Written questions by Bhatti.

What discussions he has had with his US counterparts on tariffs.

The UK automotive sector is integral to our economy, and we are disappointed by the US decision to impose 25% tariffs on automotive imports and know this will be extremely concerning for the sector. We will always support our automotive industry The government has launched a request for input from businesses to help inform our response to US tariffs We remain committed to discussions with the US on a wider economic deal that works for both the UK and the US. But nothing is off the table; this government will do everything necessary to defend the UK’s national interest.

Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 5 March 2025, to Question 33995, on Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Internet what proportion of spending on the First Draft podcast was allocated to its (a) production and (b) promotion.

I refer the Hon Member to my answer to PQ 33995.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the proposed reduction of the proportion of gross national income spent on official development assistance on women and girls in Afghanistan.

The Prime Minister has set out a new strategic vision for government spending on defence and security and Official Development Assistance (ODA). Detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review based on various factors including impact assessments.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to ringfence official development assistance for women and girls in Afghanistan.

The Prime Minister has set out a new strategic vision for government spending on defence and security and Official Development Assistance (ODA). Detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review based on various factors including impact assessments.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much and what proportion of official development assistance to Afghanistan is being spent on programmes supporting Afghan women and girls.

The UK is committed to prioritising gender equality and rights in Afghanistan. The needs and priorities of women and girls are at the core of the government's humanitarian response. In the Financial Year of 2023-24 (the most recent period for which we have verified data), we can confirm that of those reached by our £113.5 million aid budget to Afghanistan, at least 50% were women and girls, supporting at least 1.3 million Afghan women with humanitarian assistance. We have met this target since Financial Year 2021-22 and expect to continue to meet this target in 2024-25. Our aid is subject to strict monitoring and we have robust third-party monitoring for all our Official Development Assistance funded programmes.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the request by the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs to call in the planning application for the new Chinese Embassy on national security.

The planning application has been called in by the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and she will make this quasi-judicial decision independent from the rest of Government.As set out in a joint letter by the Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary to the Planning Inspector on 14 January, the Home Office has considered the breadth of national security issues in relation to the planning application.It would not be appropriate to comment in further detail on specific matters relating to national security.

Media and Sport, whether her Department is updating its impact assessment on restrictions on advertisements for less healthy food and drink products.

DCMS is working closely with the Department for Health and Social Care, the lead department for the less healthy food and drink advertising restrictions, to monitor and assess the impacts and potential impacts of the legislation which was enacted by the previous government.

What discussions he has had with the armed forces on deploying troops to Ukraine.

The Secretary of State is supported and advised by the Chief of the Defence Staff on Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and how we can continue to best support Ukraine going forward.The UK is ready and willing to contribute to security guarantees to Ukraine by putting our own troops on the ground if necessary.I hope the hon. Gentleman will understand that I cannot go into any further details at this stage but can say that our focus is on ensuring Ukraine is in as strong a position as possible. When, how and on what terms this war comes to an end can only be decided by negotiations with Ukraine at the heart of them.

Whether the UK has adequate military resources for a sustained presence in Ukraine.

The UK is ready and willing to contribute to security guarantees to Ukraine by putting our own troops on the ground if necessary.I hope the hon. Gentleman will understand that I cannot go into any further details at this stage but can say that our focus is on ensuring Ukraine is in as strong a position as possible. When, how and on what terms this war comes to an end can only be decided by negotiations with Ukraine at the heart of them.

Whether the UK has sufficient munitions stockpiles to support Ukraine.

We inherited a position where the UK had donated, but not necessarily replaced, stockpiles to Ukraine. The Government is steadfast in our commitment to continue to supply military assistance to Ukraine and we will stand shoulder to shoulder with our Ukrainian friends for as long as it takes. The UK is stepping up and speeding up its military assistance, spending £4.5 billion on military support for Ukraine this year - more than ever before. We have also earmarked an additional £2.26 billion contribution under the ERA loan for military spending.Most recently the Prime Minister announced a £1.6 billion deal to supply more than 5,000 air defence missiles to Ukraine. Defence continually manages and analyses its stocks of weapons and munitions against commitments and threats, while also reviewing industrial capacity and supply chains, both domestically and internationally.

Whether the UK will have to divert troops from other (a) theatres and (b) operations to maintain a presence in Ukraine.

The UK is ready and willing to contribute to security guarantees to Ukraine by putting our own troops on the ground if necessary.I hope the hon. Gentleman will understand that I cannot go into any further details at this stage but can say that our focus is on ensuring Ukraine is in as strong a position as possible. When, how and on what terms this war comes to an end can only be decided by negotiations with Ukraine at the heart of them.

Media and Sport, how many officials in her Department are responsible for the First Draft podcast.

The podcast was created and delivered as part of the DCMS Communications Teams' day to day work at no extra cost.

Media and Sport, what the cost to the public purse was of the First Draft podcast.

The podcast was created and delivered as part of the DCMS Communications Teams' day to day work at no extra cost.

Media and Sport, how much time officials in her Department spent on the production of the First Draft podcast.

The podcast was created and delivered as part of the DCMS Communications Teams' day to day work at no extra cost.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of EY's report entitled TV distribution after 2034, published in February 2024.

The Government has an ongoing project on the future of TV distribution after 2034, which is considering how people receive their television now and in the next decade. The evidence being considered as part of this process includes EY’s report. DCMS also published independent research on the future of TV distribution on 8 November 2024.

Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of the press notice from the Advertising Standards Authority entitled Media restrictions on advertisements for “less healthy” food and drink products: consultation update, published on 13 January 2025.

I have met the ASA and Ofcom twice to discuss the statement and the ASA’s subsequent consultation and officials are closely engaged with stakeholders. Implementing advertising restrictions for less healthy food or drink on television and online is a manifesto commitment for this government. To support this, it is important that the ASA’s guidance provides clarity to industry, including advertisers and broadcasters. The ASA published a consultation on an updated version of its guidance on 18 February and I encourage those with an interest to engage with it. We are keen to ensure a proportionate outcome, limiting advertising for identifiable less healthy food products, incentivising advertisers and food producers to move towards healthier options, and maintaining strong advertising and broadcasting sectors.

What publications are available for Invest 2035.

“Invest 2035”, the Industrial Strategy Green Paper, was published 14 October 2024, setting out our vision for a modern Industrial Strategy. The Invest 2035 Prospectus was published alongside this, which sets out the UK’s pitch to investors and a roadmap detailing how the Industrial Strategy will help secure investment and kickstart growth across the country. The Industrial Strategy, alongside Sector Plans for the growth-driving sectors, will be published in Spring 2025, aligned with the multi-year Spending Review.

Whether he has conducted an impact assessment into Invest 2035.

The Green Paper ‘Invest 2035’ set out the vision for the government’s Industrial Strategy to engage key stakeholders and invite their contributions to the consultation process. As such it does not set out individual policies which can be subject to an impact assessment. Consistent with best practice, policies in the Government’s forthcoming Industrial Strategy will have impact assessments carried out where relevant.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the (a) frequency and (b) capacity of services between Birmingham and (i) Nottingham and (ii) Leicester.

The scope for increased frequency is limited by current infrastructure which is being considered as part of the proposed Midlands Rail Hub project. In terms of capacity, CrossCountry has recently declassified First Class accommodation on services from Birmingham to Cardiff, Nottingham and Stansted Airport to provide a number of additional seats for all ticket holders. The Department has funded 12 cascaded Voyager trains for CrossCountry Inter-city routes to provide additional capacity for passengers, including on routes that overlap with Birmingham to Nottingham services, thereby spreading demand across more carriages. Three of these trains are already in service, the rest will start in May.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of the delivery of the Midlands Rail Hub on economic growth.

Midlands Rail Hub would kickstart economic growth by introducing additional trains and improving the performance of the railways, and in March £123m was committed to design the first stage.In December, the Chancellor launched the second stage of the Spending Review. This is a ‘zero-based’ review, to ensure every line of spending – including the transport infrastructure portfolio – delivers the Plan for Change and provides good value for taxpayers.