Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions, if any, the Secretary of State for Transport has had with Great Western Railway regarding recent disruptions to its services, particularly in terms of reliability and over-crowding.

Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)

I maintain regular engagement with Great Western Railway on operational performance matters, including service reliability, disruption management and passenger experience. The Department holds the operator to account for meeting its contractual obligations, including addressing reliability issues and managing passenger crowding where services are disrupted or demand is high. Great Western Railway’s transfer into public ownership on 13 December 2026 will further enable improvements in reliability, performance, accountability, and the overall customer experience.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans, if any, the Secretary of State for Wales has to meet with the Welsh Government to discuss continuing support for Opera in Wales.

Answered by Lord Katz - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

I congratulate Welsh National Opera on its 80th anniversary and pay tribute to its longstanding contribution to opera and the arts.

Culture in Wales is a devolved matter and responsibility for cultural policy in Wales sits with the Welsh Government. Welsh National Opera currently receives £4,267,620 per annum from Arts Council England, reflecting the 5% uplift applied to all National Portfolio Organisations from April 2026, reflecting the National Opera’s contribution across the UK.

The UK Government and Welsh Government work together on a range of issues of importance to the people of Wales. The Wales Office will continue to champion Wales across the UK Government, including supporting opportunities for Wales's world-renowned cultural organisations to thrive and succeed.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Welsh government regarding the executive co-operation between Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent councils as a plausible model for English local government.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

We are not aware of any discussions which have taken place with the Welsh Government regarding the specifics of the executive co-operation arrangements of Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent councils. With Local Government being devolved, this would be a matter for Welsh Government to consider. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is continuing to work with the Welsh Government and local authorities in Wales to deliver a range of funded programmes to support communities and local growth, including through the Pride in Place Programme and Local Growth Fund.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will extend non-payment of inheritance tax on personal estates from six to 12 months because of severe delays to the obtaining of probate.

Answered by Lord Pitt-Watson - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

Inheritance tax is due at the end of the sixth month after the date of death. After this point, late payment interest will begin to accrue on the outstanding tax. The Government has no plans to change the existing, longstanding deadlines.

The most recent Family Court Statistics Bulletin published by the Ministry of Justice shows that probate grants took approximately 5 weeks to be issued after the application was submitted during January to March 2026.

Found: Burnett of Maldon Lord Griffiths of Burry Port Baroness Hamwee Lord Jones of Penybont Lord Murphy of Torfaen

Found: Griffiths of Burry Port; Baroness Hamwee; Lord Jones of Penybont; Baroness Laing of Elderslie; Lord Murphy of Torfaen

Found: Griffiths of Burry Port; Baroness Hamwee; Lord Jones of Penybont; Baroness Laing of Elderslie; Lord Murphy of Torfaen

Found: Burnett of Maldon; Lord Griffiths of Burry Port; Baroness Hamwee; Lord Jones of Penybont; Lord Murphy of Torfaen

Found: Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, The Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP, commissioned The Rt Hon Lord Murphy of Torfaen

Found: Griffiths of Burry Port Baroness Hamwee Lord Jones of Penybont Baroness Laing of Elderslie Lord Murphy of Torfaen

Found: relevant interest to declare Baroness Laing of Elderslie No relevant interests to declare Lord Murphy of Torfaen