I thank my right hon. Friend and pay tribute to her as the first female Labour Secretary of State for Wales. Wales is better off as a result of her work on rail, nuclear, steel and more. I recognise the central importance of the Cardiff Parkway project, which could unlock up to 6,000 jobs. I will do all that I can, working with the Welsh Government and private investors, to progress the delivery of that important project at pace.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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