Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Independent - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many staff in her Department have permission to work remotely outside the UK; and in which countries those staff are based.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
No staff in my Department currently have permission to work remotely outside the UK.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how much her Department has spent on equipment to enable staff to work from home in each of the last three years.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
This information is not centrally held. The Office has a hybrid working policy and all staff are issued with a laptop and mobile phone to allow remote working where necessary. Staff are expected to spend at least 60 per cent of their time in the office or on official business, which can include conducting site visits or meeting stakeholders.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal on Wales.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
Within a year of coming into government, we have secured three new trade deals with India, the EU and the US. Our Trade Strategy is unambiguous in pursuing quicker, more practical deals that deliver a real impact for Welsh businesses. That is why we have prioritised deals with Wales’s largest markets, including the US as our single largest country of destination with over 1000 businesses exporting from Wales.
In May, the UK concluded a landmark economic deal with the US. This deal protects jobs in the automotive, steel, aluminium, pharmaceutical and aerospace sectors - sectors that employ over 45,000 people across Wales.
The Government remains focused on making sure British businesses can feel the benefits of the deal as soon as possible.
The Government is continuing discussions on the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal which will look at increasing digital trade, enhancing access for our world-leading services industries and improving supply chains.
My Department will continue to support the ongoing negotiations with the US, led by the Department for Business and Trade.
Asked by: Robin Swann (Ulster Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, when the border control facility at Parc Cybi will be (a) completed and (b) opened.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
Decisions regarding the Border Control Post at Parc Cybi are a matter for the Welsh Government.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West and Islwyn)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on plans for cross-border healthcare.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
I meet with the First Minister of Wales regularly to discuss a range of issues, including health. We are working in a spirit of genuine collaboration to do everything possible to cut waiting lists and build an NHS fit for the future.
A good example of our two Governments working together on health is the Interministerial Group (IMG) for Health and Social Care, which met on 30 April, chaired by the Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care. The IMG brought together Ministers from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Devolved Governments to discuss shared priorities across health in the UK.
I welcome the news that waiting lists, including long waits, have fallen in recent months. These improvements come after we provided the Welsh Government with an additional £1.7 billion to invest in public services like the NHS at the Autumn Budget. An extra £600 million in funding has now been announced by the Welsh Government for health and social care in their Budget for 2025/26. Furthermore at the Spending Review last week, we announced a record £22.4 billion per year on average for the Welsh Government between 2026-27 and 2028-29, to invest in public services and drive down waiting lists. This is the largest budget settlement in the history of devolution.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether her Department has updated guidance on the use of single-sex facilities in response to the Supreme Court judgement in the case of For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers of 16 April 2025.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
We will review and update policy wherever necessary to ensure it complies with the latest legal requirements. We aim to ensure appropriate facilities are available for all staff.
Asked by: Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru - Caerfyrddin)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how much funding the Welsh government requested from her Department for coal tip safety and remediation work as part of the Spending Review 2025.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
At the Spending Review, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that HM Treasury would provide the Welsh Government with the funding it requested to continue its vital coal tip safety work. Ensuring coal tips across Wales remain safe is of the upmost importance and this is why the UK Government is committing £118 million over the three years of the Spending Review period (over financial years 2026/27-2028/29). This is in addition to the £25m provided at Autumn Budget last year, bringing the total UK Government investment in coal tip safety to over £140m. This is another example of how two governments working in partnership are delivering for the people of Wales.
Asked by: Esther McVey (Conservative - Tatton)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many staff network events took place in her Department in May 2025; and what the names of those events were.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
No staff network events took place in my Department in May 2025.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many permanent civil servants in his Department had their contract of employment terminated as a result of poor performance in the (a) 2022-23, (b) 2023-24 and (c) 2024-25 financial years.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
No permanent Civil Servants in my Department had their contract of employment terminated as a result of poor performance in the 2022-23, 2023-24, or 2024-25 financial years.
Asked by: Christine Jardine (Liberal Democrat - Edinburgh West)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to improve transport links between Wales and the rest of the UK.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
We are investing an historic £445 million into Welsh rail to right years’ of underfunding by previous governments and unleash Wales’ economic potential.
This new investment will improve transport links, including for Padeswood on the Borderlands Line through Wrexham, and between Cardiff and Bristol.
This will mean new stations, enable more and faster trains on the key lines across North and South Wales, connecting people with the new, well-paid jobs we’re creating across Wales.
This announcement also includes providing £48 million over four years to the Welsh Government to continue to upgrade the Core Valleys Lines.