Written questions by Morton.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the value for money of the BBC World Service in terms of (a) reach and (b) impact, when compared with spending by other states on comparable services.

The Government highly values the World Service, which makes a significant contribution to UK soft power. Soft power indices and perception studies regularly highlight the BBC's soft power attraction. Tapestry Research carried out an international study in 2022, finding that international BBC consumers, particularly 'influential' audiences: have a more positive attitude towards the UK; are more likely to use UK goods and suppliers; and more likely to invest in the UK, and visit the UK for leisure, study, or business.The World Service Licence requires that the World Service provides value for money. The BBC tracks World Service performance against impact and quality metrics compared with global comparators across multiple markets. The World Service continues to outrank other international news providers on trust, reliability and independence. It also rates highest for helping audiences to understand and engage with news topics.The HMG uplift for the World Service in 2025/26 takes our total contribution to £137m. The uplift ensures that the World Service will continue operating all 42 language services. This is a significant increase in an exceptionally tight fiscal situation, clearly demonstrating the value that the Government places on the World Service.

What estimate she has made of the number of named neighbourhood police officers in Aldridge-Brownhills constituency.

The Government is committed to strong neighbourhood policing for everyone in England and Wales, no matter where they live.As the Prime Minister announced on 10 April, by July, every community will have named and contactable officers dedicated to addressing the issues facing their communities as part of the Government's Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee.We are providing £200 million to police forces in financial year 2025/26 to kickstart the recruitment of 13,000 more neighbourhood policing personnel across the country.West Midlands Police has been allocated £12,210,903 for 2025/26. Based on their funding allocation, the projected growth for West Midlands Police over 2025/26 will be 289 police officers (FTE) and 20 Police Community Support Officers (FTE).

What discussions she has had with the Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands on the number of neighbourhood police officers based in Aldridge-Brownhills constituency.

The Government is committed to strong neighbourhood policing for everyone in England and Wales, no matter where they live.As the Prime Minister announced on 10 April, by July, every community will have named and contactable officers dedicated to addressing the issues facing their communities as part of the Government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee.We are providing £200 million to police forces in financial year 2025/26 to kickstart the recruitment of 13,000 more neighbourhood policing personnel across the country.West Midlands Police has been allocated £12,210,903 for 2025/26. Based on their funding allocation, the projected growth for West Midlands Police over 2025/26 will be 289 police officers (FTE) and 20 Police Community Support Officers (FTE).

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the UK Soft Power Council at utilising UK science and technology.

The Soft Power Council is now operational but still in an early phase of developing its work. The Council includes several individuals with expertise spanning science, technology, education and research, in recognition of the importance of these themes to UK foreign policy impact. The Council's geographic working groups are considering how to harness the UK's strengths in science and technology. The contribution of these sectors will also be considered as part of development of the new Government strategy on soft power over the coming months.

Communities and Local Government, whether costs incurred by neighbouring local authorities from assisting Birmingham City Council (BCC) with waste collection will be met by (a) BCC and (b) her Department.

This is a local issue and it is right that the response is led by the key public sector partners in Birmingham. We have been clear that if the local leaders on the ground in Birmingham feel tackling these issues goes beyond the resources available to them and they request national support, then we stand ready to consider any such ask. The Department is working with the Council on options to address further costs arising from industrial action. More widely, the government is under no illusions about the scale of the wider financial challenge facing councils following more than a decade of cuts by successive Conservative governments. The government is therefore supporting the Leader and his team in Birmingham, directly and through the Commissioners, to move the council on from its historic issues. This includes providing an increase in Core Spending Power in Birmingham of up to 9.8%, or £131m for 2025-26, and £39.3 million of the new one-off Recovery Grant that illustrates this Government’s commitment to correcting unfairness in the funding system.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 April 2025 to Question 43886 on Sustainable Farming Incentive, what estimate his Department has made of the number of farmers impacted by the closure of the scheme; and whether they will be prioritised in future schemes.

Currently there are over 39, 000 live SFI agreements.The government will work with the farming and environmental sectors to prioritise funding for future years so we can target SFI actions fairly and effectively, focusing on helping less productive land contribute to our priorities for food, farming and nature.We will provide further details about the reformed SFI in summer 2025.

What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of mobile speed camera vans in reducing speeding in (a) the West Midlands and (b) Aldridge-Brownhills constituency.

The use of mobile speed camera vans to enforce speed limits is an operational matter for West Midlands Police.Excess speed is a major cause of death and serious injury on our roads and anyone who breaks the speed limit should expect to face proper sanction.

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

The Prime Minister and Home Secretary launched the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime in September 2024. The Coalition brings together campaign groups, families of those who have tragically lost their lives to knife crime, young people who have been impacted and community leaders, united in their mission to save lives.The Minister for Crime Prevention and Policing has attended 5 coalition meetings since it was founded, chairing its most recent meeting on 28th April. The Home Secretary has also met with members of the Coalition. The Coalition has discussed key issues, including the online sale of knives, child criminal exploitation and the banning of ninja swords.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking through the Commonwealth to support (a) UK soft power and (b) the soft power of Commonwealth partners.

Our Commonwealth membership plays an important role in the projection of UK soft power. Shared history means the English language is spoken widely, we have strong cultural links and similar systems of rule of law and parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth Secretariat provides technical support that reinforces these links and our shared values. In addition to our core financial contributions to the Secretariat, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office funds human rights advisers and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association International to strengthen human rights, parliamentary democracy and good governance. We will discuss with the new Secretary-General how to enhance the soft power impact of the Commonwealth.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of UK soft power on exports by UK companies.

Our soft power is an important driver for growth; the sectors that contribute to our soft power are the economic backbone of the country and deliver tangible benefits for the people of the UK. Greater coordination of the UK's soft power through the Soft Power Council will contribute to growth for the UK through providing opportunities for investment and trade. Research from the British Council shows that strong soft power results in strong growth outcomes for UK businesses. Exports are supported through strong positive perceptions of the UK globally, including trust, favourability and attractiveness.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he plans to take following the London Sudan conference on 15 April 2025 to support countries neighbouring Sudan to (a) continue to keep their borders open and (b) address increased levels of migration.

Sudan is now the world's largest displacement crisis, with 8.6 million people estimated to be internally displaced and a further 4 million having fled to neighbouring countries since April 2023. On 15 April, the Foreign Secretary co-hosted the London Sudan Conference alongside the AU, EU, France and Germany. A Co-Chairs' statement following the conference committed to increase the international attention on the human cost of this conflict, including its impact on neighbouring countries. We frequently engage with neighbouring countries, including Egypt, South Sudan and Chad to support and underline the vital role they play in hosting refugees. The Foreign Secretary's visit to Chad in January was an important part of the UK's engagement with neighbouring countries.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of reduced Official Development Assistance spending on support for Afghan women and girls.

Detailed decisions on how the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget will be used will be worked through as part of the ongoing Spending Review process. We intend to publish final 2025/26 ODA programme allocations in the FCDO Annual Report and Accounts this summer. The FCDO is focused on ensuring that every pound is spent in the most impactful way. Equality Impact Assessments - which consider impacts on women and girls - are an essential part of how we make decisions, including on ODA allocations. The UK remains committed to playing a significant role in international development.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Overseas Development Aid changes on the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership.

The UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership (SDP) provides a comprehensive framework to coordinate the full spectrum of the UK's partnership with Nigeria in addressing shared security and defence challenges. Part of the UK's Official Development Assistance (ODA) approach in Nigeria is to prevent and reduce the systemic drivers of violent conflict such as weak governance, climate change, food insecurity, intercommunal violence and lack of access to basic healthcare and education. Nigeria was the third largest recipient of UK bilateral ODA in Africa in Financial Year 24/25, with an allocation of £117 million. ODA allocations for forthcoming years are currently being finalised. The SDP will remain a fundamental element of the UK-Nigeria bilateral relationship in the coming years.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure the additional £120 million in food aid to Sudan pledged by the UK for the 2025-26 financial year reaches (a) civilians and (b) women and girls.

The conflict in Sudan is having a devastating impact on the people of Sudan, particularly women and girls. At the recent London Sudan Conference, the Foreign Secretary announced a package of support budgeted at £120 million which will deliver life-saving services to more than 650,000 people. The UK continues to advocate for safe, rapid, and unimpeded humanitarian access so that the most vulnerable can be reached with aid.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria funding allocated in 2023 at achieving (a) peace and (b) resilience in the region.

The UK's Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria programme (SPRiNG) is working to reduce rural violence in northwest and north-central Nigeria, including by supporting collaboration and productive livelihoods for both farmers and pastoralists, and strengthening conflict early warning, management and response. Whilst SPRiNG is still in the early phases of implementation, its partnership with the Institute For Integrated Transitions (IFIT) has achieved encouraging results already. Mediation efforts in Nasawara State have fostered a negotiated agreement between the Bassa and Egbura People, enabling the return and resettlement of 5000 internally displaced persons (IDPs).

How many and what proportion of Pension Credit applications that were received in the period between 1 October 2024 and 31 December 2024 were ineligible.

On 27 February 2025 we published Pension Credit applications and award statistics. This publication provides application volumes up to 23 February 2025. This also includes information on Pension Credit claims that have been cleared but not awarded benefit. Pension Credit Applications and Awards - February 2025. The Department does not hold this information at constituency level.The next update of the Pension Credit applications and awards data is due to be published on 29th May 2025.Please note, the figures presented are from DWP’s Pension Credit system which has previously been collected for internal departmental operations use and has not been quality assured to Official Statistics publication standards.

How many and what proportion of Pension Credit applications received in the period between 1 October 2024 and 31 December 2024 were deemed ineligible in (a) Aldridge-Brownhills constituency and (b) the UK.

On 27 February 2025 we published Pension Credit applications and award statistics. This publication provides application volumes up to 23 February 2025. This also includes information on Pension Credit claims that have been cleared but not awarded benefit. Pension Credit Applications and Awards - February 2025. The Department does not hold this information at constituency level.The next update of the Pension Credit applications and awards data is due to be published on 29th May 2025.Please note, the figures presented are from DWP’s Pension Credit system which has previously been collected for internal departmental operations use and has not been quality assured to Official Statistics publication standards.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill on business confidence and growth.

The Department for Business and Trade has published a set of Impact Assessments that provide a comprehensive analysis on the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill. This analysis includes con-sideration of impacts on businesses and economic growth and concludes the package could have “a positive but small direct impact on economic growth” and will “help to raise living standards across the country and create opportunities for all.” This represents the best estimate for the likely impacts given the current stage of policy development. We plan to refine our analysis as policy development continues, working closely with external experts, businesses and trade unions.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 April 2025 to Question 42597 on Packaging: Recycling, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the differential in weight between glass and plastic on glass producers.

In October 2024, the Government published an updated assessment of the impact of introducing the pEPR scheme. This impact assessment included an estimate for pEPR fees per tonne of packaging material. This estimate did not split by packaging material type. Defra officials have engaged with industry and technical experts, to ensure that the modelling of local authority costs accurately reflect the on the ground reality of waste management. This confirmed that packaging volumes, rather than weight, are accounted for when determining the costs of kerbside dry recycling collections. This is especially important for heavier materials such as glass which would see higher base fees under a weight-based apportionment of these costs. Illustrative base fees for the 8 material categories have now been published.

What discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of the Employment Rights Bill on economic growth.

The Secretary of State, responsible Ministers and policy officials meet regularly with their counterparts in HM Treasury. This includes on discussions related to delivering the biggest upgrade to workers' rights in a generation through the Employment Rights Bill. Our analysis shows the package could have “a positive but small direct impact on economic growth” and will “help to raise living standards across the country and create opportunities for all.”This represents the best estimate for the likely impacts given the current stage of policy development. We plan to refine our analysis as policy development continues, working closely with external experts, businesses and trade unions.