Every parliamentary written question tabled by Andrew Mitchell this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 41–60 of 253 · this parliament
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, for what reason the conference on illicit finance has been postponed.
As confirmed in the statement below, published on 22 May, the Illicit Finance Summit has been rescheduled to December to enable the broadest possible participation.https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-to-host-illicit-finance-summit-in-december.
What assessment he has made of trends in the level of unemployment in the under 25s in the West Midlands.
The ONS publish labour market statistics for 16–24-year-olds in the West Midlands. These can be found here: HI05 Regional labour market: headline indicators for the West Midlands - Office for National Statistics.This government will not leave an entire ge...
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to conclude the $100 million joint development deal between the UK and Qatar.
The UK is proud of its humanitarian and development partnership with the State of Qatar. Our ambition to deliver $100 million in joint humanitarian and development projects, announced in December 2024, is currently being implemented through programmes in ...
What steps his Department is taking to help improve access to freezing and storage capacity for tumour tissues for oncology services in the West Midlands, in order to improve outcomes for hard-to-t
The Department has taken steps to improve tissue freezing for oncology services for all cancers, including hard-to-treat cancers. Standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the fresh-freezing, or snap-freezing, of tissue samples have already been developed ...
What steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of patients waiting for more than (a) 1 month, (b) 3 months (c) 6 months and (d) 12 months to receive cognitive behavioural therapy for inso
It is for local integrated care boards to decide whether cognitive behavioural therapy should be offered to their populations as a treatment for insomnia.NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression offer low-intensity therapy which may include interv...
What assessment he has made of trends in the level of unemployment in the over 50s in the West Midlands.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.A response to the Rt. Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 13th May is attached.
What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the resilience of the national grid infrastructure in the West Midlands to withstand disruption.
Energy resilience is a top priority for Government. Government works continuously with industry to improve and maintain the resilience and security of energy infrastructure to a range of evolving risks and future system changes. The National Energy Syste...
What steps his Department is taking to help reduce the number of women dying during pregnancy or in the weeks after giving birth in the Midlands.
The NHS England Midlands region is implementing the Maternal Care Bundle. The bundle includes guidance to tackle the leading causes of maternal death including thrombosis, mental health, epilepsy, and haemorrhage. Maternal medicine networks have also been established across the Midlands, coordinating specialist care pathways for women with high-risk physical comorbidities, and delivering training and education.National Health Service providers are also implementing the Enhanced Continuity of Midwifery Carer Model, which provides women from the most disadvantaged backgrounds with support throughout pregnancy from the same midwifery team.Additionally, NHS providers in the region are increasing access to maternal mental health services, and select trusts are participating in a new programme to reduce inequality of outcome in maternity care for women from ethnic minority groups.
Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the organic food sector in the Midlands
I met with representatives of the English Organic Forum at the Oxford Farming Conference in January this year. The English Organic Forum is a collection of organic-focused organisations that have come together to represent the organic sector across England, which includes the Midlands, and we discussed challenges and opportunities for the organic sector. Defra officials routinely meet with representatives of the organic sector which includes the English Organic Forum and other sector representatives, organic Control Bodies and organic businesses.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to urge the newly formed Government of Myanmar to release (a) Aung San Suu Kyi and (b) all other political prisoners.
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 21 April in response to Question 126571.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of sanctions on Myanmar.
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 21 April in response to Question 126571.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the (a) human rights and (b) humanitarian situation in Myanmar following the inauguration of General Min Aung Hlaing.
I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 21 April in response to Question 126571.
Is she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the absence of Pupil Premium equivalent funding to support the attainment of disadvantaged students during their last two years of compulsory participation in education and training on those pupils.
The Pupil Premium is not payable for students in post-16 education but there is funding to help institutions support disadvantaged students available in 16-19 funding. The department has made significant increases to the average funding per student since the 2024 /25 academic year to the 2026/27 academic year, an expected per student increase of 10.5%. We expect the average per student funding in 2026/27 will stand at £6,874, compared to £6,219 in the 2024/25 academic year. This includes increases to disadvantaged funding which allows institutions to provide extra support to students who need it. However, it does not include the extra funding from the new Inclusive Mainstream Fund, announced on 25 March as part of our special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms. This will make available over £500 million per financial year, for the duration of the three-year spending period, and is split between early years, schools, and post-16. £83 million per year is additional funding for mainstream settings delivering 16 to 19 provision. This will help to boost capacity in mainstream settings to meet a greater proportion of SEND needs.
Pursuant to the Answer of 30 March to Question 123135 on Foreign Investment in UK: West Midlands, if he will set out inward investment into the West Midlands for each of the last 10 years.
The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Rt. Hon. Gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 10th April is attached.
What steps his Department is taking to improve access to community dental services for care home residents in the West Midlands.
We recognise that certain groups of patients may be particularly vulnerable to oral health problems and may find it difficult to access dental care. Specialised dental services are in place to provide dental treatment in several settings, including care homes, and are commissioned by integrated care boards (ICBs), and for the Sutton Coldfield constituency this is the Birmingham and Solihull ICB.Domiciliary dental services are commissioned locally to support those who are unable to access high street dental practices due to medical, physical, or psychological conditions. This is largely through community dental services (CDS), which carry the required expertise and equipment to treat individuals who are housebound or living in care settings. The frequency of dental checks for those living in care homes will be determined by dentists on an individual basis according to need, and care homes can contact their local CDS directly to request a domiciliary visit. If the provider is unknown, the ICB or the relevant NHS England regional team can advise.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline on oral health in care homes sets out a number of recommendations for care homes to help maintain and improve oral health and ensure timely access to dental treatment for their residents. The Government expects care homes to be following NICE guidance and recommendations in this area.
What assessment his Department has made of ambulance response times in the West Midlands Ambulance Service.
Ambulance response times data is collected and published monthly, including at a trust level, and is available at the following link:https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/The most recent National Health Service performance figures for the West Midlands Ambulance service shows that on average in February 2026, Category 2 incidents were responded to in 20 minutes and 42 seconds.
What steps his Department is taking to encourage foreign direct investment in the West Midlands.
The Department actively promotes FDI into the West Midlands through the Office for Investment (OfI), which works closely with the West Midlands Combined Authority and regional stakeholders to identify, shape, and market regional opportunities internationally. This reflects the importance of the West Midlands to delivering the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy and Infrastructure Strategy. We held the Regional Investment Summit jointly with WMCA in Birmingham last year which saw £635m of private investment announced for West Midlands and recently supported Mayor Richard Parker’s trade mission to India to engage existing and prospective investors.
What steps her Department is taking to support schools to recruit qualified physics teachers in the West Midlands.
The department’s Plan for Change commits us to recruiting an additional 6,500 new expert teachers across secondary and special schools and our colleges over the course of this Parliament.In 2023/24, just 17% of the postgraduate initial teacher training target for physics trainees was met. In 2025/26, this increased to 78%, with 1,095 new entrants, reaching the highest number for physics since comparable statistics began in 2014/2015.Additionally, full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers in state-funded schools in the West Midlands increased by 353 to 52,658 per the latest census, and across the country the workforce has grown by 2,346 FTE in secondary and special schools, which are the schools where they are needed most.We are continuing to support physics teacher recruitment with bursaries worth £29,000 and tax free scholarships worth £31,000. We are also supporting retention alongside increased recruitment, with a targeted retention incentive, worth up to £6,000 after tax, for teachers in years 1-5 of their career who choose to work in the most disadvantaged schools.
What steps he is taking to support vulnerable low energy users who find switching energy suppliers difficult.
Vulnerable consumers who wish to switch energy supplier should contact their current supplier in the first instance who will be able to provide further information and support them through the process. Vulnerable consumers can also contact Citizens Advice by phone or via their website for additional support with switching suppliers. Those who need extra support are also able to sign up for the Priority Services Register for free. Those on the PSR receive extra help from suppliers, such as help taking their meter readings, advanced notice of power cuts, and making sure their phone calls are a priority. Eligible individuals include those at or above State Pension age, those with a disability or medical condition, and people with children under the age of 5. Detailed information on switching energy supplier can be found on Ofgem’s website: Switch energy supplier | Ofgem.
Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to ensure resilience against future memory chip shortages.
The Government recognises the importance of memory chips to our economy and critical sectors. We regularly engage with industry to monitor supply chain vulnerabilities and understand potential risks across all chip types. Given the global nature of semiconductor supply chains, the UK is working closely with international partners bilaterally and through multilateral fora – such as the G7 and OECD - to strengthen collective resilience, improve information‑sharing, and develop coordinated approaches to supply chain challenges.