Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether her Department has used artificial intelligence to assist with drafting (a) legislation and (b) policy in the last 12 months.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
The drafting of policy and both primary and secondary legislation is the responsibility of a large number of officials across government departments. A range of tools are used to assist with this drafting, including AI which is most commonly used for research and to check, critique, and otherwise interrogate drafts. Work is continuously underway to identify ways of improving the efficiency of this work, including collaboration between departments to share ideas and emerging practices.
Whilst AI can be used to assist with the drafting of policy and legislation, the production of the draft remains the responsibility of a lead human drafter to meet the high standards expected of Government.
It is Parliament's responsibility to scrutinise and amend legislation as it sees necessary.
Asked by: Melanie Ward (Labour - Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of increases in defence spending on Wales.
Answered by Anna McMorrin - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)
This UK Labour Government promised a Defence Growth Deal for Wales and we have delivered on that commitment.
Wales is central to the security of the United Kingdom and I’m proud that our Defence Growth Deal, backed by £50 million of UK Government investment, will transform the nation into a centre for innovation, creating highly-skilled jobs and driving growth across the country.
Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether she has had discussions with the Welsh Government on the potential impact of the planned visitor levy on the Welsh economy.
Answered by Anna McMorrin - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)
The Welsh tourism industry is thriving. The Welsh Government’s Visitor Levy could raise up to £33 million a year to reinvest in local communities and support tourism. In 2024, British residents alone took over 7 million overnight trips in Wales.
I’m pleased to see the UK Government recognising the Welsh Labour Government’s pioneering work on this issue, with a similar overnight levy being introduced in England, enabling mayors to invest in transport, infrastructure, and the visitor economy.
Asked by: Ben Lake (Plaid Cymru - Ceredigion Preseli)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the promotion of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Wales.
Answered by Anna McMorrin - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)
I was delighted to see the announcement that Aberystwyth has become Wales’ first UNESCO City of Literature and first UNESCO Creative City.
Our Welsh culture and heritage are a source of great pride, and would like to congratulate Aberystwyth on being recognised, as Wales continues to grow its UNESCO presence internationally.
Asked by: Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Welsh Government regarding the operation of cross-border ophthalmology care between England and Wales.
Answered by Lord Katz - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Whilst Health is a devolved matter, the Secretary of State for Wales has regular engagement with colleagues from the Department of Health and Social Care and Welsh Government. Ministers and officials work closely with their counterparts through established intergovernmental structures, including the Interministerial Group for Health. NHS England and Wales jointly published a Statement of Values and Principles for cross-border healthcare which sets a clear expectation that patients living in defined border areas should receive care without delay or administrative burden, with the aim of delivering faster, improved and more equitable health outcomes for all patients.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on the use of cross-border treatments to reduce waiting times for glaucoma care and the associated risk of irreversible sight loss.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
Whilst Health is a devolved matter, I have regular engagement with colleagues from the Department of Health and Social Care and Welsh Government. Ministers and officials work closely with their counterparts through established intergovernmental structures, including the Interministerial Group for Health. Both the UK and Welsh Governments support improvements in patient access and drive down waiting lists as a key priority. NHS England and Wales jointly published a Statement of Values and Principles for cross-border healthcare which sets a clear expectation that patients living in defined border areas should receive care without delay or administrative burden, with the aim of delivering faster, improved and more equitable health outcomes for all patients.
Asked by: Mims Davies (Conservative - East Grinstead and Uckfield)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of patient travel requirements for cross-border ophthalmology care on levels of treatment refusal and delayed care.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
Whilst Health is a devolved matter, I have regular engagement with colleagues from the Department of Health and Social Care and Welsh Government. Ministers and officials work closely with their counterparts through established intergovernmental structures, including the Interministerial Group for Health. Both the UK and Welsh Governments support improvements in patient access and drive down waiting lists as a key priority. NHS England and Wales jointly published a Statement of Values and Principles for cross-border healthcare which sets a clear expectation that patients living in defined border areas should receive care without delay or administrative burden, with the aim of delivering faster, improved and more equitable health outcomes for all patients.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many departmental employees were on performance management plans in (a) 2023, (b) 2024 and (c) 2025.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
The Wales Office has fifty staff and is committed to thorough performance management and has in place robust processes to ensure that those who fall below the expected standards are supported to improve in a timely manner. To this end, there have been:
No employees placed on a Performance Improvement Plan in 2023/24, one in 2024/25, and none in 2025/26.
Those who cannot improve their performance, despite this additional support, may be dismissed.
Asked by: Peter Bedford (Conservative - Mid Leicestershire)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many civil servants in their Department were found to have broken the Civil Service Code in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
Civil Servants are appointed on merit on the basis of fair and open competition and are expected to carry out their role with dedication and a commitment to the Civil Service and its core values: integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.
No civil servants in my Department were found to have broken the Civil Service Code in 2024 or 2025.
Asked by: David Chadwick (Liberal Democrat - Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps her Department is taking to ensure Wales benefits equitably from green hydrogen funding.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
The UK Government remains firmly committed to establishing a thriving hydrogen sector across the UK, including in Wales. The Hydrogen Allocation Rounds (HARs) are a flagship government funding mechanism to support low carbon hydrogen across the UK.
Under Hydrogen Allocation Round 1 (HAR1), two out of the eleven successful projects were awarded in Wales. These include the HyBont project in Bridgend and the West Wales Hydrogen project in Milford Haven. I was pleased to recently host an event with Minister Shanks to mark the West Wales Hydrogen Project reaching its Final Investment Decision.
As part of Hydrogen Allocation Round 2 (HAR2), three Welsh projects were shortlisted in April 2025, located in Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire and Magor. I will continue to work with colleagues across government to ensure that Wales is positioned at the forefront of the UK’s clean energy mission to secure the maximum economic benefits and high-quality jobs.