Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many immigrants took residence in the UK in the latest year for which figures are available; and how many of those came to the UK by small boat crossing of the English Channel.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.
Please see the letter attached from the Permanent Secretary for the Office of National Statistics.
Darren Tierney | Permanent Secretary
The Rt Hon. the Lord Wigley
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW
15 April 2026
Dear Lord Wigley,
As Permanent Secretary of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I am responding to your Parliamentary Question asking how many immigrants took residence in the UK in the latest year for which figures are available; and how many of those came to the UK by small boat crossing of the English Channel (HL15948).
Based on our latest estimates[1] which look at long-term international migration (long-term is where people change their usual place of residence for a period of 12 months or more). In the year ending June 2025, we estimated that:
898,000 people came to the UK for 12 months or more
693,000 people left the UK for 12 months or more
Therefore, net migration was estimated at 204,000[2]
While these figures include those arriving for asylum, the ONS does not produce estimates on the number of arrivals by small boat. However, the Home Office and Border Force provide data on small boat arrivals for the last 7 days[3] and a timeseries updated weekly back to 2018. In year ending June 2025, the Home Office estimates that the number of people recorded as arriving in the UK on small boats was 43,309[4].
Those arriving in small boats who claim asylum would appear in our asylum estimates. In year ending June 2025, the ONS immigration estimate includes a total of 96,000 people that came to the UK for asylum.
Yours sincerely,
Darren Tierney
[2] Net migration is calculated by subtracting emigration estimates from immigration estimates. We do this with unrounded estimates so the rounded numbers may not always match this calculation exactly.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the latest figure for the gross domestic product per capita in Wales.
Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many incidents have been reported of lithium batteries (1) exploding, or (2) causing fires, in the past five years.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government collects data on incidents attended by fire and rescue services in England, including information on the cause of the fire and the source of ignition.
This data is published in a range of fire statistics releases, available on GOV.UK at: Fire statistics - GOV.UK (attached).
Our new Fire and Rescue Analysis Platform (FaRDaP) has recently been rolled out, and work is ongoing to update the data it will collect, with data covering lithium-ion batteries role in fire incidents potentially able to be included in the future.
However, the data currently collected does not identify whether incidents attended by fire and rescue services were caused by or involved lithium‑ion battery failures, nor does it record whether a battery exploded. As a result, the Department is unable to provide figures for incidents involving lithium batteries in England over the past five years.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their latest estimate of the number of refugees from Ukraine currently resident in (1) England, (2) Scotland, (3) Wales, and (4) Northern Ireland.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Statistics regarding the resident population are produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) within the ‘Population estimates’ publication (https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates). However, the statistics are not broken down to the level of detail requested. The Home Office publishes data on the Ukraine schemes in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’.
As at the end of 2025 234,500 individuals have arrived in the UK under the Ukraine schemes. The statistics include the number of people who are believed to be out of the UK at the end of each quarter. See the chapter, “How many people come to the UK via safe and legal (humanitarian) routes?" The chapter shows “…as of the end of 2025, around 102,100 people (44%) who had previously arrived on the Ukraine schemes had exited the UK and were believed to be out of the country, although some may subsequently return.”
In addition to the Ukraine schemes, some Ukrainians have claimed asylum via the UK asylum process. Since the start of 2022 to the end of 2025, 70 Ukrainians have been granted refugee status (main applicants and dependants). There is no published data to confirm how many of these remain in the UK, or whether those who were granted refugee status in earlier years remain in the UK. Breakdowns by England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are not published.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to strengthen the role of the police in investigating and initiating prosecutions of those involved in trading illicit drugs in town centre shops in (1) England, and (2) Wales.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government is committed to tackling criminality in our town centres.
In partnership with the National Crime Agency (NCA) and policing we are targeting organised crime groups at every stage of the drug supply chain, combatting illicit finance, disrupting the hidden channels through which criminals communicate, and supporting law enforcement agencies with dedicated personnel to identify high-harm threats and opportunities for disruption. In the year ending September 2025, there were 17,315 prosecutions for drug trafficking offences.
We are working with the NCA, regional and local policing to target and disrupt the highest harm organised crime groups who operate the illegal drug markets and cause the violence and exploitation within our communities. We are also continuing to invest in our County Lines Programme to target and close down the most violent and exploitative form of drug supply.
In addition, in the 2025 Autumn Budget, the Government allocated £10 million per year for three years to tackle high street illegality. This funding includes the creation of the High Streets Illegality Taskforce, enhancements to Trading Standards capabilities and support for at least 45 additional law enforcement officers. Hosted by the Home Office, the cross-government Taskforce will develop a strategic policy response to money laundering and associated illegality on UK high streets, including tax evasion, illegal working and tackling the systemic vulnerabilities that criminals exploit. The Taskforce is considering the full range of powers and mechanisms that local responders rely on to tackle high street illegality to determine where these need to be strengthened or gaps need to be addressed.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take in response to the figures reported by fire brigades indicating an increase of 38 per cent in the number of fires associated with e-bikes and e-scooters.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Product Regulation and Metrology Act 2025 provides the Government with powers to update and replace outdated product safety legislation.
The Department for Business and Trade, though the Office of Product Safety and Standards, are consulting on reforms to modernise the product safety framework, strengthen enforcement and improve consumer safety, including in relation to high-risk products and online sales. This includes consideration of lithium-ion batteries for e-bike and e-scooter batteries, which can present a fire risk where they do not comply with product safety legislation.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many people have died while being held in hospital corridors in England in each of the past three years.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The information is not available in the format requested. NHS England publishes data on mortality associated with hospital care in the Summary Hospital‑level Mortality Indicator (SHMI), which measures deaths following hospitalisation across National Health Service trusts. The SHMI includes contextual indicators by admission method, including non‑elective admissions, but cannot identify deaths occurring in specific clinical locations such as hospital corridors.
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 discussions they have had with representatives of veterinary prescribers regarding the need to reduce antibiotic resistance in animals and the environment.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) regularly speaks to veterinary prescribers through antibiotic stewardship groups. These bring together government, veterinary profession and livestock sector representatives to support responsible use and reduce antimicrobial resistance (AMR). These include:
· The Cattle Antibiotic Guardian Group
· Pig Health and Welfare Council Antimicrobial Usage (AMU) Subgroup
· British Poultry Council Stewardship Group
· Responsible Use of Medicines Alliance (RUMA) Companion Animal and Equine Group
· RUMA Targets Taskforce meetings
· Ruminant Antibiotic Stewardship Roadmap Steering Group
· Medicine Hub Industry Liaison Group
· The electronic Medicine Book (eMB) Pigs Steering Group
These discussions aim to:
· Share research, AMU, AMR, and disease surveillance data
· Promote responsible antibiotic prescribing, storage and disposal
· Encourage creation and uptake of training and guidance, including for vets and animal keepers
· Improve health and disease prevention through herd/flock health planning
· Advise on metrics for monitoring AMU
· Improve accuracy, availability, and coverage of AMU data in livestock, companion animals, and horses
· Encourage antibiotic use data for auditing and benchmarking
· Discuss environmental transmission pathways with veterinary prescribers, and the impact of these on their prescribing
By focusing on stewardship and responsible use of antibiotics in animals, the risk of AMR in animals, and potential subsequent onwards transmission through the environment is reduced.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the increase in the cost of input prices for manufacturing industries in the UK, arising from the Iran conflict.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Government is managing the economic consequences of the conflict across the whole of the UK. The UK’s economic fundamentals remain strong. The supply of inputs and commodities remains stable and generally well diversified.
Impacts on input cost increases are uncertain. They are likely to vary across industry sectors and businesses depending on which inputs are used, their importance in the cost base, and contracting arrangements – whether prices have been fixed or hedged in advance.
Government is working closely with business groups and industry leaders to understand the pressures facing industry and will be agile in responding as the situation develops.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of the £2.5 billion fund to support the steel industry has been allocated to be spent in Wales.
Answered by Baroness Lloyd of Effra - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The steel strategy reaffirms the government’s intention to spend up to £2.5 billion on the steel sector. This is in addition to the £500 million for Port Talbot.
Building on the direct financial support the government has provided to the sector so far, the National Wealth Fund will be the UK government’s main mechanism for providing financing for investment in the steel sector. Investment decisions are made by the National Wealth Fund on a case-by-case basis and it supports promising projects across the United Kingdom
Specifically for Wales, the Secretary of State for Wales will convene the National Wealth Fund and the private sector in a new initiative to help attract investment to Welsh steel projects, to support communities across Wales that rely on the industry.