Wales Office

The Government is committed to supporting both current and retired steelworkers. That is why we are supporting the continuation of steelmaking at Port Talbot and providing up to £100million to support the community through this transition.

The Government is aware of the concerns surrounding the matter of indexation of pre-1997 accruals in the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS), including for former members of the Allied Steel and Wire pension scheme.

Affected members of the FAS have engaged with the Department for Work and Pensions on this issue, and this was a matter considered by the Work and Pensions Select Committee in its recent inquiry into Defined Benefit pensions.

The Minister for Pensions is looking closely at this issue, supported by the Committee’s final report, published in March 2024, which helpfully outlines areas to be considered.

NHS Wales and NHS England have a Statement of Values and Principles that underpins the arrangements for treatment for patients living on the Wales England border. This supports better patient outcomes and avoids fragmentation of care for those people living either side of the border. Further detail on the statement is in the link below.

https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/cross-border-statement-of-values-and-principles.pdf

I have had no discussions with the Welsh Government on this matter in my capacity as Secretary of State, as the Bill became law prior to the General Election.

As would be expected, this government respects devolution and the powers of the Senedd to determine its representation and elections.

Council Tax in Wales is a devolved matter and is the responsibility of the Welsh Government. The Welsh Government confirmed plans for reform earlier this year including a property revaluation exercise to bring the system up to date, and a redesign of the tax bands to make the system fairer. No major changes to council tax will be made in this Senedd term.

The Welsh Government’s budget is increasing in real terms and is the largest settlement since devolution. This includes £1.7 billion through the Barnett formula to spend on public services like the NHS, which I noted didn’t feature in the Honourable Member’s pre budget ‘demands’.

The outcome of the formula is actually that the Welsh Government receive 20% more per person than equivalent UK Government spending in other parts of the UK.

The UK Government has regular discussions with the Welsh Government on a range of issues including the Welsh Government’s Project ARTHUR, which is a proposal to establish a public sector laboratory for the supply of medical radioisotopes at the Trawsfynydd site in Gwynedd.

The Minister of State for Science, Research and Innovation and the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and technology met the Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning on 16 October and 4 November respectively. Project ARTHUR was discussed at both meetings.

At the Budget, the UK Government allocated £25 million of funding in 2025/6 for essential work being undertaken by the Welsh Government to keep disused coal tips maintained and safe.

This is a clear demonstration of how the Government is committed to resetting the relationship with the Welsh Government based on trust and mutual respect.

As well as this, the Mining Remediation Authority continues to provide coal tip expert advice and undertake inspections on behalf of the Welsh Government on a cost recovery basis.

The Secretary of State for Wales regularly meets with the First Minister to discuss a variety of issues. There are ongoing discussions with the Welsh Government on their Fiscal Framework, and we remain committed to working in partnership with the Welsh Government to ensure the smooth delivery of their funding settlement.

The Welsh Government’s budget is growing in real terms in 2025-26 and is the largest settlement in real terms since the dawn of devolution at £21 billion. The Welsh Government receive over 20% more funding per person than equivalent UK Government spending in the rest of the UK.

The average number of staff attending the Department's HQ building in the most recent working period for which figures are available is 62%.

The Wales Office has regular engagement with the Farmers Union of Wales as well as other farming union stakeholders in Wales. The Parliamentary Under Secretary for Wales met the Farmers Union of Wales on 11 September where challenges facing farmers in Wales were discussed. Furthermore, on 5 November the Secretary of State for Wales and the Parliamentary Under Secretary for Wales held a virtual meeting with farming unions to discuss the Budget and its effects on farmers in Wales.

The Secretary of State for Wales also hosted a farming unions roundtable event at the Royal Welsh Show on the 22 July.

The Welsh Government will be provided with a £21 billion settlement in 2025/26 – the largest in real terms since devolution. This includes an additional £1.7 billion through the Barnett Formula with £1.5 billion for day-to-day spending and £250 million for capital investment in 2025/26. The Welsh Government will decide how to allocate funding on devolved matters like the Welsh language strategy Cymraeg 2050.

Although the Welsh language is a devolved matter, the UK Government has a role to play in supporting the Welsh Government’s Cmyraeg 2050 strategy. This is most notably through ensuring that S4C continues to thrive because of its vital role in ensuring the ongoing promotion and use of the Welsh language.

The Welsh Government has been clear that the primary objective of this policy is to save lives and reduce casualties.

From April-June 2024, both collisions and casualties on 20mph and 30mph roads have fallen by almost a quarter compared to the same period of 2023.

We are committed to resetting the relationship with the Welsh Government, and my Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales meets regularly with the First Minister to discuss a range of issues.

The Department for Health and Social Care also works collaboratively with the Devolved Governments on shared objectives. The First Minister for Wales has said improving access to social care in Wales is one of her priorities.

The Government is committed to implementing the Windsor Framework and to protecting the UK internal market, including trade between Wales and Northern Ireland.

We will continue to work constructively with all stakeholders: the EU, the devolved administrations and businesses in this aim.

The Tata Steel/Port Talbot Transition Board has been set up to support those affected by Tata Steel UK’s decarbonisation Transition and will be supported by £100 million of funding. £80 million of which will be provided by the UK Government, as confirmed by the Chancellor in the Budget on 30 October, and the remaining £20 million will be provided by Tata Steel UK.

The Secretary of State for Wales announced the initial £13.5 million funding, to support supply chain businesses and individuals affected, on August 15. This funding will allow businesses who are heavily reliant on Tata Steel as their primary customer, allowing them to diversify towards new markets and customers where necessary. This funding is also available to workers affected by the transition, allowing them to retrain or to learn new skills allowing them to re-enter the job market.

The Wales Office currently has 24 civil servants assigned to its London Office and 21 assigned to its Cardiff Office. There are 28 desks available in the London Office and 15 desks in the Cardiff Office.

The Wales Office does not hold a record of the information requested.

The Wales Office has not spent any money on new furniture and fittings and other refurbishments to Ministerial private offices since the dissolution of the last Parliament.

Details of Ministers’ and senior officials’ meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.

Data for the period of July to September 2024 will be published in due course.

The average length of paternity leave taken by staff in my Department in the last three years was 14 days in 2021-22, 0 days in 2022-23, and 14 days in 2023-24.

In the current 2024-25 year, 14 days have been taken.

No Minister or Official in the Department have been allocated a dedicated or shared vehicle from the Government Car Service.

No senior officials within the Department use the Government Car Service.

Since 4 July 2024, I have not removed or made a direct ministerial or public appointment at the Wales Office or an associated body or asked a ministerial or public appointment to resign.

My Department has not made any appointments without a fair and open competition since 4 July 2024.

Neither I nor my Special Advisers have had any meetings or communications via electronic messaging with representatives of Arden Strategies.

No positions in my Department had diversity, inclusion, equity, or equality in their job titles in the last five years, as such there were no related salary costs.

This government is committed to resetting the relationship and working collaboratively with the Welsh Government to improve transport infrastructure.

I am pleased to see the Welsh Government redesigning and delivering new road schemes like the Llanharan link road in a way that is cheaper, reduces embedded carbon, minimises impact on the environment, and delivers better public transport connectivity.

In accordance with the Ministerial and Other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991, paid Ministers below the age of 65 are entitled to a loss of office payment of one quarter of their claimed annual ministerial salary when they cease to hold office.

Details of ministerial severance payments can be found in the Wales Office annual report and accounts.

Since my appointment as Secretary of State for Wales, I have not made any statutory or non-statutory direct ministerial appointments.

The Government is fully committed to strengthening the Sewel Convention by setting out a new memorandum of understanding outlining how the nations will work together for the common good. We will work closely with the devolved governments in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, to reach consensus on matters regarding legislation in service of people across the United Kingdom.

The UK Government is resetting its relationship with the devolved governments to strengthen the UK through greater respect. This stronger intergovernmental working will be spearheaded by a new Council of the Nations and Regions, bringing together the Prime Minister, the First Ministers of Wales and Scotland, the First and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland and the Mayors of Combined Authorities in England, to enable greater collaboration on shared challenges and opportunities.

The Government recognises that the Welsh Fiscal Framework is out of date and is committed to working in partnership with the Welsh Government to ensure that it delivers value for money. We will also restore decision-making over the allocation of structural funds to the representatives of Wales. The Secretary of State for Wales will work closely with HM Treasury and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in taking these commitments forward.

The UK Government is resetting its relationship with the Devolved Governments to strengthen the UK through greater respect and collaboration.

We look forward to working closely with the Welsh Government to agree how we devolve employment support and ensure this complements existing provision and planned reforms to Jobcentre Plus services.

As set out in our manifesto, the Government is committed to devolving employment support funding to the Welsh Government, to working with the Welsh Government to consider the devolution of youth justice, and to conducting a strategic review of probation governance, which will include considering the benefits of devolved models.

The UK Government has had regular discussions with the Welsh Government on a range of issues as part of our determination to reset relations with the devolved governments. We want to work collaboratively with the Welsh Government as we deliver our national missions and our manifesto commitments for Wales.

Many of the recommendations of the report are reflected in our manifesto commitments to Wales, including enhanced protection for Welsh devolution, strengthened intergovernmental working, better access to economic resources for Wales and enhanced powers for the Senedd and Welsh Government.

The Prime Minister has met with the First Minister of Wales once since taking office as part of his visit to Wales on the Monday following the election. The Prime Minister and the First Minister of Wales have also spoken twice on the phone, on day one and shortly after the First Minister announced his intention to stand down as the leader of Welsh Labour.

This is in addition to the Prime Minister’s day one calls with the First Minister of Scotland and the First and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, and meetings with them in person over the following Sunday and Monday.

No ministerial redundancy payments have been repaid to the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales (OSSW) since 2019.

The Government Car Service (GCS) provides vehicles to a number of Government departments. Due to logistical and operational reasons the type of vehicles deployed at each department can vary on a daily or weekly basis. The GCS fleet currently has 122 vehicles, 58 (48%) of which are vehicles made in Britain.

The Department does not operate a canteen or restaurant.

My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Wales and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales have met Ministers of the Welsh Government nine times since 1 January.

The Tata Steel/Port Talbot Transition Board has been set up to support those affected by Tata Steel’s decarbonisation transition, backed by a £100 million fund. Of that funding, £80 million is provided by the UK Government and £20 million will be provided by Tata.

The Transition Board commissioned the development of a Local Economic Action Plan to assess the economic impact in South Wales, as well as provide the Transition Board with advice on how to support and grow the local economy.

At the Fifth Tata Steel/Port Talbot Transition Board meeting, the Board endorsed the Local Economic Action Plan and its use as a broad roadmap to help guide the Board when recommending how the £100 million fund should be used to support those affected. The Board agreed that a summary of the Local Economic Action Plan should be published in due course.

This Government is supporting Tata Steel with £500 million towards building an electric arc furnace, securing the future of steelmaking at Port Talbot. This will protect 5,000 steel jobs and thousands more in the supply chain. The Tata Steel/Port Talbot Transition Board has been set up to support those affected by Tata Steel’s decarbonisation transition, backed by a £100 million fund. Of that funding, £80 million is provided by the UK Government and £20 million will be provided by Tata.

To address the potential impact on the supply chain, I have formed a dedicated Supply Chain Sub-Group within the structure of the Transition Board. This group consists of representatives from UK Government, Welsh Government, local government, and Tata Steel UK. This group is actively mapping affected supply chains and developing targeted interventions to specifically support impacted businesses.

My Rt Hon Friend the Prime Minister spoke to the First Minister of Wales on 20 March 2024 to congratulate him on his appointment.

More broadly, I refer the Noble Lady to the answer Baroness Swinburne gave to question HL1907 on 1 February 2024.

I also refer the Noble Lady to the answer given to question 21826 by my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Wales on 17 April 2024.

Details of the Prime Minister’s future official meetings and visits will be announced in the usual way.

The UK Government has had no discussions with the Welsh Government on the implementation of the recommendations of the Independent Commission on the Constitutional Future of Wales.

The Commission was established by and reported to the Welsh Government. The Counsel General shared an update on the Welsh Government's consideration of the Commission’s final report with the Inter-Ministerial Standing Committee in March.

UK Government Ministers have regular discussions with Welsh Ministers on a wide range of issues. Many such discussions focus on our joint work to support economic growth and jobs in Wales, including through delivering Freeports, Investment Zones and City and Growth Deals.