Simon Hart: There have already been more than 10,000 Welsh registrations of interest in the UK Government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme. Wales is opening its arms to the people of Ukraine, proving that we are all now super-sponsors.
Simon Hart: I congratulate my hon. Friend on the way in which he has been campaigning on this issue; it is a great example of what Members across the House have been able to do. I repeat my earlier answer about meeting the Ukrainian ambassador last week and expressing his gratitude, as well as mine, to local authorities, charities, the public in Wales and, in particular, the Welsh Government. This has...
Simon Hart: I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. I suspect that many Members have similar examples of people who, sadly, have slipped through the net or are in a difficult position. I absolutely give him an assurance, as I know the Home Secretary will, that we will look at each and every one of those individual cases and, hopefully, we will deliver to him the answer that he needs.
Simon Hart: The UK Government is engaging regularly with the Welsh Government and all the Devolved Administrations to keep them appraised of the developing situation on Ukraine and matters related to the UK’s response. The Government’s sanctions are targeted against those sectors and individuals close to President Putin. This includes banning all ships that are Russian owned, operated, controlled,...
Simon Hart: I have regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues, including the Places for Growth programme. The Places for Growth programme is delivering the UK Government’s commitment to move 22,000 Civil Service roles and 50% of UK-based Senior Civil Service roles, out of Greater London by 2030. Wales has already benefitted from this work including the establishment of a Trade...
Simon Hart: Yes. The new Government Curriculum will include modules on the implications of Net Zero, climate change and wider environmental issues for government. In the first phase, the Government Skills & Curriculum Unit (GSCU) is working with other Departments (including BEIS, DEFRA and FCDO) to create an awareness level training resource for all civil servants. This will be piloted from April 2022....
Simon Hart: I have regular discussions with colleagues in Welsh Government on a wide range of subjects. The Minister for Farming, Fisheries and Food recently met with her Devolved Administrations counterparts to discuss the implications of the ongoing Ukraine crisis on EFRA sectors, including supply chains. With regard to food supply and commodities, our food import dependency on the Eastern Europe...
Simon Hart: I have regular discussions with cabinet colleagues on a wide range of subjects, including the conflict in Ukraine and the effect on food supply. With regard to food supply and commodities, our food import dependency on the Eastern Europe region is very low and we do not expect significant direct impacts on UK food supply. However, the UK Government has been engaging with industry to fully...
Simon Hart: The Government is monitoring and assessing these critical trade routes between Wales, Northern Ireland, Scotland and England. We are committed to strengthening the Union and increasing trade flows between the four nations as a key part of that strategy. Under the UK Internal Market Act, we have legislated for a framework within which to manage regulatory divergence within the UK, ensuring the...
Simon Hart: I have regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy about promoting renewable energy generation across all parts of Wales, including Newport. The UK Government is committed to supporting renewable energy generation, with £285 million per year available in the fourth round of the Contracts for Difference renewable energy support scheme for...
Simon Hart: As announced at last year’s spending review, the Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE) will receive up to £30 million for a new, world-class rail technology and innovation centre. Funding for GCRE will be released at the appropriate times between 2022-23 and 2023-24, as agreed between the UK Government, the Welsh Government and GCRE.
Simon Hart: Representatives from across Government meet frequently with colleagues in the Welsh Government and across the Devolved Administrations to update them on a number of matters, including the handling of the current Ukrainian crisis. Given this is a constantly evolving matter, we are keeping under review how best the UK Government can support refugees fleeing Ukraine and how we allocate...
Simon Hart: Representatives from across Government meet frequently with colleagues in the Welsh Local Government Association to update them on a number of matters, including the handling of the current Ukrainian crisis. Given this is a constantly evolving matter, we are keeping under review how best the UK Government can support refugees fleeing Ukraine and how we allocate financial resource to do so....
Simon Hart: I have regular discussions with my ministerial colleagues on a range of matters, including economic growth. The UK Government closely monitors economic growth across the UK and has taken steps to support economic growth in Wales. The UK Government have provided £46 million through the UK Community Renewal Fund, of which Newport received £2.8 million. This included £850,000 for a ‘Foot...
Simon Hart: The UK Government is clear in our commitment to the Union as a successful partnership which brings tangible benefits to people across the United Kingdom. The resources of the UK Government play an important role in delivering these benefits, as highlighted by the record amounts of Barnett-based funding we are providing to the Welsh Government. Our response to the pandemic has demonstrated...
Simon Hart: My Department does not hold this information. The UK Government has announced a bespoke humanitarian support package for the people of Ukraine, which includes an expanded Family Visa Scheme enabling British nationals, and people settled here to bring a wider group of family members to the UK.
Simon Hart: The UK Government is engaging with the Welsh Government and all the Devolved Administrations to keep them appraised of the developing situation on Ukraine, the UK’s response, and potential impacts on the UK. This includes engagement with the First Minister of Wales.
Simon Hart: I echo the tributes to the hon. Member for Caerphilly (Wayne David) for bringing this debate to the House—I also thank the Backbench Business Committee—and regarding the fact that since we last met he has announced that he will be standing down at the next election, whenever that might be. I join in and support his warm comments about Ukraine. I do not think there is a Member of the...
Simon Hart: I will not give way for a bit, but I anticipate that the hon. Gentleman will want to intervene when I get on to his speech. On the hon. Member for Caerphilly’s points about the cost of living, all of us representing seats in Wales will have examples not dissimilar to the ones he has raised in respect of this particularly difficult challenge. While the UK Government have attempted, and...
Simon Hart: The hon. Gentleman makes a good point. That is precisely why we have to take considerable care with the measures that we are taking, because if we do not, then the already quite pressing inflationary pressures can only get worse. We are in the same place on that. My right hon. Friend the Member for Clwyd West (Mr Jones) rightly introduced early on in the debate a tribute to our soldiers of...