Written questions by Morton.

What steps is he taking to support start-up companies in (a) the West Midlands and (b) Aldridge-Brownhills constituency.

Last year, the Business Secretary announced a new Business Growth Service, which will make it easier for businesses including start-up companies across the West Midlands and the UK to get support and advice to grow, export and thrive.The West Midlands Growth Hub is where small and medium-sized businesses across Aldridge-Brownhill and the West Midlands can obtain specialist advice on scaling up, accessing new markets, and receiving 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.

What estimate he has made of the number of SMEs that were awarded public sector contracts in (a) the West Midlands and (b) Aldridge-Brownhills constituency in each of the last five years.

Information on public sector suppliers within a regional location and/or specific constituency is not held centrally. The Find a Tender service programme includes search and filter capabilities by location, supplier type and contract.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to help establish a stable government in Syria.

We are supporting the Syrian Government to work towards an inclusive, representative, and non-sectarian political transition that has respect for human rights and transitional justice at its core. On 25 April, we lifted some sanctions to promote economic recovery and investment, and in May we hosted the first visit by a Syrian Minister in 14 years to the Education World Forum, showcasing the UK's education programmes in Syria, which are a key part of fostering broader stability. We are also encouraging the Syrian Government and Syrian Democratic Forces to implement the agreement they made in March on North-East Syria's future.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help support the roll-out of UK-made malaria vaccines.

The UK is Gavi's largest investor, committing £1.65 billion to the current strategic period covering 2021-2025. Gavi coordinates the global malaria vaccination (RTS,S and R21) programme, providing essential financial support for the procurement, transport and roll-out of doses. To date, Gavi has supported 20 African countries in integrating the malaria vaccine into routine immunisation programmes. By collaborating with countries and partners, Gavi ensures the delivery of malaria vaccines as part of a comprehensive malaria control strategy. In addition to our support to Gavi the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office and the UK Research and Innovation's Medical Research Council are funding applied research to support the effective rollout of malaria vaccines including how to best combine the vaccines with existing interventions.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the (a) effectiveness and (b) value for money of Official Development Assistance given to women-led organisations.

Thorough assessments of both the effectiveness and value for money of programmes, including those supporting women-led and women's rights organisations, are an integral part of our programme management process.There is strong evidence showing that women-led and women's rights organisations play a significant role in securing and advancing women's rights as well as providing humanitarian assistance, tackling climate change and promoting and protecting democracy. They provide good value for money as this type of support moves away from short term project funding towards strategic investments which have wider social and economic value which sustains long after funding ends.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Russian disinformation on the ability of humanitarian agencies to function in Ukraine.

Foreign information manipulation and interference, including disinformation, is just one of the growing range of divisive and destabilising tools in Russia's hybrid warfare strategy. Disinformation can undermine perceptions of the neutrality of aid workers and relief operations, damaging community acceptance, restricting humanitarian access, and increasing risks for aid workers.Earlier this year the UK and Ukraine signed a landmark 100 Year Partnership and committed to deeper cooperation to combating foreign information manipulation and interference. The UK also co-sponsored a UN Security Council resolution in May 2024 on the protection of humanitarian personnel worldwide encouraging action against misinformation and disinformation campaigns.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the potential link between extreme weather events and the number of malaria cases.

The UK recognises the important links between extreme weather events, exacerbated by climate change, and the number of malaria cases. The UK has spearheaded global efforts to recognise the impacts of climate change on health, through the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP), and to build stronger, climate resilient health systems that are better placed to respond to malaria in the context of extreme weather events through the Climate Resilient and Sustainable Health Systems Programme and Climate and Health Research Programme. We are also a leading donor in the fight against malaria through our support to the Global Fund and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 12 May 2025 to Question 49740 Innovation: Aldridge-Brownhills, how much Innovation Accelerator pilot grant funding has been allocated to businesses in Aldridge-Brownhills constituency.

£33m was allocated to the West Midlands pilot of the £100m Innovation Accelerator programme. This has been supplemented by an additional £10m through the funding extension for 2025/26.UKRI does not collect data on Innovation Accelerator funding by Parliamentary constituency. The delivery team are not aware of any grant recipients headquartered in Aldridge-Brownhills, but that does not mean that funded activity is not taking part in Aldridge-Brownhills.Decisions on how to invest the funding in the West Midlands were led by a local partnership made up of local leaders, research organisations, and industry. This partnership has worked closely with UKRI to ensure that the projects receiving public funding will be effective in developing the local innovation ecosystem.

What steps she is taking to encourage (a) (i) community and (ii) campaign groups and (b) families affected by knife crime to participate in the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime.

Halving knife crime over the next decade is a key part of the Government’s Safer Streets Mission and driving down serious violence across the UK, including in the West Midlands, will play a key role in meeting this ambition.In the West Midlands, the government has allocated c.£3.7m for the Hotspot Action Fund in 2025-2026 to deliver high visibility patrolling and problem-oriented policing tactics in the areas with the highest densities of knife crime and Anti-Social Behaviour (‘hotspots’).We routinely monitor police recorded crime data trends for all forces. West Midlands Police recorded 4,664 offences involving a knife or a sharp instrument in the year ending December 2024, a 12% fall compared with the previous year (5,323 offences). The fall was driven by a 14% fall in knife-enabled robbery (from 2,684 to 2,309 offences) and a 11% fall in assault with injury and assault with intent to cause serious harm (from 1,952 to 1,730).Through our Young Futures Programme, the Government will introduce Prevention Partnerships across the country, including in the West Midlands, to intervene earlier and ensure that children and young people who are vulnerable to being drawn into crime are identified and offered support in a more systematic way.As we continue to design the Young Futures Programme, we want to ensure that it learns from and builds on the work of the Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) in this regard. In 2025/26 we are investing £47m via the Home Office in core grant funding to VRUs, including making over £4.3m available to the West Midlands VRU this year.This funding will support the delivery of a range of early intervention and prevention programmes such as youth workers in hospital settings (A&E Navigators), social skills training, and tailored support to individuals at risk of involvement in gangs and county lines to divert young people away from crime.A further £14.3m in grant funding has been made available across all 43 local policing body areas to deliver the Serious Violence Duty with £254k available to the West Midlands.Additionally, we have launched the Knife Enabled Robbery (‘KER’) Taskforce, focusing on reducing KER in the highest volume police force areas, including the West Midlands. The Taskforce identified school-age KER as a specific operational challenge and has worked with the Department for Education and school leaders to tackle it by developing bespoke “KER school action plans”.To ensure community leaders, campaign groups, families of those who have tragically lost their lives to knife crime and young people who have been impacted are involved in our plans, the Prime Minister launched the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime in September 2024. The Coalition contributes to policy development in key areas. I (Minister for Crime Prevention and Policing) have attended several coalition meetings since it was founded, chairing its most recent meeting. The Coalition has discussed key policy issues, including the online sale of knives, child criminal exploitation and the banning of ninja swords.To date, we have implemented a ban on the sale and possession of zombie-style knives and zombie-style machetes and a ban on ninja swords will come into effect from 1 August. We are planning an expanded surrender scheme in July to allow those who currently own dangerous weapons to hand them in safely and securely.In the Crime and Policing Bill 2025, we are increasing the penalties for illegal sales of knives, creating a new offence of possessing a knife with the intention to commit unlawful violence and are giving the police a new power to seize knives when they believe they are likely to be used in connection with unlawful violence.

What discussions she has had with the Coalition to Fight Knife Crime on tackling knife crime.

Halving knife crime over the next decade is a key part of the Government’s Safer Streets Mission and driving down serious violence across the UK, including in the West Midlands, will play a key role in meeting this ambition.In the West Midlands, the government has allocated c.£3.7m for the Hotspot Action Fund in 2025-2026 to deliver high visibility patrolling and problem-oriented policing tactics in the areas with the highest densities of knife crime and Anti-Social Behaviour (‘hotspots’).We routinely monitor police recorded crime data trends for all forces. West Midlands Police recorded 4,664 offences involving a knife or a sharp instrument in the year ending December 2024, a 12% fall compared with the previous year (5,323 offences). The fall was driven by a 14% fall in knife-enabled robbery (from 2,684 to 2,309 offences) and a 11% fall in assault with injury and assault with intent to cause serious harm (from 1,952 to 1,730).Through our Young Futures Programme, the Government will introduce Prevention Partnerships across the country, including in the West Midlands, to intervene earlier and ensure that children and young people who are vulnerable to being drawn into crime are identified and offered support in a more systematic way.As we continue to design the Young Futures Programme, we want to ensure that it learns from and builds on the work of the Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) in this regard. In 2025/26 we are investing £47m via the Home Office in core grant funding to VRUs, including making over £4.3m available to the West Midlands VRU this year.This funding will support the delivery of a range of early intervention and prevention programmes such as youth workers in hospital settings (A&E Navigators), social skills training, and tailored support to individuals at risk of involvement in gangs and county lines to divert young people away from crime.A further £14.3m in grant funding has been made available across all 43 local policing body areas to deliver the Serious Violence Duty with £254k available to the West Midlands.Additionally, we have launched the Knife Enabled Robbery (‘KER’) Taskforce, focusing on reducing KER in the highest volume police force areas, including the West Midlands. The Taskforce identified school-age KER as a specific operational challenge and has worked with the Department for Education and school leaders to tackle it by developing bespoke “KER school action plans”.To ensure community leaders, campaign groups, families of those who have tragically lost their lives to knife crime and young people who have been impacted are involved in our plans, the Prime Minister launched the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime in September 2024. The Coalition contributes to policy development in key areas. I (Minister for Crime Prevention and Policing) have attended several coalition meetings since it was founded, chairing its most recent meeting. The Coalition has discussed key policy issues, including the online sale of knives, child criminal exploitation and the banning of ninja swords.To date, we have implemented a ban on the sale and possession of zombie-style knives and zombie-style machetes and a ban on ninja swords will come into effect from 1 August. We are planning an expanded surrender scheme in July to allow those who currently own dangerous weapons to hand them in safely and securely.In the Crime and Policing Bill 2025, we are increasing the penalties for illegal sales of knives, creating a new offence of possessing a knife with the intention to commit unlawful violence and are giving the police a new power to seize knives when they believe they are likely to be used in connection with unlawful violence.

If she will make an assessment of the adequacy of using gross national income forecasts to determine future levels of Official Development Assistance.

To enable the government to invest more in security and defence, while remaining committed to our fiscal rules, the Prime Minister has taken the difficult decision to reduce Official Development Assistance (ODA) to the equivalent of 0.3% of GNI by 2027. Following the Spending Review, financial year ODA Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) totals will no longer be adjusted for Gross National Income fluctuations to improve budget stability. The government remains committed to international development and to returning ODA to 0.7% of GNI when the fiscal circumstances allow.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help support community health initiatives in Botswana.

UK investment in the Global Fund continues to support community health initiatives in Botswana. The UK pledged £1 billion towards the Global Fund at the last replenishment cycle in 2022 and continues to invest in other multilateral funding essential to Botswana's community health responses. Botswana received circa $25 million from the current Global Fund cycle - which goes towards HIV, Tuberculosis, and Malaria response. The funding is also strengthening community health systems for effective responses to communicable and non-communicable diseases. Calvin Bailey MP, as Trade Envoy for Southern Africa, met with Botswana's Health Minister in May to discuss the UK-Botswana partnership in eliminating Malaria and the upcoming Global Fund replenishment.

Whether he has considered sourcing energy from the Falkland Islands.

I have made no such consideration. The UK sources the oil and gas we use from domestic onshore and offshore fields and on the international market. The UK also trades electricity with several nearby countries, as well as the Isle of Man. This is all done by the commercial sector, not by the Government.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what criteria he plans to use to assess the effectiveness of the Syria (Sanctions) (EU Exit) (Amendment) Regulations 2025.

The amendments to the Syria Sanctions Regulations are intended to help Syrian economic recovery and support the flow of essential investment. This is vital for building stability in Syria and the wider region. We will continue to closely monitor the situation in Syria and engage with the Syrian Government, civil society, and our international partners on the impact of sanctions amendments. We will keep our Syria sanctions regime under review.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent estimate he has made of the number of (a) groups and (b) militias operating in Syria.

The situation in Syria is extremely fluid and, as such, we are not in a position to provide numbers of militias or other groups operating in Syria. We will continue to work with the Government of Syria and international partners to support security and stability in Syria.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 12 May 2025 to Question 49361 on Sudan: Development Aid, whether the £120 million of food aid is the only funding allocated to Sudan for the 2025-26 financial year.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office are determining whether more funding for financial year 2025/26, in addition to the £120 million announced at the London Sudan Conference in April, will be allocated and further information will be provided in due course. Unfortunately, the spending review is still under review, and we will endeavour to update once we have the information.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 1 May 2025 to Question 47676 on Anzhalika Melnikava, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) Europe and (b) elsewhere on reports of the disappearance of Anzhelika Melnikava and her daughters.

As I have previously noted, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials continue to follow the case of the disappearance of Angelika Melnikova. Our understanding is that her daughters are currently in Belarus with their father. I have not raised this with European counterparts, nor elsewhere. As circumstances of Ms Melnikava's disappearance remain unclear, it would be inappropriate to comment further.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 8 May 2025 to Question 48940 on European Political Community, whether (a) officials and (b) Ministers from his Department attended.

The Prime Minister attended the European Political Community summit in Tirana, Albania on 16 May. No Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Ministers attended. A small number of FCDO officials attended to support the Prime Minister's attendance.

What steps National Highways is taking to reduce (a) fly-tipping and (b) litter on roads it is responsible for.

National Highways are committed to the effective management of fly tipping and litter on the Strategic Road Network (SRN). National Highways pick litter on the SRN every day and its inspectors regularly survey the network, grading it in accordance with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse. National Highways consistently work to deliver improved clean-up using innovative methods such as industrial vacuums, as well as undertaking several anti-littering interventions to influence behaviours and attitudes of road users towards litter. These include anti-littering messaging through social media, trialling AI enforcement cameras to capture those throwing litter on the SRN, using geofencing to send targeted anti-littering messages to mobile devices around identified litter hotspots, as well as putting anti-littering posters and signs and installing car and lorry height bins at motorway service areas.

If she will make an assessment of the number of people who are providing unpaid care for a relative or loved one in Aldridge-Brownhills constituency.

The DWP does not hold data on the number of people who are providing unpaid care for a relative or loved ones in the Aldridge-Brownhills constituency.