Wales Office

The Wales Office has not run any internship schemes in the last 12 months.

The Wales Office did not formally mark any specific diversity and inclusion days, weeks or months during the 2025 calendar year and the Department has no agencies.

My Department is not required to make any data submissions to the European Commission or its agencies.

None. The Wales Office is not an employer in its own right and all staff are employed by the Ministry of Justice.

The Wales Office does not manage any internship schemes and the Department does not have any Arm’s Length Bodies.

The Wales Office did not spend any money on activities relating to Pride Month 2026.

There has been one departmental Senior Civil Service (SCS) away day in calendar year 2026 to date. The away day was held in a meeting room at the UK Government Hub in Cardiff. There was no venue hire or event cost associated with the away day. There was no associated social or team-building activity at public expense.

The Wales Office currently has 25 civil servants assigned to its Cardiff Office and 23 assigned to its London Office. The number of desks provided as a proportion of assigned staff is 60% in Cardiff and 121% in London.

The department has one trade union representative who undertakes union-related duties as part of their role. The headcount of staff undertaking facility time was one in each of the years. No staff were engaged on 100% facility time during this period. The department does not provide funding for trade union activities.

The Wales Office's expenditure on communications, and advertising was £20,248.40 in 2024-25 and £28,593.56 in 2025-26.

The spend was on the UK Government campaign to promote the availability of the UK Government and Tata Steel Transition Board funding. The campaign aimed to raise awareness of the support available to steelworkers affected by the decarbonisation transition at Tata Steel UK in Port Talbot, including access to skills funding for those leaving the business. It also highlighted funding opportunities for local businesses impacted by the transition.

There was no spend on marketing during this period.

The Wales Office has not spent any money on branded goods and merchandise since April 2025.

Staff in the Wales Office are expected to spend at least 60 per cent of their time in the office or on official business, which can include conducting site visits or meeting stakeholders.

The Department collates occupancy statistics for its headquarters office. Attendance statistics are not collated for individual offices.

The Wales Office has not spent any money on social media influencers since July 2024.

It is not possible to provide an estimate for hours spent preparing Ministers to respond to Westminster Hall Debates. There will be differences in the Civil Service, Special Adviser and Ministerial time depending on the policy matter and length of the debate. Debates can also be cross-cutting and require resources from multiple departments or engage departmental bodies.

We do not hold any records of correspondence with Flint Global.

Last week, on his visit to Wales, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister reaffirmed this Government’s commitment to the £14bn plan for Welsh rail. It will unlock 12,000 jobs and connect the people of Wales to tens of thousands more jobs we are creating across the country.

I am pleased that the UK Government has followed the lead of the Welsh Government by introducing a similar overnight levy in England, enabling mayors to invest further in transport, infrastructure and the visitor economy, rebuilding resilience that is so sorely needed in our communities.

I congratulate Welsh National Opera on its 80th anniversary and pay tribute to its longstanding contribution to opera and the arts.

Culture in Wales is a devolved matter and responsibility for cultural policy in Wales sits with the Welsh Government. Welsh National Opera currently receives £4,267,620 per annum from Arts Council England, reflecting the 5% uplift applied to all National Portfolio Organisations from April 2026, reflecting the National Opera’s contribution across the UK.

The UK Government and Welsh Government work together on a range of issues of importance to the people of Wales. The Wales Office will continue to champion Wales across the UK Government, including supporting opportunities for Wales's world-renowned cultural organisations to thrive and succeed.

Since the formation of the new Welsh Government after the Senedd election in May 2026, UK Government ministers have engaged with their Welsh Government counterparts on matters within their areas of responsibility. This includes the Prime Minister’s initial engagement with the First Minister of Wales following his appointment on 20 July. The newly appointed Secretary of State for Wales will also have an early conversation with the First Minister.

The UK Government publishes an intergovernmental relations dashboard on GOV.UK detailing the number of ministerial meetings between the governments. Data for the number of meetings during the first two quarters of 2026 will be published in due course.

Since July 2024, my Department has made one public appointment to a Non-Executive Director role.

Candidates that have been successfully appointed to a public appointment (whether regulated or unregulated) are generally announced on the Public Appointments Service announcements page. Candidates that have been successfully appointed to a direct ministerial appointment are generally announced on the Direct Ministerial Appointments Announcement portal.

In the last five years, my Department has employed seven agency staff. The annual breakdown is set out below.

2025: 0

2024: 0

2023: 2

2022: 0

2021: 5

The levers to mitigate the impact of extreme temperatures in Wales are a mixture of devolved and reserved responsibilities. Climate change adaptation is generally devolved in Wales.

The Met Office (a UK Government Agency of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) provides warnings for extreme heat and has a network of civil contingency advisors across all parts of the UK to help local councils make decisions during periods of severe weather which includes a team dedicated to Wales. The Welsh Government is also represented in civil contingency structures for severe heat emergencies.

The UK Government is tackling the potential impact of extreme temperatures by electrifying Britain and delivering clean, homegrown energy, which will also unlock greater energy security, lower bills for good, cleaner air and thousands of good jobs.

The Government has set the next achievable and pragmatic target for long-term emissions reduction, Carbon Budget 7, building on the framework that has secured billions of private investment and economic growth since 2008.

Since July 2024, over £100 billion of private investment has been announced in UK clean energy industries. The UK’s net zero economy now underpins the jobs of 1.1 million UK workers, according to the CBI report published in June 2026. The UK Government is taking action to deliver clean energy in Wales – we are progressing the UK’s first SMRs at Wylfa, supporting The Crown Estate’s Leasing Round 5 which will deliver up to 4.5GW of floating wind in the Celtic Sea, and secured a contract for the Awel y Môr offshore wind project.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) works closely with the Wales Office to monitor and support the Welsh Government’s international engagement on devolved matters.

The FCDO provides support and guidance when the Welsh Government chooses to advise UK Government of these meetings, and where it is appropriate to do so. The FCDO also works to ensure that foreign diplomats are aware of the respective responsibilities of the UK and Devolved Governments.

The Wales Office also engages directly with the FCDO overseas network to support ministerial and official investment missions. For the second year in a row, the UK Government has overseen an increase in the number of foreign investments coming into Wales, alongside a rise in the number of jobs created or protected. The new £2.4m Brand Wales programme will enhance our promotion of Wales' Trade and Investment opportunities.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) works closely with the Wales Office to monitor and support the Welsh Government’s international engagement on devolved matters.

The FCDO provides support and guidance when the Welsh Government chooses to advise UK Government of these meetings, and where it is appropriate to do so. The FCDO also works to ensure that foreign diplomats are aware of the respective responsibilities of the UK and Devolved Governments.

The Wales Office also engages directly with the FCDO overseas network to support ministerial and official investment missions. For the second year in a row, the UK Government has overseen an increase in the number of foreign investments coming into Wales, alongside a rise in the number of jobs created or protected. The new £2.4m Brand Wales programme will enhance our promotion of Wales' Trade and Investment opportunities.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I gave her on 18 June 2026 (UIN 8620).

Resilience is a shared responsibility between individuals, communities, businesses and all levels of government across the UK to ensure we can effectively respond to risks wherever they occur.

Regular meetings take place between the four governments to discuss various strategies and frameworks aimed at strengthening resilience and identifying opportunities for greater collaboration. This complements the everyday collaboration between the UK and Devolved Governments on risk and resilience.

I have regular discussions with the farming unions on a range of matters. While agriculture is devolved to the Welsh Government, the farming unions are a key partner for the Wales Office and both the Secretary of State and I are committed to working with them and maintaining an active dialogue.

In April of this year, I met with the National Farmers Union (NFU) Cymru and I joined the then Farming Minister in a meeting with the Farmers Union of Wales (FUW). Separately, I met with the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) in May.

Wales Office Ministers spend significant time engaging with Welsh and other MPs on a wide range of issues, hosting MPs at Wales Office events, and holding dedicated meetings with MPs on a regular basis.

Wales Office Ministers spend significant time engaging with Welsh and other MPs on a wide range of issues, hosting MPs at Wales Office events, and holding dedicated meetings with MPs on a regular basis.

I have regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on a wide range of topics including how UK Government policy interacts with educational institutions in Wales.

Education is devolved in Wales and so is the responsibility of the Welsh Government. The UK Government is providing the Welsh Government with nearly £6.5bn in additional spending power over the Spending Review as a result of changes to the fiscal framework, additional funding through Barnett and the largest settlement in the history of devolution.

BS 30480:2025 (Suicide and the Workplace – Intervention, prevention and support for people affected by suicide) is a voluntary British Standard published by the British Standards Institution (BSI) in November 2025. It provides guidance for organisations on suicide prevention, intervention, and support in workplace settings.

The BSI is the UK's National Standards Body, recognised by Government through a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Business and Trade (DBT). It develops Standards independently through a consensus-based process involving relevant stakeholders and technical experts.

The BS 30480 Standard is guidance rather than a regulatory requirement. Standards can be used by organisations as tools to support good practice, but decisions on adoption and implementation remain with the organisation concerned.

The BSI has undertaken awareness-raising activity in relation to BS 30480 following publication. This included a parliamentary launch event at Speaker's House in November 2025, supported by Baroness Merron, and BSI has also made the standard available free of charge on its website. The standard has been downloaded more than 11,000 times since publication.

We have taken ‘political appointees’ to mean special advisers. A list of special advisers by department is published each year in the Annual Report on Special Advisers which is laid in parliament. The Annual Report on Special Advisers 2026 will be published in due course.

The Government is committed to adopting artificial intelligence in a way that is transparent, responsible and accountable to the public.

Information about algorithmic and AI tools used by government departments to support decisions that affect members of the public, or that have a significant influence on a decision-making process with public effect, is published through the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard (ATRS). The ATRS has been mandatory for central government departments since 2024, and records are published on GOV.UK at www.gov.uk/algorithmic-transparency-records. In addition, departments may use other internal tools which do not fall within the scope of the Standard.

In line with public procurement transparency requirements, departments publish contractual information for AI services and tools on Contracts Finder and, where above the relevant threshold, on the Find a Tender Service.

AI services and tools are accessed across government through a range of commercial routes. Departments may contract directly with AI providers, access AI products via intermediated routes such as reseller arrangements where the contractual relationship sits with a partner rather than the underlying provider or use AI capabilities delivered as features within existing enterprise software and platform contracts (for example productivity, HR or service management tools).

Departments remain responsible in all cases for ensuring compliance with procurement legislation, securing value for money, and publishing relevant contractual information in line with transparency requirements.

The information requested can be found at https://questions-statements.parliament.uk.

My Department has not hired any external public relations consultants since July 2024.

According to the latest accredited data published by the Office for National Statistics, there are approximately 41,155 Civil Servants based in Wales, and 5,990 staff working for Senedd Cymru.

The Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Wales each held early discussions with the First Minister to congratulate him on his appointment and to outline the importance of constructive working between our two governments. Other UK Government ministers have also engaged with their Welsh Government counterparts on matters within their areas of responsibility.

I have regular discussions with members of the business community in Wales. The Welsh tourism sector is thriving. In 2024, British residents alone took over 7 million overnight trips in Wales. The Welsh Government’s Visitor Levy could raise up to £33 million a year to reinvest in local communities and support tourism.

UK Government officials engaged extensively with key trade associations and representatives of the glass packaging sector both prior to and following the decision to grant a UK Internal Market Act exclusion for the Welsh Government’s Deposit Return Scheme.

Central data on Civil Service Headquarters (HQ) occupancy is collected and published quarterly on GOV.UK for all HQ buildings of Whitehall Departments.

The data for the period from January 2025 can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-hq-occupancy-data.

Central data on Civil Service Headquarters (HQ) occupancy is collected and published quarterly on GOV.UK for all HQ buildings of Whitehall Departments.

The data for the period since January 2026 can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-hq-occupancy-data.

The Wales Office does not centrally collect or hold data on the number of civil servants working from home or remotely. Office attendance is monitored locally by line managers, who are responsible for ensuring compliance with the minimum 60% attendance expectation.

My Department and I have been in regular contact with the Welsh Government concerning a range of issues since 8 May 2026.

The Government is fully committed to upholding and strengthening our democracy by protecting against foreign interference, improving political transparency, adding tougher checks for donations and closing loopholes by reinforcing electoral legislation.