Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether his Department (a) uses or (b) plans to install rooftop solar panels on its premises.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
The Department occupies premises owned, leased and managed by the Government Property Agency (GPA) and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), who are responsible for building assets, including the installation and use of rooftop solar panels.
Funding support for public bodies to install solar panels has been available through the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) with a total of over ÂŁ3 billion made available up 2028. Great British Energy (GBE) also supports public sector decarbonisation and the GBE Solar programme is investing ÂŁ255 million to fund around 250 schools, around 260 NHS sites, and around 15 military sites to install solar panels across the country.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether his Department monitors the amount of food waste generated by its offices each month.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
The Department does not monitor the amount of food waste generated by its offices each month. The Department's offices are located in buildings managed by the Government Property Agency and HM Revenue & Customs, which provide facilities management services and are responsible for monitoring and recording food waste generated within those buildings.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what response they have given, or propose to give, to the Welsh Government’s request for its borrowing powers to be made equivalent to those available to the Scottish Government.
Answered by Lord Katz - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Spending Review 2025 provided the Welsh Government with its largest real-terms Spending Review settlement since devolution, with nearly ÂŁ6.5 billion of additional spending power over the Spending Review period. At Autumn Budget 2025, the Government announced changes to the Welsh Fiscal Framework, including a 10% increase in annual and cumulative capital borrowing limits and Wales Reserve limits from 2026-27, with annual indexation from 2027-28.
The Fiscal Frameworks for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have been agreed separately with each devolved government to reflect the different needs of each nation.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what changes, if any, have been made to the terms of reference or the responsibilities of the Wales Office.
Answered by Lord Katz - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
There have been no changes to the terms of reference or the responsibilities of the Wales Office.
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 his Department spent on activities relating to Pride Month 2026.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
The Wales Office did not spend any money on activities relating to Pride Month 2026.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what was the total cost of facility time to the department in (a) 2023-24, (b) 2024-25 and (c) 2025-26; and what was the headcount number of facility time staff in each; how many were 100% facility time; and whether funding was provided for trade union activities in each of those years.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
The department has one trade union representative who undertakes union-related duties as part of their role. The headcount of staff undertaking facility time was one in each of the years. No staff were engaged on 100% facility time during this period. The department does not provide funding for trade union activities.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many departmental Senior Civil Service away days have taken place in calendar year 2026 to date; in what specific venues; at what cost; and if there was any associated social or team-building activity at public expense.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
There has been one departmental Senior Civil Service (SCS) away day in calendar year 2026 to date. The away day was held in a meeting room at the UK Government Hub in Cardiff. There was no venue hire or event cost associated with the away day. There was no associated social or team-building activity at public expense.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what the percentage of desks provided for staff is as a proportion of the total number of assigned staff in his Department's (a) Welsh and (b) London headquarters.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
The Wales Office currently has 25 civil servants assigned to its Cardiff Office and 23 assigned to its London Office. The number of desks provided as a proportion of assigned staff is 60% in Cardiff and 121% in London.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to the Answer of 5 June 2026 to Question 3763 and with reference to the Answer of of 19 January 2026 to Question 104195 on Government Communication Service: Staff, how many headcount staff in (a) the Department and (b) each of its Arm’s Length Bodies are (i) members of the Government Communication Network and (ii) embedded communicators who are not counted as members of the Government Communication Network.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
The Wales Office has no Arm’s Length Bodies. The Department's communications team comprises five staff, all of whom are members of the Government Communications Service. The Department has no embedded communicators.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, further to the answer of 3 June 2026, to Question 3339, on Special Advisers: Public Appointments, how many delivery advisers have been appointed to date, broken down by (a) special advisers, (b) Direct Ministerial Appointments, (c) civil servants appointed by exception, and (d) permanent civil servants appointed through open competition.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Secretary of State for Wales
None. The Wales Office has not appointed any delivery advisers.