Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the total number of people serving Imprisonment for Public Protection sentences at the latest available date; how many of these have been (1) released and recalled, or (2) never released; and how many remain in prison beyond their tariff.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice routinely publishes statistics on the Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) population in Offender Management Statistics Quarterly (OMSQ). The latest published figures can be accessed using the links below.
As at 31 December 2024, there were a total 2,614 prisoners serving IPP sentences in custody, of which 1,045 were unreleased and 1,569 were recalled. The figures can be found in Table 1.Q.14: prison-population-31-Dec-2024.ods.
As at 30 September 2024, there were 2,885 offenders serving IPP sentences in the community. Of these, 1,742 had their IPP licences automatically terminated on 1 November 2024. The figures can be found in Table 6.13: Probation-Jul-to-Sep-2024.ods.
Between January and September 2024, there were 128 IPP first releases. The figures can be found in Table 3.Q.2: prison-releases-July-to-Sept-2024.ods.
Between 1 January and 30 September 2024, there were 471 IPP recalls. The figures can be found in Table 5.Q.2: licence-recalls-July-to-Sept-2024.ods.
Between 1 January and 30 September 2024, there were 451 IPP recall re-releases. The figures can be found in Table 5.Q.11: licence-recalls-July-to-Sept-2024.ods.
As at 31 December 2024, there were a total 1,035 unreleased IPP prisoners beyond their tariff. The figures can be found in Table 1.Q.18: prison-population-31-Dec-2024.ods.
It is right that the IPP sentence was abolished, and this Government is determined that those serving the sentence get all the support and opportunities they need to make further progress towards a safe and sustainable release.
On 15 November 2024, the Government published the updated IPP Action Plan, which puts a stronger emphasis on effective frontline delivery in our prisons. It will ensure that prisoners serving IPP sentences have robust and effective sentence plans, which they can actively engaging with, and that they are in the correct prison to access the right interventions and rehabilitative services.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the proposals for pumping water from the River Severn to the River Thames for use in South-East England.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Severn to Thames Transfer is part of the RAPID programme and this means it will receive regulatory oversight as the owners (Severn Trent Water, Thames Water and United Utilities) continue to investigate and develop this potential strategic regional option (SRO). The Severn to Thames Transfer progressed through gate two in June 2023 after it was assessed by the RAPID partner regulators (Ofwat, EA and DWI). It was decided that this SRO should continue to be developed towards gate three.
The Severn to Thames Transfer is not currently a preferred option in water companies' water resource management plans (WRMPs). However, at PR24 Ofwat decided that the Severn to Thames Transfer should continue to be developed. This is because securing our future water supply is of critical importance, and therefore it is crucial that there is contingency within the system.
In the event that the Severn Thames Transfer is progressed, it is likely to involve a pipeline connection of the River Severn to the River Thames to enable the transfer of up to 500Ml/d raw water to the Southeast during times of drought.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what lessons Network Rail has learned from the railway accident near Llanbrynmair on the Shrewsbury to Machynlleth line in October 2024; and how those lessons will be heeded throughout the railway network.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB), the independent body responsible for investigating rail accidents in the UK, launched an investigation into the fatal accident at Talerddig, near Llanbrynmair in Powys, on 22 October 2024, the day after the accident. Once the investigation is complete, RAIB will publish an investigation report, which will highlight any recommendations or learning points.
Maintaining high safety levels on the railway remains a priority for this Government and we expect the relevant parts of the rail industry, including Network Rail, to act on any recommendations resulting from RAIB’s investigation.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of storm and flood warning systems in the UK following Storm Bert and Storm Darragh.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is the Lead Government Department in England for flooding and works with the Environment Agency (EA) and Met Office to maintain a flood warning system for England.
The responsibility for flood warning systems in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland rests with the equivalent organisations to Defra and the EA in the Devolved Governments. The responsibility for storm warning systems in the UK is held by the Met Office.
Between September and mid-January 2025 over 1,400 Flood Warnings were issued in England. Defra, the EA and the Met Office regularly assess the effectiveness of their flood warning systems in England including after major events like Storm Bert and Storm Darragh. These assessments take various forms, including working with Local Resilience Forums in post incident reviews as well as annual performance reports under the Flood & Water Management Act 2010.
Defra, the EA and the Met Office continuously work to improve flood warning services, including by developing the capability of world leading Flood Forecast Centre. Examples of this work include a trial of Rapid Flood Guidance which took place in 2024, and which is currently being evaluated.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what they estimate will be the cost to the public purse of clinical negligence by 2030; and what steps they intend to take to reduce this cost.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As part of the written evidence to the Health and Social Care Select Committee’s inquiry into National Health Service litigation reform in 2022, following work with the Government Actuary's Department and NHS Resolution (NHSR), the Department advised that projections for the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CNST) indicated that by 2029/30, annual cash payments for clinical negligence under the CNST could increase to £4.3 billion. The CNST, the largest clinical negligence scheme, covers all clinical negligence claims against member NHS bodies where the incident in question took place on or after 1 April 1995. The estimate does not include other smaller clinical negligence schemes run by NHSR. A copy of the Department’s full written evidence to the inquiry is attached.
The National Audit Office has announced that it is undertaking a review of clinical negligence costs this year, including an up-to-date assessment of how total cash costs may change in the future, and will publish its report in autumn 2025. Full details of the review can be found on the National Audit Office’s website, in an online only format.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the statement made by the Security Intelligence Service Director-General of New Zealand on 7 March, what discussions they have had with the government of New Zealand about China signing strategic deals with Pacific nations linking economic and security cooperation.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK engages with the Government of New Zealand at both ministerial and official level across a wide range of regional and global issues. This includes any developments relating to economic and security cooperation in the Pacific region.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many people are employed by the Crown Estate in Wales.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Crown Estate has a dedicated Cardiff Hub serving as a base for its operations in Wales. On average three members of staff work from the Cardiff hub on a daily basis. However, this number is not representative of the total number of staff who are engaged in Wales matters or otherwise attend the Cardiff hub on a different basis. This is because staff, along with a network of managing agents and other agencies, work flexibly across Wales, Northern Ireland, and England.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk of increased electricity prices in Wales under the proposals to introduce zonal pricing of electricity in the UK.
Answered by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government have not yet taken a decision on Zonal or Reformed National pricing. Zonal pricing has the potential to reduce bills for consumer across Great Britain, and we are currently conducting quantitative and distributional analysis to understand the impacts of zonal market design options on consumers, including those in Wales. A cost-benefit analysis will also inform policy decisions and help conclude how effectively the options meet the objectives.
Zonal pricing could be implemented with varying degrees of consumer exposure. We are working closely with the Welsh Government to understand how any potential REMA reforms could impact Welsh consumers and industry, and this will be taken into account as part of the final decision-making process.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had in the past nine months with representatives of the medical sector concerning the availability of radio isotopes for treating cancer patients.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department regularly engages with specialist clinicians, the British Nuclear Medicine Society, and the UK Radiopharmacy Group to assist in the management of supply issues with medical radioisotopes, including those used for treating cancer patients.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to legislating to establish a financial cap on compensation payments made by the NHS to patients who make claims arising from treatment or advice received from the NHS.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The rising costs of clinical negligence claims against the National Health Service in England are of great concern to the Government. Costs have more than doubled in the last 10 years and are forecast to continue rising, putting further pressure on NHS finances.
The causes of the overall cost rise are complex and there is no single fix, as costs are likely to be rising because of a range of factors, including higher compensation payments and legal costs, rather than more claims or a decline in patient safety.
We recognise that this is an important issue, and ministers intend to look at all the drivers of cost, how to manage spending on clinical negligence, and the potential merits of reform options.