Question to the Wales Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to promote the National Year of Reading in Wales.

Answered by Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The National Year of Reading, a DfE initiative, aims to address long-term declines in reading enjoyment through engaging new audiences, reshaping public attitudes and building the systems needed to embed lasting, meaningful change. The National Year of Reading includes a major physical and online marketing campaign, as well as exciting events, webinars, resources, and activities in communities, libraries, schools and early years settings throughout the year.

In Wales, the bilingual campaign will build on work already underway to support schools, learners and families, to improve literacy standards and nurture a lasting habit of enjoying reading. The campaign will encourage people to ‘Go all in’/ Ymgolli’ and enjoy reading. The National Year of Reading offers further opportunity to celebrate and promote the love of reading in both English and Welsh, showcasing the rich linguistic landscape and encouraging more people to discover, enjoy and engage with literature in the language of their choice.

As Education is devolved, the Welsh Government is working with partners such as schools, local authorities, public libraries, and community groups across Wales to promote a love of reading and deliver a campaign to nurture lifelong reading habits. These partners play a vital role in the campaign and will take part in events across the year to showcase the joy of reading to people of all ages. The campaign also aligns with Estyn’s enhanced focus on reading, which will see the inspectorate working with all education providers to prioritise improving the reading skills of all learners in Wales.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, with reference to page 92 of the Strategic Defence Review, published on 2 June 2025, how many (a) public engagements and (b) private meetings Ministers in their Department have undertaken related to the national conversation on defence and security.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

I have regular discussions with officials, external experts and ministerial colleagues on a range of issues, including national security, defence and resilience, and associated public communications.

As set out in the Strategic Defence Review, the national conversation will be a multi-year engagement designed to embed a whole-of-society approach, where Government, businesses, and the public all play a part in strengthening our resilience. This addresses the risks we face, including threats below and above the threshold of an armed attack.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of increases in defence spending on Wales.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

The increased defence budget will help both grow our economy and our thriving defence sector in Wales.

I was pleased to welcome the Defence Secretary to Cardiff Castle with the First Minister to sign our landmark £50m Wales Defence Growth Deal.

Focused on autonomous defence technology, the deal will help make defence an engine for growth, boosting innovation, SME support and high-skilled jobs in Wales.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of increases in defence spending on Wales.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

The increased defence budget will help both grow our economy and our thriving defence sector in Wales.

I was pleased to welcome the Defence Secretary to Cardiff Castle with the First Minister to sign our landmark £50m Wales Defence Growth Deal.

Focused on autonomous defence technology, the deal will help make defence an engine for growth, boosting innovation, SME support and high-skilled jobs in Wales.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on support for clean energy projects in Wales.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

This Government is backing Wales to lead the UK’s clean energy mission.

Our recent Contracts for Difference scheme successfully secured contracts for Wales’ first floating windfarm Erebus, the Awel-y-Mor offshore windfarm in North Wales, and 20 onshore wind, tidal stream and solar projects.

As well as our investment to deliver SMRs at Wylfa, these projects will deliver thousands of good, green jobs across every part of Wales, drive economic growth and bring down bills.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help improve the Welsh rail network.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

I was pleased to join the Prime Minister in Taffs Well earlier this month to announce seven new stations in Wales and a generational funding commitment to the Welsh rail network and a pipeline of projects valued at £14 billion.

The Prime Minister endorsed Transport for Wales’ vision for the future of rail in Wales, which will transform Welsh rail and support 12,000 jobs.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, with reference to paragraph 88 of the UK Government Resilience Action Plan, how many meetings Ministers in their Department have attended related to the Home Defence Programme.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

I have regular discussions with officials, external experts and ministerial colleagues on a range of issues, including national security, defence and resilience.

The Home Defence Programme was established in August 2024 to build the UK’s resilience to any potential escalation to conflict. It is an evolving and enduring programme of work which provides defence, security and resilience planning, focused on aligning military and civil effort in the event of a period of crisis and international hostilities affecting the UK, informed by and reflecting the recommendations from government strategies, including the Strategic Defence Review, National Security Strategy and Resilience Action Plan.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, with reference to page 92 of the Strategic Defence Review, how many meetings officials from their Department have attended on the national conversation on defence and security; which directorate in their Department is responsible for the departmental contribution to that national conversation; and what the job title is of the official responsible.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

Officials from the Wales Office regularly attend meetings to discuss matters of national security, defence and resilience as well as the associated public communications required to deliver these lines of efforts. The conversation on National Defence was a recommendation in the 2025 Strategic Defence Review (SDR), which the Government accepted. The Ministry of Defence is the lead department for delivering the SDR, with support from the Cabinet Office, and particularly from the National Security Secretariat.

As set out in the Strategic Defence Review, the national conversation will be a multi-year, cross-departmental effort designed to deliver on the whole-of-society approach to national security and defence allowing Government, the private sector and public to play their part in strengthening the UK’s resilience to any potential future shocks. This work addresses the risks and threats the UK faces, including those below and above the threshold of an armed attack.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether her Department was invited by the Office for National Statistics to provide input into its review of the ethnicity harmonised standard.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

A review of the harmonised standard for ethnicity data collection is underway by the Government Statistical Service Harmonisation team.

A public consultation between October 2025 and February 2026 sought views from a wide range of users, including Government Departments and public bodies, to understand user needs for ethnic group data. This was supplemented by a programme of engagement activity, including with representatives of all government departments represented in the Government Statistical Service.

The ONS have committed to providing an initial response to the public consultation in April, and a full report on the consultation in late summer 2026 will include more detailed information on the departments that responded to the consultation.

Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many staff within her Department are reliant on a visa for employment.

Answered by Jo Stevens - Secretary of State for Wales

No staff in my Department are reliant on a visa for employment.

Found: Available from: Crime in England and Wales - Office for National Statistics [Accessed on 13/11/2025

Found: Office of the Official Solicitor Office of the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman for England and Wales Office

Found: 27 Average household income, UK - Office for National Statistics 28 Disability, England and Wales - Office

Found: consensus on the content of, and approach to delivering, a curriculum. 18 Religion, England and Wales - Office

Found: Safeguarding Board Regional Safeguarding Boards Office of the Children’s Commissioner for Wales Office

Found: Sue Denman Deputy Director Wales Office of Research and Development for Health and Social Care

Found: or-over-in-wales--- september-2025.pdf ix See: Unpaid care by age, sex and deprivation, England and Wales – Office