Written questions by Morton.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with other signatories to the Dayton Peace Agreement to help ensure that it remains fit for purpose.

The UK remains committed to the Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA) and its instruments for maintaining peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). We work through the Peace Implementation Council to bolster domestic institutions to respond to threats to the DPA. The UK supports the High Representative's role, and should the situation require it, the use of executive powers to protect BiH's constitutional framework, stability and institutions. The Foreign Secretary, the Special Envoy and I continue to engage closely with leaders in BiH and the region, urging them to influence positively and refrain from actions which would undermine BiH's constitution. I reiterated these messages to BiH Foreign Minister Elmedin Konaković and the High Representative of BiH when we met on 12 April, as did the Foreign Secretary when he spoke to BiH President Denis Bećirović on 29 April.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing long-term funding for de-mining (a) organisations and (b) programmes between 2026 and 2029.

Decisions on how the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget will be used from 2025-2029 are being worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review, based on various factors including impact assessments.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, what her planned timetable is for publishing national guidance on when local planning committees should delegate decisions to planning officers.

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill includes a regulation-making power to issue statutory guidance on a national scheme of delegation.The government intend to formally consult on proposals relating to the delegation of planning decisions in England alongside the Bill’s passage.

If she will make an assessment of the accuracy of her Department’s impact assessment on the decision to remove the winter fuel payment.

In line with the requirements of the Public Sector Equality Duty, an Equality Analysis was produced and considered as part of the ministerial decision-making process. This was published on 13 September and is available online: Equality Impact Assessments produced for targeting Winter Fuel Payment - GOV.UK. The Department will continue to monitor outcomes for pensioners.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 2025 to Question 42592 on Councillors: Planning, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill on the role of councillors' (a) openness, (b) accountability and (c) scrutiny in the planning process.

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill includes a regulation-making power to issue statutory guidance on a national scheme of delegation.The government intend to formally consult on proposals relating to the delegation of planning decisions in England alongside the Bill’s passage.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, what assessment she has made of the potential impact on local democratic oversight of replacing individual local authority schemes with a national scheme for when planning committees should delegate decisions to planning officers.

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill includes a regulation-making power to issue statutory guidance on a national scheme of delegation.The government intend to formally consult on proposals relating to the delegation of planning decisions in England alongside the Bill’s passage.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with the science and technology sector to support his international development objectives.

Science and technology are a crucial part of the UK's international development offer, tackling development challenges and innovating and scaling solutions to save and improve lives globally.The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) drives inclusive, responsible, and sustainable development through equitable research partnerships, combining UK science and technology expertise with research ecosystems in the Global South, delivering mutual benefits.The FCDO leverages the UK science and technology sector to deliver the Government's missions and the Foreign Secretary's international development priorities. This includes green and digital technologies, lifesaving vaccines, research on regional peace and security in the Middle East and Ukraine, and innovations to support humanitarian interventions.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 1 April 2025 to Question 39453 on World Summit for Social Development, what budget was allocated for his Department’s participation in the conference.

The UK continues to engage in preparatory discussions in relation to the second World Summit for Social Development (WSSD). The UK is committed to attending the WSSD in November 2024 and we are working through the UK's delegation, at official and ministerial levels. The budget will be allocated to facilitate the attendance accordingly.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2025 to Question 41879 on European Political Community, whether (a) staff and (b) Ministers from his Department attended; and what the cost was of participation by his Department.

The next European Political Community summit will take place in Tirana on 16 May. We will be able to share further information about the Summit after it takes place.

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

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) remains committed to supporting nutrition in our development work. The FCDO will be able to share further details once the Spending Review is concluded.The Minister of State for International Development, Latin America and the Caribbean, led the UK's delegation to the recent Nutrition for Growth Summit, and reiterated our commitments to nutrition objectives particularly integrating nutrition into our wider programming.The FCDO continues to report progress against our financial commitments through its annual Nutrition Accountability Report, as well as through updates to the Global Nutrition Report's Nutrition Accountability Framework.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what criteria he uses to assess whether to withdraw funding from Official Development Assistance programmes in Sudan.

The UK has been a longstanding and major humanitarian donor to Sudan with £226.5 million allocated in the financial year of 2024/25 towards the crisis. The UK also committed a further £120 million in funding which will target over 650,000 people. In his statement to Parliament on Defence and Official Development Assistance spend, the Prime Minister made clear that Sudan would remain a humanitarian priority. The Prime Minister is committed to returning 0.7 per cent spending when fiscal conditions allow. The ongoing obfuscation of relief operations by Sudan's warring parties is imperilling tens of millions of people. More funding is required from across the international community. However, without a step change in access the already dire situation will drastically deteriorate.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of landmines on the humanitarian situation in north west Syria.

Explosive ordnance continues to pose a significant threat to civilians and humanitarian workers across Syria.We provide funding to the mine action sector via the UK-led Aid Fund for Syria, the UK Global Mine Action Programme and the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of humanitarian aid distribution in (a) Sudan and (b) South Sudan; and what steps he is taking to help improve distribution.

Sudan is in the grip of the most severe humanitarian crisis globally with 30 million people requiring life-saving aid. The ongoing obfuscation of relief operations by Sudan's warring parties alongside continued fighting are imperilling tens of millions of people. During last month's London Sudan Conference, chaired by the Foreign Secretary, attendees agreed to use their influence with the parties, and urged them to lift all impediments, and guarantee safe, rapid, and unimpeded access throughout Sudan for humanitarian supplies and personnel.  At the conference the Foreign Secretary announced a further £120 million in UK funding.South Sudan faces a parallel humanitarian crisis compounded by climate and conflict shocks and exacerbated by the over 1.1 million people fleeing Sudan since the onset of conflict in April 2023, including returnees and refugees. In August 2024, the former Minister for Development visited South Sudan and emphasised to senior South Sudanese ministers the need for effective humanitarian aid delivery. We continue to support the UN Mission in South Sudan, and non governmental organisation partners in their delivery of aid, and urge the government to improve the enabling of humanitarian assistance by reducing bureaucratic impediments, preventing aid diversion, ending unwarranted interference in recruitment, and ensuring safe and free movement of aid workers.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 2025 to Question 42598 on Recycling: Packaging, who is on the steering group; and which specific sectors are represented.

The Scheme Administrator Steering Group has an independent chair, UK Government officials, local authority representation, and business and producer representatives. Please see this GOV.UK page for Scheme Administrator Steering Group membership.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of demining programmes on levels of migration to the UK from countries where those programmes are active.

Migration decisions are often complex and driven by a combination of intersecting factors, so it is challenging to assess the impact of demining programmes specifically on migration to the UK. However, the presence of explosive ordnance acts as a driver of migration by creating an environment of fear, insecurity and physical danger that compels people to flee their homes. Demining is also an enabler of voluntary return; ensuring that land becomes safe again helps people to feel able to return home. Over time, through risk education and demining, humanitarian mine action programmes have a track record of reducing casualties and improving livelihoods, giving people an alternative to onward movement.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of demining programmes on (a) the economy and (b) food security.

In countries with significant levels of contamination, demining programmes can have a huge impact on the economy and food security by releasing land for return to productive use. In Ukraine, for example, some 139,000 square kilometres of land need to be surveyed for potential contamination, and an estimated 28,000 square kilometres of agricultural land has been abandoned because of landmines and other impacts of the war. One recent report found that, compared to 2021, mines and explosive ordnance impact Ukraine's GDP by $11.2 billion annually. Until 2022, Ukrainian agricultural products could feed 400 million people around the world annually, so demining in Ukraine affects food security both in Ukraine and globally.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to (a) build on and (b) strengthen the 2018 power sharing agreement between President Salva Kiir and Vice-President Riek Machar in South Sudan.

The UK continues to press for implementation of the 2018 power sharing Peace Agreement and a peaceful transition to democracy through peaceful, credible and inclusive elections. On 18 March, we issued a joint statement with likeminded partners offering to facilitate direct dialogue between President Kiir and First Vice President Machar. Following the arrest of First Vice President Machar on 26 March, we joined likeminded partners to call on President Kiir to release First Vice President Machar under house arrest and prevent further escalation on 27 March. We continue to call for all sides to deescalate. The Minister for Development met the South Sudanese Foreign Minister at the Sudan Conference on 16 April and called for the release of First Vice President Machar.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of making a financial announcement following the Nutrition for Growth summit.

The Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) remains committed to supporting nutrition in our development work.The Minister of State for International Development, Latin America and the Caribbean led the UK's delegation to the recent Nutrition for Growth Summit, and reiterated our commitment to nutrition objectives, particularly integrating nutrition into our wider programming.The FCDO continues to report progress against our financial commitments through its annual Nutrition Accountability Report, as well as through updates to the Global Nutrition Report's Nutrition Accountability Framework.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 1 April 2025 to Question 39452 on International Conference on Financing for Development, what budget was allocated for his Department’s participation in the conference.

The UK continues to engage in preparatory discussions in relation to the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4). The UK is committed to attending the FfD4 in June 2025 and we are working through the UK's delegation, at official and ministerial levels. The budget will be allocated to facilitate attendance accordingly.

Communities and Local Government, when recycling services will be restored in Birmingham; and what estimate she has made of the quantity of recycling material in Birmingham directed to landfill since the suspension of those services.

Birmingham City Council plans to restore household recycling collections when the waste dispute is resolved. The City Council has increased the opening hours of its 5 household waste recycling facilities which remain open to households. We understand that no recycling material has been sent to landfill since the suspension of household waste collections.