Wales: Constitutional and Policy Divergence

Debate between Earl of Kinnoull and Lord Katz

Wednesday 4th November 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Katz (Lab)]

I agree with my noble friend. As I have previously said, we want to see full regional empowerment and power passed down not just from Westminster to Cardiff Bay but through there to reach all parts of Wales. On the specifics, we are supporting the Welsh Government in investing across the whole of Wales. I point to the Gwyndod investment in Ynys Môn for nuclear energy, and urge Plaid Cymru to be clear about how it supports the ambitions we have for nuclear energy to provide both energy security and lots of good, high-skilled jobs in Wales and across the rest of the UK. We are also talking about improving transport links through a new station in Deeside. The UK Government are supporting lots of investment in Wales, but we also want to see the Welsh Government supporting regional empowerment throughout the whole country of Wales.

[The Earl of Kinnoull (CB)]

My Lords, intergovernmental relations are set out in a quarterly report. In the first six months of this year, the Northern Ireland Executive had 29 interministerial group meetings, the Scottish Government had 23 and the Welsh Government had only 21. When one looks by department, one sees that the Wales Office managed to have only one in the first six months. The interministerial group structure is one of the key things for making our United Kingdom work properly. Does the Minister feel satisfied with the number of meetings that I have just described? What plans are there to increase that number for Wales?

[Lord Katz (Lab)]

I thank the noble Earl for that observation; I am not keeping quite as close a tally as he is on the number of meetings. I point out that, just this weekend, we had the first meeting of the new National Economic Council, and it was positive to see the Prime Minister convene it. He made a very clear offer to the leaders of all the devolved Governments to put politics aside and to work in partnership with the UK Government. That is the spirit in which he wishes to work with the Heads of the devolved Governments; I hope that it will be taken up by them in the same spirit, and I am sure it will be.

Flood Detection and Prevention: Technological Assistance

Debate between Earl of Kinnoull and Lord Katz

Thursday 19th March 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Katz (Lab)]

I thank my noble friend for raising that interesting example. I will certainly go back and talk with colleagues about how we make sure that we adapt to changing environmental factors. We say that local flood risk management planning should follow this sort of adaptive approach over time, which takes account of climate change and other needs, such as demographic change and food security, and ensure that climate change protections are built into the design of new flood defences.

[The Earl of Kinnoull (CB)]

My Lords, no matter how good one is at detection and prevention, there will always be floods. That is why it is important to have insurance. The Flood Re scheme, which was generated some years ago and was time-limited, applies only to buildings that were built before 1 January 2009 and only to residential buildings, so anything that has a micro-business in it is not insurable. As so much time has moved on, and as it is important to support micro-businesses in flood-plain areas, does the Minister agree that it is time to look again at Flood Re to see whether the eligibility criteria could be expanded?

[Lord Katz (Lab)]

I will have to write to the noble Lord with details about our future plans for Flood Re. He is right that it is important that the Environment Agency focuses on outreach, not only to households but to businesses, to help them adapt to changing weather conditions and demographic changes, as well as to new developments which will have an impact on flood risk in their local area.