Written questions by Morton.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with food retailers on the prices of (a) staple food items, (b) cereal, (c) milk, (d) butter and (e) beef.

Ministers and Defra officials regularly engage with food retailers and producers on a wide range of food supply issues, including affordability and access to staple items such as cereal, milk, butter, and beef. These discussions form part of our ongoing efforts to ensure a resilient and fair food supply chain. While pricing decisions remain a matter for individual businesses, we recognise the pressures facing both consumers and retailers. The Government continues to monitor food price trends closely and Defra’s Food Strategy, announced in December, will be considering how easily our citizens can access affordable, safe, nutritious, healthy food and we’ll be working across government and with the food supply chain to find solutions.

What steps the UK Health Security Agency is taking through Strategic Commissioning Group to support Birmingham City Council in tackling the public health risks associated with household waste.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued standard public health guidance to Birmingham City Council regarding the risks associated with household waste, with the aim of minimising the potential health impacts on residents. This guidance is available on the Birmingham City Council website, at the following link:https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/20009/waste_and_recycling/3020/waste_and_recycling_industrial_action_-_faq_for_residents/6The UKHSA is an active member of the multi-agency Strategic Coordinating Group and has contributed to the risk assessment concerning the potential health effects of uncollected waste. The UKHSA will continue providing expert advice and support to Birmingham City Council for as long as necessary.In addition, the UKHSA is closely monitoring infection rates, including leptospirosis, which could be influenced by the accumulation of refuse. As of now, there has been no reported increase in leptospirosis cases among Birmingham residents since the industrial action began.The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Environment Agency have published statutory guidance on the Waste Duty of Care: Code of Practice, which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/waste-duty-of-care-code-of-practice/waste-duty-of-care-code-of-practice

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support (a) retailers and (b) hospitality with the potential impact of changes to (i) National Insurance Contributions and (ii) National Minimum Wage on food prices.

ONS data for May 2025 shows CPI food price inflation was 4.4%, up from 3.4% in April 2025. This is due to range of factors, including the strength in some commodity prices, this year’s exceptionally dry spring and geopolitical concerns etc. We have protected the small businesses from the impact of the increase to employer National Insurance by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. This means that 865,000 employers will pay no employer NICs at all this year, and more than half of employers will see no change or will gain overall from the changes to employer NICs that came into effect from 6 April 2025. The National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage is set following a recommendation from the Low Pay Commission. In making that recommendation the LPC is required to take into account the effects of that rate on business, competitiveness the labour market and the wider economy. By seeking expert and independent advice from the Low Pay Commission, we are able to ensure that the right balance is struck between the needs of workers, the affordability for businesses and the impact on the economy As part of the plan for change, the Government is developing a food strategy to transform the food system and make good, healthy food more accessible and affordable and to realise the potential within the food sector itself. We are meeting retail and hospitality representatives regularly as well as others in the food and drink industry, civil society, and citizens to work up shared goals and priorities.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of using asset-based community development strategies to support displaced people in South Sudan.

In South Sudan, we support the World Food Programme's asset creation and livelihoods interventions, which help local communities to become more self-sufficient and resilient. This includes constructing wells, roads and supporting small businesses. We are also supporting an NGO-led project THRIVE (Transforming Household Resilience Through Inclusive Economic Development in South Sudan), which is helping vulnerable pastoral communities to sustain livelihoods and strengthen the markets they rely on. For example, this includes supporting farmer cooperatives, sustainable tree nurseries and cold storage of fisheries. In addition, we work with the International Organization for Migration to support people displaced by conflict or natural disasters. Together, we help them find safer, more stable places to live and rebuild their lives. These efforts align with our broader objectives of sustainable development and conflict recovery in South Sudan.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure compliance with the waste carriers, brokers and dealers registration regime.

The Environment Agency (EA) adopts a risk-based approach to monitoring compliance by conducting targeted audits and roadside checks with partners and identifying and auditing high-risk brokers. The EA uses a range of proportionate actions to secure compliance in line with its Enforcement and Sanctions Policy. However, it is acknowledged that the current waste carriers, brokers and dealers regulatory regime is not fit for purpose. We recently announced plans to tighten up the regulation of those who transport and manage waste services, moving them from a light-touch registration system into environmental permitting. This will give the EA a greater range of powers and more resources to be able to take action against those operating illegally. It will also introduce the possibility of up to 5 years imprisonment for those who breach these new laws.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of moving the the UK Mission to Afghanistan from Doha to a UK-based Afghanistan department.

The UK Mission to Afghanistan in Doha closed on 30 June 2025. Mr Richard Lindsay was appointed as Special Envoy to Afghanistan on 17 June. He will lead a new Afghanistan department from the UK, taking on the duties of the current Chargé d'Affaires. These changes will not affect our resolve to support the people of Afghanistan, which is unwavering.This new approach will allow the UK to engage with a broader range of Afghans. The Special Envoy will engage the Taliban on UK priorities including counter terrorism, human rights, and humanitarian access; support intra-Afghan dialogue; engage women, religious and ethnic minorities who suffer at the hands of the Taliban; and work with regional countries on shared priorities.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to monitor the potential impact of the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan on women and girls.

Women and girls continue to bear the brunt of this humanitarian crisis due to systematic Taliban oppression. As I set out in my statement of 17 June, our independent monitoring shows that our assistance continues to reach vulnerable people, including women and girls. The UK government remains committed that at least 50% of people reached by UK aid are women and girls. We have repeatedly condemned the Taliban's abhorrent policies towards women and girls and remain united with the international community in our firm opposition to continued restrictions. 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.

Communities and Local Government, what steps is she taking to encourage the development of affordable homes on brownfield sites.

The government is committed to delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation.The National Planning Policy Framework sets out that planning policies and decisions should give substantial weight to the value of using suitable brownfield land within settlements for homes and other identified needs – such as affordable housing – and support development that makes efficient use of land.The government has also committed to strengthening the system of developer contributions to ensure that new developments provide necessary affordable homes and infrastructure, including on suitable brownfield sites. Further details will be set out in due course.At the Spending Review, the Chancellor announced £39 billion for a successor to the Affordable Homes Programme over 10 years from 2026-27 to 2035-36.This new Social and Affordable Homes Programme will give Registered Providers a decade of certainty over the capital funding they will have available to build new, more ambitious housing development projects.Outside of London, Homes England will be able to use this funding to support the development of affordable homes, including on suitable brownfield land across the country.The programme will not have numerical targets or ringfenced budgets for particular regions or types of home beyond the GLA’s portion, but we will ensure that established Mayoral Strategic Authorities (EMSAs), including the Mayor of the West Midlands, can set its strategic direction in their areas and indicative upfront spend subject to suitable projects.

Communities and Local Government, how many meetings Ministers in her Department have had with (a) Birmingham City Council and (b) Unite since the start of the waste collection industrial dispute in Birmingham.

Since Birmingham City Council’s declaration of a ‘major incident’ on 31 March, Ministers have been in regular contact with the Council to tackle the backlog of waste on the city’s streets.Ministers have not met with Unite.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the Taliban on the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan: and what outcome he has achieved.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) officials regularly speak to the Taliban on the UK Government's priorities, including women's rights in Afghanistan, most recently in June. Ministers do not engage with the Taliban. The Foreign Secretary condemned the erosion of women and girls' rights in the appalling "vice and virtue" law introduced in August 2024. The UK Government is working with international partners to maintain collective pressure on the Taliban to reverse their inhuman restrictions. 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.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what mechanisms his Department has put in place to monitor the delivery of UK-funded aid in Afghanistan.

The Assurance and Learning Programme was established by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in 2022 to strengthen oversight of the delivery of UK-funded aid in Afghanistan by providing independent third-party monitoring and portfolio monitoring, evaluation and learning. In addition, officials visit Kabul regularly and meet partners there. FCDO's Official Development Assistance (ODA) programmes in Afghanistan have been subject to regular Independent Commission for Aid Impact (ICAI) oversight. FCDO facilitated a visit to Kabul by the ICAI Commissioner Sir Hugh Bayley in May 2024, where he met UN agencies and local and international NGOs supported by the UK to support the completion of an Information Note.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether it remains his policy to help ensure that at least 50% of recipients of UK aid in Afghanistan are women and girls.

The UK remains committed that at least 50 per cent of people reached by UK aid are women and girls - a commitment we have met every year since the Taliban takeover in 2021. We ensure UK aid reaches women and meets their needs. Over 750,000 women received emergency food assistance and over 1 million received health support through UK funding in 2023 to 2024. We look forward to publishing the results of our aid delivered in 2024/25 later this year, including to women and girls.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding his Department has allocated to (a) climate adaptation and (b) food resilience programmes in Afghanistan in 2024–25.

In financial year 2024-25, we allocated £171 million to provide vital support for vulnerable people in Afghanistan, including £65 million to the World Food Programme to help more than one million people with emergency food, resilience and nutrition assistance. In line with our international obligations the details of our annual International Climate Finance (ICF) spend are published through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, including by recipient country or region. As I set out in my written statement of 17 June, we are launching new programming supporting Afghans to grow their own food, strengthen their resilience to climate shocks and water stress, improve their livelihoods, and reduce dependence on emergency aid.

Communities and Local Government, how much and what proportion of the funding announced for the 10‑year Affordable Homes Programme at the Spending Review 2025 will be spent in the West Midlands.

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 2 July 2025 (HCWS771).

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 18 June 2025 to Question 59018 on Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria: Finance, what funding his Department has allocated for the financial year 2025/26.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO) initial 2025/26 Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocations aim to maximise the FCDO's flexibility ahead of setting final ODA allocations, while meeting legally binding commitments and existing live contracts and agreements. We will publish our final 2025/26 ODA programme allocations in the Annual Report & Accounts in July.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he taking is to encourage (a) large humanitarian aid donors, (b) multilateral organisations and (c) other partner nations to provide funding for women-led grassroots organisations in official development assistance-recipient countries.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is putting women and girls at the centre of our international work. We remain focused on supporting and partnering with women's rights organisations and movements, recognising that there is strong evidence that grassroots women-led delivery partners play a significant role in securing and advancing women's rights as well as driving social accountability and enhancing public services for marginalised groups.We will use our convening power and diplomacy to maximise our impact in these areas. This includes by increasing the use of expertise to provide technical assistance to partner governments, and by using our voice to hold multilateral organisations to account on delivery for women and girls.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to increase the proportion of official development assistance that is being delivered through grassroots women-led delivery partners.

Following the Spending Review, detailed decisions on how the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget will be used are being worked through as part of ongoing resource allocation processes. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is committed to empowering women and girls around the world through our international work. We remain focused on supporting and partnering with women's rights organisations and movements, recognising that there is strong evidence that grassroots women-led delivery partners play a significant role in securing and advancing women's rights as well as driving social accountability and enhancing public services for marginalised groups. For example, the Grassroots and Counter Rollback Programme (2024-29) announced by the Prime Minister in December 2024 will strengthen local and national civil society organisations and movements to expand access to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), and counter rollback, within their own communities and countries. We will publish the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's final 2025/26 ODA programme allocations in the Annual Report & Accounts in July.

What steps is she taking to support West Midlands Police to tackle unauthorised encampments.

The Government keeps police powers under regular review to ensure they remain effective.

What assessment has she made of the adequacy of police powers to tackle unauthorised encampments.

The Government keeps police powers under regular review to ensure they remain effective.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the level of humanitarian funding to Afghanistan in response to warnings by the World Food Programme that it can only reach 10% of food-insecure Afghans.

The UK is taking a leading role to support the people of Afghanistan. The UK remains one of the most generous donors to the humanitarian response and we continue to engage with the UN and other donors to sustain support for aid organisations in country.Last financial year we provided £171 million to support Afghans affected by the ongoing crisis. This included £65 million to the World Food Programme who remain one of our primary partners in country. We continue to monitor the situation closely and expect to continue to be a key donor to the humanitarian response in Afghanistan going forward.