1-20 of 237 results for member:"Baroness Humphreys"
Librarians' tools
- Search time
- 0.324 seconds
- Solr query time
- 0.003 seconds
- Search query
- member:"Baroness Humphreys"
- We searched for
- member_ses:301336
Type
House
Session
Year
Department
More
Member
More
Primary member
Answering member
More
Legislative stage
Legislation
More
Subject
More
Publisher
My Lords, I wish the noble Baroness every success in her campaign to secure funding for Gaelic-language broadcasting. It is a very good campaign. Can the Minister say how the new charter will protect the local independent production sector in Wales from centralisation, as the BBC shifts small services to digital-first formats?
My Lords, I wish the noble Baroness every success in her campaign to secure funding for Gaelic-language broadcasting. It is a very good campaign. Can the Minister say how the new charter will protect the local independent production sector in Wales from centralisation, as the BBC shifts small services to digital-first formats?
That is a very detailed question and I may have to write to the noble Baroness. Through the charter review, we are trying to make sure that we have a really broad and healthy sustainable model for the future, and it must support the smaller local organisations as well as national organisations. We are keen to make sure that works. I am happy to talk to the noble Baroness about that point.
My Lords, passengers should be the focal point of this Bill. Their needs and experiences should guide the developments and improvements to be implemented. The needs of passengers are clear: the ability to access stations, platforms and trains; lifts that work; comfortable conditions in which to travel; a regard for...
My Lords, passengers should be the focal point of this Bill. Their needs and experiences should guide the developments and improvements to be implemented. The needs of passengers are clear: the ability to access stations, platforms and trains; lifts that work; comfortable conditions in which to travel; a regard for...
My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord on his party’s success in the Senedd elections. I also acknowledge the success of Welsh Labour’s D’Hondt system in achieving the most proportionate result in Senedd elections to date. In contrast, the 2024 UK general election, held under first past the post, saw Labour take 63% of parliamentary seats on a 33.7% vote share. I ask the Minister: when will the rest of the UK catch up with the devolved nations and introduce a fair voting system which reflects the proportion of votes cast?
My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord on his party’s success in the Senedd elections. I also acknowledge the success of Welsh Labour’s D’Hondt system in achieving the most proportionate result in Senedd elections to date. In contrast, the 2024 UK general election, held under first past the post, saw Labour take 63% of parliamentary seats on a 33.7% vote share. I ask the Minister: when will the rest of the UK catch up with the devolved nations and introduce a fair voting system which reflects the proportion of votes cast?
My Lords, I wondered how quickly we might divert away from the question relating to Wales. I salute the noble Baroness’s ingenuity in talking about proportional representation. We have other devolved settlements with mayoral authorities to introduce more proportional ways of voting, but I point out that not that long ago, we had a national referendum on moving to a more proportional way of voting for general elections and an alternative to first past the post—I see some close observers of electoral systems are dissenting from my observations, so I will say “moving away from” first past the post—and that was resoundingly rejected by the British public.
My Lords, it is a pleasure to speak in the debate on this SI, which I hope is the final stage of the formation of the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research in Wales. As the draft Explanatory Memorandum to this SI explains, this consequential amendment order is made under...
My Lords, it is a pleasure to speak in the debate on this SI, which I hope is the final stage of the formation of the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research in Wales. As the draft Explanatory Memorandum to this SI explains, this consequential amendment order is made under...
My Lords, given the hour, my contribution to this debate will be a short one.
I first apologise for not having spoken to similar amendments on this subject in Committee because of illness. I express my gratitude to my noble friend Lady Brinton, who is no longer in her place, for...
My Lords, given the hour, my contribution to this debate will be a short one.
I first apologise for not having spoken to similar amendments on this subject in Committee because of illness. I express my gratitude to my noble friend Lady Brinton, who is no longer in her place, for...
To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the activities of the Crown Estate on (1) the Welsh economy, and (2) household budgets in Wales.
To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the activities of the Crown Estate on (1) the Welsh economy, and (2) household budgets in Wales.
The recently passed Crown Estate Act ensured that the Crown Estate can continue working in the best interests of Wales and the wider United Kingdom. The Crown Estate is key to the £1.4 billion of economic growth and more than 5,000 jobs that the Government want to secure from floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea. It works closely with the Welsh Government to ensure that the offshore potential of this emerging sector benefits Welsh communities onshore.
I thank the Minister for that reply. However, the Crown Estate has removed the cap for offshore wind leases and is running uncapped auctions that force wind farm developers to pay extremely high fees simply to access the seabed. Can the Minister confirm that the fourth offshore wind leasing round generated more profit for the Crown Estate than all the previous rounds combined and that this system has inflated the cost of building offshore wind farms, with a consequent increase in electricity prices for household budgets in Wales? Is it not time for political oversight of the activities of the Crown Estate in Wales?
I thank the Minister for that reply. However, the Crown Estate has removed the cap for offshore wind leases and is running uncapped auctions that force wind farm developers to pay extremely high fees simply to access the seabed. Can the Minister confirm that the fourth offshore wind leasing round generated more profit for the Crown Estate than all the previous rounds combined and that this system has inflated the cost of building offshore wind farms, with a consequent increase in electricity prices for household budgets in Wales? Is it not time for political oversight of the activities of the Crown Estate in Wales?
I thank the noble Baroness for that question, but on the point about oversight, a Crown Estate commissioner with special responsibility for Wales will be appointed in due course. As far as offshore wind is concerned, for Wales a priority is to deliver certainty. Retaining the current model avoids fragmenting a cross-border Celtic Sea market and preserves investor confidence at a sensitive
point for floating offshore wind. Further devolution would risk fragmenting the energy market, undermining international investor confidence and disrupting activity elsewhere in the Crown Estate.
To ask His Majesty's Government (1) how much, and (2) what proportion of, funding allocated to AI Growth Zones will be spent in Wales; and what the timeframe is for that funding.
To ask His Majesty's Government (1) how much, and (2) what proportion of, funding allocated to AI Growth Zones will be spent in Wales; and what the timeframe is for that funding.
The AI Growth Zones programme aims to attract billions of pounds in private investment into AI data centres and drive economic growth through job creation. The programme will create opportunities for skills development and apprenticeships, forge research and development partnerships with local universities, and enable British businesses to participate in major AI projects.
We have announced five AI Growth Zones, two of which are Welsh sites, with one in Anglesey and another in South Wales. These sites will benefit from major private investment, including Vanguard's planned £10 billion investment in the South Wales AI Growth Zone. In addition to this private capital, we are providing £5 million for each AI Growth Zone through UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) to support skills development and AI adoption, ensuring that local communities benefit directly from the programme. This funding will be available from April 2026 for all AI Growth Zone.
My Lords, I welcome this statutory instrument, which provides the necessary consequential amendments following the enactment of the Infrastructure (Wales) Act 2024. It represents a sensible and measured step to ensure that the new Welsh infrastructure consent system is aligned with existing legislation across the United Kingdom. While this order...
My Lords, I welcome this statutory instrument, which provides the necessary consequential amendments following the enactment of the Infrastructure (Wales) Act 2024. It represents a sensible and measured step to ensure that the new Welsh infrastructure consent system is aligned with existing legislation across the United Kingdom. While this order...
My Lords, one key area of potential devolution is youth justice, where the Welsh Government have already been implementing policies to tackle the root causes of crime and break inter- generational cycles of crime, through early intervention and a compassionate approach to justice. I welcome the announcement by the Welsh Government that officials would work together with UK counterparts to explore, among other items, options for governance arrangements and the funding of youth justice services. When will this work be completed and when will we see true devolution of these services to Wales?
My Lords, one key area of potential devolution is youth justice, where the Welsh Government have already been implementing policies to tackle the root causes of crime and break inter- generational cycles of crime, through early intervention and a compassionate approach to justice. I welcome the announcement by the Welsh Government that officials would work together with UK counterparts to explore, among other items, options for governance arrangements and the funding of youth justice services. When will this work be completed and when will we see true devolution of these services to Wales?
As the noble Baroness outlined, the UK Government and the Welsh Government have agreed to work together to consider options for the governance and funding of youth justice services and for partnership arrangements on probation services. That work is currently under way, but I do not have a deadline for when they will come forward with their recommendations.
My Lords—
My Lords—
I declare an interest in that one of my sons works in defence procurement. In light of concerns raised about the reliance on overseas supply chains, can the Minister set out what steps the Government are taking to ensure that procurement decisions actively support UK-based manufacturers so that our defence capability is not dependent on foreign production?
I declare an interest in that one of my sons works in defence procurement. In light of concerns raised about the reliance on overseas supply chains, can the Minister set out what steps the Government are taking to ensure that procurement decisions actively support UK-based manufacturers so that our defence capability is not dependent on foreign production?
We are doing everything we can to support UK manufacturing. Let me set out one of the reasons why we are doing that. As I have said many times, Ukraine has been a wake-up call for us. The manufacturing industry in this country has been allowed to decline over decades, in a way that puts our homeland defence at risk. It is in our own national
interest to grow our defence industries, which is why it will be at the heart of what we do. It is not only about what we do here. The noble Baroness will have seen that the carrier strike group was out in the Indo-Pacific and is now back in the Mediterranean. There have been numerous round tables, conferences and industry events on the carrier, and on the ships with it, to promote growth. One of the ways to do that is by expanding our growth to the rest of the world.
To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the North Wales Growth Deal, how much has been spent to date by (1) the UK Government, and (2) the Welsh Government; how many new jobs have been created; and which sectors and local authority areas those jobs are in.
To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the North Wales Growth Deal, how much has been spent to date by (1) the UK Government, and (2) the Welsh Government; how many new jobs have been created; and which sectors and local authority areas those jobs are in.
The UK Government is working in full partnership with the Welsh Government to deliver the four City and Regional Growth Deals across Wales. The North Wales Growth Deal was agreed in 2020 with the UK Government, Welsh Government and six local authorities collaborating to deliver the £1 billion programme.
The North Wales Growth Deal seeks to tackle long-term challenges and barriers to deliver inclusive growth whilst building on the region’s strengths to create a more vibrant, sustainable and resilient economy in North Wales. The UK Government has committed £120 million to support these aims which has been matched by £120 million from the Welsh Government. The Deal will leverage £760 million from the private sector and other public sector sources. The Deal has invested £24 million to date.
The City and Growth Deals invest in large-scale capital investments, which by nature take longer to deliver employment outcomes. As capital investments near completion, there will be an acceleration in job creation in line with projected outcomes. For example, the Engineering, Enterprise and Optics Centre which is due to open in November will provide a world leading space for research and development at Wrexham University. As of September 2025, the North Wales Growth Deal has created a total of 38 jobs. The Growth Deal will create jobs across the six local authorities covered by the Deal in a wide range of sectors, including:
- Innovation
- Manufacturing
- Low Carbon Energy
- Digital Infrastructure
- Tourism
- Agri-food
The UK Government’s investment and collaboration with the Welsh Government has kickstarted sustained economic growth in North Wales and will to unlock new opportunities for people and businesses across the region. The UK Government is working in partnership with the Welsh Government to support and accelerate delivery by the North Wales Growth Deal.
To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the Cardiff Capital Region City Deal, how much has been spent to date by (1) the UK Government, and (2) the Welsh Government; how many new jobs have been created; and which sectors and local authority areas those jobs are in.
To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the Cardiff Capital Region City Deal, how much has been spent to date by (1) the UK Government, and (2) the Welsh Government; how many new jobs have been created; and which sectors and local authority areas those jobs are in.
The UK Government is working in full partnership with the Welsh Government to co-invest in the delivery of four City and Regional Growth Deals across Wales. Since it was agreed in 2016 by UK Government, Welsh Government and ten local authorities in South East Wales, we have collaborated to deliver this £1.23 billion programme, which builds upon the region’s sectoral strengths.
Over its 20-year lifetime, the Deal aims to deliver 25,000 new jobs and attract £4 billion in private sector investment. To support the delivery of these aims, the UK Government has committed £500 million, of which £375 million has been allocated to the Wider Investment Fund and £125 million has been allocated to the Electrification of the Core Valley Lines. The Cardiff Capital Region City Deal is the only Welsh deal where UK Government contribution is not directly matched by Welsh Government. The Welsh Government’s funding supports the Cardiff Capital Region by contributing £734 million to the delivery of the South Wales Metro. £192 million has been invested by the Deal to date.
The City and Growth Deals invest in large-scale capital investments, which by nature take longer to deliver employment outcomes. As capital investments near completion, there will be an acceleration in job creation in line with projected outcomes. For example, the extension to the new KLA factory is due to complete with contractors by December 2025. As of September 2025, the Deal has created a total of 4,335 jobs across the ten local authorities covered by the Deal, and across a wide range of sectors, including:
- Compound semiconductors
- Transport
- Digital & Innovation
- Skills and Employment
- Creative Industries
- Life Sciences
- FinTech
The UK Government’s investment and collaboration with the Welsh Government has kickstarted sustained economic growth in the Cardiff Capital Region and will continue to unlock new opportunities for people and businesses across the region.
To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the Mid Wales Growth Deal, how much has been spent to date by (1) the UK Government, and (2) the Welsh Government; how many new jobs have been created; and which sectors and local authority areas those jobs are in.
To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the Mid Wales Growth Deal, how much has been spent to date by (1) the UK Government, and (2) the Welsh Government; how many new jobs have been created; and which sectors and local authority areas those jobs are in.
The UK Government is working in full partnership with the Welsh Government to co-invest in the delivery of four City and Regional Growth Deals across Wales. The Mid Wales Growth Deal was signed in 2022 by the UK Government, Welsh Government, Ceredigion County Council and Powys County Council.
Over its 10 to 15-year lifetime, the Deal aims to deliver £280-400 million in capital investment. To support these aims, the UK Government has committed to a £55 million contribution and the Welsh Government have matched this commitment with a contribution of £55 million. Additional investment is sought by the Deal from the public and private sectors.
The Mid Wales Growth Deal recently entered into its delivery phase and will report on its spend and jobs creation at the end of the current quarter. The City and Growth Deals invest in large-scale capital investments, which by nature take longer to deliver employment outcomes. As capital investments near completion, there will be an acceleration in job creation in line with projected outcomes. For example, the recently launched Mid Wales Commercial Property Investment Fund is already supporting businesses to invest in new or expanded premises - tackling one of the key challenges facing growing enterprises in the region. The Deal continues to develop its portfolio in order to meet the needs of this unique region, it will focus on the following key themes building on the existing strengths of the region:
- Tourism
- Food
- Skills
- Digital
- Applied Research & Innovation
- Land and Property
The UK Government’s investment and collaboration with the Welsh Government will kickstart sustained economic growth in Mid Wales and unlock new opportunities for people and businesses across the region.
To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the Swansea Bay City Region City Deal, how much has been spent to date by (1) the UK Government, and (2) the Welsh Government; how many new jobs have been created; and which sectors and local authority areas those jobs are in.
To ask His Majesty's Government, with regard to the Swansea Bay City Region City Deal, how much has been spent to date by (1) the UK Government, and (2) the Welsh Government; how many new jobs have been created; and which sectors and local authority areas those jobs are in.
The UK Government is working in full partnership with the Welsh Government to co-invest in the delivery of four City and Regional Growth Deals across Wales. The Swansea Bay City Deal was agreed in 2017 by the UK Government, Welsh Government and the four local authorities in South West Wales. The Swansea Bay Deal represents a total investment of £1.3billion comprising nine headline programmes, and over 36 projects focused on economic acceleration, life sciences, energy, smart manufacturing and digital innovation. To date, the Deal has invested £537 million.
The Deal aims to deliver key economic and social benefits across the South West Wales region over a 15-year period whilst leveraging an anticipated £642 million from private sector investment. The UK Government has committed £115.6 million to support the Deal’s delivery with the Welsh Government contributing £125.4 million. An additional £396 million has been committed by other public sector and local authority contributions.
The City and Growth Deals invest in large-scale capital investments, which by nature take longer to deliver employment outcomes. As capital investments near completion, there will be an acceleration in job creation in line with projected outcomes. For example, the opening of 71/72 Kingsway in Swansea earlier this year and phase one of Pentre Awel (Llanelli) due to open soon.
To date, the Swansea Bay City Deal to date has created a total of 912 jobs across the four local authorities in sectors such as:
- Life Sciences
- Creative Industries
- Energy
- Smart Manufacturing
- Digital Infrastructure
The UK Government’s investment and collaboration with the Welsh Government has kickstarted sustained economic growth in the Swansea Bay region and will continue to unlock new opportunities for people and businesses across the region.
My Lords, we on these Benches support the draft regulations. They represent a crucial step in implementing the Online Safety Act, aiming to foster a safer online environment. The principle that the financial burden of regulating the vast and complex online landscape should fall on those service providers that generate...
My Lords, we on these Benches support the draft regulations. They represent a crucial step in implementing the Online Safety Act, aiming to foster a safer online environment. The principle that the financial burden of regulating the vast and complex online landscape should fall on those service providers that generate...
My Lords, I will speak to the question that Clause 31 stand part of the Bill. I apologise to the Committee for not having taken part in Second Reading.
I also thank the Minister for her very clear statement at the start of this debate. I want to make a relatively...
My Lords, I will speak to the question that Clause 31 stand part of the Bill. I apologise to the Committee for not having taken part in Second Reading.
I also thank the Minister for her very clear statement at the start of this debate. I want to make a relatively...
To ask His Majesty’s Government whether their forthcoming 10 Year Health Plan will reflect the priorities set out in Diabetes UK’s 10 Year Vision for improved prevention, early diagnosis and access to care and technology for people with diabetes.
To ask His Majesty’s Government whether their forthcoming 10 Year Health Plan will reflect the priorities set out in Diabetes UK’s 10 Year Vision for improved prevention, early diagnosis and access to care and technology for people with diabetes.
My Lords, the 10-year plan is not focused on specific diseases and conditions but will instead set out the changes that our NHS needs to be fit for the future—from hospital to community, from analogue to digital and from sickness to prevention—all of which closely align with the priorities in Diabetes UK’s 10 Year Vision.
I thank the Minister for that positive Answer. More than 12 million people in the UK now have diabetes or prediabetes, with research showing a staggering 51% increase in the last eight years in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes among under-40s in England, at an age when the condition is more aggressive and the risk of complications is higher. To help reverse this trend, will the Government embed suggestions from Diabetes UK’s 10 Year Vision into their 10-year plan, including the creation of a healthier
food environment, with a ban on TV advertising of unhealthy food and an extension of the soft drinks industry levy?
I thank the Minister for that positive Answer. More than 12 million people in the UK now have diabetes or prediabetes, with research showing a staggering 51% increase in the last eight years in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes among under-40s in England, at an age when the condition is more aggressive and the risk of complications is higher. To help reverse this trend, will the Government embed suggestions from Diabetes UK’s 10 Year Vision into their 10-year plan, including the creation of a healthier
food environment, with a ban on TV advertising of unhealthy food and an extension of the soft drinks industry levy?
I can say yes to both of those because we have already committed to do that. The advertising restrictions were a manifesto commitment and will be implemented from 6 January. I can also tell the noble Baroness that from October this year, as the result of a consultation, the industry has already voluntarily agreed to abide by those restrictions. We had to make changes to make it more workable and I am glad we did that to get the right approach. I am also glad that we worked to get the voluntary agreement. I also said yes to the noble Baroness in respect of Diabetes UK’s 10 Year Vision, which we are very grateful for. I am also grateful for Diabetes UK’s interaction, which has been considerable, in the consultation on our 10-year plan. I thank Diabetes UK and I am sure the noble Baroness will join me in that.