Written questions by Morton.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps is he taking to engage with (a) bilateral and (b) multilateral parties to the London Sudan conference on 15 April 2025 who did not sign the co-chairs' joint statement.

The Foreign Secretary engaged with multiple partners, bilateral and multilateral, in the run-up to the London Sudan Conference and on the day of the conference itself. The conference demonstrated the strong international will to bring the conflict to an end and to ensure aid reaches those most in need. The UK continues to use all diplomatic levers at its disposal in pursuit of these aims.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the fluctuations in the levels of humanitarian aid that has reached Darfur over the last 6 months.

Aid flows into and across Darfur over the last six months have been wholly inadequate. Armed violence and access constraints imposed by the warring parties have had unacceptable impacts on relief operations. The UK remains fully committed to ensuring safe and unimpeded humanitarian access throughout Sudan in order to alleviate the unprecedented levels of suffering. We are using all levers at our disposal to raise the profile of the humanitarian situation and to improve the operating context for aid agencies.On 15 April, following the Sudan London Conference, the co-chairs' statement called on relevant parties to allow and facilitate rapid, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access to all areas of need through all necessary routes in adherence with their obligations under international humanitarian law. In addition, the UK supported Canada's efforts as Chair of the G7 to issue a joint statement expressing concern about reports of the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare in Sudan and calling on warring parties to facilitate unimpeded humanitarian access.During April's London Sudan Conference the Foreign Secretary announced a further £120 million towards the crisis which will provide life-saving aid to more than 650,000 people.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he plans to take to help tackle the humanitarian situation in (a) Sudan and (b) countries neighbouring Sudan.

The UK is committed to addressing Sudan's humanitarian crisis and its regional impacts. On 15 April, the Foreign Secretary announced £120 million of new life-saving aid for this year. This includes 670,000 people to be reached with food assistance for 3 months, 205,000 people to benefit from financial assistance and 600,000 people who will receive nutrition, water and sanitation support. The UK continues its work to ensure aid reaches those most in need, including through access corridors such as the Adré crossing from Chad. Crucially, we also provide aid to those neighbouring countries hosting large numbers of refugees from Sudan, including Chad, South Sudan and Uganda to help manage the effects of the crisis.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the (a) withdrawal and (b) closure of international partners’ diplomatic missions in (i) Sudan and (ii) South Sudan on stability in that region.

The safety of our staff and British Nationals is our priority. The UK like others, had no choice but to withdraw our diplomatic presence in Khartoum when armed violence commenced in April 2023. The UK remains committed to finding a solution to end the conflict in Sudan. On the two-year point of the conflict, on 15 April, the Foreign Secretary hosted international partners and stakeholders at the London Sudan Conference, which focussed on spotlighting the dire human cost of the conflict, achieving progress on humanitarian access and building consensus among the international community behind a regionally led process.We continue to maintain a diplomatic presence in Juba, South Sudan. We are keeping the situation under regular review. We are deeply concerned by the increasingly fragile security situation and have urged President Kiir and all those with influence over armed groups, to de-escalate, to release First Vice President Machar and to implement the 2018 peace agreement.

What assessment has she made of the potential impact of the Spring Statement 2025 on per capita GDP growth in Aldridge-Brownhills.

Ensuring growth is felt in all regions of the UK is central to the Government’s Growth Mission. Our strategy for regional growth will drive growth in all regions and make the most of the opportunities in each part of the country. We are supporting regional growth, with a total package for local growth funds worth over £3 billion in 2025-26 alone. The UK Shared Prosperity Fund has been extended for a transition year at £900 million, ensuring stability for the most important local projects. We are launching integrated funding settlements to empower local leaders to drive local growth and invest in local priorities. West Midlands MCA will be eligible for an integrated settlement in 2026/27, worth over £380m. The Government has set a new strategic steer for the National Wealth Fund to deliver our ambition for growth across the country. The NWF will trial Strategic Partnerships, including in the West Midlands, to provide deeper, more focused support to regions. The OBR forecasts that living standards will rise in every year of its forecast and therefore that they will be higher by the end of the Parliament. GDP per capita will rise by 5.6% over this parliament (Q3 2024 – Q2 2029). This compares to a decline in GDP per capita under the previous Parliament.

Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of bin strikes in Birmingham on levels of international tourism to the area.

No, because it is obvious that it would be better for all if the strikes were to end.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of adding penalty points to the driver’s licences of people convicted of (a) fly-tipping and (b) littering from a vehicle.

Local authorities already have powers to stop, search and seize vehicles of suspected fly-tippers. We will consider the benefits of allowing penalty points to be added to the driving licence of people convicted of fly-tipping in due course.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of requiring the person responsible for fly-tipping, rather than the landowner, to bear the costs of clean-up.

Where fly-tippers are prosecuted, upon conviction a cost order can already be made by the court so that a landowner’s costs can be recovered from the perpetrator. Local councils can also issue fixed penalty notices of up to £1000 to those who fly-tip, the income from which they must spend on clean up or enforcement. We are seeking powers in the Crime and Policing Bill to issue statutory enforcement guidance to help councils make full and proper use of their powers. We have also committed to forcing fly-tippers and vandals to clean up the mess that they have created as part of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour. We will provide further details on this commitment in due course.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he plans to announce a date for the UK-hosted Berlin Process 2025 summit.

The UK is delighted to host the Berlin Process this year. We will organise meetings of Ministers, government officials and non-government stakeholders to build stronger economic and security ties between the countries of the Western Balkans and deepen cooperation with our European partners, working closely with the new German Government. We will invite leaders from the six Western Balkans countries, European partners, regional organisations, and EU institutions to the Berlin Process Summit in the UK later this year, where we will seek to agree initiatives to enhance regional security, tackle irregular migration, and boost economic growth. We are working to identify a date for the Summit, which we hope to announce as soon as possible.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 March 2025 onto Question 40498 on Food Supply, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of food security in UK; and what steps he is taking to increase this.

Food security is national security. We need a resilient and healthy food system, that works with nature and supports British farmers, fishers and food producers. The UK has a resilient food supply chain and is equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption. We produce 62% of all the food we need, and 75% of food which we can grow or rear in the UK for all or part of the year, but the United Kingdom Food Security Report 2024 shows that food security cannot be taken for granted. Strengthening food security by supporting our farmers and food producers is a top priority for this Government. Our Plan for Change sets out how we are focused on supporting our farmers, supporting rural economic growth and boosting Britain’s food security.

What assessment has she made of the potential impact of the proposed West Midlands Rail Hub on rail (a) connectivity and (b) reliability in (i) the West Midlands and (ii) nationally.

Midlands Rail Hub would unlock thousands of homes and drive economic growth, with better connections regionally and nationally, and more reliable trains. It will provide up to 300 extra trains a day into Birmingham while improving the performance of services. 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.

Communities and Local Government, whether she is taking steps to help support (a) Birmingham City Council and (b) other local authorities to resolve disputes with bin collection workers.

The government has been working intensively with Birmingham City Council in relation to the ongoing disruption in its waste service. While the response is being locally led by the Council as is appropriate, at their request, we have deployed operational and logistical expertise to help address the backlog of waste on Birmingham’s streets. This backlog presented real risks to public health, particularly for the most vulnerable. As a result of concerted and ongoing effort by Birmingham City Council, and with the support of other local authorities, we are pleased that the large accumulations of street waste in badly affected areas have been removed and that levels are approaching normal, and this is under daily review. The residents of Birmingham need to see a fair and sustainable resolution to this dispute, and we continue to encourage both parties to come to a negotiated settlement that ensures a fit-for-purpose waste service and does not risk the important progress made on equal pay at BCC.

Communities and Local Government, whether she has received recent representations from (a) Birmingham City Council and (b) the Commissioner on the provision of additional public funds to settle their dispute with striking bin collection workers.

The government has been working intensively with Birmingham City Council in relation to the ongoing disruption in its waste service. While the response is being locally led by the Council as is appropriate, at their request, we have deployed operational and logistical expertise to help address the backlog of waste on Birmingham’s streets. This backlog presented real risks to public health, particularly for the most vulnerable. As a result of concerted and ongoing effort by Birmingham City Council, and with the support of other local authorities, we are pleased that the large accumulations of street waste in badly affected areas have been removed and that levels are approaching normal, and this is under daily review. The residents of Birmingham need to see a fair and sustainable resolution to this dispute, and we continue to encourage both parties to come to a negotiated settlement that ensures a fit-for-purpose waste service and does not risk the important progress made on equal pay at BCC.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to take steps to help support Birmingham City Council to ensure the long-term (a) sustainability and (b) resilience of the city’s waste management services.

The government has been working intensively with Birmingham City Council in relation to the ongoing disruption in its waste service. While the response is being locally led by the Council as is appropriate, at their request, we have deployed operational and logistical expertise to help address the backlog of waste on Birmingham’s streets. This backlog presented real risks to public health, particularly for the most vulnerable. As a result of concerted and ongoing effort by Birmingham City Council, and with the support of other local authorities, we are pleased that the large accumulations of street waste in badly affected areas have been removed and that levels are approaching normal, and this is under daily review. The residents of Birmingham need to see a fair and sustainable resolution to this dispute, and we continue to encourage both parties to come to a negotiated settlement that ensures a fit-for-purpose waste service and does not risk the important progress made on equal pay at BCC.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has provided additional (a) funding and (b) other resources to councils bordering Birmingham to help tackle additional fly-tipping resulting from bin strikes in Birmingham.

The government has been working intensively with Birmingham City Council in relation to the ongoing disruption in its waste service. While the response is being locally led by the Council as is appropriate, at their request, we have deployed operational and logistical expertise to help address the backlog of waste on Birmingham’s streets. This backlog presented real risks to public health, particularly for the most vulnerable. As a result of concerted and ongoing effort by Birmingham City Council, and with the support of other local authorities, we are pleased that the large accumulations of street waste in badly affected areas have been removed and that levels are approaching normal, and this is under daily review. The residents of Birmingham need to see a fair and sustainable resolution to this dispute, and we continue to encourage both parties to come to a negotiated settlement that ensures a fit-for-purpose waste service and does not risk the important progress made on equal pay at BCC.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with Birmingham City Council on the potential impact of the bin strikes on (a) public health and (b) the environment in affected areas.

The government has been working intensively with Birmingham City Council in relation to the ongoing disruption in its waste service. While the response is being locally led by the Council as is appropriate, at their request, we have deployed operational and logistical expertise to help address the backlog of waste on Birmingham’s streets. This backlog presented real risks to public health, particularly for the most vulnerable. As a result of concerted and ongoing effort by Birmingham City Council, and with the support of other local authorities, we are pleased that the large accumulations of street waste in badly affected areas have been removed and that levels are approaching normal, and this is under daily review. The residents of Birmingham need to see a fair and sustainable resolution to this dispute, and we continue to encourage both parties to come to a negotiated settlement that ensures a fit-for-purpose waste service and does not risk the important progress made on equal pay at BCC.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of increases in employers National Insurance Contributions on wages.

The Office for Budget Responsibility published the Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO) in March 2025, which sets out a detailed forecast of the economy and public finances, including their forecast on wages Economic and fiscal outlook – March 2025 - Office for Budget Responsibility.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of supporting the West Midlands Rail Hub.

Midlands Rail Hub would unlock thousands of homes and drive economic growth, with better connections regionally and nationally, and more reliable trains. It will provide up to 300 extra trains a day into Birmingham while improving the performance of services. 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.

What information her Department holds on the number of hours spent by West Midlands Police investigating fly-tipping related incidents in the last two months.

The requested data is not currently collected by the Home Office.

What budget was allocated to (a) social media advertising, (b) paid-partnerships and (c) other digital communication of the measures in the Spring Statement.

No budget was allocated by HM Treasury for social media advertising, paid partnerships, or other digital communication of the measures in the Spring Statement beyond the budget for the core HMT communications team.