Written Evidence Mar. 26 2026
Inquiry: Prisons, Probation and Rehabilitation in WalesCorrespondence Mar. 25 2026
Committee: Welsh Affairs Committee (Department: Wales Office)Correspondence Mar. 25 2026
Committee: Welsh Affairs Committee (Department: Wales Office)Correspondence Mar. 25 2026
Committee: Welsh Affairs Committee (Department: 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 her Department has spent on special severance payments in each of the last three years.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
The total value of severance payments is set out in the Department’s Annual Report and Accounts, which are available for the last three years.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with ministers in the Welsh Government concerning proposals to re-establish a Welsh Development Agency.
Answered by Lord Katz - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The re-establishment of a Welsh Development Agency is a matter which falls within the remit of the Welsh Government. The Wales Office is heavily engaged in supporting a coordinated approach toward investors between UK Government, Welsh Government, Corporate Joint Committees, and local authorities in Wales.
In 2024-2025, 65 new Foreign Direct Investment projects in Wales created 2,470 new jobs - an increase of 30% on the previous year in terms of new jobs created. Wales now lands nearly 5% of all inward investment projects in the UK, up from 3.4% in 2023/2024. The Wales Office recently launched a new programme of activity which will further improve coordination of how Wales is marketed to the world.
Economic Growth is the number one mission of this Government and our Industrial Strategy is delivering that for Wales – from Freeports and Investment Zones, to Artificial Intelligence (AI) Growth Zones and a Defence Growth Deal, we are creating the right conditions for business to grow and export, creating jobs and opportunities across Wales.
Asked by: Bradley Thomas (Conservative - Bromsgrove)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many apprentices her Department recruited in (a) 2022, (b) 2023, (c) 2024 and (d) 2025.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
Apprenticeships are a valuable tool for improving skills, productivity, and social mobility, whilst also supporting the development of our workforce. My Department continues to offer apprenticeships whenever a suitable vacancy arises.
My Department recruited three apprentices in 2022, three in 2023, and none in 2024 or 2025.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, with reference to paragraph 88 of the policy paper entitled UK Government Resilience Action Plan, published on 14 July 2025, how many meetings have been attended by civil servants within their Department in relation to the Home Defence Programme; which directorate in the Department owns the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme; and what the job title is of the civil servant leading and cohering the Departmental contribution to the Home Defence Programme.
Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales
The Resilience Action Plan sets out the Government’s strategic approach to how we will strengthen our domestic resilience and invest to protect the nation. Wales Office officials regularly attend meetings to discuss matters of national security and defence.