Submit Evidence (by 2 Feb 2025)

Wales has a proud industrial heritage based on activities such as coal mining, slate quarrying, copper smelting, steelmaking and manufacturing among others.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether ministers in her Department have met with representatives of the alcohol industry since July 2024.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

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.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the pensions of former Allied Steel and Wire workers.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

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.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to provide (a) guidance and (b) training to healthcare providers on welsh health regulations when providing cross-border healthcare services.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

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

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to the Answer of 19 November 2024 to Question 13970 on Wales Office: Buildings, how many staff attended the Department's HQ building in that period; and how many staff are assigned to that workplace.

Answered by Nia Griffith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)

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.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2024 to Question 9284 on Wales Office: Ministers' Private Offices, how much was spent on (a) new furniture and fittings and (b) other refurbishment of Ministerial offices in her Department between 4 July 2022 and 4 July 2024; and on what items this was spent.

Answered by Nia Griffith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales Office)

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.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government which specific disused coal tips will be supported with the £25 million funding announced in the Autumn Budget.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

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.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have received since 4 July requesting a review of the funding formula which finances the Senedd’s current and capital expenditure.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

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.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how much their Department spent on (a) media and (b) voice training for Ministers since 5 July 2024.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

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

I believe a referendum in Wales is needed on whether to abolish the Welsh Parliament.

We are calling on the Government to devolve the Crown estate from Westminster to Wales, like it was devolved to Scotland in 2017. We believe that the appointment of a Crown Estate Commissioner doesn't go far enough, and that a radical change is needed by devolving the Crown Estate.

Found: Homeless_Health_Needs_Audit_Report.pdf 5 Office for National Statistics (2022) Deaths of homeless people in England and Wales - Office

Found: The-lifelong-health-and-wellbeing-trajectories-of-people-who-have-been-in-care.pdf 19 Kinship care in England and Wales - Office

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Welsh Government regarding the future of the Welsh National Opera.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Whilst it would not be appropriate for Ministers to intervene directly in funding decisions by arm’s-length bodies such as Arts Council England or in the operation of the Welsh National Opera, and whilst arts policy in Wales is devolved, Minister Bryant has held a series of very productive meetings with the Wales Office, Welsh Government, Arts Council England, and Welsh National Opera to understand the challenges it faces in more detail and to see how, within the parameters of the arm’s length principle, we can best help ensure a strong, secure and sustainable future for the WNO.

The core point of agreement across all these meetings and across all partners was a recognition of the value of the Welsh National Opera and its work - for the people of England as well as for the people of Wales. It was clear that all partners are keen to achieve a positive long-term future for the organisation, and are working towards that goal. We look forward to the new leadership at the WNO coming up with a practicable plan in the near future.

Found: TOTAL DEL DEL ADMIN Wales Office X091A001 X091A001-WALES OFFICE (DEL ADMIN/VOTED) P101 DEPRECIATION/

Found: component of equity): • Supply • grant in aid received by arm’s length bodies • grants from the Wales Office

Found: Office 37 UK Statistics Authority 38 The National Archives 39 United Kingdom Supreme Court 40 Wales Office

Found: 148 447 136 407 132 344 141 366 103 326 134 Source: Deaths of homeless people in England and Wales – Office