Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps are being taken by her Department to ensure that animal conservation is recognised and promoted as part of a future UK – EU SPS veterinary agreement.
Answered by Stephen Morgan - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra is committed to supporting animal conservation and has been clear about the importance of our high animal welfare standards.
This Government has committed, with the EU, to conclude negotiations before the next UK-EU Summit on the SPS Agreement which will make it easier to move animals between GB and the EU while protecting animal health and welfare standards. While those negotiations are ongoing, Defra cannot comment further on the SPS agreement.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what is the average cost to the public purse of a parliamentary by-election.
Answered by Samantha Dixon
The estimated cost of the Clacton by-election is set out in The Parliamentary Elections (Returning Officers’ Charges) Order 2024.
The average (mean) cost of a UK parliamentary by-election between 2021 and 2025 was approximately £343,768, including candidate mailing costs. This figure is estimated from final settled expenditure where available and claimed expenditure for by-elections where the claims process has not yet been completed.
Expenditure accounts for the 2026 parliamentary by-elections have not yet been received from the relevant Returning Officers.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the (a) reasons for and (b) outcomes of complaints made through the new independent reporting channel in HMPPS were.
Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS’s) Independent Review, Resolution and Investigation Service (IRRIS), which supersedes the Tackling Unacceptable Behaviour Unit (TUBU), was launched on 26 January 2026.
IRRIS continues to deliver all TUBU services: a helpline, mediation, investigation support and Climate Assessments. In addition, pending changes to HMPPS’s Grievance Policy, IRRIS operates an Interim Grievance Process.
The Interim Grievance Process, which operates in accordance with the current HMPPS Grievance Policy, was agreed with HMPPS’s recognised Trades Unions as a temporary measure to enable any member of HMPPS staff raising a bullying, harassment, discrimination or victimisation grievance to have their complaint handled by an independent decision maker, outside of their own management line.
TUBU and IRRIS led or supported 303 investigations in 2025-26. We are expanding IRRIS’s investigation capacity through role restructure and recruitment to enable the team to deliver the independent channel’s strengthened remit.
HMPPS is working closely with Ministry of Justice HR Policy colleagues to update its Grievance and Conduct & Discipline Polices to take account of the recommendations of the Rademaker Review. Those policies are close to being finalised and HMPPS will continue to run the interim grievance process until they are.
Based on management information available from our case management system, the total number of grievances received through the Interim Grievance Process since it began in November 2025 is 578. Of these, 387 were raised by prison staff and 170 by probation staff (including approved premises staff). The remaining 21 grievances were raised by headquarters staff. The concerns raised relate to harassment, discrimination, bullying and victimisation. Outcomes via the independent process include upheld, rejected and partially upheld decisions.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) prison and (b) probation workers have made complaints through the new independent reporting channel in HMPPS.
Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS’s) Independent Review, Resolution and Investigation Service (IRRIS), which supersedes the Tackling Unacceptable Behaviour Unit (TUBU), was launched on 26 January 2026.
IRRIS continues to deliver all TUBU services: a helpline, mediation, investigation support and Climate Assessments. In addition, pending changes to HMPPS’s Grievance Policy, IRRIS operates an Interim Grievance Process.
The Interim Grievance Process, which operates in accordance with the current HMPPS Grievance Policy, was agreed with HMPPS’s recognised Trades Unions as a temporary measure to enable any member of HMPPS staff raising a bullying, harassment, discrimination or victimisation grievance to have their complaint handled by an independent decision maker, outside of their own management line.
TUBU and IRRIS led or supported 303 investigations in 2025-26. We are expanding IRRIS’s investigation capacity through role restructure and recruitment to enable the team to deliver the independent channel’s strengthened remit.
HMPPS is working closely with Ministry of Justice HR Policy colleagues to update its Grievance and Conduct & Discipline Polices to take account of the recommendations of the Rademaker Review. Those policies are close to being finalised and HMPPS will continue to run the interim grievance process until they are.
Based on management information available from our case management system, the total number of grievances received through the Interim Grievance Process since it began in November 2025 is 578. Of these, 387 were raised by prison staff and 170 by probation staff (including approved premises staff). The remaining 21 grievances were raised by headquarters staff. The concerns raised relate to harassment, discrimination, bullying and victimisation. Outcomes via the independent process include upheld, rejected and partially upheld decisions.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent progress he has made on the new independent reporting channel in HMPPS.
Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS’s) Independent Review, Resolution and Investigation Service (IRRIS), which supersedes the Tackling Unacceptable Behaviour Unit (TUBU), was launched on 26 January 2026.
IRRIS continues to deliver all TUBU services: a helpline, mediation, investigation support and Climate Assessments. In addition, pending changes to HMPPS’s Grievance Policy, IRRIS operates an Interim Grievance Process.
The Interim Grievance Process, which operates in accordance with the current HMPPS Grievance Policy, was agreed with HMPPS’s recognised Trades Unions as a temporary measure to enable any member of HMPPS staff raising a bullying, harassment, discrimination or victimisation grievance to have their complaint handled by an independent decision maker, outside of their own management line.
TUBU and IRRIS led or supported 303 investigations in 2025-26. We are expanding IRRIS’s investigation capacity through role restructure and recruitment to enable the team to deliver the independent channel’s strengthened remit.
HMPPS is working closely with Ministry of Justice HR Policy colleagues to update its Grievance and Conduct & Discipline Polices to take account of the recommendations of the Rademaker Review. Those policies are close to being finalised and HMPPS will continue to run the interim grievance process until they are.
Based on management information available from our case management system, the total number of grievances received through the Interim Grievance Process since it began in November 2025 is 578. Of these, 387 were raised by prison staff and 170 by probation staff (including approved premises staff). The remaining 21 grievances were raised by headquarters staff. The concerns raised relate to harassment, discrimination, bullying and victimisation. Outcomes via the independent process include upheld, rejected and partially upheld decisions.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate he has made of the number of surviving partners in receipt of a pension under the 1987 Police Pension Scheme who would lose their entitlement if they remarry or cohabit in (a) England and (b) Wales.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The most recent assessment made was in March 2020 for the actuarial valuation of the police pension schemes in England and Wales, with approximately 27,000 dependants in receipt of a pension. This figure includes dependants other than surviving partners and is for all schemes, not just the 1987 scheme. It is not possible to estimate accurately the number that will lose their pension if they remarry or cohabit. However, actuarial cost assumptions have been made based on historic data of survivor pension cessations as a result of remarriage or cohabitation.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment has been made of the sustainability of HM Coastguard relying on approximately 3,000 volunteers receiving expenses only as a result of the removal of hourly remuneration and intention to implement a revised volunteer model by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
A Court of Appeal ruling found that the current remuneration model could not legally continue.
Public safety remains our priority, and careful consideration was given to the options for a revised operating model. The legal position, the operational implications, and the wider organisational impact have all been looked at in detail, as well as the views of current Coastguard Rescue Officers (CRO). They were clear that serving their community was a major reason why they volunteer. Protecting volunteering preserves a valuable form of public service. The revised model protects choice, flexibility and the ability for people to serve alongside their primary employment.
As a result, the decision was made to move to a new model with expenses but no hourly remuneration. This will be implemented in September 2026.
Recruitment into membership of the CRS continues as it has previously. Alongside the Coastguard Rescue Service, HM Coastguard will continue to draw upon the full UK Search and Rescue system, including HM Coastguard aviation assets, RNLI and independent lifeboats, independent rescue teams, lifeguards and other emergency services as they do today.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what contingency plans are in place to maintain operational resilience of HM Coastguard if significant numbers of experienced Coastguard Rescue Officers leave the service as a result of the removal of hourly remuneration and intention to implement a revised volunteer model by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
A Court of Appeal ruling found that the current remuneration model could not legally continue.
Public safety remains our priority, and careful consideration was given to the options for a revised operating model. The legal position, the operational implications, and the wider organisational impact have all been looked at in detail, as well as the views of current Coastguard Rescue Officers (CRO). They were clear that serving their community was a major reason why they volunteer. Protecting volunteering preserves a valuable form of public service. The revised model protects choice, flexibility and the ability for people to serve alongside their primary employment.
As a result, the decision was made to move to a new model with expenses but no hourly remuneration. This will be implemented in September 2026.
Recruitment into membership of the CRS continues as it has previously. Alongside the Coastguard Rescue Service, HM Coastguard will continue to draw upon the full UK Search and Rescue system, including HM Coastguard aviation assets, RNLI and independent lifeboats, independent rescue teams, lifeguards and other emergency services as they do today.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what consideration she has given to alternative models that would allow some form of payment to Coastguard Rescue Officers while remaining compliant with employment law following the removal of hourly remuneration and intention to implement a revised volunteer model by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
A Court of Appeal ruling found that the current remuneration model could not legally continue.
Public safety remains our priority, and careful consideration was given to the options for a revised operating model. The legal position, the operational implications, and the wider organisational impact have all been looked at in detail, as well as the views of current Coastguard Rescue Officers (CRO). They were clear that serving their community was a major reason why they volunteer. Protecting volunteering preserves a valuable form of public service. The revised model protects choice, flexibility and the ability for people to serve alongside their primary employment.
As a result, the decision was made to move to a new model with expenses but no hourly remuneration. This will be implemented in September 2026.
Recruitment into membership of the CRS continues as it has previously. Alongside the Coastguard Rescue Service, HM Coastguard will continue to draw upon the full UK Search and Rescue system, including HM Coastguard aviation assets, RNLI and independent lifeboats, independent rescue teams, lifeguards and other emergency services as they do today.
Asked by: Liz Saville Roberts (Plaid Cymru - Dwyfor Meirionnydd)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what impact assessment has been carried out on (a) public safety, (b) recruitment, (c) retention, (d) emergency response capability and (e) operational availability of Coastguard Rescue Officers as a result of the removal of hourly remuneration and intention to implement a revised volunteer model by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
A Court of Appeal ruling found that the current remuneration model could not legally continue.
Public safety remains our priority, and careful consideration was given to the options for a revised operating model. The legal position, the operational implications, and the wider organisational impact have all been looked at in detail, as well as the views of current Coastguard Rescue Officers (CRO). They were clear that serving their community was a major reason why they volunteer. Protecting volunteering preserves a valuable form of public service. The revised model protects choice, flexibility and the ability for people to serve alongside their primary employment.
As a result, the decision was made to move to a new model with expenses but no hourly remuneration. This will be implemented in September 2026.
Recruitment into membership of the CRS continues as it has previously. Alongside the Coastguard Rescue Service, HM Coastguard will continue to draw upon the full UK Search and Rescue system, including HM Coastguard aviation assets, RNLI and independent lifeboats, independent rescue teams, lifeguards and other emergency services as they do today.