Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many days the Union Flag was flown on her Department's main buildings in (a) 2024 and (b) 2025 to date.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

The Union Flag was flown on the Department's main building (a) 366 days in 2024 and (b) 259 days to date in 2025.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Welsh Government regarding the reconfiguration of career patterns within the Civil Service in Wales to maximise recruitment of such staff from Wales.

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

The UK and Welsh Governments work closely together on matters relating to the civil service. Both governments participate in civil service learning and development schemes aimed at supporting career progression such as the Future Leadership Scheme (FLS) operated by the Cabinet Office. The Places for Growth Programme has also relocated 1,304 civil service roles to Wales, strengthening opportunities and career pathways. As one of the 13 growth areas announced by the then Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in May, Cardiff is set to benefit from the relocation of even more government jobs over the Spending Review period.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the Swansea Bay City Region City Deal, how much has been spent to date by (1) the UK Government, and (2) the Welsh Government; how many new jobs have been created; and which sectors and local authority areas those jobs are in.

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

The UK Government is working in full partnership with the Welsh Government to co-invest in the delivery of four City and Regional Growth Deals across Wales. The Swansea Bay City Deal was agreed in 2017 by the UK Government, Welsh Government and the four local authorities in South West Wales. The Swansea Bay Deal represents a total investment of £1.3billion comprising nine headline programmes, and over 36 projects focused on economic acceleration, life sciences, energy, smart manufacturing and digital innovation. To date, the Deal has invested £537 million.

The Deal aims to deliver key economic and social benefits across the South West Wales region over a 15-year period whilst leveraging an anticipated £642 million from private sector investment. The UK Government has committed £115.6 million to support the Deal’s delivery with the Welsh Government contributing £125.4 million. An additional £396 million has been committed by other public sector and local authority contributions.

The City and Growth Deals invest in large-scale capital investments, which by nature take longer to deliver employment outcomes. As capital investments near completion, there will be an acceleration in job creation in line with projected outcomes. For example, the opening of 71/72 Kingsway in Swansea earlier this year and phase one of Pentre Awel (Llanelli) due to open soon.

To date, the Swansea Bay City Deal to date has created a total of 912 jobs across the four local authorities in sectors such as:

• Life Sciences
• Creative Industries
• Energy
• Smart Manufacturing
• Digital Infrastructure

The UK Government’s investment and collaboration with the Welsh Government has kickstarted sustained economic growth in the Swansea Bay region and will continue to unlock new opportunities for people and businesses across the region.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the Cardiff Capital Region City Deal, how much has been spent to date by (1) the UK Government, and (2) the Welsh Government; how many new jobs have been created; and which sectors and local authority areas those jobs are in.

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

The UK Government is working in full partnership with the Welsh Government to co-invest in the delivery of four City and Regional Growth Deals across Wales. Since it was agreed in 2016 by UK Government, Welsh Government and ten local authorities in South East Wales, we have collaborated to deliver this £1.23 billion programme, which builds upon the region’s sectoral strengths.

Over its 20-year lifetime, the Deal aims to deliver 25,000 new jobs and attract £4 billion in private sector investment. To support the delivery of these aims, the UK Government has committed £500 million, of which £375 million has been allocated to the Wider Investment Fund and £125 million has been allocated to the Electrification of the Core Valley Lines. The Cardiff Capital Region City Deal is the only Welsh deal where UK Government contribution is not directly matched by Welsh Government. The Welsh Government’s funding supports the Cardiff Capital Region by contributing £734 million to the delivery of the South Wales Metro. £192 million has been invested by the Deal to date.

The City and Growth Deals invest in large-scale capital investments, which by nature take longer to deliver employment outcomes. As capital investments near completion, there will be an acceleration in job creation in line with projected outcomes. For example, the extension to the new KLA factory is due to complete with contractors by December 2025. As of September 2025, the Deal has created a total of 4,335 jobs across the ten local authorities covered by the Deal, and across a wide range of sectors, including:

• Compound semiconductors
• Transport
• Digital & Innovation
• Skills and Employment
• Creative Industries
• Life Sciences
• FinTech

The UK Government’s investment and collaboration with the Welsh Government has kickstarted sustained economic growth in the Cardiff Capital Region and will continue to unlock new opportunities for people and businesses across the region.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the North Wales Growth Deal, how much has been spent to date by (1) the UK Government, and (2) the Welsh Government; how many new jobs have been created; and which sectors and local authority areas those jobs are in.

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

The UK Government is working in full partnership with the Welsh Government to deliver the four City and Regional Growth Deals across Wales. The North Wales Growth Deal was agreed in 2020 with the UK Government, Welsh Government and six local authorities collaborating to deliver the £1 billion programme.

The North Wales Growth Deal seeks to tackle long-term challenges and barriers to deliver inclusive growth whilst building on the region’s strengths to create a more vibrant, sustainable and resilient economy in North Wales. The UK Government has committed £120 million to support these aims which has been matched by £120 million from the Welsh Government. The Deal will leverage £760 million from the private sector and other public sector sources. The Deal has invested £24 million to date.

The City and Growth Deals invest in large-scale capital investments, which by nature take longer to deliver employment outcomes. As capital investments near completion, there will be an acceleration in job creation in line with projected outcomes. For example, the Engineering, Enterprise and Optics Centre which is due to open in November will provide a world leading space for research and development at Wrexham University. As of September 2025, the North Wales Growth Deal has created a total of 38 jobs. The Growth Deal will create jobs across the six local authorities covered by the Deal in a wide range of sectors, including:

• Innovation
• Manufacturing
• Low Carbon Energy
• Digital Infrastructure
• Tourism
• Agri-food

The UK Government’s investment and collaboration with the Welsh Government has kickstarted sustained economic growth in North Wales and will to unlock new opportunities for people and businesses across the region. The UK Government is working in partnership with the Welsh Government to support and accelerate delivery by the North Wales Growth Deal.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the Mid Wales Growth Deal, how much has been spent to date by (1) the UK Government, and (2) the Welsh Government; how many new jobs have been created; and which sectors and local authority areas those jobs are in.

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

The UK Government is working in full partnership with the Welsh Government to co-invest in the delivery of four City and Regional Growth Deals across Wales. The Mid Wales Growth Deal was signed in 2022 by the UK Government, Welsh Government, Ceredigion County Council and Powys County Council.

Over its 10 to 15-year lifetime, the Deal aims to deliver £280-400 million in capital investment. To support these aims, the UK Government has committed to a £55 million contribution and the Welsh Government have matched this commitment with a contribution of £55 million. Additional investment is sought by the Deal from the public and private sectors.

The Mid Wales Growth Deal recently entered into its delivery phase and will report on its spend and jobs creation at the end of the current quarter. The City and Growth Deals invest in large-scale capital investments, which by nature take longer to deliver employment outcomes. As capital investments near completion, there will be an acceleration in job creation in line with projected outcomes. For example, the recently launched Mid Wales Commercial Property Investment Fund is already supporting businesses to invest in new or expanded premises - tackling one of the key challenges facing growing enterprises in the region. The Deal continues to develop its portfolio in order to meet the needs of this unique region, it will focus on the following key themes building on the existing strengths of the region:

• Tourism
• Food
• Skills
• Digital
• Applied Research & Innovation
• Land and Property

The UK Government’s investment and collaboration with the Welsh Government will kickstart sustained economic growth in Mid Wales and unlock new opportunities for people and businesses across the region.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 1 August 2024 (HL461), what progress they have made in the strategic review of probation governance, and what consideration they have given to the devolution of youth justice.

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

The UK Government and Welsh Government regularly discuss justice matters in Wales. Both governments have agreed to work together to explore options relating to the governance and funding of youth justice services and partnership arrangements on probation services. This work is currently underway.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent on 1 August 2024 (HL318), what progress they have made to devolve employment support to Wales.

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

The UK Government is committed to devolving non-Jobcentre Plus employment support funding to the Welsh Government.

DWP and Welsh Government officials are working closely to progress this commitment, which will support our joint efforts to help people back into secure, well-paid jobs.

To date, DWP has devolved funding for a Get Britain Working economic inactivity Trailblazer in Wales, providing £10 million to the Welsh Government to deliver tailored support where it is most needed. This includes help with CV writing and job searching, one-to-one mentoring, counselling, wellbeing services, and condition management for those with health conditions.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether she has had recent discussions with the Welsh government on the potential impact of including (a) glass and (b) a reuse element in its deposit return scheme on cross-border businesses.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

The UK Government has regular discussions with the Welsh Government on the deposit return scheme, including through the Resources and Waste Common Framework.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, for what reason the value of the Local Growth Fund being provided to Wales was listed as £547 million on 10 October 2025 and as £633 million on 16 June 2025.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

The Local Growth Fund will invest £547 million in Wales over the next three years, more than half a billion pounds of much needed investment in Wales. This funding will drive economic growth, create jobs and raise living standards as part of the UK Government’s mission to kickstart economic growth and break down barriers to opportunity.

The Local Growth Fund at £547 million is just one element of our wider package of targeted, long-term local growth funding referred to in June, which also includes the new Pride in Place initiative. Communities across Wales will benefit from the Pride in Place Programme and Pride in Place Impact Fund, supporting projects that will build stronger communities, create thriving places, and empower local people.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on (a) the ‘Future of TV Distribution’ stakeholder forum and (b) the potential impact of its decision making on Wales.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

I have regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a range of matters. In July, the then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Wales met with Broadcast 2040+ to understand their perspectives on the long-term future of terrestrial TV in Wales.

The lead department on this matter, DCMS established the Future of TV Distribution stakeholder forum which takes views from a range of broadcasters active in Wales, including S4C, the BBC and ITV. The forum also benefits from the perspectives of a number of groups representing the interests of Welsh and UK-wide audiences, such as Voice of the Listener and Viewer, Digital Poverty Alliance and Silver Voices. Before any decisions are made, including in relation to Wales, close consideration will be given to how any changes would impact audiences, and especially those who rely on digital terrestrial television as their primary means of watching television.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether their Department has run any (a) recruitment and (b) internship schemes aimed to increase the number of people from underrepresented groups in the workforce in the last year.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

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.

Civil Service recruitment must follow the rules set out in legislation within the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRaGA) 2010 which outlines the requirements to ensure that civil servants are recruited on merit, via fair and open competition.

My Department has not run any internship schemes in the last year.

Found: Baroness Newlove of Warrington Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales Office

Found: Customs − AFC0078 – Home Office − AFC0079 – Department of Health and Social Care − AFC0080 – Wales Office

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the press notice entitled £214m new funding for Welsh communities to improve neighbourhoods and restore pride, published on 25 September 2025, when the capital funding for Welsh local authorities will be made available; and over what period that funding will be released.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government has announced its flagship Pride in Place programme, supporting 244 of Great Britain’s most in need neighbourhoods with up to £20 million each over the next decade. Nine Local Authorities in Wales will benefit from the new programme. These areas will join five communities where work is already underway, taking the total to fourteen local authorities across Wales sharing £280 million. Local authorities will be invited to propose the communities within their areas to participate in the Pride in Place Programme for UK Government approval with capacity and capital funding to all places from Spring 2026.

On top of this every local authority in Wales will receive £34.5 million of capital funding through a new Pride in Place Impact Fund to improve their public spaces, including fixing broken bus shelters, reopening park toilets, more bins to help stop litter and revamping run-down leisure centres. Funding from the Pride in Place Impact Fund will go directly to Local Authorities, who will play a leading role in shaping and delivering projects in partnership with their local communities and MPs. The Pride in Place Impact Fund is a two-year programme ending in March 2027. Each Local Authority will shortly receive its first payment of £750,000 with a second to follow next year.

With support from the Wales Office, we will work in partnership with the Welsh Government to implement the new programme to complement the work of their Transforming Towns and Placemaking Initiatives.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the press notice entitled £214m new funding for Welsh communities to improve neighbourhoods and restore pride, published on 25 September 2025, whether the £34.5million in capital funding for Welsh local authorities will be released (a) directly to local authorities, (b) through Corporate Joint Committees or (c) through the Welsh Government.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government has announced its flagship Pride in Place programme, supporting 244 of Great Britain’s most in need neighbourhoods with up to £20 million each over the next decade. Nine Local Authorities in Wales will benefit from the new programme. These areas will join five communities where work is already underway, taking the total to fourteen local authorities across Wales sharing £280 million. Local authorities will be invited to propose the communities within their areas to participate in the Pride in Place Programme for UK Government approval with capacity and capital funding to all places from Spring 2026.

On top of this every local authority in Wales will receive £34.5 million of capital funding through a new Pride in Place Impact Fund to improve their public spaces, including fixing broken bus shelters, reopening park toilets, more bins to help stop litter and revamping run-down leisure centres. Funding from the Pride in Place Impact Fund will go directly to Local Authorities, who will play a leading role in shaping and delivering projects in partnership with their local communities and MPs. The Pride in Place Impact Fund is a two-year programme ending in March 2027. Each Local Authority will shortly receive its first payment of £750,000 with a second to follow next year.

With support from the Wales Office, we will work in partnership with the Welsh Government to implement the new programme to complement the work of their Transforming Towns and Placemaking Initiatives.

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Found: Sexual offences prevalence and victim characteristics, England and Wales – Office for National Statistics3

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Found: Transport, £30.5bn (£32.1bn) Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Gov, £28.3bn (£25.6bn) Wales Office

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