Written questions by Morton.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress her Department has made in supporting Sudanese civil society and political groups to prepare for a transition to civilian rule; and how that support is being coordinated with regional and international partners.

As the Foreign Secretary said in her statement to the House on 18 November 2025, "it is crucial that ultimately we have a transition to a civilian administration in Sudan..." Our Special Representative for Sudan and officials in the UK regularly meet with a wide range of Sudanese civil society and diaspora groups to listen to their concerns and help to build an inclusive, united approach for transitioning to a civilian-led government once a lasting ceasefire is in place.

What her planned timetable is for transferring Police and Crime Commissioner functions to the Mayor of the West Midlands.

The Government has committed in its English Devolution White Paper to transfer policing functions to Mayors of Strategic Authorities wherever boundaries of the mayoral and policing areas align, by default. Subject to Royal Assent to provisions in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, it is anticipated that the transfer of Police and Crime Commissioner functions to the Mayor of West Midlands would happen by May 2028; the end of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s term of office and at the next election for the Mayor.There are no costs to the Home Office in transferring PCC functions to the Mayor of an existing Mayoral Combined Authority. As has previously been the case for transfer of policing functions to mayors, the cost of local implementation will be expected to be met locally.

Media and Sport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of hosting games in UEFA Euro 2028 on the West Midlands; and how much Government funding will be allocated to support (a) infrastructure, (b) security and (c) legacy activity linked to Villa Park as a tournament venue.

With four matches due to be played at Villa Park, hosting UEFA EURO 2028 games in the West Midlands will help to deliver on the government’s mission to boost economic growth by creating jobs, driving regional prosperity and encouraging visitors to the region.As part of the UEFA EURO 2028 tournament launch on 12 November 2025, the government announced it is investing up to £557 million into hosting the tournament, which will generate significant socio-economic benefits of £3.2 billion across the UK. The government’s investment will ensure the tournament is safely and securely delivered, with fans, players and officials having a positive experience. We are working closely with a number of partners across the UK and Ireland to ensure we host an outstanding tournament. As part of our investment, the UK Government will also contribute £23 million towards a wider commitment from Government and Football Partners to a social impact fund of around £45 million.Regular financial updates on the allocation of government funding will be provided in the lead up to the event, including via the DCMS Annual Report and Accounts.

Pursuant to the answer of 11 November 2025 to Question 87314, what discussions she has had with (a) Mayor Parker and (b) the West Midlands Combined Authority on funding to enable the Aldridge station project to progress from design work to delivery and completion.

This Government recently announced a £2.4 billion Transport for City Regions (TCR) funding settlement for the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), which will be available to spend from 2027/2028 to 2031/2032. Decisions on how this money is to be spent are devolved to Mayor Richard Parker and WMCA.

Media and Sport, what proportion of the Legacy and Impact Fund will be spent in the West Midlands; and on what legacy programmes for grassroots sport, community cohesion and youth participation.

It is great that Birmingham is a host city, and Villa Park is a brilliant venue. As part of the UEFA EURO 2028 tournament launch on 12 November 2025, the government announced it is investing up to £557 million into hosting the tournament, which will generate significant socio-economic benefits of £3.2 billion across the UK. As part of this funding, the UK Government will contribute £23 million towards a wider commitment from Government and Football Partners to a social impact fund of around £45 million. The UK Government is working in close collaboration with host cities, including Birmingham, to ensure that we deliver a safe and successful tournament that benefits the whole of the UK. Plans for the legacy and impact fund are still in development. We will have more to share on this in due course.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 11 November 2025 to Questions 87306 and 87307, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of new planning powers in the (a) Planning and Infrastructure and (b) English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill on the role of (i) local councils and (ii) elected councillors in decision-making on individual planning applications.

Impact Assessments have been published for the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the readiness of the West Midlands Combined Authority to assume policing governance responsibilities from the Police and Crime Commissioner; and what estimate she has made of the (a) costs of that transfer and (b) projected long-term annual savings from the merger.

The Government has committed in its English Devolution White Paper to transfer policing functions to Mayors of Strategic Authorities wherever boundaries of the mayoral and policing areas align, by default. Subject to Royal Assent to provisions in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, it is anticipated that the transfer of Police and Crime Commissioner functions to the Mayor of West Midlands would happen by May 2028; the end of the Police and Crime Commissioner’s term of office and at the next election for the Mayor.There are no costs to the Home Office in transferring PCC functions to the Mayor of an existing Mayoral Combined Authority. As has previously been the case for transfer of policing functions to mayors, the cost of local implementation will be expected to be met locally.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to ensure that survivors of sexual and gender-based violence in Sudan including in El Fasher have access to emergency assistance and long-term psychosocial and medical support.

I refer the Hon. Member to the statement made by the Foreign Secretary to the House on 18 November 2025.As the Foreign Secretary said: "The UK has committed over £125 million this year alone, delivering lifesaving support to over 650,000 people - treating children with severe malnutrition, providing water and medicine, and supporting survivors of rape. [...] We are urgently pressing for a three-month humanitarian truce to open routes for lifesaving supplies...we desperately need a lasting ceasefire underpinned by a serious political process."

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Department is taking in its capacity as penholder on Sudan at the UN Security Council to secure a ceasefire and to strengthen international action in response to recent atrocities in Darfur.

I refer the Hon. Member to the statement made by the Foreign Secretary to the House on 18 November 2025.As the Foreign Secretary said: "The UK has committed over £125 million this year alone, delivering lifesaving support to over 650,000 people - treating children with severe malnutrition, providing water and medicine, and supporting survivors of rape. [...] We are urgently pressing for a three-month humanitarian truce to open routes for lifesaving supplies...we desperately need a lasting ceasefire underpinned by a serious political process."

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of prolonged industrial disputes in local waste services on recycling rates and environmental health in affected communities.

Defra has not made an assessment of the potential impact of prolonged industrial disputes in local waste services on recycling rates and environmental health in affected.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to increase humanitarian aid access and delivery into Gaza including through coordination with Israel, Egypt and the United Nations.

I refer the Hon Member to the statement made by the Foreign Secretary to the House on 18 November 2025 regarding the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. In October, the Foreign Secretary spoke with UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar about the importance of opening more crossings to enable the flow of humanitarian supplies into Gaza at the pace and volume required to meet the scale of the crisis.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the extent of Iranian state and proxy support for (a) Hamas and (b) other armed groups operating in Gaza and across the region; and what diplomatic or sanctions measures the UK is considering in response.

Iran continues to destabilise the region through political, financial and military support for its proxies and partners - in direct contravention of multiple UN Security Council Resolutions. We will continue to work alongside international partners to hold Iran to account for this escalatory behaviour and call on Iran to cease this activity. The UK has to date sanctioned over 450 Iran-linked individuals and entities. We do not comment on prospective sanctions as to do so would risk reducing their impact.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to strengthen the UK’s bilateral relationship with Israel following recent events in Gaza and in the context of the UK’s wider Middle East security priorities.

The UK has a longstanding and important relationship with Israel, built on cooperation in areas including security, trade, science, and technology. We remain firmly committed to Israel's security and continue to work together on shared regional challenges.The UK's immediate priority, working alongside our international partners, is to ensure continued progress on the 20-point peace plan endorsed by the UN Security Council on 17 November, including maintaining the current ceasefire, increasing the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, and advancing the political process necessary for a just and lasting peace.We discuss those matters regularly, and we remain committed to the pursuit of a two-state solution, with a secure Israel living side by side in peace and security alongside a viable, sovereign Palestinian state.

What assessment he has made of trends in the level of unemployment in the West Midlands.

The ONS publish headline indicators for the West Midlands here: HI05 Regional labour market: headline indicators for the West Midlands - Office for National Statistics

What assessment he has made of trends in the level of foreign nationals claiming Universal Credit.

The Department publishes Universal Credit (UC) immigration status and nationality statistics as part of the Universal Credit statistics publication. These statistics can be found on https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/universal-credit-statistics-29-april-2013-to-9-october-2025.

What progress he has made on the review of the Personal Independence Payment assessment.

The Timms Review will be co-produced with disabled people, the organisations that represent them, clinicians, experts, MPs and other stakeholders, to ensure that expertise from a wide range of perspectives is drawn upon.On 30 October, I announced that I will co-chair the Review alongside Sharon Brennan and Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE. We will oversee a steering group responsible for leading the co-production process, setting the Review’s strategic direction, priorities and workplan. The group will be made up of a majority of disabled people or representatives of disabled people’s organisations and will be recruited through an open and transparent Expression of Interest (EOI) process. The EOI is now live and will run until 30 November.The Review will report to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for final decisions in autumn 2026, with an interim update expected ahead of that.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Industrial Strategy on the fiscal position of the UK.

Since publication, over £250 billion of investment commitments have been made into the IS-8, boosting our frontier industries. These commitments will enhance their rate of growth and in turn bring in higher tax revenues.Fiscal policy is a matter for the Treasury, and the Chancellor has commissioned the Office for Budget Responsibility to produce an economic and fiscal forecast to be published alongside the Budget on 26 November.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Industrial Strategy on trends in the level of private sector investment.

The Government published its first Industrial Strategy Quarterly Update on 7th October 2025 on GOV.UK, which contains information on the £250bn worth of investment commitments since the Industrial Strategy launched, and trends for business investment, gross value added, employment and productivity.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill on multi-academy trusts.

I refer the right hon. Member for Aldridge-Brownhills to the answer of 22 April 2025 to Question 903828.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Industrial Strategy on trends in the level of private sector investment in the West Midlands.

The Government will use the Office for National Statistics dataset (Gross Fixed Capital Formation, Volume Index Capital Service) to analyse investment trends. This dataset releases regional level data annually; Government will analyse sector-level trends once the data is released. Information on specific investment commitments in regions can be found in the Industrial Strategy Quarterly Report excel tables on GOV.UK (published on 7th October 2025), such as the Boeing contract from US Air Force that will create 150 high-skilled jobs in Birmingham.