Written questions by Medi.

If she will make an estimate of the potential impact of technical issues associated with the (a) Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight, (b) common health entry document and (c) Cargo Community Systems for the UK on costs incurred by exporters since January 2024.

HMRC’s Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight (CHIEF) system is no longer in use. No new declarations have been made on CHIEF since July 2024, and the system was fully decommissioned in December 2024. HMRC’s customs systems, including CHIEF prior to its decommissioning, have remained resilient, and in the unlikely event of system issues HMRC has contingency processes to maintain the flow of goods. Common health entry documents (CHEDs) for UK exporters are a requirement of EU member states that they are exporting to, and the associated systems and processes are outside the control of UK Government. CHEDs for UK imports are issued by the Import of Products, Animals, Food, and Feed System (IPAFFS) and system reliability to enable CHEDs to be issued to traders has generally been good. Cargo Community Systems for the UK is a recognised Community System Provider but is a private sector entity responsible for its own systems and processes, including resolution of technical issues.

How many people the Crown Estate employs in the United Kingdom.

The average number of staff during the year 2023-24 was 642, as set out in Table 7 Staff Costs of The Crown Estate Integrated Report and Accounts 2023/24. The figure will be updated in The Crown Estate’s annual report for 2024-25, which is due for publication in the summer.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of US tariffs on UK automotive exports on (a) levels of unemployment in Wales and (b) level of exports from Wales to the United States.

We know that this is a concerning time for automotive businesses in Wales. Last year, Wales exported £89 million worth of road vehicles to the US, which accounted for 14% of its total road vehicle exports. That is why the government has been focused on negotiating an economic deal with the US, and we remain committed to these discussions.We are resolute in our support for industry across the whole of the UK, and we will continue to engage with businesses to assess and understand the impact of these tariffs. In addition, on 3 April the government launched a Request for Input from businesses to help inform the UK's response to US tariffs.

Whether the Government plans to provide financial support for the decommissioning of (a) nuclear projects, (b) Wylfa and (c) Trawsfynydd in (i) the 2026-27 financial year and (ii) future financial years.

HM Government remains committed to the decommissioning of nuclear power stations across the UK. The nuclear decommissioning projects including those at Wylfa and Trawsfynydd are carried out by Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS) on behalf of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA). The NDA are publicly funded through the Department (DESNZ) and in the future from the Nuclear Liabilities Fund for the Advanced Gas Reactors (AGR) stations.. Funding for 2026-27 and beyond is currently in discussion with the Department as part of the ongoing Spending Review process.

Pursuant to the Answer of 7 January 2025 to Question 21108 on Wylfa Power Station, whether his Department has finished examining the previous Government's plans for Wylfa.

I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave to her on 7 January 2025 to Question UIN 21108. No decisions have been taken on any projects and technologies to be deployed at sites owned by Great British Nuclear. We will set out our plans in due course.

Innovation and Technology, what discussions he has had with the (a) the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, (b) Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and (c) Welsh Government on ensuring that (i) local authorities are prepared for the Public Switched Telephone Network migration and (ii) no vulnerable people are missed in that migration.

The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) migration is industry-led. The Department works closely with other departments, including the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Welsh Government, to ensure that local authorities and vulnerable customers are protected and prepared for the migration.On 18 November 2024, the Government published guidance for local authorities on the migration. Local authorities have been asked to sign data sharing agreements with communication providers on telecare and vulnerable customers. Over 85% of local authorities that provide telecare have an agreement with at least one communication provider.Industry are leading and funding a National Telecare Campaign to support identifying vulnerable customers. Welsh language will be used in broadcast and printed adverts.

Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to develop a rural economic strategy that provides regional funding for rural communities.

The UK Government is committed to supporting economic growth across the UK, including in our rural communities. Through the Plan for Change programme, we are working closely with the Welsh Government to ensure Wales can benefit from future investment and support. Our focus will be on working closely with the Welsh Government to inform their strategies and plans for rural communities in Wales. The UK Government is supporting through programmes like the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), Freeports and Investment Zones, which collectively aim to target growth and investment across Wales.

Whether the Crown Estate charges private businesses (a) lease fees and (b) royalty fees on profits.

The Crown Estate as a landowner charges occupiers/tenants, which can be private businesses, rent in accordance with their lease agreements. In some cases, the rent structure under The Crown Estate’s leases can include a turnover rent element whereby the amount of rent charged is either a percentage of the occupier/tenant’s turnover made at the leased property or the higher of fixed rent and a percentage of the occupier/tenant’s turnover at the leased property. These rent structures are commonly used in the retail market. Royalty fees are used in certain specific situations within a lease structure.

What assessment he has made with the Welsh Government of the effectiveness of (a) death certification reforms and (b) the statutory medical examiner system; and if he will undertake a review of their implementation.

The Government is monitoring the impact of the death certification reforms which came into legal effect on 9 September 2024. Overall, the implementation of the reforms has been effective and medical examiners are conducting scrutiny of the causes of death in every case that is not investigated by a coroner. Medical examiners were introduced to provide additional safeguards in death certification, and they are obliged by law to make all the enquiries they consider necessary to conduct their scrutiny and to ensure there has been an opportunity for the bereaved to ask questions and raise concerns in every case. Feedback from bereaved people about the support provided by medical examiner offices is overwhelmingly positive.Since the introduction of the reforms, the median time taken to register a death in England and Wales appears to have risen by two days, from seven days to nine days, though there is regional variation. This figure is for all deaths, as it includes those certified by a doctor and those investigated by a coroner. The median time taken to register a death varies depending on the type of certification, and deaths certified through the medical examiner route, which comprise approximately 80% of deaths registered each week, typically had a shorter period between death and registration compared to all deaths. It’s important to note that the medical examiner system was active on a non-statutory basis before the introduction of the statutory system on 9 September 2024, and this makes direct ‘before’ and ‘after’ comparisons challenging to draw conclusions from.To improve the implementation of the reforms, the Welsh administration has implemented short-term fortnightly oversight meetings to engage all partners along the death certification pathway, including health boards, medical examiner services, coroners, funeral directors, registrars, primary care associations, and patient voice organisations, to monitor, improve, and learn lessons from the implementation through the 2024/2025 winter period.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of participating in the EU4Health programme as a third country.

A closer, more cooperative relationship with the European Union is in the United Kingdom’s national interest, and we are working to identify areas where we can strengthen cooperation for mutual benefit. However, the UK currently has no plans to join the EU4Health programme as an associated third country.

What steps he is taking to increase the level of domestically-procured defence (a) equipment and (b) technology.

This Government recognises the vital role the UK defence industry plays not only in our national security but also to the economic prosperity and growth of the UK. Our industry partners, of all sizes, are very much at the heart of our One Defence approach. The Defence Industrial Strategy will align our security and economic priorities to boost the prosperity of our people across the country, provide resilience for the UK, and ensure the credibility of our deterrence. We will ensure a strong defence sector and resilient supply chains across the whole of the UK. The Defence Industrial Strategy will also examine how to best prioritise and promote UK based businesses for investment, enhancing stability and boosting our sovereign industrial capabilities. We will reform Ministry of Defence procurement to reduce waste, create good jobs and grow UK exports.

What plans his Department has to (a) procure and (b) test new defence (i) equipment and (ii) technology at RAF Valley.

The Defence Industrial Strategy, due to be published in late Spring 2025, will set out how we will prioritise and support businesses to create a more innovative and resilient defence sector across the UK, including Wales.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the UK Government's planned increase in defence spending on (a) jobs and (b) job security at RAF Valley.

No assessment has been made.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the abolition of NHS England on cross-border healthcare.

The abolition of NHS England will strip out the unnecessary bureaucracy and cut the duplication that comes from having two organisations doing the same job; we will empower staff to focus on delivering better care for patients, driving productivity up and getting waiting times down.Ministers will work with the new transformation team at the top of NHS England and any impact on delivery, including cross border healthcare, will be closely monitored.

When he plans to (a) conclude and (b) publish his Departments review of electricity market arrangements.

The government aims to conclude the policy development phase of the REMA Programme by mid-2025. We intend to announce REMA’s final decisions and the timetable for implementation before the Contracts for Difference, Allocation Round 7 auctions open, giving investors clarity for prospective bids.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the tariffs introduced by the US on 12 March 2025 on steel and aluminium on the steel industry in Wales.

My Department continues to engage closely with the industries affected by the US’ tariffs on steel and aluminium, and to assess the potential impact on the steel industry in Wales and across the UK. We are resolute in our support for the UK steel and aluminium industry, which is vital to the UK economy. We have committed up to £2.5 billion to rebuild the steel sector and our upcoming Steel Strategy will be published in the Spring. We will continue to make the case for the UK to be exempted from these tariffs.

With reference to the Written Ministerial Statement by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention published on 11th March 2025, how many people living in Wales were impacted by the missed invitations for routine screening.

No one who lives in Wales has missed a screening invitation due to this incident.

What the average household income is of people who receive the Personal Independence Payment in (a) Wales and (b) the UK.

The average household income of families in receipt of Personal Independence Payment in the UK and in Wales is shown in the table below:Weighted mean of household total, gross weekly income from all sources (2022-23) Household in Receipt of PIP Daily Living OnlyHousehold in Receipt of PIP Mobility OnlyHousehold in Receipt of PIP Daily Living and MobilityUK£639£810£753Wales£488£314£735This data is available publicly on the Stat Xplore website (https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/) under the Family Resources Survey folder, in the Household dataset (2022-23).Please note:- Average household income is estimated based on sample data from the Family Resources Survey (FRS).- The data uses grossing factors based on 2011 Census data, so caution should be exercised when making comparisons with published reports and tables prior to 2012-13.- Relative to administrative records, the FRS is known to under-report State Support and benefit receipt. Please refer to the M6A and M6B tables in the FRS Methodology and Standard Error data tables.- In 2022-23, income from Pensioner Cost of Living Payment, Disability Cost of Living Payment, low-income benefits and tax credits Cost of Living Payment, Council Tax energy rebate, Energy Bills Support Scheme, Warm Home Discount and Welsh Fuel Support Scheme is included.- From 2021-22 income from directors’ dividends has been included in this data.

Whether she plans to review Personal Independence Payment Mandatory Reconsideration decision timelines to align with the eight week period before a Motability vehicle must be returned.

The role of a Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) decision maker is to make a robust decision, supported by the law and available evidence. In law there is no time limit within which a MR decision must be made. This reflects the overarching policy that the focus should be on making the right decision and not the speed of clearance. Decisions will be made without delay, but if the decision maker considers that more time is needed to gather or consider evidence, then they will give themselves that time to ensure they are confident that the decision made is correct. There are no plans to review PIP MR timelines to align with the eight week period before a Motability vehicle must be returned. However, we are recruiting more MR decision makers and making overtime available to increase productivity and, in doing so, we expect to reduce wait times.

Pursuant to the Answer of 5 September 2024 to Question 3769 on Crown Estate: Wales, what assessment she has made of the ability of the commissioners with special responsibilities for Wales as provided for within the Crown Estate Bill to perform their functions without disaggregated net revenue profit data for Wales.

The Crown Estate Bill, as amended in the House of Lords, requires the appointment of a Commissioner responsible for giving advice about Wales (alongside separate equivalent appointments for England and Northern Ireland). The Bill confirms that ‘giving advice about’ means the relevant Commissioner would give advice to the Commissioners about conditions in Wales, in so far as it relates to their functions in relation to Wales. It is the Treasury’s view that the ability to give that advice does not depend on having disaggregated net revenue profit data. The Crown Estate operates across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, but its operations are not divided into business units by nation. It is not possible to disaggregate by nation without applying a high degree of subjective judgment in relation to costs. As was noted in the Answer of 5 September 2024 to Question 3769, The Crown Estate does already publish a Wales Review to supplement the annual report, which highlights The Crown Estate’s work in Wales.