the long term.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of introducing domestic quotas for steel which reflect changes in UK (a) demand and (b) import shares.

In light of the expiry of the steel safeguard in June 2025, we are currently developing a new, robust trade measure to support resilient and secure supply chains.Officials are working closely with stakeholders across the sector, and we are assessing a full range of supply chain interests in designing the measure, including for developing nations. This also includes consideration of UK demand patterns and import shares. Our approach will remain firmly evidence based and fully consistent with the UK’s international and domestic legal obligations.

What recent discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on support for the steel industry in Wales.

Ministerial colleagues and I have had regular engagement with the Welsh Government on steel, through interministerial discussions, and official level engagement.The Department has worked closely with the Welsh Government to develop the upcoming steel strategy and the Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, Energy and Planning is a member of the Steel Council. We have collaborated on areas of the strategy that have devolved elements including skills, procurement and R&D, as well as discussions to ensure the successful transformation of Port Talbot.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of removing the developing nation exemptions for steel producing countries on the steel industry in Wales.

In light of the expiry of the steel safeguard in June 2025, we are currently developing a new, robust trade measure to support resilient and secure supply chains.Officials are working closely with stakeholders across the sector, and we are assessing a full range of supply chain interests in designing the measure, including for developing nations. This also includes consideration of UK demand patterns and import shares. Our approach will remain firmly evidence based and fully consistent with the UK’s international and domestic legal obligations.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the cost of energy standing charges on households in North Wales.

We are committed to bearing down on the cost of standing charges and continue to work closely with the independent regulator, Ofgem, on this issue. As a result of action following the Autumn Budget, and shifting the recovery of the Warm Home Discount to unit rates, the average standing charge in the Price Cap from April to end June has come down by £13, and standing charges are lower now than in July 2024. In addition, on 25 February Ofgem announced the launch of a one-year, lower standing charge tariff pilot with some major suppliers, from April 2026. Through its Cost Allocation and Recovery Review, Ofgem has also been reviewing how fixed costs, which tend to be funded through standing charges, should be recovered in the future energy system. This includes whether those fixed costs could be recovered in more progressive ways.

What was the cost of the six-day live facial recognition trial at Holyhead port in November 2025.

The budget for the Immigration Enforcement Live Facial Recognition trials in Holyhead in November 2025 was £50,000; this was to cover the cost of the police technical support for 6 days of deployments and the watchlist production.The deployments were completed on budget.

What is his Department’s timescale for the distribution of updated materials on the Victims Code to police forces; and what assessment has he made of adherence to that timescale.

We launched the consultation on a new Victims’ Code on 5 February, which will be open to responses for 12 weeks. Following consideration of the consultation responses, and any subsequent changes, we will issue a government response and then issue the new Code in accordance with the Parliamentary process set out in the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024. We will update and distribute revised materials alongside the new Code.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of lowering the landlord cost cap and introducing low property value exemptions for minimum energy efficiency standards on private renters in Wales.

Government’s response to the consultation on increasing the minimum energy efficiency standard for private rented homes was accompanied by the Department’s Impact Assessment. The assessment provides an estimated impact of the final policy based on a range of data available, including HM Land Registry and property price data available for Wales. The measures included in the final policy are intended to be proportional to help manage the burden placed on landlords and the impact on the rental market, whilst still delivering improved, warmer, cheaper to heat homes for private rented sector tenants.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the absence of a permanent motorcycle examiner based in north Wales on (a) test provision ,b) test availability and (c) learners and training providers.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) understands the importance of ensuring test-ready learner riders can take their test as quickly as practically possible. DVSA is committed to providing motorcycle testing provision in North Wales and deploys examiners from other parts of the country to help meet demand. DVSA has also made additional tests available at Bangor driving test centre to account for the difficulty caused by the weather over the winter months. Additional testing provision will be available in Bangor from March 2026. DVSA also continues to recruit driving examiners in North Wales, and hopes this will provide the opportunity to nominate individuals for motorcycle examiner training in 2026.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 19 February 2025 to Question 30336 on Parking: Regulation, what steps he is taking to (a) consult and (b) assess the potential impact of the measures contained in the proposed Government code on standards of parking operator (i) practice and (ii) behaviour.

The government consulted on its proposals to raise standards across the private parking industry between 11 July 2025 and 26 September 2025. All responses are now being analysed. The government’s response to the consultation, together with the impact assessment of the measures contained in the new Code on the industry, will be published in due course. The consultation document can be accessed on gov.uk here.