Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve economic ties between the UK and Argentina.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We have a growing economic and trading relationship with Argentina. Bilateral trade surpassed £2 billion in 2023 and there are over 120 UK subsidiaries operating in Argentina across various sectors including food and drink, agricultural technology, financial services and transport. The Foreign Secretary had a productive meeting with President Milei at the World Economic Forum in January and with Foreign Minister Mondino at the G20 in February. We continue to work with the Milei administration to deepen our economic relationship in areas of mutual interest, taking advantage of opportunities to increase bilateral trade and investment.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance the Home Office has issued to police forces in Wales about securing witness statements with minimal delay after incidents involving loss of life.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Guidance about securing witness statements is provided to police forces in England and Wales via the Authorised Professional Practice (APP) designed by the College of Policing and The Ministry of Justice; Achieving Best Evidence in Criminal Proceedings: Guidance on Interviewing Victims and Witnesses, and Guidance on Using Special Measures.
The APP clearly states the person taking a crime report will need to carry out investigative actions to establish what has happened, what further police actions might be necessary and the urgency for those actions. This includes the identification of witnesses to secure any immediate evidence or statements that might otherwise be lost.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many migrants seeking permanent residence in the UK entered directly from the Republic of Ireland in the latest year for which figures are available.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Journeys from Ireland to the UK are within the Common Travel Area (CTA). As part of the CTA arrangements, the UK does not operate routine immigration controls of individuals arriving in the UK by air or sea from within the CTA, and no immigration checks are undertaken at the land border with Ireland.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many US citizens have been registered as having donated to UK charities in the most recent year for which statistics are available.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay
HM Government does not hold information on the nationality of donors to UK charities – but we are, of course, grateful to all those who donate to good causes.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Great British Nuclear prior to their decision to rule out Trawsfynydd as a site for a small modular reactor.
Answered by Lord Callanan
Trawsfynydd has not been ruled out as a potential site for new nuclear and is one of a number of potential sites that could host new civil nuclear projects, subject to National planning policy, regulatory approvals and technical assessments. Decisions on the projects and technologies to be deployed at sites will be made in due course and Great British Nuclear continues to work with Government to support access to potential sites for new nuclear projects to achieve its long-term nuclear programme ambitions.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask His Majesty's Government what was the total expenditure made under the Pneumoconiosis etc. (Workers’ Compensation) Act 1979 in the most recent year for which statistics are available.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie
Expenditure on the Pneumoconiosis Etc. (Workers’ Compensation) Act 1979 is available in the benefit expenditure and caseloads tables: Benefit expenditure and caseload tables 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
The latest year for which an outturn is available is 2022/23, and this shows expenditure of £36 million for Great Britain.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many universities in England have small nuclear reactors that are being used to develop or apply radiotherapy medical treatment.
Answered by Lord Callanan
There are currently no universities in England that have small nuclear fission reactors that are being used to develop or apply radiotherapy medical treatment.
It is critical that the UK continues to maintain access to the nuclear medicines it needs. In the 2024 Civil Nuclear Roadmap, the government committed to considering a research reactor and an accelerator in the next Spending Review to address the UK’s supply needs.
No decisions have yet been taken by the government to select one or more technology options.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel regarding bringing their military operations in Gaza to a conclusion as soon as possible.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The fastest way to end the conflict is to secure a deal which gets the hostages out and allows for a stop in the fighting in Gaza. The Prime Minister discussed the current hostage negotiations with Prime Minister Netanyahu on 30 April and expressed his hope that negotiations are concluded to allow hostages to return home as soon as possible.
We are clear that the vital elements for a lasting peace include the release of all hostages; the formation of a new Palestinian Government for the West Bank and Gaza, accompanied by an international support package; removing Hamas's capacity to launch attacks against Israel; Hamas no longer being in charge of Gaza; and a political horizon which provides a credible and irreversible pathway towards a two-state solution and ensures Israelis and Palestinians can live in security and dignity.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made representations to the government of Iran regarding the death sentences imposed upon Toomaj Salehi, Abbas Deries, Reza Rasaei and Mojahed Kourkour.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK condemns the death sentence of prominent and fearless artist Toomaj Salehi. Iran's deliberate attempts to silence dissenting voices are clear for all to see. We call for Mr Salehi's immediate release, and the release of all those who are unjustly detained by the Iranian regime. Mr Salehi's sentence is yet more evidence of unacceptable restrictions on freedom of expression in Iran. Nine people associated with the "Woman Life Freedom" protests have been executed.
The UK opposes the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. We condemn Iran's continued imposition of the death penalty on protesters and have sanctioned 94 Iranian individuals or entities for human rights violations since September 2022. We call on Iran to establish a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have received from UK universities proposing the relaxation of restrictions for overseas students, such as rules relating to their employment in the UK after graduation.
Answered by Baroness Barran
The government seeks to ensure that the UK has a fair and robust migration policy whilst maintaining the UK’s place as a top destination for the best and brightest students from around the world. The UK has four universities in the top 10, and 17 in the top 100. The UK has a highly sought after higher education (HE) experience, which is respected by students across the globe.
The government recognises the significant economic and cultural contribution that international students make to the UK’s HE sector and their positive impact on society as a whole.
Ministers and departmental officials regularly engage with the HE sector on a range of issues, including on international students.