Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of the workforce in prisons in England and Wales are employed by private contractors.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
As of 31 March 2025, there were 3,403 prison custody officers in post across the 16 privately managed prisons in England and Wales, employed in roles that are equivalent to Band 3–5 grades used in public sector prisons. This represents approximately 13% of all officer grades in prisons in England and Wales.
A number of non-directly-employed staff – including contractors, volunteers and third-party service providers – also work in HM prisons, in areas, such as education, healthcare and industries. Statistics for these are not collected centrally and could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much of the increased defence expenditure being invested in Scotland referred to by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in her spending review Statement on 11 June (HC Deb col 978) will be spent in Scotland in each of the next three financial years.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The recently published Strategic Defence Review set out a new vision for defence. The Spending Review 2025 sees the Ministry of Defence (MOD) budget grow by £10.9bn in real terms from 2023-24 to 2028-29, allowing the Defence Secretary to start delivering on this new vision. The Defence Secretary will set out the detailed articulation of the new defence programme in the Defence Investment Plan later in the year which will include details of the programme and where we expect money to be spent, which will include programmes in Scotland. This includes an initial investment of £250 million over the next three years to begin the multi-decade multi-billion-pound redevelopment of HM Naval Base Clyde through the ‘Clyde 2070’ programme.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to assign regulatory oversight of artificial intelligence to an existing regulatory body or establish a new regulatory body.
Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
It is right that the vast majority of AI systems are regulated at point of use by our expert existing regulators. In response to the AI Action Plan, the Government committed to building the capability of regulators so they are prepared for the opportunities and risks of AI.
Alongside this, the Government is developing legislative proposals to support the safe development of the most powerful AI systems, recognising the distinct risks and opportunities these models bring. We are refining our proposals and will launch a public consultation later this year.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Vallance of Balham on 29 April (HL Deb col 1092), on what date they plan to launch the consultation on advanced general intelligence and superintelligence models.
Answered by Lord Vallance of Balham - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
The Government is looking at the case for legislation which delivers on our manifesto commitment. This would better prepare the UK for AI's security risks, while also making sure our statute book is ready for the age of AI and its huge opportunities.
We are continuing to refine our proposals and will launch a public consultation later this year.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the Chancellor of the Exchequer's spending review Statement, what new policies they are initiating for schools "from Swansea to Bridgend" (HC Deb col 985); how much financial resource has been allocated to this initiative; and whether it will be administered from Westminster or by the Welsh Government.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government will provide £410 million per year by 2028-29 to expand Free School Meals eligibility from September 2026 to all pupils in England with a parent receiving Universal Credit. The government will also provide £80 million per year by 2028-29 for early years and post-16 settings to support this expansion.
The Welsh Government will receive the Barnett consequential for this policy in the usual way.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that prisoners who do unpaid work do not undertake work for profit-making businesses that would otherwise be remunerated.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
While there is not anything called ‘unpaid work’ in prisons, convicted prisoners are expected to work and there are various jobs across prison workshops, kitchens, laundries and other services like wing cleaning for which prisoners are paid. Prisoners are also paid to work in prison industries, which can be commercial, employer-led spaces or can make products for the internal prison market that we would otherwise have to buy (such as cell furniture and prisoner clothing), saving the taxpayer money.
In addition, Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) allows prisoners to be released temporarily into the community for specific purposes, including to engage in employment. Prisoners working on ROTL are paid the same as their counterparts in the community and are subject to the same income tax, National Insurance and child support requirements, as well as other court ordered deductions. The Prisoners’ Earnings Act 1996 gives governors the power to deduct up to and including 40% from prisoners’ earnings on ROTL. As per the Prison Rules 1999, all monies raised from the levy are sent to Victim Support.
Certain offenders will carry out unpaid work in the community, when sentenced to do so by the courts. In 2023, around half of those on community-based sentences had such a requirement, with around 5 million hours delivered each year. However, it is a core principle of community payback that unpaid work must not directly replace paid work, should comply with state aid regulations and forced labour conventions, and should avoid creating competitive advantages through the provision of free labour. It serves as a credible punishment that is visible to the public, with rehabilitation serving as an important secondary element.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the comment by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 11 June (HC Deb col 983) regarding Treasury policy on assessing value for money in public expenditure was intended to be retrospective; and whether decisions taken by the Government from 2010 to 2024 on projects that have not yet started will therefore be reconsidered.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Green Book is government guidance on appraisal. It is not a ‘test’ that needs to be passed to justify a spending proposal.
The actions arising from the Green Book Review 2025 will ensure that government decisions are based on more effective assessments of place-based interventions.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether the £118 million fund for coal tip safety announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 11 June (HC Deb col 983) will be administered by the Welsh Government or His Majesty's Government.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Coal tip remediation is a devolved responsibility in Wales.
At the Spending Review, the Chancellor announced £118 million for the Welsh Government between 2026-27 to 2028-29 to keep coal tips maintained and safe. The Welsh Government will have responsibility for administering this funding.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question
To ask the Senior Deputy Speaker what is the annual cost of the House of Lords, including all expenses related to Members, staff and the running and maintenance of all associated parliamentary buildings.
Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble
The most recent audited costs of the House of Lords are the 2023-24 financial year. In that year the costs of the House of Lords excluding non-cash items was £143,814,000. This cost includes costs directly relating to the Members Finance Scheme (including allowances and travel expenses), staffing costs (including House of Lords share of the costs of joint department staff), costs associated with the running and maintenance of parliamentary buildings, and other running costs such as Digital, Broadcasting, Catering and Security. It does not include non-cash items, such as depreciation and revaluation adjustments.
The costs for the 2024-25 financial year are currently being audited.
Further details of the House of Lords accounts are available in the Annual Report and Accounts, published on the parliamentary website.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have regarding the future of the Wylfa nuclear power site on Anglesey.
Answered by Lord Wilson of Sedgefield - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Great British Energy – Nuclear acquired the site at Wylfa (Ynys Môn/Anglesey) last year. The site has positive attributes for new nuclear, although no decisions have yet been taken on any projects to be deployed at the site. We will set out our plans in due course.