Written questions by Mitchell.

What steps her Department is taking to improve public transport connections in the West Midlands.

The West Midlands Combined Authority will receive almost £2.4bn in Transport for City Region (TCR) funding up to 31/32. Enabling Mayors in recipient areas to deliver schemes that align with local priorities, the TCR programme provides unprecedented, multi-year, consolidated funding settlements to enhance the local transport networks of some of England’s largest city regions, including investment in public and sustainable transport infrastructure, to help to drive growth and productivity. It is for the Combined Authority to determine how this funding is allocated across the city region in line with local priorities.

What steps he is taking to increase the number of neonatal nurses in University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust.

Decisions about recruitment are a matter for individual National Health Service employers, who manage this at a local level to ensure they have the staff they need to deliver safe and effective care. We will publish a 10 Year Workforce Plan which will create a workforce ready to deliver the transformed service set out in the 10-Year Health Plan. The plan will ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it.

If she will make an estimate of the number of houses in Sutton Coldfield constituency which will incur council tax surcharges from 2028.

I refer the member to the answer given to UIN 94638 on 26 November 2025. The Government has not estimated the number of homes in Sutton Coldfield that will be liable for the new HVCTS.

How much the Boiler Upgrade Scheme paid out for heat pumps in the West Midlands over the past year.

In the financial year 2024/25 the Boiler Upgrade Scheme paid out £14.44 million for heat pumps installed in the West Midlands. Further details on the number of applications by status, region and technology type, broken down by financial year, are provided in table A1.1A here.

If he will estimate the number of households with a non-working smart meter in the West Midlands.

The Department collects data on smart meters not operating in smart mode at a national level. The latest statistics on smart meters in operation across GB are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/smart-meters-in-great-britain-quarterly-update-september-2025. Energy suppliers are obligated to take all reasonable steps to ensure their customers’ smart meters are operating in smart mode. The Department is continuing to work closely with industry and Ofgem to reduce the proportion of smart meters not operating in smart mode, which has been steadily decreasing. Smart meters not operating in smart mode continue to record energy usage accurately but do not send automatic readings to energy suppliers.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the minimum wage rise on the cost of care home places for (a) those that are self funding and (b) local authorities that fund residents in care homes.

The Department regularly makes assessments of the cost pressures facing adult social care. These assessments take into account a wide range of factors, including changes to the National Minimum Wage and the impact that may have on local authorities funding residents in care homes.The Spending Review allows for an increase of over £4 billion of funding available for adult social care in 2028/29 compared to 2025/26, to support the sector in making improvements.

How many of the neighbourhood health centres announced in the Autumn Budget 2025 will be based in the West Midlands.

At the Autumn Budget, we announced our commitment to deliver 250 neighbourhood health centres (NHCs) through the NHS Neighbourhood Rebuild Programme. This will deliver NHCs through a mixture of refurbishments to expand and improve sites over the next three years, along with new-build sites opening in the medium term. The first 120 NHCs are due to be operational by 2030 and will be delivered through public private partnerships and public capital.Stockland Green Primary Care Centre and Summerfield Primary Care Centre, located in the West Midlands, are some of the first sites that have been chosen to be upgraded as part of the NHS Neighbourhood Rebuild Programme.Nationwide coverage will take time, but we will start in the areas of greatest need where healthy life expectancy is lowest, including rural towns and communities with higher deprivation levels, targeting places where healthy life expectancy is lowest and delivering healthcare closer to home for those that need it the most.Integrated care boards (ICBs) are responsible for commissioning, which includes planning, securing, and monitoring, general practice services within their health systems through delegated responsibility from NHS England. Both ICBs and local health systems will be responsible for determining the most appropriate locations for NHCs.

How many additional people will be eligible for the Help to Save scheme in the West Midlands from 2028.

The government is expanding the Help to Save scheme to Universal Credit claimants who receive either the carer’s element or the child element. This will enable more low-income households to build savings, supported by a government bonus, to improve their financial security. Whilst no estimate has been made of potential take-up of the scheme on a regional basis, up to an additional 1.5 million households could benefit from the scheme from April 2028. This is an estimate of the number of non-working households who are estimated to be in receipt of the child element and/ or carer element on Universal Credit in April 2028. It is derived from the DWP’s Policy Simulation Model which is a microsimulation model that is based on data from the Family Resources Survey and DWP benefit forecasts. Eligibility estimates are therefore subject to some uncertainty.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the minimum wage increase on the number of entry level positions that could be replaced by artificial intelligence and automation systems.

The Get Britain Working White Paper sets out how we will address key labour market challenges and spread opportunity in order to fix the foundations of our economy so we can make the most of the opportunities AI presents. The Government is supporting workforce readiness for AI through a range of initiatives.When recommending National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates, the Low Pay Commission considers a range of factors influencing the labour market. These include the cost of living, inflation forecasts for April 2026 to April 2027, and the broader economic impact on employment, business competitiveness, and overall market conditions-including developments in technology and artificial intelligence. We are confident that the minimum wage rates will not have a significant impact on employment levels.

If she will estimate the number of houses in Sutton Coldfield which will incur council tax surcharges from 2028.

The High Value Council Tax Surcharge (HVCTS) will apply to owners of properties worth £2 million or above, ensuring those with the most valuable properties pay their fair share. The HVCTS will affect fewer than 1% of all properties across England.

What recent steps his Department has taken to support publicans in the West Midlands.

We recognise that pubs, including those in the West Midlands, are at the beating heart of communities, providing not just a place to socialise but essential services and local jobs. That’s why we’re investing £440,000 with Pub is The Hub to help rural pubs diversify, aiming to support rural communities, create new jobs and services.In April, we launched a Taskforce to review premises licensing and develop proposals for a more balanced system that safeguards communities while supporting responsible businesses. These reforms form part of the Small Business Strategy, which is designed to tackle late payments, improve access to finance and reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens.We are also creating a fairer business rates system, including permanently lower rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a rateable value under £500,000. We continue to work closely with the sector through the Hospitality Sector Council to address challenges.

What fiscal steps her Department is taking to support pensioners with the cost of living in Sutton Coldfield.

We’re committed to helping pensioners with the cost of living and ensuring financial security in retirement. The State Pension is the foundation of income in retirement and will remain so. At Autumn Budget 2025 we announced that, in line with the government’s commitment to the Triple Lock throughout this parliament, over 12 million pensioners will benefit from a 4.8% increase to their basic or new State Pension in April 2026, increasing their income by up to £575 a year. This follows a substantial increase in 2025/26, with those receiving a full new State Pension getting a £360 boost. The Pension Credit Standard Minimum Guarantee will increase by 4.8% in April 2026, from £227.10 to £238 a week for a single pensioner and from £346.60 to £363.25 a week for a couple, protecting the income of the poorest pensioners. Those in receipt of Pension Credit will also automatically receive the Cold Weather Payment alongside other benefits. The Winter Fuel Payment will benefit over three quarters of pensioners for the duration of this parliament, targeting help to those on lower and middle incomes while ensuring fairness for pensioners and taxpayers. To help with ongoing cost of living pressures, the government will remove around £150 on average off household energy bills across Great Britain from April 2026. By ending the Energy Company Obligation, we are taking some of the expensive legacy levies off bills. We are expanding the Warm Home Discount to around an additional 2.7 million households. This means that from this winter, around 6 million low-income households will receive the £150 support to help with their energy bill costs. The Warm Home Discount regulations expire in 2026, and we will want to consider all options for future bill support beyond this point. We are also providing support for low-income households through our Warm Homes Plan which will support investment in insulation and low carbon heating – upgrading millions of homes over this Parliament. At the recent Budget, we announced £1.5 billion in new funding to support households facing fuel poverty.

If she will make an estimate of the number of pensioners who will need to pay back the Winter Fuel Payment through tax system in Sutton Coldfield constituency in the next 12 months.

The vast majority of pensioners, around 9 million individuals, will benefit from Winter Fuel Payments this winter. The Government has been clear that the Winter Fuel Payment should be means-tested on the basis of income. For higher income pensioners, those with an annual income of more than £35,000, the payment will be recovered via the tax system. Estimates for winter 2025/26 are not available at the Parliamentary Constituency level.

How many people have been released early from prisons in the West Midlands in 2025 due to overcapacity.

This Government inherited prisons days from collapse. We have had no choice but to take decisive action to stop our prisons overflowing and keep the public safe.The Ministry of Justice has published SDS40 release data alongside the quarterly Offender Management Statistics which includes figures on SDS40 releases by prison (Table 8) to June 2025: Standard Determinate Sentence 40 (SDS40): September 2024 to June 2025 - GOV.UK.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure international justice for (a) past and (b) continuing atrocity crimes in Myanmar.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided in the House of Lords on 12 November in response to Question HL11464, which has been reproduced below for ease of reference:The UK acknowledges the report and shares its concerns regarding human rights violations in Myanmar. We condemn the Myanmar military's airstrikes on civilian infrastructure. The UK is clear that no country should provide arms, funds, or fuel to the Myanmar military. We have implemented 19 sanctions packages since 2021, including 10 targeting aviation fuel imports.We are clear that there must be accountability for the atrocities committed in Myanmar. The UK has provided £900,000 to the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar since 2021 and established the Myanmar Witness program to collect evidence of human rights violations. As penholder on Myanmar at the UN Security Council, we have convened four meetings this year to maintain international focus and press for accountability. We co-sponsored a Human Rights Council resolution in April and coordinated a joint statement in May calling for an end to violence.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the prevalence of airstrikes against civilian populations by the military regime in Myanmar.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided in the House of Lords on 12 November in response to Question HL11464, which has been reproduced below for ease of reference:The UK acknowledges the report and shares its concerns regarding human rights violations in Myanmar. We condemn the Myanmar military's airstrikes on civilian infrastructure. The UK is clear that no country should provide arms, funds, or fuel to the Myanmar military. We have implemented 19 sanctions packages since 2021, including 10 targeting aviation fuel imports.We are clear that there must be accountability for the atrocities committed in Myanmar. The UK has provided £900,000 to the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar since 2021 and established the Myanmar Witness program to collect evidence of human rights violations. As penholder on Myanmar at the UN Security Council, we have convened four meetings this year to maintain international focus and press for accountability. We co-sponsored a Human Rights Council resolution in April and coordinated a joint statement in May calling for an end to violence.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to press the United Nations Security Council to refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer provided in the House of Lords on 12 November in response to Question HL11464, which has been reproduced below for ease of reference:The UK acknowledges the report and shares its concerns regarding human rights violations in Myanmar. We condemn the Myanmar military's airstrikes on civilian infrastructure. The UK is clear that no country should provide arms, funds, or fuel to the Myanmar military. We have implemented 19 sanctions packages since 2021, including 10 targeting aviation fuel imports.We are clear that there must be accountability for the atrocities committed in Myanmar. The UK has provided £900,000 to the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar since 2021 and established the Myanmar Witness program to collect evidence of human rights violations. As penholder on Myanmar at the UN Security Council, we have convened four meetings this year to maintain international focus and press for accountability. We co-sponsored a Human Rights Council resolution in April and coordinated a joint statement in May calling for an end to violence.

What recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of unemployment in Sutton Coldfield constituency.

The information requested is published and available at:https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/default.asp Guidance for users can be found at:https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/home/newuser.asp The estimated unemployment levels can be found by selecting “Query data” on the NOMIS home page and selecting “Annual Population Survey/Labour Force Survey” and then “annual population survey (Dec 2004 to Jun 2025)” in the lists of data sources. The Geography will need to be set for the relevant Westminster constituency from the menu, and the Variable set to “Unemployment rate - aged 16+” from the “Key variables” list.

What recent discussions he has had with (a) large supermarket chains and (b) representatives of independent retailers on the illegal sale of fireworks.

The Government met with supermarkets and representatives of independent retails in July where the illegal sale of fireworks and what measures they could take in addressing illegal sale was discussed. This includes, but is not exclusive to, supermarkets and independent retailers via the British Retail Consortium and Associations of Convenient Stores.

What assessment her Department has made of the value for money of the contract to house asylum seekers in the Ramada hotel in Sutton Coldfield constituency.

For the safety and security of those we accommodate and our staff, the Home Office does not comment publicly on sites which may or may not be utilised to accommodate asylum seekers.This Government recognises that hotels are not a sustainable or cost-effective solution for accommodating asylum seekers and remains committed to ending their use, already reducing the number in operation. We do not provide a running commentary on hotel numbers, our objective is to close all asylum hotels by the end of this Parliament, reducing costs to the taxpayer and restoring control to local communities.