Written questions by Morton.

Whether her Department plans to provide capital or transition funding to Local Transport Authorities to support fleet conversion.

The government is reducing the number of different funding streams paid to Local Trasport Authorities. Major city regions will benefit from the £15.6bn Transport for Cities fund while our smaller cities, towns and rural areas will receive £2.3bn from the Local Transport Grant and over £800m capital funding. Local leaders can use this funding to invest in local prioritises, such as investment in bus priority or investment in new zero emission buses.

What support her Department plans to provide to Local Transport Authorities for the delivery of mandatory bus staff training on (a) disability assistance and (b) the management of anti-social behaviour.

The Department is clear that high-quality staff training is essential to providing bus services that are accessible, inclusive, and safe for all passengers. The new statutory training requirements being introduced through the Bus Services (No.2) Bill will place duties on operators and, where relevant terminal managing bodies, so that relevant staff receive training on disability awareness and assistance and on how to recognise and respond appropriately to incidents of criminal and anti-social behaviour (ASB).Local Transport Authorities (LTAs), working with operators, will have an important role in making sure these requirements are adopted. At the same time, the Department recognises that training needs to meet a consistently high standard and demonstrably improve outcomes for disabled people, women, girls and other passengers.The Department already provides some support through its own REAL (Respect, Empathise, Ask, Listen) disability equality training package, which aims to help make travel inclusive and accessible for everyone using public transport. The training is intended to support staff training within each transport mode, including buses, and remains available.In response to the Transport Select Committee's recent report, Access Denied, the Department committed to reviewing training provision standards. The outcomes of this work will support LTAs and operators to help to establish clear expectations and standards for staff training, so that training translates into real improvements in passenger experience.In relation to ASB, the government will issue statutory guidance setting out what training should cover, for example incidences of violence against women and girls. Such training will have to be undertaken at least every five years.Improvements to staff training and awareness comes on the back of future investment in local services across the country, with confirmation of £712 million for 25/26 allocated to local authorities, including funding to help them implement their Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIP). The Department’s guidance to LTAs on producing their BSIPs makes clear that these should be designed to help make bus services more accessible and inclusive.

What steps she is taking to ensure (a) value for money and (b) public accountability where Local Transport Authorities choose to establish municipally owned bus operators under the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill.

Repealing the ban on establishing new local authority bus companies (LABCos) will give local leaders the freedom and flexibility to establish a bus company that matches the needs of their passengers, their aims and ambitions for the network, and the available funding.The decision to establish a LABCo should be underpinned by a thorough assessment of value for money, and a rigorous approach to financial and resourcing planning. The responsibility for monitoring investments, expenditure, accounting and auditing lies with the parent authority. There should be ongoing assessment of risks relating to the business, supported by processes to ensure that risks are managed as part of the authority’s overall risk management approach, with appropriate escalation and reporting.Local authorities cannot take on any borrowing unless it is affordable. This is a statutory requirement, and any local authority owned company should be self-financing at a minimum.LABCo operations and financial management are underpinned by statutory guidance from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy. Detailed guidance on local authority company management and auditing is provided in the Local Authority Company Review Guidance, published by Government, and the Local Authority Good Practice Guide published by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accounting.

Pursuant to the Answer of 6 June 2025 to Question 53866 on Knives: Crime, if she will list the (a) names of members and (b) organisations they represent of the coalition to tackle knife crime.

The Coalition brings together a diverse range of stakeholders, including community leaders, campaigners, bereaved families, young people affected by knife crime, and subject matter experts, who contribute to shaping policy in key areas

With reference to the Spending Review 2025, CP 1336, published on 11 June 2025, whether he considered increasing revenue funding for end of life care as part of the Spending Review.

As part of the Spending Review, on 11 June, my Rt. Hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a record investment in the health and social care system. Across the Spending Review period, from 2026/27 to 2028/29, the National Health Service in England will receive a 3% real terms growth in day-to-day spending, the equivalent to a £29 billion real terms increase in annual resource budgets.At this stage, it is still too early to say how much funding will be allocated to palliative care and end of life care, as this will be worked through in the coming weeks.The Government wants a society where every person receives high-quality, compassionate care from diagnosis through to the end of life, which is why we are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for eligible adult and children’s hospices in England to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. We are also providing £26 million of revenue funding for children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26.We are also working to make sure the palliative care and end of life care sector is sustainable in the long term and are determined to shift more healthcare out of hospitals and into the community through our 10-Year Health Plan.

Whether she is taking steps to improve the (a) HR and (b) strategy support provided by her Department to SMEs to help take on apprentices.

This government is continuing to cut red tape and simplify the apprenticeships system so that employers, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), can focus on supporting apprentices.The government has already introduced a range of system improvements in response to employer and learner needs, including a more streamlined and timely approach to apprenticeship assessment that is being rolled out. The department has also redesigned the digital apprenticeship service to make access to apprenticeships a one-click process. This reduces the time employers have to spend entering information and approving digital apprentice records, removing significant administrative burdens on SMEs.The department is also improving the apprenticeships payments system to reduce the actions required by employers. From August 2025, we will allow training providers to add new apprenticeships on the apprenticeship service. Employers will still have ownership and need to approve all new apprenticeships added.

What steps her Department is taking to help tackle barriers to employers engaging with the (a) apprenticeship and (b) training system.

Our Industrial Strategy sets out the interventions we will make to help tackle barriers to employer engagement with the skills system. This includes introducing shorter duration and foundation apprenticeships in priority sectors, the introduction of short courses in England, funded through the Growth and Skills Levy, from April 2026, and three packages targeted at skills needed in multiple Industrial Strategy sectors (digital, engineering, and the defence sector), building on our £625 million construction skills package to train up to 60,000 extra construction workers – crucial for delivering on our pledge to build 1.5 million new homesThis investment will be underpinned by deeper employer partnerships including launching Technical Excellence Colleges to develop pipelines of skilled workers for local businesses.The Chair of Skills England, in partnership with the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council, will explore how employers, individuals and local and central government work together to address national skills needs, to support jobs of the future in the growth-driving sectors, and in particular opportunities for further business engagement and investment into the skills pipeline.

What assessment her Department has made of the readiness of combined authorities to exercise new franchising powers under the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill.

We recognise the fundamental importance of building the capacity and capability of local transport authorities to drive improvements to bus services and exercise franchising powers if they wish.The Department is working with Local Transport Authorities who are in the process of or are interested in franchising, to understand how the process could be improved and to provide a tailored programme of support.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Ukrainian government on the adequacy of the availability of (a) insurance and (b) other mechanisms to help (i) support and (ii) de-risk foreign commercial engagement in Ukraine.

The UK works closely with the Ukrainian government on a range of insurance and other derisking measures to support investment in Ukraine. In March, I and the Minister of State (Gareth Thomas) hosted an insurance industry roundtable at Lloyd's of London jointly with Ministers from the Ukrainian Ministry of Economy to identify the barriers and opportunities to scale up insurance initiatives in Ukraine. We have subsequently supported the Government of Ukraine to establish an insurance task force to collaborate with industry and develop initiatives that make insurance more affordable and widely accessible. Beyond insurance, UK Ministers have discussed and provided support to Ukraine on export credit through UK Export Finance and on investment climate reform where we are providing technical expertise on investment promotion and financial sector reforms through the City-Ukraine hub. I look forward to further opportunities to raise these issues with business and insurance representatives at the upcoming Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome.

What steps his Department is taking to support UK companies unable to secure insurance coverage for business operations in Ukraine.

My department works closely with businesses to understand the needs of UK companies wishing to operate in Ukraine. Support is available on https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/support-for-uk-businesses-helping-to-rebuild-ukraine, which references potential options for insurance. UK Export Finance (UKEF) continues to provide risk insurance for UK exporters trading with Ukraine.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the trade deal with India on UK ceramics manufacturers.

The Department recognises the significant challenges faced by energy-intensive industries like ceramics, including rising global energy costs, unfair trading practices, and carbon leakage. We are taking action to protect these industries, including through trade defence measures against dumping and subsidisation. The UK-India FTA also includes a bilateral safeguard mechanism, allowing the UK to suspend or increase tariff concessions if the industry is facing injury. Over 93% of Indian ceramics entered the UK tariff-free in 2024 whilst the remaining 7% paid a tariff. 11 of the 43 ceramics tariff lines are dutiable and face a simple average tariff of 4%.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing government-backed insurance guarantees or reinsurance schemes to enable private insurers to underwrite commercial activity in Ukraine.

As referred to in the previous PQ regarding risk mitigation in the insurance industry, the UK Government has played a leading role in developing solutions that have helped to reopen and rebuild insurance markets in Ukraine. The UK provided a £20 million contribution to the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) to extend the level of political risk and violence insurance it can provide to investors with projects in Ukraine. Additionally, the UK has also provided £5m to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to develop a complementary initiative that will make war related loss and damage cover available to firms already based in Ukraine. While no formal assessment of the merits has been conducted, introducing government-backed insurance guarantees or reinsurance schemes could facilitate private insurers’ entry into commercial activities. Such initiatives would help identify regulatory barriers that limit market participation and enhance engagement among local businesses, financial institutions, and project sponsors.

What assessment he has made of the ability of (a) ceramics manufacturers and (b) other energy intensive industries to meet the UK Emissions Trading Scheme.

UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) participants, including those in energy intensive industries such as the ceramics sector, are provided with free allocations to mitigate the risk of carbon leakage and incentivise emissions reduction. The UK ETS Authority is reviewing Free Allocation policy to ensure it supports sectors most at risk of carbon leakage and has guaranteed current free allocation levels until 2027. The Authority commissioned an independent 2-stage evaluation of the scheme to provide evidence of its effectiveness, early outcomes and long-term impacts. The first findings of the evaluation, which include a preliminary assessment of carbon leakage and emissions reduction across the UK ETS, were published in December 2023.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what consideration has he given to staffing (a) levels and (b) structures in his Department following changes to levels of ODA spending.

The Foreign Secretary has been clear about the reform needed in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to ensure it is fit for the future and is delivering for the British people. The FCDO will consider the size and shape of its workforce in the context of the wider Spending Review settlement to ensure that it remains affordable. The Foreign Secretary is working closely with the Treasury to ensure our diplomatic, intelligence and development footprint will align with our priorities. We expect the department to become smaller as a result.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with UK brick manufacturers on meeting the demand for new homes.

The government is working with industry to ensure the housebuilding sector has access to the construction materials needed to build 1.5 million safe and decent homes in this parliament.We expect suppliers to increase capacity to meet demand, and we have seen deliveries of bricks in England, Scotland and Wales increase by 10% in the year to April 2025.Added to that, construction materials prices are stable, rising only 1% between January 2024 and January 2025, far below the rate of inflation for the wider UK economy.

What his Department's planned timetable is for publishing the outcome of the consultation entitled Extending the UK Emissions Trading Scheme cap beyond 2030, which closed on 9 April 2025.

The UK ETS Authority, the joint governance body comprising of the UK Government, Welsh Government, Scottish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive, is grateful for the range of stakeholder responses to the Extending the UK ETS cap beyond 2030 consultation. The Authority recognises the importance of providing certainty and clarity on the scheme that is a cornerstone of its economy-wide approach to decarbonising the whole of the UK. A response to the consultation, outlining the Authority’s decisions, will be published as soon as possible.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the data set used to analyse carbon leakage assessments in the recent consultation on free allocation review for the UK Emissions Trading System.

The provision of Free Allocation under the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) mitigates the risk of carbon leakage by reducing industrial sectors’ exposure to the carbon price. The UK ETS Authority is reviewing Free Allocation policy to ensure it targets sectors most at risk of carbon leakage and consulted on its approach to carbon leakage assessment. DESNZ officials have engaged extensively with representatives from energy intensive industries and carefully considered the methodology used to determine carbon leakage risk, including the data sets used in calculations. The outcomes of the Free Allocation Review, including the data used to assess carbon leakage, will be published in an upcoming Government Response accompanied by an Impact Assessment.

Pursuant to the Answer of 16 June 2025 to Question 59009 on Railways: Midlands, whether the allocated funding is to support the full delivery of the West Midlands Rail Hub.

The Chancellor’s commitment to progress Midlands Rail Hub West in the 2025 Spending Review follows the release of £123 million last year to commence the design of this first phase of the scheme. Once this design work is completed, as with all schemes funded by the Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline (RNEP), moving to the delivery phase will then be subject to further investment governance and decision making.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Minister’s oral contribution during the debate on Gavi and the Global Fund of 15 May 2025, Official Report, column 203WH, when he will write to me on the potential use of the International Finance Facility for Immunisation.

The UK is a long-standing supporter of Gavi, contributing £1.65 billion from 2021-2025, with £590 million via International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm). I recognise the value of IFFIm in enabling Gavi to efficiently manage financing and quickly scale up vaccines during health crises. We will be announcing our GAVI + IFFIM contributions on Wednesday 25 June.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking with (a) his international allied counterparts and (b) multilateral institutions to facilitate the availability of war-risk insurance for companies operating in Ukraine.

We have been working with the insurance industry, international partners and other government departments to lead international efforts on expanding the provision of insurance against war-related risks in Ukraine. Since the 2023 Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office - alongside other international donors - has supported war risk insurance solutions through the World Bank's Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which international companies, including UK firms, can take advantage of.The UK provided £20 million to the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) for a Ukraine Recovery focused Trust Fund to provide political risk insurance and trade guarantees for investments into Ukraine. The UK's contribution has galvanised other bilateral donors to contribute funding to scale up of this initiative to now over $115 million.In December 2024 the UK committed £5 million to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to establish a complementary war risk insurance initiative to cover in-land cargo in partnership with AON and MS Amlin.