Written questions by Morton.

What steps her Department is taking to help tackle barriers to employers engaging with the (a) apprenticeship and (b) training system.

Our Industrial Strategy sets out the interventions we will make to help tackle barriers to employer engagement with the skills system. This includes introducing shorter duration and foundation apprenticeships in priority sectors, the introduction of short courses in England, funded through the Growth and Skills Levy, from April 2026, and three packages targeted at skills needed in multiple Industrial Strategy sectors (digital, engineering, and the defence sector), building on our £625 million construction skills package to train up to 60,000 extra construction workers – crucial for delivering on our pledge to build 1.5 million new homesThis investment will be underpinned by deeper employer partnerships including launching Technical Excellence Colleges to develop pipelines of skilled workers for local businesses.The Chair of Skills England, in partnership with the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council, will explore how employers, individuals and local and central government work together to address national skills needs, to support jobs of the future in the growth-driving sectors, and in particular opportunities for further business engagement and investment into the skills pipeline.

What assessment her Department has made of the readiness of combined authorities to exercise new franchising powers under the Bus Services (No. 2) Bill.

We recognise the fundamental importance of building the capacity and capability of local transport authorities to drive improvements to bus services and exercise franchising powers if they wish.The Department is working with Local Transport Authorities who are in the process of or are interested in franchising, to understand how the process could be improved and to provide a tailored programme of support.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what consideration has he given to staffing (a) levels and (b) structures in his Department following changes to levels of ODA spending.

The Foreign Secretary has been clear about the reform needed in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to ensure it is fit for the future and is delivering for the British people. The FCDO will consider the size and shape of its workforce in the context of the wider Spending Review settlement to ensure that it remains affordable. The Foreign Secretary is working closely with the Treasury to ensure our diplomatic, intelligence and development footprint will align with our priorities. We expect the department to become smaller as a result.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Minister’s oral contribution during the debate on Gavi and the Global Fund of 15 May 2025, Official Report, column 203WH, when he will write to me on the potential use of the International Finance Facility for Immunisation.

The UK is a long-standing supporter of Gavi, contributing £1.65 billion from 2021-2025, with £590 million via International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIm). I recognise the value of IFFIm in enabling Gavi to efficiently manage financing and quickly scale up vaccines during health crises. We will be announcing our GAVI + IFFIM contributions on Wednesday 25 June.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the data set used to analyse carbon leakage assessments in the recent consultation on free allocation review for the UK Emissions Trading System.

The provision of Free Allocation under the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) mitigates the risk of carbon leakage by reducing industrial sectors’ exposure to the carbon price. The UK ETS Authority is reviewing Free Allocation policy to ensure it targets sectors most at risk of carbon leakage and consulted on its approach to carbon leakage assessment. DESNZ officials have engaged extensively with representatives from energy intensive industries and carefully considered the methodology used to determine carbon leakage risk, including the data sets used in calculations. The outcomes of the Free Allocation Review, including the data used to assess carbon leakage, will be published in an upcoming Government Response accompanied by an Impact Assessment.

What his Department's planned timetable is for publishing the outcome of the consultation entitled Extending the UK Emissions Trading Scheme cap beyond 2030, which closed on 9 April 2025.

The UK ETS Authority, the joint governance body comprising of the UK Government, Welsh Government, Scottish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive, is grateful for the range of stakeholder responses to the Extending the UK ETS cap beyond 2030 consultation. The Authority recognises the importance of providing certainty and clarity on the scheme that is a cornerstone of its economy-wide approach to decarbonising the whole of the UK. A response to the consultation, outlining the Authority’s decisions, will be published as soon as possible.

Pursuant to the Answer of 16 June 2025 to Question 59009 on Railways: Midlands, whether the allocated funding is to support the full delivery of the West Midlands Rail Hub.

The Chancellor’s commitment to progress Midlands Rail Hub West in the 2025 Spending Review follows the release of £123 million last year to commence the design of this first phase of the scheme. Once this design work is completed, as with all schemes funded by the Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline (RNEP), moving to the delivery phase will then be subject to further investment governance and decision making.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing government-backed insurance guarantees or reinsurance schemes to enable private insurers to underwrite commercial activity in Ukraine.

As referred to in the previous PQ regarding risk mitigation in the insurance industry, the UK Government has played a leading role in developing solutions that have helped to reopen and rebuild insurance markets in Ukraine. The UK provided a £20 million contribution to the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) to extend the level of political risk and violence insurance it can provide to investors with projects in Ukraine. Additionally, the UK has also provided £5m to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to develop a complementary initiative that will make war related loss and damage cover available to firms already based in Ukraine. While no formal assessment of the merits has been conducted, introducing government-backed insurance guarantees or reinsurance schemes could facilitate private insurers’ entry into commercial activities. Such initiatives would help identify regulatory barriers that limit market participation and enhance engagement among local businesses, financial institutions, and project sponsors.

What assessment he has made of the ability of (a) ceramics manufacturers and (b) other energy intensive industries to meet the UK Emissions Trading Scheme.

UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) participants, including those in energy intensive industries such as the ceramics sector, are provided with free allocations to mitigate the risk of carbon leakage and incentivise emissions reduction. The UK ETS Authority is reviewing Free Allocation policy to ensure it supports sectors most at risk of carbon leakage and has guaranteed current free allocation levels until 2027. The Authority commissioned an independent 2-stage evaluation of the scheme to provide evidence of its effectiveness, early outcomes and long-term impacts. The first findings of the evaluation, which include a preliminary assessment of carbon leakage and emissions reduction across the UK ETS, were published in December 2023.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking with (a) his international allied counterparts and (b) multilateral institutions to facilitate the availability of war-risk insurance for companies operating in Ukraine.

We have been working with the insurance industry, international partners and other government departments to lead international efforts on expanding the provision of insurance against war-related risks in Ukraine. Since the 2023 Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office - alongside other international donors - has supported war risk insurance solutions through the World Bank's Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which international companies, including UK firms, can take advantage of.The UK provided £20 million to the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) for a Ukraine Recovery focused Trust Fund to provide political risk insurance and trade guarantees for investments into Ukraine. The UK's contribution has galvanised other bilateral donors to contribute funding to scale up of this initiative to now over $115 million.In December 2024 the UK committed £5 million to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to establish a complementary war risk insurance initiative to cover in-land cargo in partnership with AON and MS Amlin.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the trade deal with India on UK ceramics manufacturers.

The Department recognises the significant challenges faced by energy-intensive industries like ceramics, including rising global energy costs, unfair trading practices, and carbon leakage. We are taking action to protect these industries, including through trade defence measures against dumping and subsidisation. The UK-India FTA also includes a bilateral safeguard mechanism, allowing the UK to suspend or increase tariff concessions if the industry is facing injury. Over 93% of Indian ceramics entered the UK tariff-free in 2024 whilst the remaining 7% paid a tariff. 11 of the 43 ceramics tariff lines are dutiable and face a simple average tariff of 4%.

What steps his Department is taking to support UK companies unable to secure insurance coverage for business operations in Ukraine.

My department works closely with businesses to understand the needs of UK companies wishing to operate in Ukraine. Support is available on https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/support-for-uk-businesses-helping-to-rebuild-ukraine, which references potential options for insurance. UK Export Finance (UKEF) continues to provide risk insurance for UK exporters trading with Ukraine.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Ukrainian government on the adequacy of the availability of (a) insurance and (b) other mechanisms to help (i) support and (ii) de-risk foreign commercial engagement in Ukraine.

The UK works closely with the Ukrainian government on a range of insurance and other derisking measures to support investment in Ukraine. In March, I and the Minister of State (Gareth Thomas) hosted an insurance industry roundtable at Lloyd's of London jointly with Ministers from the Ukrainian Ministry of Economy to identify the barriers and opportunities to scale up insurance initiatives in Ukraine. We have subsequently supported the Government of Ukraine to establish an insurance task force to collaborate with industry and develop initiatives that make insurance more affordable and widely accessible. Beyond insurance, UK Ministers have discussed and provided support to Ukraine on export credit through UK Export Finance and on investment climate reform where we are providing technical expertise on investment promotion and financial sector reforms through the City-Ukraine hub. I look forward to further opportunities to raise these issues with business and insurance representatives at the upcoming Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome.

Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with UK brick manufacturers on meeting the demand for new homes.

The government is working with industry to ensure the housebuilding sector has access to the construction materials needed to build 1.5 million safe and decent homes in this parliament.We expect suppliers to increase capacity to meet demand, and we have seen deliveries of bricks in England, Scotland and Wales increase by 10% in the year to April 2025.Added to that, construction materials prices are stable, rising only 1% between January 2024 and January 2025, far below the rate of inflation for the wider UK economy.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Minister’s oral contribution during the debate on Gavi and the Global Fund of 15 May 2025, Official Report, column 203WH, when he will provide a detailed breakdown of the level of UK aid reaching Gaza.

The UK provides humanitarian aid to Gaza via trusted partners, including UN agencies and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). In January 2025, £17 million was announced for food, healthcare and shelter, alongside a broader £129 million commitment to the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Since October 2023, Israeli-imposed restrictions have severely limited access. While some UK-funded aid has reached Gaza, other supplies remain at border crossings or in regional warehouses. Quantifying exact volumes is difficult due to limited real-time data and operational constraints. The UK continues to press for full, unimpeded humanitarian access and is working closely with partners to ensure aid reaches those in need.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer to 46739 of 6 May 2025 on Sudan: Armed Conflict, when he plans to write to the hon. Member for Aldridge-Brownhills about the cost of the London Sudan conference 2025.

We have written to the hon. Member for Aldridge-Brownhills with details of the cost figures for the London Sudan Conference 2025.

What steps is he taking to include (a) ceramics and (b) manufacturers in the Industrial Strategy.

The Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan, part of the Industrial Strategy, outlines government support for the sector, including skills, energy, and regulations. Ceramics has been identified in the Industrial Strategy as part of our initial list of inputs from foundational industries that are important to unlocking growth in our priority sectors. Some ceramics businesses will benefit from increased network charge compensation, priced at around £10/MWh. Additionally, the new British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme will cut electricity costs by up to 25% for eligible electricity-intensive businesses including foundational manufacturing industries, such as ceramics. We will consult on the design and eligibility shortly, with a review point in 2030.

What assessment he has made of the (a) resilience of the clay brick and rooftile industry and (b) potential impact of (i) energy costs and (ii) the UK Emissions Trading Scheme on that industry.

The department works closely with the Construction Leadership Council’s Material Supply Chain Group. Their most recent statement, on 23 April, noted the materials supply chain as functioning well and product availability generally good. We recognise high energy prices are a key challenge for businesses, and our Clean Power 2030 target is key to long-term sustainable price reductions. Our modern Industrial Strategy announced a new British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme that will reduce electricity costs and support thousands of energy intensive businesses. UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) participants are provided with free allocations to mitigate the risk of carbon leakage and incentivise emissions reduction. The UK ETS Authority is reviewing Free Allocation policy and has guaranteed current free allocation levels until 2027.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 June 2025 to Question 53875 on Sudan: Food Aid, how much funding will be allocated to Sudan in the 2025-26 financial year, in the context of the Spending Review 2025, published 11 June 2025.

The Spending Review allocations will be published in July 2025. We will then have a clear indication of how much funding will be allocated to Sudan for the 2025/2026 Financial Year (FY). The Foreign Secretary announced £120 million for this FY 2025/26 at the London Sudan Conference in April, which will provide assistance to 650,000 people in Sudan and across the region.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 February to Question 28555 on Nutrition for Growth Summit, whether it his Department’s policy to spend £1.5 billion on nutrition objectives by 2030, in the context of the Spending Review 2025.

The Spending Review 2025 confirmed the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO) Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget from 2026/27 onwards. Over the coming months, the Department will undertake detailed planning to determine how this budget will be allocated. The FCDO is reviewing how these allocations will support existing and future commitments, with a continued focus on ensuring all ODA spending delivers value for money and advances the UK's development priorities.At the 2025 Nutrition for Growth Summit, the UK reaffirmed its commitment to integrating nutrition objectives and investments across sectors including health, agriculture, humanitarian response, and climate to improve nutrition outcomes. Decisions on specific funding levels, including those relating to nutrition, will be made as part of the broader resource allocation process.