Question

Asked by Ann Davies to Wales on 04 November 2026 — tabled under the Andy Burnham government

One would hope that any Union would be a Union of equals, in which equal partners listen to each other with mutual respect. May I respectfully ask the Secretary of State to check his facts, as he has asked Plaid Members to check theirs? Can he confirm that the UK Government have listened to the Welsh Government on the Cynnal child payment pilot? Will he ensure that His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs will not count this payment as income, so that families do not lose out on the other benefit support that they need?

33% point-scoring

Answer

Answered by Stephen Kinnock (Labour)

We have a shared priority with devolved Governments to tackle child poverty, so that no child living in poverty in the UK is left behind. Child poverty is a significant challenge, and reducing it over the next 10 years will require ongoing commitment and collaboration, particularly through the implementation phase. We are open to exploring the Welsh Government’s Cynnal pilot and we will continue to engage with them on the details.

44% vibes

Verdict: RED (13/100)

The reply does not substantively answer most of the question. It says the Government is 'open to exploring' the Cynnal pilot and will 'continue to engage' with the Welsh Government, but never says what it has taken from the Welsh Government's proposals. It also does not address the HMRC treatment of the Cynnal payment or how it interacts with benefit support, and it does not respond to the factual challenge the question raised. A member of the public would likely need to ask again for specifics.

Verdict: RED (18/100)

The reply only partly answers this exchange. It says the government is open to exploring the Welsh Government's Cynnal pilot and will keep talking about the details, but it does not say whether the proposal has actually been considered or what the government thinks of it, so that answer stays vague. It does not address the question about how the Cynnal payment would be treated for income tax or whether it would count as income, and it does not respond to the demand that the Secretary of State check his facts. A member of the public would likely need to ask again for specifics.

How we got there

Question item	Coverage	Specificity	Rationale
Asks the Secretary of State to check his facts, as he has asked Plaid Members to check theirs.	Not Addressed	Generic	This item is a rhetorical jibe asking the Secretary of State to check his facts, and no answer statement responds to it or to any factual claim it disputes.
Asks the Secretary of State to check his facts.	Not Addressed	Generic	The item is a point-scoring demand that the Secretary of State check his facts, and none of the reply's statements engage with any factual claim or respond to that demand; they only offer general statements about shared priorities and child poverty.
Whether the UK Government has listened to the Welsh Government on the Cynnal child payment pilot.	Partially Addressed	Hedged	The reply says the Government is 'open to exploring' the Cynnal pilot and will 'continue to engage' with the Welsh Government, which speaks to the engagement pattern. It never says whether the Government has listened or what it has taken from the Welsh Government's proposals, so the answer stays noncommittal on the point asked.
Whether the UK Government has listened to the Welsh Government on the Cynnal child payment pilot.	Partially Addressed	Hedged	The reply describes the government's openness to the Cynnal pilot and a commitment to keep engaging with the Welsh Government on details, which speaks to the nature of engagement, but it never says whether the government has actually considered or listened to the Welsh Government's proposal so far, and 'open to exploring' stays noncommittal.
Whether the Government will ensure that HMRC does not count the Cynnal child payment as income for the purposes of other benefit support.	Not Addressed	Generic	No answer statement mentions HMRC, income treatment of the Cynnal payment, or benefit-support interactions; the closest statement only refers generically to engaging on 'the details'.
Whether the Government will ensure that HMRC does not count the Cynnal child payment as income.	Not Addressed	Generic	No statement mentions HMRC, income tax treatment, or whether the Cynnal payment will be counted as income, and the reply gives no commitment or refusal on this point.