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.

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.

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.

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.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the heart of the Government’s plan to kickstart an era of economic growth, transform how we deliver public services, and boost living standards for working people across the country.

I am keen to adopt AI across the Department and my officials are in the process of exploring options. For example, the Wales Office Human Resources and Private Office teams are looking at how ‘Microsoft Copilot’ could be used to streamline processes.

None. The Wales Office has not launched any reviews between 5 July 2024 and 5 January 2025.

The Government’s commitments on further devolution were outlined in our manifesto. We have no plans to devolve powers over the civil service to Wales.

There has been no change in the Wales Office’s management of artwork or heritage assets since the previous administration. The Wales Office does not have any arm’s length bodies.

While we have made no formal assessment of the implications of the publication ‘Public Commemoration in Wales: Guidance for Public Bodies’, the Wales Office would consult the guidance, as appropriate, in the context of any activity led by the department on future public commemorations in Wales.

There are no ongoing industrial disputes in my Department and the Wales Office has no arm’s length bodies.

All Civil Service departments work within the Recruitment Principles, as regulated by the Civil Service Commission, to recruit using a fair and open process and appoint on merit.

Departments will only limit a campaign to a specific group as a form of positive action as a proportionate response to achieve a legitimate aim as defined in section 159 of the Equality Act 2010.

The Civil Service is committed to a diverse workforce and culture of openness and inclusivity - not as ends in themselves but as means of delivering better outcomes to the citizens we serve.

The Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2022-25 Promoting Fairness and Performance, published in February 2022, is positioned as an essential lever to deliver a Modern Civil Service, where our values are to serve with integrity, honesty, objectivity, and impartiality; driving our vision to be a skilled, innovative, and ambitious Civil Service equipped for the future. This strategy sets out a broader definition of diversity, to include geographical, social and career backgrounds alongside the protected groups.

As set out in the Civil Service People Plan 2024 - 2027, we are committed to ensuring we attract, develop, and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds, to create a modern Civil Service, now and for the future.

I have regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on renewable energy projects in Wales. Wales will play an important role in increasing the UK's onshore wind capacity and meeting our Net Zero and energy security ambitions.

The UK Government has set up an Onshore Wind Industry Taskforce to identify and address the barriers to increased onshore wind deployment, including in relation to airspace management and aviation. The government engages regularly with the Welsh Government, who are represented on the Onshore Wind Industry Taskforce. Welsh Government officials have been attending the Onshore Wind Industry Taskforce Working Group 4: Aviation and Defence. The group is discussing the challenges, opportunities and risks associated with accelerating onshore wind deployment to 2030, relevant to aviation and defence policy.

I have regular discussions with the Welsh Government on renewable energy projects in Wales. Wales will play an important role in increasing the UK's onshore wind capacity and meeting our Net Zero and energy security ambitions.

The UK Government has set up an Onshore Wind Industry Taskforce to identify and address the barriers to increased onshore wind deployment, including in relation to airspace management and aviation. The government engages regularly with the Welsh Government, who are represented on the Onshore Wind Industry Taskforce. Welsh Government officials have been attending the Onshore Wind Industry Taskforce Working Group 4: Aviation and Defence. The group is discussing the challenges, opportunities and risks associated with accelerating onshore wind deployment to 2030, relevant to aviation and defence policy.

The Secretary of State for Wales regularly meets with the First Minister to discuss a variety of issues. We have recognised that Wales’s Fiscal Framework is out of date and will be working with Welsh Government to update it. We remain committed to working in partnership to ensure the smooth delivery of the funding settlement.

Autumn Budget delivered the largest settlement for Wales in real terms since devolution at £21 billion. This includes an additional £1.7 billion through the Barnett Formula.

Since 4 July, we have received one piece of correspondence asking for a review of the Barnett Formula.

We are committed to supporting the Welsh Government in ensuring disused coal tips are safe. That is why we 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. It is for the Welsh Government to allocate funding and as confirmed in their draft budget, the Welsh Government will do this by expanding the Coal Tip Safety Grant. The Welsh Government, in administering this fund, will work with local authorities in Wales to determine exactly which tips get the money.

The Department has not spent any money on either media or voice training for Ministers since 5 July 2024.

The Department spent £4,277.25 on refurbishment of Ministers Offices between 4 July 2022 and 4 July 2024. The spend was on:

£286.76 - replacement of two blind cords with plastic cords;

£3,990.49 - re-upholstering of five leather chairs in the London Office.

The spend was under the previous administration.

The average number of staff attending the Department's HQ building in that period for which figures are available is 15. The Office currently has 24 civil servants assigned to its London Office.

Details of ministers’ 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 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.