Written questions by Morton.

What additional support his Department plans to provide to vulnerable households facing high winter fuel costs in 2025-26.

The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently. 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. This, combined with our Warm Homes Plan to upgrade millions of homes to make them warmer and cheaper to run is how we will drive down energy bills and make cold homes a thing of the past. The Government recognises that we need to support households struggling with bills whilst we transition to clean power by 2030. This is why we delivered the Warm Home Discount to around 3 million eligible low-income households last winter. We have recently consulted on the expansion of the Warm Home Discount, giving more eligible households £150 off their energy bills. These proposals would bring around 2.7 million households on a qualifying means-tested benefit into the scheme – pushing the total number of households that would receive the discount next winter up to around 6 million. The consultation closed on 24 March and DESNZ is considering the responses received. I have been clear with suppliers that they should do all that they can to support their customers – including vulnerable consumers – who may be struggling with their bills.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) human rights and (b) civil society organisations operating in Tanzania.

The UK has recently launched the Wajibika programme in Tanzania which aims to empower Tanzanian citizens and promote inclusive and effective civic space, political inclusion and address media freedom and access to information.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with Commonwealth partners on the potential impact of the situation in Tanzanian on that county's role in the Commonwealth.

The UK continues to engage with members of the international community, including Commonwealth partners, on specific developments in Tanzania, including the detrimental impact a decline in governance would have on mutual growth and prosperity.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the political situation in Tanzania on UK-Tanzania (a) trade, (b) aid, (c) diplomatic engagement and (d) other relations.

The UK continuously keeps bilateral relations and national interests under review with partner countries throughout the world.We are following political developments in Tanzania, and when required, the our High Commission raises specific areas of concern with the Government of Tanzania.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the availability of commercial insurance for UK companies seeking to operate in Ukraine on British trade and investment in the region.

Limited availability of insurance to operate in Ukraine is a market access barrier for businesses to export, invest or operate in Ukraine. The expertise and global reputation of the London Insurance sector has continued to mobilise international support to increase risk coverage for real sector and trade finance under the 2023 London Conference Framework for War Risk Insurance.In March, Minister Doughty and I joined an international roundtable hosted by Lloyds of London to maintain momentum and encourage insurance companies to reconsider the Ukrainian market. UK Export Finance (UKEF) continues to provide risk insurance for UK exporters trading with Ukraine.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with (a) the trustees of Chelsea Football Club, (b) his Portuguese counterpart and (c) the European Commission on the proceeds of the sale of that club.

The Government is determined to see the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea Football Club reach humanitarian causes in Ukraine, following Russia's illegal full-scale invasion.We are deeply frustrated that it has not been possible to reach agreement on this with Mr Abramovich so far.While the door for negotiations will remain open, we are fully prepared to pursue this matter through the courts if required, to ensure people suffering in Ukraine receive the benefit from these proceeds as soon as possible.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the oral contribution from the Minister of State for Sanctions Implementation and Enforcement on 15 May 2025, Official Report, col 525, when he plans to update the House on how a new joint sanctions intelligence function fit into the existing intelligence framework.

In the conclusions of the sanctions enforcement review, the Government committed to explore options for more effective join up on intelligence, including the merits of a new joint sanctions intelligence function. This scoping will take place during the current financial year. I will keep the House updated on progress in implementing the review conclusions.

With reference to the Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories' Oral Statement of 15 May 2025 on Sanctions Implementation and Enforcement, Official Report, columns 524-526, what role the Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation will play in any proposed changes to the sanctions implementation and enforcement framework.

The Office of Trade Sanctions Implementation (OTSI) was established on 10th October 2024 with new powers to strengthen the implementation and enforcement of trade sanctions. OTSI is working with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and other relevant departments to take forward the conclusions of the cross-Government review of sanctions implementation and enforcement announced by the Minister for Europe on 15th May 2025.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his target date is for distributing the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea Football Club; and how he plans to allocate those funds.

The Government is determined to see the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea Football Club reach humanitarian causes in Ukraine, following Russia's illegal full-scale invasion.We are deeply frustrated that it has not been possible to reach agreement on this with Mr Abramovich so far.While the door for negotiations will remain open, we are fully prepared to pursue this matter through the courts if required, to ensure people suffering in Ukraine receive the benefit from these proceeds as soon as possible.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Minister for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories' Oral Statement of 15 May 2025 on Sanctions Implementation and Enforcement, Official Report, columns 524-526, what his planned timetable is for publishing a new enforcement strategy.

In the conclusions of the sanctions enforcement review, the Government committed to publish a government-wide sanctions enforcement strategy. The development of this strategy will take place during the current financial year. I will keep the House updated on progress in implementing the review conclusions.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to ensure that Hamas has no role in the future governance of Gaza.

Recovery and reconstruction efforts in Gaza must be based upon a solid political and security framework acceptable to both Israelis and Palestinians, which provides long-term peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians alike. We are clear that Hamas must neither govern Gaza nor be a threat to Israel anymore. We explicitly support the central role for the Palestinian Authority and the implementation of its reform agenda. To that end we are working with international counterparts to support the Arab Plan for Gaza reconstruction and strengthen the Palestinian Authority.

What steps is he taking to support start-up companies in (a) the West Midlands and (b) Aldridge-Brownhills constituency.

Last year, the Business Secretary announced a new Business Growth Service, which will make it easier for businesses including start-up companies across the West Midlands and the UK to get support and advice to grow, export and thrive.The West Midlands Growth Hub is where small and medium-sized businesses across Aldridge-Brownhill and the West Midlands can obtain specialist advice on scaling up, accessing new markets, and receiving financial support through the British Business Bank.Businesses can also access other Government programmes such as the Business Support Service, Help to Grow: Management, the UK Export Academy, International Trade Advisors and the Export Support Service.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Russian disinformation on the ability of humanitarian agencies to function in Ukraine.

Foreign information manipulation and interference, including disinformation, is just one of the growing range of divisive and destabilising tools in Russia's hybrid warfare strategy. Disinformation can undermine perceptions of the neutrality of aid workers and relief operations, damaging community acceptance, restricting humanitarian access, and increasing risks for aid workers.Earlier this year the UK and Ukraine signed a landmark 100 Year Partnership and committed to deeper cooperation to combating foreign information manipulation and interference. The UK also co-sponsored a UN Security Council resolution in May 2024 on the protection of humanitarian personnel worldwide encouraging action against misinformation and disinformation campaigns.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the potential link between extreme weather events and the number of malaria cases.

The UK recognises the important links between extreme weather events, exacerbated by climate change, and the number of malaria cases. The UK has spearheaded global efforts to recognise the impacts of climate change on health, through the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP), and to build stronger, climate resilient health systems that are better placed to respond to malaria in the context of extreme weather events through the Climate Resilient and Sustainable Health Systems Programme and Climate and Health Research Programme. We are also a leading donor in the fight against malaria through our support to the Global Fund and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

What estimate he has made of the number of SMEs that were awarded public sector contracts in (a) the West Midlands and (b) Aldridge-Brownhills constituency in each of the last five years.

Information on public sector suppliers within a regional location and/or specific constituency is not held centrally. The Find a Tender service programme includes search and filter capabilities by location, supplier type and contract.

Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the Answer of 12 May 2025 to Question 49740 Innovation: Aldridge-Brownhills, how much Innovation Accelerator pilot grant funding has been allocated to businesses in Aldridge-Brownhills constituency.

£33m was allocated to the West Midlands pilot of the £100m Innovation Accelerator programme. This has been supplemented by an additional £10m through the funding extension for 2025/26.UKRI does not collect data on Innovation Accelerator funding by Parliamentary constituency. The delivery team are not aware of any grant recipients headquartered in Aldridge-Brownhills, but that does not mean that funded activity is not taking part in Aldridge-Brownhills.Decisions on how to invest the funding in the West Midlands were led by a local partnership made up of local leaders, research organisations, and industry. This partnership has worked closely with UKRI to ensure that the projects receiving public funding will be effective in developing the local innovation ecosystem.

What steps she is taking to encourage (a) (i) community and (ii) campaign groups and (b) families affected by knife crime to participate in the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime.

Halving knife crime over the next decade is a key part of the Government’s Safer Streets Mission and driving down serious violence across the UK, including in the West Midlands, will play a key role in meeting this ambition.In the West Midlands, the government has allocated c.£3.7m for the Hotspot Action Fund in 2025-2026 to deliver high visibility patrolling and problem-oriented policing tactics in the areas with the highest densities of knife crime and Anti-Social Behaviour (‘hotspots’).We routinely monitor police recorded crime data trends for all forces. West Midlands Police recorded 4,664 offences involving a knife or a sharp instrument in the year ending December 2024, a 12% fall compared with the previous year (5,323 offences). The fall was driven by a 14% fall in knife-enabled robbery (from 2,684 to 2,309 offences) and a 11% fall in assault with injury and assault with intent to cause serious harm (from 1,952 to 1,730).Through our Young Futures Programme, the Government will introduce Prevention Partnerships across the country, including in the West Midlands, to intervene earlier and ensure that children and young people who are vulnerable to being drawn into crime are identified and offered support in a more systematic way.As we continue to design the Young Futures Programme, we want to ensure that it learns from and builds on the work of the Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) in this regard. In 2025/26 we are investing £47m via the Home Office in core grant funding to VRUs, including making over £4.3m available to the West Midlands VRU this year.This funding will support the delivery of a range of early intervention and prevention programmes such as youth workers in hospital settings (A&E Navigators), social skills training, and tailored support to individuals at risk of involvement in gangs and county lines to divert young people away from crime.A further £14.3m in grant funding has been made available across all 43 local policing body areas to deliver the Serious Violence Duty with £254k available to the West Midlands.Additionally, we have launched the Knife Enabled Robbery (‘KER’) Taskforce, focusing on reducing KER in the highest volume police force areas, including the West Midlands. The Taskforce identified school-age KER as a specific operational challenge and has worked with the Department for Education and school leaders to tackle it by developing bespoke “KER school action plans”.To ensure community leaders, campaign groups, families of those who have tragically lost their lives to knife crime and young people who have been impacted are involved in our plans, the Prime Minister launched the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime in September 2024. The Coalition contributes to policy development in key areas. I (Minister for Crime Prevention and Policing) have attended several coalition meetings since it was founded, chairing its most recent meeting. The Coalition has discussed key policy issues, including the online sale of knives, child criminal exploitation and the banning of ninja swords.To date, we have implemented a ban on the sale and possession of zombie-style knives and zombie-style machetes and a ban on ninja swords will come into effect from 1 August. We are planning an expanded surrender scheme in July to allow those who currently own dangerous weapons to hand them in safely and securely.In the Crime and Policing Bill 2025, we are increasing the penalties for illegal sales of knives, creating a new offence of possessing a knife with the intention to commit unlawful violence and are giving the police a new power to seize knives when they believe they are likely to be used in connection with unlawful violence.

What discussions she has had with the Coalition to Fight Knife Crime on tackling knife crime.

Halving knife crime over the next decade is a key part of the Government’s Safer Streets Mission and driving down serious violence across the UK, including in the West Midlands, will play a key role in meeting this ambition.In the West Midlands, the government has allocated c.£3.7m for the Hotspot Action Fund in 2025-2026 to deliver high visibility patrolling and problem-oriented policing tactics in the areas with the highest densities of knife crime and Anti-Social Behaviour (‘hotspots’).We routinely monitor police recorded crime data trends for all forces. West Midlands Police recorded 4,664 offences involving a knife or a sharp instrument in the year ending December 2024, a 12% fall compared with the previous year (5,323 offences). The fall was driven by a 14% fall in knife-enabled robbery (from 2,684 to 2,309 offences) and a 11% fall in assault with injury and assault with intent to cause serious harm (from 1,952 to 1,730).Through our Young Futures Programme, the Government will introduce Prevention Partnerships across the country, including in the West Midlands, to intervene earlier and ensure that children and young people who are vulnerable to being drawn into crime are identified and offered support in a more systematic way.As we continue to design the Young Futures Programme, we want to ensure that it learns from and builds on the work of the Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) in this regard. In 2025/26 we are investing £47m via the Home Office in core grant funding to VRUs, including making over £4.3m available to the West Midlands VRU this year.This funding will support the delivery of a range of early intervention and prevention programmes such as youth workers in hospital settings (A&E Navigators), social skills training, and tailored support to individuals at risk of involvement in gangs and county lines to divert young people away from crime.A further £14.3m in grant funding has been made available across all 43 local policing body areas to deliver the Serious Violence Duty with £254k available to the West Midlands.Additionally, we have launched the Knife Enabled Robbery (‘KER’) Taskforce, focusing on reducing KER in the highest volume police force areas, including the West Midlands. The Taskforce identified school-age KER as a specific operational challenge and has worked with the Department for Education and school leaders to tackle it by developing bespoke “KER school action plans”.To ensure community leaders, campaign groups, families of those who have tragically lost their lives to knife crime and young people who have been impacted are involved in our plans, the Prime Minister launched the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime in September 2024. The Coalition contributes to policy development in key areas. I (Minister for Crime Prevention and Policing) have attended several coalition meetings since it was founded, chairing its most recent meeting. The Coalition has discussed key policy issues, including the online sale of knives, child criminal exploitation and the banning of ninja swords.To date, we have implemented a ban on the sale and possession of zombie-style knives and zombie-style machetes and a ban on ninja swords will come into effect from 1 August. We are planning an expanded surrender scheme in July to allow those who currently own dangerous weapons to hand them in safely and securely.In the Crime and Policing Bill 2025, we are increasing the penalties for illegal sales of knives, creating a new offence of possessing a knife with the intention to commit unlawful violence and are giving the police a new power to seize knives when they believe they are likely to be used in connection with unlawful violence.

If she will make an assessment of the adequacy of using gross national income forecasts to determine future levels of Official Development Assistance.

To enable the government to invest more in security and defence, while remaining committed to our fiscal rules, the Prime Minister has taken the difficult decision to reduce Official Development Assistance (ODA) to the equivalent of 0.3% of GNI by 2027. Following the Spending Review, financial year ODA Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) totals will no longer be adjusted for Gross National Income fluctuations to improve budget stability. The government remains committed to international development and to returning ODA to 0.7% of GNI when the fiscal circumstances allow.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help support diagnostic testing of fevers in countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The UK Government through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is a long-term supporter of Product Development Partnerships to develop novel health technologies for diseases where commercial markets fail. This support has led to the development of diagnostics for sleeping sickness, malaria, tuberculosis and COVID-19. Additionally, the UK's current £1 billion pledge to the Global Fund supports testing, treatment, and prevention initiatives across Sub-Saharan Africa and strengthens health systems, helping countries prevent, prepare for, and respond to pandemics. Programmes supported by the Global Fund performed 335 million malaria tests in 2023. Through our £1.65 billion investment in Gavi, the vaccine alliance from 2021-25, the UK is supporting the vaccination of 300 million children, and the procurement and distribution of yellow fever and cholera diagnostic tests. Finally, our £95 million Tackling Deadly Diseases in Africa programme (TDDAP) is strengthening national public health surveillance and laboratory systems to better detect and respond to public health threats and outbreaks in Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda and DRC.