Written questions by Morton.

What discussions he had with the Mayor of the West Midlands during the development of The UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy 2025, published on 23 June 2025.

The government is committed to working in partnership with Mayoral Strategic Authorities (MSAs) as part of delivering the Industrial Strategy's regional growth objective. We have engaged regularly with the West Midlands Combined Authority, at official and Mayoral level, to reflect and support its significant strengths in the Industrial Strategy and to coordinate local and national policies ahead of the publication of the West Midlands' forthcoming Local Growth Plan.Regular engagement at Ministerial and official level will continue as we implement the Industrial Strategy, including the delivery of Sector Plans, which the government has committed to implement in partnership with MSAs.

With reference to The UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy 2025, published on 23 June 2025, which sectors in the West Midlands he consulted with during the development of the Industrial Strategy.

The government engaged widely throughout the development of the Industrial Strategy, including with businesses, business representation organisations, and trade unions.In the West Midlands, this included roundtables and discussions with businesses, engagement with the Midlands Engine Partnership, written consultation on our Green Paper Invest 2035 and close working with the West Midlands Mayoral Strategic Authority to understand the strengths and barriers to growth in the region. Additionally, the department's regionally based teams sought input from SME businesses across a range of sectors.We will continue engaging widely throughout Industrial Strategy implementation.

What steps she is taking to increase capacity on the West Coast Main Line southern section, in the context of the decision by the Office of Rail and Road to reject the open access application from Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway.

The delivery of HS2 will almost double long-distance rail capacity between London and the West Midlands, significantly improving the heavily congested southern section of the West Coast Main Line and releasing capacity for other services on that section of the line. Unfortunately, following significant cost increases and delays as a result of poor management, HS2 will not be delivered by 2033 as was previously planned; the government has taken urgent action to bring the project under control and tasked new HS2 Ltd CEO with undertaking a comprehensive reset of the programme, which will include setting updated cost and delivery schedule estimates. In the meantime, the West Coast Main Line will continue to be capacity constrained making it virtually impossible for additional train services to reliably come into operation, which is the primary reason why the Office of Rail and Road declined the Wrexham, Shropshire, and Midlands Railway’s application. While the government will not reverse the previous government’s decision to cancel HS2 Phase 2, we acknowledge concerns about future capacity north of Birmingham and hope to say more on connectivity in the Midlands and the North in the coming months. In the meantime, we are investing to increase power supply on the southern end of the West Coast Main Line, to enable the introduction of new electric services and support future growth and performance improvements on the route. Further, my Department remains committed to a role for Open Access where it provides genuine benefits to passengers without disproportionately impacting taxpayers, which is why we provided support for Wrexham, Shropshire, and Midlands Railway’s application. However, we must equally ensure that Open Access does not have detrimental impacts upon the performance of the network. It is the role of the regulator to take access decisions informed by assessments of capacity.

How much funding her Department plans to allocate to Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council for fixing potholes in each of the next three financial years.

The West Midlands Combined Authority, of which Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council is a constituent authority, is in receipt of £1.05bn of devolved City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) funding for the period 2022/23 to 2026/27, and has been allocated £2.4bn of Transport for City Regions (TCR) funding for the period up until 2031/32. These funding settlements are for investment in the West Midlands’ local transport network and consolidate local highways maintenance funding. It is for the Combined Authority to determine how this funding is allocated across the city region in line with local priorities.

How much funding her Department has allocated to the M54 to M6 link road in Staffordshire; and how she plans to allocate this funding across the Spending Review period.

On the 8th July, the Transport Secretary announced that the scheme will be progressing, following on from the Spending Review in June. £24 billion of capital funding is being provided between 2026-27 and 2029-30 to maintain and improve motorways and local roads. Scheme costs for the Strategic Road Network schemes including the M54 to M6 Link Road will be confirmed as part of the setting of the third road investment strategy (RIS3), planned to be published by the end of March next year. The delivery timetable for the scheme will also be confirmed during the setting of the next Road Investment Strategy [RIS3], which begins in April 2026.

What her Department's planned timetable is for completing the M54 to M6 link road in Staffordshire.

On the 8th July, the Transport Secretary announced that the scheme will be progressing, following on from the Spending Review in June. £24 billion of capital funding is being provided between 2026-27 and 2029-30 to maintain and improve motorways and local roads. Scheme costs for the Strategic Road Network schemes including the M54 to M6 Link Road will be confirmed as part of the setting of the third road investment strategy (RIS3), planned to be published by the end of March next year. The delivery timetable for the scheme will also be confirmed during the setting of the next Road Investment Strategy [RIS3], which begins in April 2026.

With reference to the oral contribution of the Secretary of State for Transport of 8 July 2025 on Road and Rail Projects, Official Report, columns 822-3, what her Department's timetable is for providing more information on its plans for the midlands rail hub.

The first phase of Midlands Rail Hub enables additional rail services between Birmingham and South Wales, and the South West, and on Birmingham’s Cross City Line. Subsequent phases are at an earlier stage of development but include the potential for additional rail services from Birmingham to the East Midlands and between Worcester and Hereford. The Government’s commitment to deliver detailed designs of the first phase of MRH will produce a more accurate delivery schedule in due course. This phase is due to enter service in the early 2030s. The delivery timescales for later phases are subject to further development work and subsequent investment decisions.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Africa has had with trade unions on women’s empowerment; and on what dates those discussions were held.

The Minister for Africa had two official engagements on the topic of women's empowerment during the UN Commission on the Status of Women. Firstly, a meeting with a senior delegation from the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) on 12 March 2025, comprising Paola Simonetti, Director of the ITUC, Siobhan Vipond from the ITUC Canada and Dur e Shawar from the Pakistan Workers Party. Secondly, a meeting with Christina McAnea, General Secretary of UNISON, on 13 March 2025.

With reference to the oral contribution of the Secretary of State for Transport of 8 July 2025 on Road and Rail Projects, Official Report, columns 822-3, whether it is her policy that the full cost of the midlands rail hub should be paid for by her Department; and when she expects the midlands rail hub to be completed.

A sum of £123m has been allocated by the Government to deliver detailed designs of the first phase of MRH. The designs will produce a more accurate cost estimate, a delivery schedule and subsequently form the basis of a ‘Final Investment Decision’. This phase is due to enter service in the early 2030s. The costs and delivery timescales for later phases are subject to further development work and subsequent investment decisions.

What infrastructure projects the National Wealth Fund has (a) funded, (b) initiated and (c) delivered in the West Midlands since October 2024.

The National Wealth Fund (NWF) has a strong regional mandate and proactively identifies investment opportunities across the UK to ensure the benefits of investment are felt nationwide.In March 2025, the NWF’s local authority function provided a £9.6 million loan to Solihull Council to help deliver its innovative new town centre energy network.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of funding the National Association of Local Councils.

The government welcomes the work of the National Association of Local Councils to support and represent town and parish councils in England. The government has not assessed the merits of providing general funding to the National Association of Local Councils.

With reference to p.99 of The UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy 2025, published on 23 June 2025, what strategic partnerships are being trialled by The National Wealth Fund in the West Midlands.

The National Wealth Fund (NWF) is trialling a Strategic Partnership with West Midlands – as well as Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and Glasgow City Region – to provide enhanced, hands-on support to help it develop and finance long-term investment opportunities. The Strategic Partnerships will offer a closer, enhanced relationship with a small number of places to test whether this approach is more effective at building investment pipelines. They are bespoke arrangements, tailored to unique local requirements. This will include specific support at the early stages of project development to address capability and capacity gaps. Alongside these, the NWF continues to provide financial and commercial advice and financing to local authority projects across the UK.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that neighbourhood plans effectively safeguard the environment and green belt in local areas.

By designating Local Green Spaces and setting expectations for development in their area, neighbourhood plans can ensure development is environmentally acceptable and preserves access to nature. Local planning authorities, in consultation with their communities and any neighbourhood planning bodies, decide whether land should be designated as green belt in accordance with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The Framework permits neighbourhood plans to amend green belt boundaries where strategic policies set out in a local development plan or spatial development strategy justify changes.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 4 July 2025 to Question 62958 on Affordable Housing: West Midlands, when he will publish a figure for the funding that has been allocated to the West Midlands as part of the 10‑year Affordable Homes Programme.

I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 2 July (HCWS771).

Communities and Local Government, how many affordable homes she plans to deliver in this Parliament.

I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 2 July (HCWS771).

Food and Rural Affairs, whether additional funding has been allocated to the Environment Agency to tackle waste crime in the current financial year.

Defra works closely with the Environment Agency (EA) to ensure it is equipped to carry out its functions effectively and deliver for the public and the environment. The EA’s total budget for 2025 to 2026 has increased to £2,274 million and includes £10 million baselined for waste crime enforcement and additional £5.6 million this financial year to tackle waste crime.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of prosecutions for waste crime offences in England and Wales.

Of the additional £5.6 million allocated to the Environment Agency (EA) this year to tackle waste crime, £2 million has allowed the EA to recruit an additional 43 operational staff and achieve focus on enforcement. Prosecution is not always the most effective way of stopping waste crime and the EA will continue to use a variety of approaches to disrupt and prevent waste crime, whilst prosecuting the worst offences and offenders, in line with its strategy for reducing crime in the waste sector.

Food and Rural Affairs, what the conviction rate was for waste crime offences in each of the last five years.

The conviction rates for the last five years are as follows: 2020 – 82%2021 – 81%2022 – 86%2023 – 83%2024 – 84%

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of energy costs on energy intensive industries.

Government is well aware of the issue of high industrial energy costs, and the challenges that poses for Energy Intensive Industries (EII). That is why we continue to offer support to electro-intensives through the EII compensation scheme and the Supercharger. We will also soon be consulting on an uplift of the Network Charges Compensation scheme. The recent Industrial Strategy also committed to consulting on the establishment of a new support scheme, British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS) which will exempt up to 7,000 businesses from some of policy costs included within electricity bills.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Oral Contribution of the Secretary of State for Transport: Road and Rail Projects delivered on 8 July 2025, how many of the 39,000 new properties will be built (a) in the West Midlands combined authority area and (b) in Aldridge-Brownhills constituency.

The 39,000-figure cited by the Secretary of State for Transport is an estimate of the number of new homes that will be supported by the road and rail projects announced on 8 July 2025. My Department is working with others across government to ensure that investment in transport infrastructure maximises opportunities to support new homes across England.