Written questions by Mitchell.

What steps she plans to take to improve rail services in the West Midlands.

West Midlands Trains has recently introduced two brand new fleets of high capacity trains in the West Midlands area, with a third new fleet on its West Coast routes starting service shortly. Five new stations are also under construction. Meanwhile, CrossCountry started operating a bigger fleet last weekend, significantly boosting capacity on its network, and all its trains will be fully refurbished in the next three years. A Pay-As-You-Go scheme is being implemented to help deliver seamless journey integration. Longer term, work continues on developing the Midlands Rail Hub scheme.

What steps his Department is taking to reduce the backlog for cancer treatment in the West Midlands.

We will improve National Health Service cancer waiting time performance so that cancer patients are diagnosed and treated faster, including patients in the West Midlands.We set out expectations for renewed focus on cancer targets in the Elective Reform plan, published on 6 January 2025. Our reforms to cancer care will see thousands of patients starting treatment within two months, and across the NHS we have already hit our target of delivering two million extra operations, scans, and appointments seven months early.

If she will make it her policy to circulate to all Ministers holding economic portfolios the article published in The Times entitled Want to help the poor? Don’t chase out the rich, published on 16 May 2025.

Successful businesses and entrepreneurs who create jobs and wealth are the driving engine of the Government’s mission to increase economic growth. We will support them to succeed whilst making those with wealth pay their fair share toward the public finances. That is why the Government is removing barriers to growth such as burdensome planning processes and unnecessary regulation, whilst also increasing the rates of capital gains taxation and restricting reliefs for inheritance tax that benefit some of the wealthiest estates. These and other decisions announced at Autumn Budget 2024 will help repair the public finances and fund public services such as the NHS and education.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to President Trump's announcement on 13 May 2025, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of lifting UK sanctions on Syria.

We welcome the announcement by President Trump of the US' intention to lift sanctions on Syria and look forward to further details of the timeline and process. On 24 April, we lifted sanctions on some sectors of the Syrian economy, including trade, energy production, transport and finance. This follows the removal in March of asset freezes on 24 Syrian entities, including the Central Bank of Syria. These changes will help facilitate essential investment into Syria and underscore the UK's commitment to supporting the Syrian people to rebuild their country and economy. A stable Syria is in the UK's national interest.

What funding she has allocated for the repair of roads in Sutton Coldfield in the last two years for which information is available.

Birmingham City Council (BCC) is the local highway authority for Sutton Coldfield and is a constituent authority of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).BCC has a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) agreement for its highway maintenance operations, under which the Department for Transport provides approximately £50.3 million per year to BCC. The Department will make an announcement in due course on the future of this agreement.In addition, WMCA receives a City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) from the Department, that runs for 5 years between 2022/23 – 2026/27. This settlement consolidates all transport capital funding allocations, including highways maintenance. The WMCA has a total CRSTS settlement of £1.05 billion; decisions on how this funding is allocated is a matter for WMCA. On Friday 20 December, the Government announced that, as part of the £500 million autumn Budget uplift, WMCA will receive an additional £8.61 million funding for local highway maintenance for the 2025/26 financial year.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to clear up water ways in the West Midlands.

Navigation authorities are responsible for keeping their waterways clear of obstacles, rubbish, aquatic plant overgrowths, and any other impediments to ensure safety of navigation for users. They also work closely with the relevant authorities in responding to pollution incidents; an example of this was the Canal and River Trust working with the Environment Agency and others to deal with a serious pollution incident in the Walsall Canal in August 2024. More widely in the West Midlands in 2024/25 the Environment Agency’s Water Industry National Environment Programme included over 160 actions aimed at improving sewage treatment works and storm overflow discharges to improve water quality and over 100 actions aiming to prevent deterioration of water quality. There is also a continued focus on the impact of agriculture on our rivers, with more than 400 farm inspections conducted by the Environment Agency across the West Midlands in 2024/25. In 2024/25, £1.9m of Water Environment Improvement Fund money was invested in the West Midlands. Through partnerships, 29 projects were delivered improving or enhancing 15km of watercourse and more than 110 hectares. These projects covered rural land management, urban communities, and habitats and priority species including Atlantic Salmon, Trout, and White-Clawed Crayfish.

What discussions his Department has had with (a) Ofgem and (b) energy suppliers on ensuring enough engineer appointments are available to complete the replacement of radio teleswitch service meters before the forthcoming switch-off in the West Midlands.

Details of Ministers' and Permanent Secretaries' meetings with external individuals and organisations are published quarterly in arrears on GOV.UK.

What steps her Department is taking to support the work of foster carers in Sutton Coldfield constituency.

Birmingham local authority, which includes Sutton Coldfield constituency, receives support from Fosterlink. This government-funded service provides diagnostic support to councils’ fostering recruitment and assessment services. Fosterlink’s work with Birmingham identified strengths and areas for development, making recommendations for improvements. Foster carers in Sutton Coldfield can also access ‘Fosterline’, a free helpline for current and prospective foster carers.More broadly, as part of children’s social care reform, we are providing £15 million of funding in 2025/26 to recruit and retain more foster carers. We will provide an additional £25 million for fostering covering the 2026/27 and 2027/28 financial years. As part of this model, we are supporting foster carers and children by expanding ‘The Mockingbird Family Model’. Evaluation shows that Mockingbird improves carer retention, meaning that local authorities have a greater number of suitable fostering places available.

What steps her Department plans to take to improve learning outcomes for boys at Secondary School level.

Every child and young person should be able to achieve and thrive in education, regardless of background. As in previous years, girls continue to do better than boys across all headline measures, and although the gap has narrowed compared to 2018/19, there is more to do. The department is committed to addressing this challenge.High standards across education are the key to unlocking stronger outcomes and a better future for all children and young people, including boys. We aim to deliver these improvements and reduce gaps in outcomes through excellent teaching and leadership, a high quality curriculum and a system which removes the barriers to learning.Teaching quality is the single most important in-school factor in improving outcomes, which is why the department is committed to recruiting an additional 6,500 expert teachers. We have established an independent, expert-led Curriculum and Assessment Review, which is looking closely at the key challenges and barriers to attainment for young people. Alongside this, we are strengthening our tools for faster and more effective school improvement by launching the new regional improvement for standards and excellence teams.As part of a £2 million investment to drive standards in reading and writing, teachers in secondary schools are being offered new training and resources this year to help them support readers at all levels. Next year, the department will commission further training focusing specifically on struggling readers in secondary school who are at risk of falling behind.

What plans she has to encourage more girls into STEM subjects in (a) further and (b) higher education.

High and rising school standards are central to the government’s mission to break down barriers and provide every child with the best start in life. As part of this, the department supports various initiatives to encourage more girls into science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects.The ‘I Belong’ programme, part of the National Centre for Computing Education, helps schools understand barriers to girls’ engagement with computing and aims to increase computer science qualification uptake in primary and secondary schools.To build a strong mathematics foundation for all children, the Maths Hubs programme improves teaching in publicly funded schools. Supported by the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics, the programme addresses attainment gaps linked to disadvantage, gender or other factors.The STEM Ambassadors programme features over 28,000 volunteers from more than 7,500 employers, inspiring over 3 million young people annually by sharing personal experiences in STEM careers. 48% of the volunteers are women.To provide careers information and guidance, the Careers and Enterprise Company, supported by £30 million of government funding, coordinates a careers hub network covering 95% of secondary schools and colleges, involving 400 employers and 4,000 business volunteers, many in STEM roles.

Whether he has had discussions with the Birmingham and Solihull integrated care board on access to ear wax removal services in the context of their decision to commission self-referral community audiology services.

The Department has not engaged with the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB) directly on this point, but it is supportive of the ICB’s work to improve access to community-based services. All ICBs have a statutory responsibility to commission cost-effective healthcare to meet the needs of their local population. This includes the arrangement of audiology services.In line with NHS England’s work to improve access to primary care following the COVID-19 pandemic, all ICBs were asked to expand self-referral pathways for certain carefully considered community-based services by September 2023.However, the Birmingham and Solihull ICB recommend visiting a pharmacist for blocked ears caused by ear wax rather than using the self-referral hearing check service. Ear wax removal services are not a core service included in the national GP Contract, and general practitioners often recommend home treatment remedies to alleviate ear wax build-up as manual ear syringing is no longer advised by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence due to the risks associated with it, such as trauma to their ear drum or infection.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of investing in industrial sites in the West Midlands.

While the Department has made no assessment of the potential merits of investing in industrial sites in the West Midlands, we continue to consider industry’s feedback on the key enablers for strategic investment which includes the need for industrial sites.We have been working at pace to develop an Industrial Strategy based on businesses responses to the Invest 2035 Green Paper and ongoing engagement with businesses, with the advice and oversight of the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council.The Office for Investment is also expanding its capacity to better support and enable large scale investments, such as the recent investment secured in Bedford for a multi-billion pound Universal theme park.

Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to improve access to arts and culture in the West Midlands.

Arts Council England has provided over £357 million of funding in the West Midlands between 2021-2025. Sutton Coldfield has received over £1.5 million between 2021-2025.For example, Selina Thompson Ltd is in receipt of £350,000 per annum as a new Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation (NPO). This NPO makes theatre installations, workshops and radio work for performance spaces, pubs, clubs and shopping centres across England and internationally.The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery has received £5m as part of the Cultural Development Fund to create a striking extended building and repurpose spaces to showcase Stoke-on-Trent’s world class museum collections and enhance the visitor experience. In February, the Secretary of State announced that museums in the West Midlands, including Tamworth and Wolverhampton, would receive Museum Estate and Development Fund awards of over £3.4 million. The Department has also announced a new £270 million Arts Everywhere Fund on 20 February. This will include support to museums, arts and music venues across the country and is a critical step that this Government is taking to help create jobs, boost local economies, and expand access to arts and culture for communities.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to designate the Polisario Front as a terrorist organisation.

The Government has robust processes in place for reviewing the list of proscribed organisations. However, the Government does not routinely comment on whether or not an organisation is being considered for proscription. The UK continues to support UN-led efforts to reach a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution, based on compromise, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of offering an official apology to Ali Kololo.

The operationally independent Metropolitan Police continue to progress matters relating to Mr. Kololo’s case. It would not be appropriate for Home Office Ministers to comment on any discussions concerning the individual.

What costs the Metropolitan Police have incurred defending the civil claim filed by Ali Kololo.

The operationally independent Metropolitan Police continue to progress matters relating to Mr. Kololo’s case. It would not be appropriate for Home Office Ministers to comment on any discussions concerning the individual.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will consider the case of Ali Kololo in the review of the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance Guidance.

The Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) assessment is an essential tool to ensure that the UK's overseas security and justice assistance meets our human rights and international humanitarian law (IHL) obligations, increases respect for the rule of law, and supports UK values. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is currently reviewing the Government's guidance for OSJAs so that it remains fit for purpose and captures emerging risks that could contribute to violations of human rights and IHL. As part of that review, the FCDO will consider a wide range of material from civil society and other stakeholders, including internal users across HMG Departments and our overseas network. We will consider the relevance of the Ali Kololo case to the OSJA guidance review.

What plans she has to improve the electric vehicle charging network in the West Midlands.

The Government is committed to accelerating the roll-out of charging infrastructure so that everyone, no matter where they live or work, can make the transition to an electric vehicle (EV). As of 1 January 2025, there were 6,484 public charging devices in the West Midlands region, or 108 per 100,000 of the population.Going forward, the West Midlands region has been allocated over £37m capital and resource funding as part of the £381m Local EV Infrastructure Fund (LEVI), to transform the availability of EV charging for drivers without off-street parking in the area. The LEVI Fund is expected to leverage significant further private investment and support the installation of at least 100,000 local chargepoints across England and will give EV drivers, especially those without off-street parking, confidence they are never too far from a chargepoint.

What steps his Department is taking to support small business growth in (a) Sutton Coldfield and (b) the West Midlands.

Last year the Business Secretary announced a new Business Growth Service which will make it easier for businesses in Sutton Coldfield, the West Midlands and across the UK, to get help, support and advice to grow and thrive.The West Midlands Growth Hub is where small and medium sized businesses in Sutton Coldfield and the West Midlands can benefit from specialist advice on how to scale up, access new markets and receive financial support through the British Business Bank.Businesses can also access other Government programmes such as the Business Support Service, Help to Grow: Management, the UK Export Academy, International Trade Advisors and the Export Support Service.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to take steps to ensure that planning guidance issued by her Department includes measures on preserving (a) biodiversity and (b) habitats for pollinators.

The National Planning Policy framework is clear that planning policies and decisions should conserve and enhance the natural environment by minimising impacts on, and providing net gains for, biodiversity, including by establishing coherent ecological networks that are more resilient to current and future pressures and incorporating features which support priority or threatened species. Planning Practice Guidance on the Natural Environment provides further detail on how users of the planning system can implement these policies.