Ben Lake MP: written questions
341 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Warm Home Discount Scheme: Rural AreasDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled 27 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108753More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what support his Department is providing to individuals who live off grid and who are on low incomes who do not meet the eligibility criteria for the Warm Homes Discount.
Answer: Thanks to decisions in the recent Budget, an average of £150 of costs will be removed from household energy bills from April. The actions at budget also make electricity cheaper, meaning everyone will benefit and the transfer of the Renewables Obligation ...
Answered 2 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordMultinational Companies: USATreasuryTabled 27 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 108752More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of recent exemptions or carve-outs granted to large United States multinational enterprises under the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and
Answer: The UK, with more than 140 members of the G20/OECD Inclusive Framework have reached agreement on a package of reforms to the Pillar 2 Global Minimum Tax system to address how it should interact with US minimum tax rules. As set out in my written statement...
Answered 2 Feb 2026
Original Parliament recordGrokDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 16 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106339More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to help prevent the creation of non-consensual sexualised images through the Grok Imagine app in the UK.
Answer: The Government has been clear that non-consensual intimate images are reprehensible and no service should allow their creation and distribution.The Online Safety Act requires in-scope services to prevent such content appearing on in-scope services and to ...
Answered 21 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordAgriculture: Inheritance TaxTreasuryTabled 15 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 106199More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department made of the potential impact in Wales of increasing the threshold of Agricultural Property and Relief and Businesses Property Relief to £2.5 million.
Answer: The Government announced that the allowance for 100 per cent rate of relief will be increased from £1 million to £2.5 million. This means a couple will now be able to pass on up to £5 million of agricultural or business assets tax-free between them, on to...
Answered 20 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordDriverless Vehicles: SafetyDepartment for TransportTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101793More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has had discussions with Tesla UK regarding the potential child safety implications of vehicle-integrated artificial intelligence systems.
Answer: The Department for Transport has not had discussions with Tesla specifically regarding potential child safety implications of vehicle-integrated artificial intelligence (AI) systems.Many manufacturers use AI tools and techniques to develop and optimise va...
Answered 7 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordX Corp: Artificial IntelligenceDepartment for Science, Innovation and TechnologyTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101792More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has had discussions with X on the potential impact of the output of its Grok AI on child safety.
Answer: The government is clear that no one should have to go through the ordeal of seeing intimate images of themselves online.There are no excuses not to act, and services must deal with this urgently. Ofcom are looking into this as a matter of urgency, and the...
Answered 7 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordExploitation: ChildrenHome OfficeTabled 2 Jan 2026AnsweredUIN 101791More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she made of the potential merits of including provisions for a statutory Independent Child Exploitation Advocate, modelled on section 48 of the Modern Slavery Act, in the Crime and Pol
Answer: The government is not currently exploring separate exploitation advocates as the Independent Child Trafficking Guardianship (ICTG) service exists as an independent source of advice, advocacy and support for potential child victims of modern slavery, explo...
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordHorizon IT System: CompensationDepartment for Business and TradeTabled 11 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 99248More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many sub postmasters resident in Wales have had claims related to the Horizon IT system (a) settled and (b) not settled.
Answer: The Department for Business and Trade has not, to date, compiled data on Horizon-related claims by the UK’s constituent countries; however, we intend to include this breakdown in a future publication. Overall, across the UK, as of 28 November 2025, approx...
Answered 18 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordBusiness Rates: WalesTreasuryTabled 5 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 97671More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what are the Zone A rates for retail properties used to calculate the business rates due in (a) Aberystwyth, (b) Tregaron, (c) Aberaeron, (d) Lampeter, (e) Llandysul, (f) Cardigan, (g) St Dogmaels, (h) Crymych, (i)
Answer: Retail Zone A rates are specific to individual properties, so there will be a range of Zone A values in each of the locations referred to.
Answered 10 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic Expenditure: WalesTreasuryTabled 3 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 96737More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 2 December 2025 to question 95185, what the updated average annual change in the Welsh Government’s capital budget is between 2025-26 and 2029-30; and whether that budget will increase.
Answer: As a result of decisions at Budget 2025, the Welsh Government will receive an additional £185m CDEL through the operation of the Barnett formula on top of the record settlement provided at Spending Review 2025. This will ensure the Welsh Government are fu...
Answered 8 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordGaza: Military AircraftMinistry of DefenceTabled 28 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95446More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to the public purse has been of UK military flights over Gaza since October 2023.
Answer: While I am unable to disclose these costs for reasons of operational security and as a matter of policy, Defence operational spend in relation to the Israel-Gaza conflict and the wider Middle East has been published in its Annual Reports and Accounts for ...
Answered 3 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordDisposable Income: WalesTreasuryTabled 27 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95342More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment has her department made of the potential impact of the Autumn Budget 2025 on the forecasts for (a) living standards (b) Real Household Disposable Income in Wales, as compared to the pre-Autumn Budget
Answer: HM Treasury does not prepare forecasts for the UK economy. Forecasts, including for RHDI per person, are the responsibility of the independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). In their November forecast, after accounting for the effects of policy, ...
Answered 2 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordWelsh Government: BorrowingTreasuryTabled 27 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95341More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, will the 10% increase in the size of the Welsh Government's (a) annual capital borrowing limit (b) cumulative capital borrowing (c) overall limit on the size of the Wales Reserve, (d) annual limit for drawing down f
Answer: The updates to the Welsh Government’s Fiscal Framework announced at Autumn Budget 2025 increase the real value of the Welsh Government’s budget management tools. The annual uprating of the limits from 2027-28 will maintain the real value of the Welsh Gove...
Answered 2 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordIncome Tax: Tax Rates and BandsTreasuryTabled 27 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95336More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate she has made of the number of additional people who will paying the (a) basic rate and (b) higher rate of income tax broken down by country, in the context of the extension of the income tax threshold
Answer: 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-outlo...
Answered 2 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic Expenditure: WalesTreasuryTabled 27 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95186More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the impact of inflation on the real terms value of the £505 million in Barnett Formula consequential funding for the Welsh Government announced at the Autumn Budget 2025.
Answer: Welsh Government block grant funding is growing in real terms between 2024-25 and 2028-29.
Answered 2 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordPublic Expenditure: WalesTreasuryTabled 27 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 95185More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment has she made of the impact of the additional Barnett Formula consequential funding for the Welsh Government announced at the Autumn Budget 2025 on the average annual growth of the Welsh Government’s
Answer: The additional funding that the Welsh Government will receive as a result of decisions at Autumn Budget 2025 and through the operation of the Barnett Formula increases the average annual growth of the Welsh Government’s capital budget between 2025-26 and ...
Answered 2 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordFiresMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 21 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 93415More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he last met with the National Fire Chiefs Council to discuss wildfires; and if he will publish the minutes.
Answer: Ministers regularly meet with external stakeholders. As is precedent, details of Ministerial meetings with external organisations and individuals are published quarterly on GOV.UK.
Answered 1 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordApprenticeship Levy: WalesTreasuryTabled 20 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 93079More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in pursuant to the answer to Question 91154, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of (a) collecting and (b) publishing data on the revenue raised from the Apprenticeship Levy from (a) businesses who
Answer: Receipts data for the Apprenticeship Levy is published by HM Revenue and Customs in their Tax and NIC Receipts publication which can be found online at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmrc-tax-and-nics-receipts-for-the-uk HMRC does not require or...
Answered 25 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordWelsh Government: BorrowingTreasuryTabled 19 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92916More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on the current real terms value of their capital borrowing powers as compared with their real terms value when they were introduced.
Answer: HM Treasury ministers regularly engage with their Welsh Government counterparts, including through forums such as the Finance: Interministerial Standing Committee (F:ISC), to discuss a range of issues affecting Wales. We remain committed to working in par...
Answered 24 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordAgriculture and Business: Inheritance TaxTreasuryTabled 19 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92903More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment has she made of the potential merits of conducting a Wales specific impact assessment on the implementation of changes to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief announced at
Answer: Ministers from several Government departments have met with organisations, including NFU Cymru and the Farmers’ Union of Wales, to discuss the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026. The Government believes ...
Answered 24 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: WalesDepartment for TransportTabled 19 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 92901More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the total identifiable expenditure per head on railways as shown in her department's Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis 2025, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of spending on r
Answer: Our 10 year UK Infrastructure Strategy, published in June 2025, acknowledged that for too long Wales’s long-term rail infrastructure needs have not been recognised and committed the UK Government to delivering at least £445 million of rail enhancements fu...
Answered 24 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordApprenticeship Levy: WalesTreasuryTabled 14 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91154More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much of the total Apprenticeship Levy funding collected by HMRC from employers (a) primarily based in Wales and (b) who work across the UK but have a headcount in Wales was transferred to the Treasury in each of
Answer: UIN 91154 - While the Apprenticeship Levy is UK wide, apprenticeship policy and spending is devolved. This means that the devolved governments receive funding through the Barnett formula in relation to English apprenticeship spending as part of their bloc...
Answered 19 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordApprenticeship Levy: WalesTreasuryTabled 14 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91153More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much funding raised by the Apprenticeship Levy was passed to the Welsh Government as part of the Welsh Block Grant in each year of the past five years.
Answer: While the Apprenticeship Levy is UK wide, apprenticeship policy and spending is devolved. This means that the devolved governments receive funding through the Barnett formula in relation to English apprenticeship spending as part of their block grant. The...
Answered 19 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordApprenticeship Levy: WalesTreasuryTabled 14 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91152More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much funding was raised by the Apprenticeship Levy from employers who work across the UK, but have a headcount in Wales, in each year of the past five years.
Answer: UIN 91154 - While the Apprenticeship Levy is UK wide, apprenticeship policy and spending is devolved. This means that the devolved governments receive funding through the Barnett formula in relation to English apprenticeship spending as part of their bloc...
Answered 19 Nov 2025
Original Parliament recordApprenticeship Levy: WalesTreasuryTabled 14 Nov 2025AnsweredUIN 91151More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much funding was raised by the Apprenticeship Levy from employers primarily based in Wales in each of the past five years.
Answer: UIN 91154 - While the Apprenticeship Levy is UK wide, apprenticeship policy and spending is devolved. This means that the devolved governments receive funding through the Barnett formula in relation to English apprenticeship spending as part of their bloc...
Answered 19 Nov 2025
Original Parliament record
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