Asked by: John Cooper (Conservative - Dumfries and Galloway)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how much her Department has spent on external public relations since 5 July 2024; and which firms that funding went to.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
Nothing. The Wales Office has not spent any money on external public relations since 5 July 2024.
Asked by: Damien Egan (Labour - Bristol North East)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Departmental have had with the Welsh Government on supporting pan-regional economies that overlap the borders of England and Wales.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
Growth is the number one mission of the government, and our new industrial strategy is central to that mission. The Industrial Strategy will drive growth, create a pro-business environment and support high-potential clusters across the UK, including cross border clusters.
I regularly meet the First Minister to discuss a variety of issues, including economic growth and the Industrial Strategy.
In addition, officials from the Wales Office, the Department for Business and Trade, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Welsh Government and HM Treasury are working closely on the Industrial Strategy. This work includes active consideration of opportunities that straddle the border between England and Wales.
Asked by: Laurence Turner (Labour - Birmingham Northfield)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what contracts (a) BFS Group Limited and (b) subsidiary companies of BFS Group Limited hold with (i) his Department and (ii) agencies of his Department.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
None. The Wales Office does not have any contracts with BFS Group Limited or its subsidiary companies.
Asked by: Claire Hughes (Labour - Bangor Aberconwy)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps is she taking with Cabinet colleagues to tackle veteran homelessness in Wales.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
This is a Government of service that will always stand up for those who serve our country. The Minister for Veterans and People is working across Government to ensure veterans across the UK have access to the support they need on housing, as well as health, employment and other areas.
As housing is a devolved matter, we are working with the Welsh Government and the other Devolved Governments to tackle the shared challenge of homelessness.
This Government has financed the Reducing Veteran Homelessness Programme, which funds wrap-around support in units of supported housing. Since its inception in July 2023, it has awarded £1,380,214 to providers offering services in Wales.
Veterans in need of housing support can contact their local council or Op FORTITUDE, a single referral pathway to connect veterans with help and support. This system provides housing guidance and assistance to veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness across the UK. As of 19 January 2025, over 3,069 referrals have been made and nearly 870 veterans have been supported into housing.
Asked by: Matthew Patrick (Labour - Wirral West)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on support for clean energy projects in Wales.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
This Government’s Contracts for Difference Scheme is supporting seven tidal, solar and onshore wind projects.
Great British Energy’s partnership with The Crown Estate will support floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea.
And last week, in collaboration with the Welsh Government, we announced that Pembrokeshire will receive around £1 million under the Regional Skills Pilot to identify the skills needed to deliver Clean Power by 2030. Another example of the benefits of two Labour governments delivering for people in Wales.
Asked by: Chris Law (Scottish National Party - Dundee Central)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on the potential merits of devolving the Crown Estate to Wales.
Answered by Nia Griffith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)
The Crown Estate is key to the £1.4 billion investment and over 5,000 jobs that this government wants to secure from floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea. It works closely with the Welsh Government to ensure Wales is at the cutting edge of this growing sector.
Our total focus is on taking maximum advantage of this opportunity for Wales, using levers within the existing devolution settlement.
Asked by: Tracy Gilbert (Labour - Edinburgh North and Leith)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on electoral registration in Wales.
Answered by Nia Griffith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)
The UK Government is committed to strengthening our democracy, widening participation, and upholding the integrity of elections.
The Interministerial Group on Elections, which will meet next week, provides a regular forum for the UK Government and the Devolved Governments to discuss our shared ambitions.
Asked by: Alison Griffiths (Conservative - Bognor Regis and Littlehampton)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether her Department offers protection to staff from unfair dismissal from their first working day.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
All dismissals are handled in line with current legislation and appropriate Codes of Practice. Where an employee feels they may have been unfairly dismissed, appropriate internal appeal routes may be instigated.
Where an employee is unable to solve a problem internally, they may be able to go to an employment tribunal to claim unfair dismissal, as set out in legislation.
This position will be reviewed when unfair dismissal rights are updated in line with proposals in the Employment Rights Bill.
Asked by: Andrew Griffith (Conservative - Arundel and South Downs)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether her Department offers paternity leave to its staff from their first working day.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
My Department is not an employer in its own right and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) provides the Wales Office with employment services and HR policies, such as Paternity Leave.
Some staff could qualify for statutory paternity leave on their first day of service because they already have qualifying service with another Civil Service organisation.
As with any changes to employment legislation, internal policies and processes will be updated as appropriate in preparation for when the Employment Rights Bill 2024 comes into effect.
Asked by: Harriett Baldwin (Conservative - West Worcestershire)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether their Department offers its staff shared parental leave from their first working day.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
My Department is not an employer in its own right and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) provides the Wales Office with employment services and HR policies, such as Shared Parental Leave.
The Civil Service Management Code states that, ‘Departments and agencies may only grant shared parental leave in accordance with the statutory requirements governing eligibility for this category of leave.’ Some staff could qualify for statutory shared parental leave on their first day of service because they already have service with another department.
As with any changes to employment legislation, internal policies and processes will be updated as appropriate in preparation for when the Employment Rights Bill 2024 comes into effect.