Written questions by Morton.

What steps he is taking to support households to get value for money from their energy supplier.

The government has been working with Ofgem to drive a step-change in customer service through the regulator's Consumer Confidence programme. This includes reviewing the rules around billing accuracy and complaint handling so that suppliers get it right first time. Further, the government has been working with Ofgem to ensure that when things do go wrong, households get fairer, quicker, easier compensation. This includes looking at expanding automatic compensation to cover more key issues and at further increasing the value of base-level compensation from £40 to reflect the inconvenience for consumers when they are let down by their supplier.

When she expects the West Midlands Rail Hub to be completed.

The first phase of Midlands Rail Hub, which enables additional trains between Birmingham and South Wales, and the South West, and on Birmingham’s Cross City Line is expected to enter service in the early 2030s.

Pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2025 to Question 60503 on Housing: Construction, what steps he is taking to help mitigate risks associated with fluctuations in energy prices.

The Government believes the best way to protect billpayers, both households and businesses, from fluctuations in energy prices is through our mission to deliver clean power by 2030. The creation of Great British Energy will help us to harness clean energy and have less reliance on volatile international energy markets and help in our commitment to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2025 to Question 60503 on Housing: Construction, what the cost components are of the stability of energy costs in manufacturing.

Manufacturing energy costs are comprised of the wholesale price, network charges, and policy costs used to fund renewables and other initiatives including the Contracts for Difference, Renewables Obligation, Feed-in Tariff, Capacity Market charges, Nuclear RAB, and more. The Climate Change Levy is also applied to industrial energy bills, and there are indirect costs associated with the Emissions Trading Scheme and Carbon Price Support.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what proportion of the UK's pledge at the Gavi summit on 25 June 2025 will be delivered through the International Finance Facility for Immunisation.

We are currently working with Gavi and the International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIM) Fund Manager to determine the proportion of our £1.25 billion pledge that will be provided through existing and new IFFIM pledges and the annual profile of contributions. Details will be determined and published on Dev Tracker in time for the commencement of the UK's 2026/27 financial year in April 2026.

What budget has been allocated for the London Coalition on Sustainable Sovereign Debt.

No government funding has been allocated to the London Coalition on Sustainable Sovereign Debt. As set out in my written ministerial statement of 23rd June, the Coalition is convened by the Sustainable Sovereign Debt Hub and funded by CIFF (The Children’s Investment Fund Foundation).

What dates have been set for (a) the inaugural meeting and (b) any future meetings of the London Coalition on Sustainable Sovereign Debt.

The launch event for the London Coalition on Sustainable Sovereign Debt took place on 23rd June. Dates for future meetings are still being finalised.

What steps she is taking to incentivise saving.

Individuals can save up to £20,000 into an Individual Savings Account each year, and any savings income received is tax free. Along with the Personal Savings Allowance of up to £1,000, and the Starting Rate for Savings of up to £5,000 for those with earned income below £17,570, around 85 per cent of people with savings income pay no tax. The Help to Save scheme also supports low-income working households to start a long-term savings habit.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the (a) annual spending allocation profile and (b) planned timeline is for the £1.25 funding pledge to Gavi.

We are currently working with Gavi and the International Finance Facility for Immunisation (IFFIM) Fund Manager to determine the proportion of our £1.25 billion pledge that will be provided through existing and new IFFIM pledges and the annual profile of contributions. Details will be determined and published on Dev Tracker in time for the commencement of the UK's 2026/27 financial year in April 2026.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to the Taliban on the treatment of (a) LGBT+ people, (b) women and girls and (c) people from ethnic Hazara communities.

Ministers do not engage with the Taliban, but Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials regularly press the Taliban to respect the human rights of all Afghans, most recently in June. The Government is working with international partners to maintain collective pressure on the Taliban to reverse their inhuman restrictions. We continue to support the UN Special Rapporteur and his mandate to document human rights abuses in Afghanistan. Upholding human rights and gender equality is not only a moral imperative but also essential for building a stable, inclusive and prosperous country for all Afghans.

What steps she is taking to reduce the number of households relying on high-cost credit to meet living expenses.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is responsible for regulating the consumer credit sector. The FCA requires firms to carry out an assessment of the creditworthiness of a prospective borrower before entering into a regulated credit agreement with them. Under FCA rules, when undertaking creditworthiness assessments, firms must assess each customer’s creditworthiness by considering not just whether a customer will repay, but also the customer’s ability to repay affordably and without significantly affecting their wider financial situation. The Government recognises that credit, when provided responsibly and affordably, can be crucial for people facing unexpected expenses or managing their cash flow. That is why, as part of its Financial Inclusion Strategy, the Government is committed to expanding access to affordable credit. The development of the Financial Inclusion Strategy is being informed by a committee of industry and consumer representatives I chair, ahead of its publication later this year. The access to credit workstream has been considered by a dedicated sub-committee which included financial services firms, credit unions and consumer representative organisations. The Committee has also been considering how to support individuals and households to build their financial resilience by increasing the level of emergency saving buffers in the UK. In addition, the Government provides a range of debt advice services in England through the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) to meet the needs of individuals in problem debt, including national and community-based services offering free-to-client debt advice.

What assessment has she made of the potential impact of food price and energy inflation on (a) low-income households, (b) pensioners and (c) disabled people.

We know increased costs in essential areas are worrying and cause hardship for many families with children. That is why the Government is taking a comprehensive approach—supporting those in immediate need while addressing the structural changes necessary to fix the country's foundations. Food, energy and credit costs are a function of a variety of factors including international agricultural commodity prices, the exchange rate, wholesale energy prices, and interest rates. The best way to help with the cost of living is by reducing overall inflation. The Bank of England has the responsibility of controlling inflation, and the Government fully supports them as they take action to sustainably return inflation to 2%. The independent Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has cut Bank Rate four times since August. The effective interest rate – the actual interest paid by a borrower - on new a 2-year fixed rate mortgage has fallen 46 basis points since the election (May 2025 vs June 2024). The government is committed to helping those in need due to the rising cost of living. An uplift to the Universal Credit Standard Allowance will see it rise to 5% above inflation by 2029-30. The government is also investing £1 billion a year (including Barnett impact) in a multi-year settlement for crisis support, which includes funding for councils to support some of the poorest households so that their children do not go hungry outside of term time. From the start of the 2026 school year, the government will expand Free School Meals to all pupils with a parent receiving Universal Credit. This will put £500 back into parents’ pockets every year. The most recent Ofgem energy price cap, in place until September is 7% lower than the previous cap, reducing annual energy bills for a typical home by £129. Additionally, the Warm Home Discount is being expanded to every billpayer on means-tested benefits, meaning 2.7 million extra households will receive £150 off their energy bills next winter, helping reduce energy costs for around 6 million households. From this winter (2025-26), pensioners with incomes up to and including £35,000 will benefit a Winter Fuel Payment. This will mean that the vast majority — over three quarters, or 9 million pensioners in England and Wakes — will benefit. This change ensures that the means-testing of winter fuel payments has no effect on pensioner poverty. The government’s top priority is to deliver strong, sustainable growth that raises living standards across the UK. A growing economy plays a key role in providing greater financial security for households and helping to make food, energy and credit more affordable.

What assessment he has made of the proportion of overall household spending by lower income households on energy costs.

DESNZ’s fuel poverty statistics include an affordability measure of the number of households in England required to spend over 10% of income on energy costs. In 2024, this was estimated at 8.99 million households (36.3%). The review of the fuel poverty strategy consultation document includes a version of this measure limited to households on a low income, in the ‘Measuring fuel poverty’ section. An estimated 6.6 million low income households spent over 10% of income on energy costs in England in 2023.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Women, Peace and Security National Action Plan, report to Parliament 2024 to 2025, published on 17 June 2025, what support the UK is giving to a ‘Special Funding Window on Conflict and Crises with respect to tackling Gender-Based Violence.

The UK is committed to tackling gender-based violence at home and overseas, including in areas of conflict and crises. We have been a proud contributor to the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women (UNTF) since 2014, with the UK committing £2 million to their special funding window on conflict and crisis in 2023. New grantees within the UNTF were announced in 2024 and included organisations working in Myanmar, Syria and the Occupied Palestinian Territories - under the latest funding cycle, over 20% of the UNTF's new and diverse portfolio of grantees will target support to displaced and refugee women. The UK's support will fund civil society organisations to respond and prevent various forms of violence, including conflict-related sexual violence and violence against women in refugee or displaced persons camps.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the reduction in ODA on his Department’s work on human rights.

We will further human rights by listening to our partners, investing in genuine partnerships, identifying joint goals, and working over the long term to drive meaningful change. We will also encourage states to uphold their international human rights obligations, and to hold those who violate or abuse human rights to account.The UK remains committed to supporting human rights around the world in line with the five priorities set out by the Minister responsible for Human Rights, in December 2024: 1) civic space; 2) rule of law; 3) equal rights for all; 4) accountable, effective, inclusive institutions; and 5) prioritising human rights and governance principles in responding to global challenges.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of average savings held by (a) low-income households and (b) pensioners for meeting emergency or unforeseen costs.

The Government is committed to incentivising saving and investment, helping people to save for their future goals and build greater financial resilience. Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) support people of all incomes and at all stages of life to save. The Help to Save scheme also supports low-income working households to start a long-term savings habit. As part of its forthcoming Financial Inclusion Strategy, the Government is considering how households, including those on low incomes, can increase their financial resilience; and how people of all ages across the UK can build emergency savings buffers. In addition to savings, the Financial Inclusion Committee has discussed digital inclusion and access to banking services; access to credit; access to insurance; problem debt; and financial education and capability. The development of the Financial Inclusion Strategy is being informed by a committee of industry and consumer representatives which I chair. Summaries of the Committee meetings are available on GOV.UK. The Strategy will be published later this year. No assessment has been made of the adequacy of average savings. The Government keeps all aspects of the tax system under review.

What contribution GB Energy has made to reducing (a) gas, (b) electricity and (c) fuel bills since its establishment in May 2025.

Great British Energy (GBE) is a key part of our plan to protect bill payers from volatile international fossil fuel markets by accelerating clean power deployment. By investing in and developing clean energy projects GBE will ensure UK taxpayers and billpayers reap the benefits of homegrown energy. The Great British Energy Act gained Royal Assent on the 15th May and the company is now setting up its headquarters in Aberdeen and recruiting the team that will deliver its work. The Secretary of State will set out a Statement of Strategic Priorities in due course but in the meantime GBE has made initial investments in community energy and working alongside other government departments to deliver a programme of solar power for schools and hospitals across the country.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2025 to Question 59861 on Development Aid, what reforms he plans to drive in the multilateral system, whether he plans to do this in concert with allies; and what his planned timeline is for starting work on this.

The UK is a strong supporter of the international system, but we want to see reform. That is why we are prioritising multilateral organisations with our spending in the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget, while driving reform to strengthen its most important parts - humanitarian, health, climate, and the international financial institutions. This will help lower-income countries sustain their progress and become self-sufficient.No nation can tackle global challenges alone, and the multilateral system offers scale, value for money and impact. We are in regular discussion with our allies on reform, including on the UN80 process. We are using our voice and influence to push for greater efficiency and clearer coordination.We will continue to support multilateral development banks and invest in multilateral funds like Gavi, working with our partners and allies on reform. At the recent Gavi Leaders Summit, the Foreign Secretary announced the UK will invest £1.25 billion in Gavi and called for reform of the multilateral global health system.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2025 to Question 60503 on Housing: Construction, what steps her Department is taking to (a) monitor and (b) prevent future cost pressures on materials that may impact housebuilding targets.

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 there is evidence that they are doing so. For example, we have seen deliveries of bricks in England, Scotland and Wales increase by 23% in the year to May 2025.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.We will continue to closely monitor the cost of building materials.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 24 June 2025 to Question 59861 on Development Aid, which multilateral organisations he will prioritise funding.

We will prioritise multilaterals in the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget, while driving reform of the multilateral system to strengthen its most important parts - humanitarian, health, climate, and the international financial institutions - to help lower-income countries sustain their progress and become self-sufficient. We will publish final 2025/26 ODA programme allocations in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Annual Report and Accounts on 21 July. Over the coming months, we will work through detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used from 2026/27, informed by internal and external consultation and impact assessments, ahead of publishing indicative multi-year allocations in the autumn.