Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to require local authorities in England to obtain guarantees, backed up by financial penalties, from water and sewerage providers that a new housing development can be served before they can grant planning permission.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is committed to ensuring there is adequate water and wastewater capacity to support growth.
It is the responsibility of water and wastewater service providers to plan for and deliver sufficient levels of infrastructure capacity to accommodate planned growth. The majority of water companies have now published their water resources management plans which set out how they will continue to provide secure water supplies in the long term.
The government has created a new duty for water companies in England to produce Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans, which set out how a water company intends to improve their drainage and wastewater systems over the next 25 years, to accommodate growth and mitigate issues related to insufficient capacity.
When granting planning permission, local authorities can seek a section 106 planning obligation from a developer to mitigate the impact of a development to make it acceptable in planning terms. The obligation may, for example, require certain infrastructure or infrastructure contributions to be provided and specify the periods at which they must be provided. Local authorities have enforcement powers to ensure compliance with any such provisions.
I also refer the noble Lord to the answer given to Question UIN 26106 on 05 February 2025.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Swansea Council regarding the proposal to establish a car ferry between Swansea and south-west England; and what ports in England are being considered for such a project.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Department for Transport has had no discussions with Swansea Council regarding the proposal to establish a car ferry between Swansea and south-west England.
The provision of maritime transport services is predominantly left to the commercial market, meaning the Department does not, as a matter of course, get involved in discussions around options for new routes or services. The establishment of the above-mentioned car ferry service is therefore a matter for the relevant local authorities, based on their transport priorities and budgets.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what benefit they estimate will accrue to (1) the Welsh Government, and (2) the Welsh economy, from the Crown Estate's Offshore Wind Leasing Round 5.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Offshore Leasing Round 5, which covers areas of seabed in both English and Welsh waters, is expected to generate additional revenues that will enhance the profits The Crown Estate pays over to the UK Government, which will then support the delivery of public services across the UK, including in Wales.
The Crown Estate has designed the leasing process so developers commit to deliver social and environmental value as part of the development, including a requirement to provide an apprenticeships plan and a skills development plan. As Leasing Round 5 remains an active and competitive tender process, it is not possible at this stage to quantify those financial and wider economic, social and environmental benefits.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to identify deposits of manganese in the sea bed within UK territorial waters.
Answered by Baroness Jones of Whitchurch - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
His Majesty's Government have not taken any steps to identify deposits of manganese in the sea bed within UK territorial waters.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many people are currently employed by the Crown Estate in Wales.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
I refer the noble Lord to the answer I gave him on 28 March 2025 to question HL5975, reproduced below.
The Crown Estate has a dedicated Cardiff Hub serving as a base for its operations in Wales. On average three members of staff work from the Cardiff hub on a daily basis. However, this number is not representative of the total number of staff who are engaged in Wales matters or otherwise attend the Cardiff hub on a different basis. This is because staff, along with a network of managing agents and other agencies, work flexibly across Wales, Northern Ireland, and England.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish the names of all the current Crown Estate Commissioners; the date on which each was appointed; and the date on which their term of service will end.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The names of all Commissioners can be located on The Crown Estate website. They are set out below, along with the information on when they were appointed.
With the exception of Sir Robin Budenberg, all current Commissioners have been appointed on four-year terms. In general, non-executive Commissioners serve an initial four-year period and may be renewed up to a further four years. In exceptional circumstances, a non-executive Board Member may serve for a further two years and for not more than ten years in total. Executive Commissioners (currently the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer) are also generally appointed on four-year terms, but there is no limit on the number of times they may be renewed.
Sir Robin Budenberg KBE Chair Appointed - 1 August 2016 and was reappointed on 1 August 2020, and an extension to his final term agreed in February 2024. His appointment will end in July 2025. |
Dan Labbad Chief Executive Officer and Commissioner Appointed in December 2019 and reappointed to the board in January 2024 |
Helen Price Chief Financial Officer and Commissioner. Appointed in January 2025 |
Dame Karen Jones DBE Commissioner and Senior Independent Board Member. Appointed to the Board on 1 January 2020 and reappointed on 1 January 2024. |
Juliet Davenport OBE Commissioner Appointed in September 2020 and reappointed 1 September 2024 |
Clare Shine Commissioner Appointed in July 2022 |
Vijay Bharadia Commissioner Appointed 1 April 2023 |
Anne Kavanagh Commissioner Appointed July 2022 |
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what was the estimated net revenue and profit of the Crown Estate in the financial year 2024–25.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The audited figures for The Crown Estate’s revenue and net revenue profit in 2024-25 will be published as part The Crown Estate’s annual report and accounts, due to be laid in Parliament before summer recess.
The latest published figures are available in The Crown Estate’s 2023-24 annual report and accounts, laid in Parliament on 23 July 2024 and available on The Crown Estate website. This sets out that the 2023-24 figures were £1.6 billion for revenue and £1.1 billion for net revenue profit.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the latest estimate of the income of the Crown Estate in the last financial year; and how much of it, if any, has been paid to the Welsh Government.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
In 2023-24, The Crown Estate returned £1.1 billion to the Consolidated Fund. Wales benefits from spending in reserved areas paid from the UK Consolidated Fund and receives Barnett funding when money from the UK Consolidated Fund is spent in England on areas which are devolved to Wales. In 2023-24, Wales received a total Departmental Expenditure Limit of £19.546 billion from the UK Government.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the latest assessment of the property value of the Crown Estate in Wales; and on what date the assessment was undertaken.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The most recent assessment was completed by The Crown Estate in March 2024. At that time The Crown Estate’s property in Wales was valued at £473,651,170.
The Crown Estate has also committed to provide additional financial reporting in respect of its activities in Wales in its annual report and accounts for 2025-26 onwards.
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 Pakistan about the deportation of Afghan women back to Afghanistan.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has a longstanding and close relationship with Pakistan. We engage regularly with the Government of Pakistan to advance key priorities and interests, including on human rights and adherence to international law. Whilst we respect Pakistan's sovereign right to control its borders, the UK, alongside the international and donor community, is urging Pakistan to do so in accordance with their international obligations. On 16 May, the UK's Special Representative for Afghanistan raised the need for safe and dignified returns of Afghans with Pakistan's Special Representative for Afghanistan.