Written questions by Mitchell.

How much University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust spent on agency staff in each of the last five years.

Awaiting answer.

What the current average processing time is for probate applications.

The Ministry of Justice publishes regular data on probate grant volumes, timeliness and open caseload in our quarterly Family Court statistics bulletin: Family Court Statistics Quarterly - GOV.UK

What recent assessment she has made of the impact of the increase in (a) employer National Insurance contributions and (b) the National Minimum Wage on hospitality businesses in Royal Sutton Coldfield.

The Government recognises hospitality as a vital foundation sector, supporting millions of jobs, driving local economies (including in Royal Sutton Coldfield) and sustaining high streets and communities across the UK. The Government has taken a number of ...

How much additional funding has been allocated to Birmingham City Council from the £7.3 billion the Government has announced to support local highways maintenance.

For this financial year, West Midlands Combined Authority will receive an additional £17 million in their Integrated Settlement to fund highways maintenance in Birmingham. This amount was calculated using the Department’s local highways maintenance fundin...

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the level of the demand on water resources in the West Midlands; and what are the principal contributors to that demand.

The level of demand on water resources is currently very high in the West Midlands. South Staffs Water and Severn Trent Water, whose supply areas both include the West Midlands, are classed as seriously water-stressed in the Environment Agency’s 2021 wate...

What recent steps he has taken to encourage business investment in (a) Royal Sutton Coldfield and (b) the West Midlands.

The Government is supporting business investment in Royal Sutton Coldfield and the wider West Midlands region through close engagement with local partners, including the West Midlands Combined Authority, to promote investment opportunities and strengthen ...

If he will estimate the number of people that will benefit from Sector-based Work Academy Programmes in Royal Sutton Coldfield over the next 5 years.

Sector Based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) are a successful employment support offer through which participants gain the skills and experience needed to move into work. Nearly 100,000 SWAPs were delivered in 2025/26, an increase of almost 15,000 on the ...

Communities and Local Government, whether guidance has been provided to Birmingham City Council in relation to advertising the range of council tax reductions that are available to local residents.

While guidance has not been issued specifically to Birmingham City Council in relation to advertising council tax reductions to local residents, the government recently issued an information letter to councils (here) to remind of the need to make council ...

Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of digital connectivity for businesses in the West Midlands.

The Government recognises that high quality digital connectivity is essential for businesses in the West Midlands and across the whole of the UK. Our ambition is for all populated areas to have access to higher quality standalone 5G by 2030 and we have a ...

How many primary schools in Royal Sutton Coldfield have access to mental health support teams.

The department is providing access to specialist mental health professionals in every school by expanding Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs). Rollout is delivered with the NHS through Integrated Care Systems, prioritising areas based on need, disadvantag...

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent progress she has taken to assist Zimbabwe's return to the Commonwealth; and for what reason her Department vetoed the proposal that Zimbabwe should return at the

As I stated in my response of 2 February in response to the Rt Hon Member's Question 109061, the UK would welcome a Commonwealth assessment mission returning to Zimbabwe in due course to follow up on its recommendations from its last visit and the subsequ...

Whether University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust will receive funding for new batteries and solar panels as part of the Clean Energy Upgrades for Hospitals and Military Sites sche

In 25/26 the Great British Energy Solar scheme invested £130m in solar and battery storage projects across NHS trusts in England. This included funding for two projects at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. In 2026/27, a further £25m is...

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of non-staffing costs on the sustainability of schools in Sutton Coldfield constituency.

The department has published the Schools’ Costs Technical Note, outlining its national-level affordability forecasts and including data on non-staff expenditure, such as energy. This year’s publication and historical editions are available at: https://www...

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, for what reason the conference on illicit finance has been postponed.

As confirmed in the statement below, published on 22 May, the Illicit Finance Summit has been rescheduled to December to enable the broadest possible participation.https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-to-host-illicit-finance-summit-in-december.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to promote (a) Royal Sutton Coldfield and (b) the West Midlands as destinations for British holidaymakers in summer 2026.

DCMS recognises the contribution of the West Midlands, and the constituency of Sutton Coldfield, to the visitor economy. The upcoming summer 2026 season represents a milestone moment for the region. Birmingham’s hosting of the 2026 European Athletics Cham...

What assessment he has made of trends in the level of unemployment in the under 25s in the West Midlands.

The ONS publish labour market statistics for 16–24-year-olds in the West Midlands. These can be found here: HI05 Regional labour market: headline indicators for the West Midlands - Office for National Statistics.This government will not leave an entire ge...

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to conclude the $100 million joint development deal between the UK and Qatar.

The UK is proud of its humanitarian and development partnership with the State of Qatar. Our ambition to deliver $100 million in joint humanitarian and development projects, announced in December 2024, is currently being implemented through programmes in ...

What steps his Department is taking to help improve access to freezing and storage capacity for tumour tissues for oncology services in the West Midlands, in order to improve outcomes for hard-to-t

The Department has taken steps to improve tissue freezing for oncology services for all cancers, including hard-to-treat cancers. Standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the fresh-freezing, or snap-freezing, of tissue samples have already been developed ...

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the resilience of the national grid infrastructure in the West Midlands to withstand disruption.

Energy resilience is a top priority for Government. Government works continuously with industry to improve and maintain the resilience and security of energy infrastructure to a range of evolving risks and future system changes. The National Energy Syste...

What steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of patients waiting for more than (a) 1 month, (b) 3 months (c) 6 months and (d) 12 months to receive cognitive behavioural therapy for inso

It is for local integrated care boards to decide whether cognitive behavioural therapy should be offered to their populations as a treatment for insomnia.NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression offer low-intensity therapy which may include interv...