Written questions by Morton.

How much the UK has raised for Ukraine through the use of proceeds from frozen Russian assets; and how this compares with contributions from the EU and G7 countries.

The Chancellor is committed to exploring a reparations loan to enable the value of sanctioned Russian sovereign assets held in the UK to be directed to supporting Ukraine. The government continues to work in partnership with international partners including the G7 and European Union to achieve this. To date, the UK has provided £21.8bn in support for Ukraine. This includes the commitment to the provide £2.26bn as part of the $50bn Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration Scheme for Ukraine, which utilised the extraordinary profits generated from immobilised Russian Sovereign Assets held in the EU.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure continued alignment between UK and key allies on sanctions against Russia, including in relation to defence procurement networks, Russia’s shadow fleet and sanctions evasion through third countries.

I refer the Hon Member to the statement on Ukraine made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 15 October, where she set out in detail the UK's approach on these issues. We will provide further updates to the House in due course.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for UK and EU sanctions policy on Russia of the October 2025 US sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil.

I refer the Hon Member to the statement on Ukraine made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 15 October, where she set out in detail the UK's approach on these issues. We will provide further updates to the House in due course.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how sanctions against Russia applied under UK human rights, chemical weapons, cyber and hybrid threat regimes complement the UK’s broader Russia sanctions framework.

Extensive guidance on all aspects of the UK's sanctions regime against Russia can be found on GOV.UK at the link below: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/uk-sanctions-on-russia.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to page 15 of the six-monthly update on the implementation of the Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong, published on 23 October 2025, what diplomatic steps she is taking to help ensure that China adheres to its international legal commitments.

The Government raises areas of concern with the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities on a regular basis at both official and ministerial level. Most recently, the Foreign Secretary did so in a phone call with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on 6 November.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with British International Investment on focusing on development impact in fragile and low-income countries.

As part of British International Investment's (BII's) Impact Framework, all transactions are assessed for their additionality, to ensure BII is not displacing the private sector. BII is also a leader amongst Development Finance Institutions in investing in the riskiest places with the highest development needs, making £880 million of new commitments in the poorest and most fragile countries in 2024 alone. Full details of BII's Impact Framework can be found on its website here: https://www.bii.co.uk/en/our-impact/

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure British International Investment’s investments (a) are in addition to private sector finance and (b) reach low-income and marginalised groups.

As part of British International Investment's (BII's) Impact Framework, all transactions are assessed for their additionality, to ensure BII is not displacing the private sector. BII is also a leader amongst Development Finance Institutions in investing in the riskiest places with the highest development needs, making £880 million of new commitments in the poorest and most fragile countries in 2024 alone. Full details of BII's Impact Framework can be found on its website here: https://www.bii.co.uk/en/our-impact/

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the territorial expansion of Jamat Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin across the Sahel on the group’s capacity to destabilise neighbouring states, disrupt regional supply lines, and undermine international security efforts in West Africa.

The continued terrorist fuel blockade is deeply concerning for Mali, and for the wider region, and we condemn its impact on civilians. The Foreign Secretary wrote to Foreign Minister Diop on 6 November, and the Minister for International Development and Africa spoke to him on 10 November, encouraging him to cooperate closely with all West African partners to address this shared challenge.The UK works with Malian institutions and society to address fragility and support regional stability. Last year, we invested over £35 million in Mali through our regional overseas development assistance programmes. This year, we plan to spend £170 million in the Sahel region, to address the drivers of conflict and provide humanitarian support.On 30 October, we advised British nationals to leave Mali urgently by commercial means. No British nationals have requested support during this period, but our consular assistance remains available around the clock, and we continue to update Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Travel Advice as necessary.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential implications for its policies on Pakistan of the findings of the 2025 Global Slavery Index.

I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given on 26 November to question 91957.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Pakistani counterpart on tackling bonded labour and other forms of modern slavery.

I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given on 26 November to question 91957.

What steps his Department is taking to support small and medium-sized enterprises in the West Midlands facing increases in energy and regulatory costs.

The Government is committed to lowering operating costs for all small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), including those in the West Midlands.Government is helping support businesses to lower their energy costs through energy efficiency and decarbonisation. Recent research from the Willow Review highlights that SMEs adopting sustainability initiatives are reaping the financial rewards.The Government is also committed to ensuring the allocation of energy costs is fair to all consumers, including SMEs. As part of this, Ofgem have launched a Cost Allocation and Recovery Review (CARR) to consider how energy system costs can be recovered from consumers, including from SMEs, in a fairer and more efficient way. DESNZ will continue to engage closely with Ofgem on the work.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps her Department is taking to help reduce the use of bonded labour in Pakistan’s brick kiln industry.

I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given on 26 November to question 91957.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has assessed trends in the level of child exploitation in Pakistan’s brick kiln sector.

I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given on 26 November to question 91957.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will take steps to ensure that (a) 25% of British International Investment’s new investments support gender equality and (b) 30% are directed to climate finance.

Future capital funding for British International Investment (BII) will be determined as part of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office's (FCDO) resource allocation process, ensuring that the ODA budget delivers against the full range of FCDO development priorities. The FCDO holds BII to account for delivery of its strategy through detailed governance arrangements, including quarterly and annual shareholder meetings.

What steps he is taking to increase GP appointment availability in the West Midlands; and what assessment he has made of primary care staffing levels in Walsall.

West Midlands sits within the Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB) where appointment availability in general practice (GP) has increased by 13.8% in September 2025 compared to the same period last year. In October 2024, we invested £160 million into the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme to give additional flexibilities to recruit 2,500 new GPs into primary care networks across England. We have invested an additional £1.1 billion into GPs to reinforce the front door of the National Health Service. This is the biggest increase in over a decade. Additionally, the new £102 million Primary Care Utilisation and Modernisation Fund will create additional clinical space within over 1,000 GPs across England to deliver 8.3 million more appointments each year.As of 30 September 2025, Walsall has seen an increase of 17.4 full-time equivalent GPs compared to September 2024. The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the ICBs across England. In 2024/25, there were 57 dentists per 100,000 population in the Black Country ICB, which includes the Walsall constituency. This is above average, compared to a national average of 50 dentists per 100,000 people in England.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what programmes her Department (a) funds and (b) supports to help improve access to education for children working in bonded labour in Pakistan.

I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given on 26 November to question 91957.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that future capital funding for British International Investment does not adversely impact other areas of the Official Development Assistance budget.

Future capital funding for British International Investment (BII) will be determined as part of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office's (FCDO) resource allocation process, ensuring that the ODA budget delivers against the full range of FCDO development priorities. The FCDO holds BII to account for delivery of its strategy through detailed governance arrangements, including quarterly and annual shareholder meetings.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of reports of (a) modern-day slavery and (b) bonded labour in the brick kiln, agriculture and domestic service sectors in Pakistan.

I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given on 26 November to question 91957.

What steps he is taking to support the expansion of Pharmacy First services in areas with GP access pressures.

The Government is committed to providing more services in the community, closer to people’s homes. The 10-Year Health Plan is clear that we need to do things differently with more integrated neighbourhood health services, shifting care from hospital to community and from treatment to prevention.Community pharmacies will have a vital role in the Neighbourhood Health Service, as the 10-Year Health Plan brings healthcare to high streets as part of a shift in care to the community. This includes exploring ways to expand the role of pharmacies and to better utilising the skills of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians as we continue to embed the Pharmacy First service.We continue to promote Pharmacy First to increase public awareness and engagement. This has included the recent national media campaign to promote the service, as well as coordinated communications across the healthcare system. Action is also being taken to increase referrals into Pharmacy First, with targeted engagement with integrated care boards, general practice stakeholders, and the community pharmacy sector to encourage and improve the referral pathways to support better access for patients.For 2025/26, funding for the core community pharmacy contractual framework has been increased to £3.073 billion. This represents the largest uplift in funding of any part of the National Health Service, at over 19% across 2024/25 and 2025/26. There is also additional funding available for pharmacies delivering Pharmacy First consultations and flu and COVID-19 vaccinations.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of Russian mercenary groups operating in Mali on efforts to counter Islamist insurgencies; and what potential implications this has for the UK’s wider strategy towards countering Russian influence operations on the African continent.

The continued terrorist fuel blockade is deeply concerning for Mali, and for the wider region, and we condemn its impact on civilians. The Foreign Secretary wrote to Foreign Minister Diop on 6 November, and the Minister for International Development and Africa spoke to him on 10 November, encouraging him to cooperate closely with all West African partners to address this shared challenge.The UK works with Malian institutions and society to address fragility and support regional stability. Last year, we invested over £35 million in Mali through our regional overseas development assistance programmes. This year, we plan to spend £170 million in the Sahel region, to address the drivers of conflict and provide humanitarian support.On 30 October, we advised British nationals to leave Mali urgently by commercial means. No British nationals have requested support during this period, but our consular assistance remains available around the clock, and we continue to update Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Travel Advice as necessary.