Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Wales regarding restructuring accountability for the police service in Wales.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government has held discussions with the Welsh Government on police reform in Wales, including options for police governance and accountability following the planned abolition of Police and Crime Commissioners.
These discussions have taken place through ministerial and official-level engagement, Police Governance Reform working groups, and established forums such as the Policing Partnership Board for Wales. The Government will continue to engage with the Welsh Government as proposals are developed and taken forward through the Police Reform Bill.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the cost of the UK's support to the government of Ukraine in the current financial year.
Answered by Lord Pitt-Watson - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine poses a direct threat to UK and European prosperity and security. We are proud to be a leading partner in providing vital support to Ukraine since the onset of the war in 2022, and we will continue to do so.
This calendar year, the UK has provided up to £5.6bn to date in support to Ukraine. We track support across a calendar year rather than the financial year to align with Ukrainian budget timescales. Ukrainians are defending their country against Russian aggression at immense personal cost, and their fight is in our national security interests. Supporting Ukraine helps to deter further Russian aggression across Europe, and protect the security and prosperity of the United Kingdom.
In total, the UK has committed up to £25bn for Ukraine since Russia’s illegal invasion: this includes £16bn in military support, £3.5bn cover limit in UK export finance and up to £5.6bn in non-military support including bilateral assistance, humanitarian and fiscal support.
This Government has pledged to sustain £3 billion a year in military aid to Ukraine until 2030 to 2031 and for as long as it takes until a just peace is achieved.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the total cost of payments arising from clinical negligence in England during the most recent 12-month period for which figures are available.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The total value of payments for clinical negligence claims in 2025/26, as reported in NHS Resolution annual Report and accounts: 2025 to 2026, published on 9 July 2026, was £3.2 billion, for all clinical schemes. This includes payments for damages, National Health Service legal costs, and claimant legal costs on both open and settled claims.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have assessed the amount of additional water required to the meet the needs of AI and associated industries and services; and whether they have targets for additional supply of water for each of the regions of England.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, works with DEFRA, the Environment Agency and others to ensure that AI-enabled data infrastructure does not compromise public water supply resilience. Water resource planning in England is undertaken through statutory Water Resources Management Plans prepared by water companies, regional water resources plans, and the Environment Agency's National Framework for Water Resources.
The Government supports the adoption of efficient cooling technologies (closed-loop systems) and alternative sources like rainwater harvesting. National planning policy embeds consideration of sustainable water use and resource efficiency in decision making. In 2025, a techUK–Environment Agency survey found that 51% of surveyed sites use closed loop cooling systems, and 64% use less than 10,000m³ of water per year. This is small compared to other sectors.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have they have, if any, to recognise chess as a sport in England.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)
The Government’s arm’s length body for grassroots sport, Sport England, has a process for recognising activities. The objective of the recognition process is to identify sports that Sport England may wish to work with and the national bodies that govern them. The process is run jointly with the other three Home Country Sports Councils and UK Sport.
Recognition of a sport is subject to application and the most recent application for chess was made by the English Chess Federation (ECF) in 2008. When considering if activities can be recognised as sports, the Sports Councils refer to the definition of sport contained in the Council of Europe’s European Sports Charter (revised 2021). This states that;
“Sport means all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation aim at expressing or improving physical fitness and mental well-being, forming social relationships or obtaining results in competition at all levels.”
The ECF’s application was turned down at this time as Chess did not meet the Council of Europe’s definition. Any future application for the recognition of Chess would have to meet this definition.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government when the compensation scheme for workers who have suffered from silicosis by inhaling crystalline silica dust after cutting kitchen worktop stones will be published; and when they will open applications.
Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Workers who develop asbestos-related and dust-related diseases like mesothelioma and pneumoconiosis caused by their work can claim a one-off payment from the Government if they haven’t already secured compensation from their employer.
The Government has no plans to introduce a separate compensation scheme for workers who have suffered from silicosis by inhaling crystalline silica dust from cutting kitchen worktop stones.
Individuals with silicosis may be eligible for financial support through existing arrangements, including a lump-sum payment under the Pneumoconiosis etc. (Workers' Compensation) Act 1979 where the relevant entitlement conditions are met.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made to improve access to the EU for musicians.
Answered by Baroness Mackenzie of Sherwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government has been working to deliver its manifesto commitment to support touring artists through sustained engagement with European partners and practical domestic action. This includes building on the commitment to cultural exchange made at the inaugural UK-EU Summit through the first UK-EU High-Level Meeting on Culture in March 2026 with Commissioner Glenn Micallef in Brussels. The UK also became one of the first countries to adopt digital ATA Carnets on 1 June, has increased resources to speed up the processing of A1 forms, and will shortly update relevant online guidance to the sector.
Our recently published report ‘The economic benefits of touring and impact of EU Exit’ also provides the strongest evidence to date on touring barriers across the UK and EU. This will help to inform the Government’s ongoing work with European partners to pursue practical improvements for touring in the EU, as well as support industry engagement with EU counterparts, led by the Cultural Exchange Coalition.
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 effects of this summer's drought on the supply of potatoes grown in the UK; and what plans they have to ensure the adequate supply of potatoes over winter.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
It is too early to assess the full impact of this summer's drought on potato production. While some growers have experienced challenging conditions, there is currently no indication that supplies of potatoes over winter are at risk.
Our diverse and resilient food system, supported by both domestic production and international trade, has historically responded well to withstand localised production shocks. Defra continues to monitor domestic and international supply closely, including through the UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group, to identify any potential risks to food supply chains.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they gave to the impact, if any, on steel supplies to the defence industry in the UK when assessing the changes to tariff-free quotas on category 4 galvanised steel imports.
Answered by Lord Sarwar - Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade)
The measure aims to strike the right balance for UK industry, protecting domestic production while maintaining a secure supply. We need more UK steel in our defence industries - relying on imports at a time of global uncertainty puts the resilience and security of supply chains at risk. We have engaged extensively with industry, including the defence sector, to inform the design of the measure and have sized our quotas appropriately.
The Government continues to engage with producers and downstream users to understand the impact of the measure and will carry out a full review after 12 months.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what response they have given, or propose to give, to the Welsh Government’s request for its borrowing powers to be made equivalent to those available to the Scottish Government.
Answered by Lord Katz - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Spending Review 2025 provided the Welsh Government with its largest real-terms Spending Review settlement since devolution, with nearly £6.5 billion of additional spending power over the Spending Review period. At Autumn Budget 2025, the Government announced changes to the Welsh Fiscal Framework, including a 10% increase in annual and cumulative capital borrowing limits and Wales Reserve limits from 2026-27, with annual indexation from 2027-28.
The Fiscal Frameworks for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have been agreed separately with each devolved government to reflect the different needs of each nation.