Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what defence expenditure is planned in (1) 2026–27, (2) 2027–28, and (3) 2028–30; and whether those figures take account of (1) the updated National Risk Register 2025, and (2) the danger of Russian aggression in the airspace or waters of the North Atlantic.
Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
Following the Spending Review, the Government has set a clear path for defence spending to reach 2.6% of GDP from 2027. The exact figures were set out in the published Spending Review on 11 June 2025.
This takes account of the capabilities and reforms that the Strategic Defence Review has identified are needed to meet the challenges and threats, including countering Russian aggression, new nuclear risks, and daily cyber-attacks at home.
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 people are employed in the UK's creative economy.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
In 2020, there were 3,518,000 filled jobs in the wider UK creative economy, which consists of 2,221,000 filled jobs in the creative industries, as well as 1,297,000 filled jobs in creative occupations in industries outside of the creative industries.
Following the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revision of Standard Occupation Classification (SOC) data, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is in the process of defining which SOC2020 codes should be included in the creative occupations. Creative economy estimates for 2021 onwards will be published once this work has concluded.
We have more recent official statistics on the number of filled jobs in the creative industries, without creative occupations in industries outside of the creative industries. The most recent annual statistics show that in 2024, there were 2,409,000 filled jobs in the creative industries in the UK (8.5% more than in 2020).
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to liquidate Russian assets currently frozen in the UK; and whether they have discussed the implications of that action with (1) leaders of the EU, and (2) President Trump.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Chancellor is actively engaging with our EU and G7 partners to explore options for using the full value of Russian sovereign assets immobilised across the G7, in line with international law.
The Government remains committed to ensuring Russia is held accountable for the damage it has caused, and continues to cause, in Ukraine. Alongside our G7 partners, the UK has pledged to maintain the sanctions in Russia’s sovereign assets within our jurisdiction until Russia has paid compensation to Ukraine.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many UK citizens are being held in detention without justification by the Government of Iran; and what representations they have made to the Government of Iran on their behalf.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
In recent years, the Government has worked on a number of cases of British nationals and British-Iranian dual nationals detained in Iran, where those detainees or their families have requested consular support. The UK has not historically published either the number of live cases, or the details of each one.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill on 9 December (HL12329), when they plan for Euston station to be equipped with full step-free access for passengers.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
Work is continuing with delivery partners to develop affordable, integrated plans for Euston Station, which will include the new HS2 terminus, along with upgrades to the existing Network Rail and London Underground stations and local transport facilities. The development of these plans will include provision of step free access for passengers. The Department will set out more details in due course as the plans for Euston Station are progressed.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what percentage of radioisotopes used by the NHS in England are imported; and what plans they have to enable radioisotopes to be manufactured in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Medical radioisotopes can be produced in different ways, and the United Kingdom has a comprehensive network of cyclotrons used for radioisotope manufacture. These tend to be placed close to point of use due to the short half-life of these products. The radioisotopes manufactured in these cyclotrons are not suitable for all use and hospitals and trusts in England use a significant number of isotopes manufactured in research reactors. There are currently no reactors in the UK that manufacture medical isotopes, and therefore all of these are imported.
The Government has made up to £520 million available through the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund to support the UK manufacture of medicine and medical technology products. This includes applications looking to establish, expand, or improve the UK-based manufacture of medical radioisotopes for diagnostic or therapeutic applications.
The Government also recently announced a £54 million funding package for eight innovative research and development projects, including £9.9 million earmarked for Project Alpha to explore how to make medical treatments from legacy nuclear material. Something that could unlock the UK’s potential to develop promising new cancer therapies.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate have they made of the effect of the agreement recently concluded between the UK and USA as part of the Economic Prosperity Deal on the cost of purchasing drugs for the NHS for each of the financial years 2025/26, 2026/27, 2027/28, and 2028/29; and whether any such costs were included in planning for the recent Budget 2025.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Every patient deserves access to the best possible treatment. This deal is a vital investment that builds on the strength of our National Health Service and world leading life sciences sector.
Costs will start smaller but will increase over time as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) approves more life improving and lifesaving medicines. Total costs over the Spending Review period are expected to be approximately £1 billion. But the final costs will clearly depend on which medicines NICE decides to approve and the actual uptake of these. This is not something that we can pre-empt at this time as it depends on which drugs come to market, and which are assessed as approved for use on the NHS accordingly.
At the Spending Review we delivered a record real terms increase for day-to-day spending for the NHS in England up to April 2029. This deal will be funded by allocations made at the Spending Review, where front line services will remain protected through the record funding secured. Future year funding will be settled at the next Spending Review.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have received from small businesses in Wales concerning the impact of their legislative programme and budget proposals.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
HM Treasury engages regularly with businesses and representative organisations in Wales. HMT also runs a stakeholder representations process ahead of fiscal events where the public and businesses can submit their representations. This allows us to consider the views of a wide range of small businesses and their representative organisations. We continue to encourage businesses in Wales to engage with this process at future fiscal events to help inform policy.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what latest estimate they have made of the amount of money from the activities of the Crown Estate that will accrue to (1) the UK Government, (2) the Scottish Government, (3) the Welsh Government, and (4) the Northern Ireland Executive.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The Crown Estate operates across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The management of assets held by The Crown Estate was devolved to Scotland in 2016 and, as such, Crown Estate Scotland operates as a distinct entity from The Crown Estate and is governed by Scottish legislation.
In accordance with the Crown Estate Act 1961, The Crown Estate returns its net revenue profits to the UK Consolidated Fund - a combined total of more than £5 billion over the last decade. This money is used to fund vital public services across the UK in reserved areas. When the UK Consolidated Fund is spent in England, in areas which are devolved, the devolved governments also receive funding through the operation of the Barnett formula.
Details of The Crown Estate's revenues are outlined in its annual report and accounts.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to compulsorily purchase substandard housing in England and bring it to an acceptable standard for occupation.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government has no plans to compulsorily purchase substandard housing in England directly. However, it has included measures in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to improve and speed-up how authorities can take possession of substandard housing through compulsory purchase.
The Bill also makes the home loss payments regime fairer in relation to the compulsory purchase of substandard housing.