Written questions by Morton.

Whether his Department had discussions with the West Midlands Combined Authority prior to the visit to China by the Mayor of the West Midlands.

My department, with officials from FCDO, directly supported a number of Combined Authority leaders on this visit to China, which included the Mayor of the West Midlands. The programme focused on strengthening growth across regions to enhance investment and diplomatic relationships. Economic growth and investment remain a fundamental priority for this Government, and we will continue to support regional mayors and our nations to forge global relationships with investors and businesses to promote the UKs investment credentials.

What discussions his Department has had with the West Midlands Combined Authority on increasing levels of Foreign Direct Investment in the West Midlands.

My department have and continue to hold discussions on attracting private investment to the West Midlands and across the UK. We work with clients to understand their requirements and to reduce barriers which inform the client’s decision to locate in the region.The West Midlands region continues to attract FDI across sectors to enhance economic growth and prosperity. My department, as announced, will include the new expanded Office for Investment which will lead the work on attracting investment into our cities and regions.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he plans to take with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) international partners to help ensure (a) a cessation in hostilities and (b) an end to conflict in Sudan.

A key focus of the London Sudan Conference on 15 April was to establish international consensus on how to end the conflict. There was clear consensus on the importance of an immediate and permanent ceasefire and sustainable end to the conflict, as reiterated in the co-chairs' statement. The Foreign Secretary and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials will continue to engage with colleagues across Government as well as international counterparts to maintain momentum and work towards a peaceful future for the Sudanese people.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding was (a) allocated for and (b) spent on the London Sudan conference on 15 April 2025.

We are currently collating information on funding allocated to and spent on the London Sudan Conference. We will write to the Honourable Member with a full response in due course.

How many full-time-equivalent staff in her Department are employed in communications and public relations roles.

In the central HM Treasury communications team, there are a total of 40.9 Full Time Equivalent Government Communication Service professionals. Of this total, 19 work in the media discipline which covers press and media responsibilities. This is the latest available centrally collected data from June 2024.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with international partners to establish an African Union-led contact group to convene regional partners to focus on a diplomatic solution to the conflict in Sudan.

At the London Sudan Conference, co-hosts agreed on a series of next steps, including revitalising existing frameworks such as the African Union Expanded Mechanism to enhance coordination among regional partners. Together with our co-hosts, we also emphasised the importance of strategic coordination and inclusive political dialogue, focusing on aligning efforts to achieve a diplomatic solution to the conflict in Sudan. We continue to engage with our international partners on these efforts.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps is he taking to engage with (a) bilateral and (b) multilateral parties to the London Sudan conference on 15 April 2025 who did not sign the co-chairs' joint statement.

The Foreign Secretary engaged with multiple partners, bilateral and multilateral, in the run-up to the London Sudan Conference and on the day of the conference itself. The conference demonstrated the strong international will to bring the conflict to an end and to ensure aid reaches those most in need. The UK continues to use all diplomatic levers at its disposal in pursuit of these aims.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the fluctuations in the levels of humanitarian aid that has reached Darfur over the last 6 months.

Aid flows into and across Darfur over the last six months have been wholly inadequate. Armed violence and access constraints imposed by the warring parties have had unacceptable impacts on relief operations. The UK remains fully committed to ensuring safe and unimpeded humanitarian access throughout Sudan in order to alleviate the unprecedented levels of suffering. We are using all levers at our disposal to raise the profile of the humanitarian situation and to improve the operating context for aid agencies.On 15 April, following the Sudan London Conference, the co-chairs' statement called on relevant parties to allow and facilitate rapid, safe and unimpeded humanitarian access to all areas of need through all necessary routes in adherence with their obligations under international humanitarian law. In addition, the UK supported Canada's efforts as Chair of the G7 to issue a joint statement expressing concern about reports of the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare in Sudan and calling on warring parties to facilitate unimpeded humanitarian access.During April's London Sudan Conference the Foreign Secretary announced a further £120 million towards the crisis which will provide life-saving aid to more than 650,000 people.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he plans to take to help tackle the humanitarian situation in (a) Sudan and (b) countries neighbouring Sudan.

The UK is committed to addressing Sudan's humanitarian crisis and its regional impacts. On 15 April, the Foreign Secretary announced £120 million of new life-saving aid for this year. This includes 670,000 people to be reached with food assistance for 3 months, 205,000 people to benefit from financial assistance and 600,000 people who will receive nutrition, water and sanitation support. The UK continues its work to ensure aid reaches those most in need, including through access corridors such as the Adré crossing from Chad. Crucially, we also provide aid to those neighbouring countries hosting large numbers of refugees from Sudan, including Chad, South Sudan and Uganda to help manage the effects of the crisis.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the (a) withdrawal and (b) closure of international partners’ diplomatic missions in (i) Sudan and (ii) South Sudan on stability in that region.

The safety of our staff and British Nationals is our priority. The UK like others, had no choice but to withdraw our diplomatic presence in Khartoum when armed violence commenced in April 2023. The UK remains committed to finding a solution to end the conflict in Sudan. On the two-year point of the conflict, on 15 April, the Foreign Secretary hosted international partners and stakeholders at the London Sudan Conference, which focussed on spotlighting the dire human cost of the conflict, achieving progress on humanitarian access and building consensus among the international community behind a regionally led process.We continue to maintain a diplomatic presence in Juba, South Sudan. We are keeping the situation under regular review. We are deeply concerned by the increasingly fragile security situation and have urged President Kiir and all those with influence over armed groups, to de-escalate, to release First Vice President Machar and to implement the 2018 peace agreement.

What assessment has she made of the potential impact of the Spring Statement 2025 on per capita GDP growth in Aldridge-Brownhills.

Ensuring growth is felt in all regions of the UK is central to the Government’s Growth Mission. Our strategy for regional growth will drive growth in all regions and make the most of the opportunities in each part of the country. We are supporting regional growth, with a total package for local growth funds worth over £3 billion in 2025-26 alone. The UK Shared Prosperity Fund has been extended for a transition year at £900 million, ensuring stability for the most important local projects. We are launching integrated funding settlements to empower local leaders to drive local growth and invest in local priorities. West Midlands MCA will be eligible for an integrated settlement in 2026/27, worth over £380m. The Government has set a new strategic steer for the National Wealth Fund to deliver our ambition for growth across the country. The NWF will trial Strategic Partnerships, including in the West Midlands, to provide deeper, more focused support to regions. The OBR forecasts that living standards will rise in every year of its forecast and therefore that they will be higher by the end of the Parliament. GDP per capita will rise by 5.6% over this parliament (Q3 2024 – Q2 2029). This compares to a decline in GDP per capita under the previous Parliament.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of requiring the person responsible for fly-tipping, rather than the landowner, to bear the costs of clean-up.

Where fly-tippers are prosecuted, upon conviction a cost order can already be made by the court so that a landowner’s costs can be recovered from the perpetrator. Local councils can also issue fixed penalty notices of up to £1000 to those who fly-tip, the income from which they must spend on clean up or enforcement. We are seeking powers in the Crime and Policing Bill to issue statutory enforcement guidance to help councils make full and proper use of their powers. We have also committed to forcing fly-tippers and vandals to clean up the mess that they have created as part of a crackdown on anti-social behaviour. We will provide further details on this commitment in due course.

Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of bin strikes in Birmingham on levels of international tourism to the area.

No, because it is obvious that it would be better for all if the strikes were to end.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he plans to announce a date for the UK-hosted Berlin Process 2025 summit.

The UK is delighted to host the Berlin Process this year. We will organise meetings of Ministers, government officials and non-government stakeholders to build stronger economic and security ties between the countries of the Western Balkans and deepen cooperation with our European partners, working closely with the new German Government. We will invite leaders from the six Western Balkans countries, European partners, regional organisations, and EU institutions to the Berlin Process Summit in the UK later this year, where we will seek to agree initiatives to enhance regional security, tackle irregular migration, and boost economic growth. We are working to identify a date for the Summit, which we hope to announce as soon as possible.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of adding penalty points to the driver’s licences of people convicted of (a) fly-tipping and (b) littering from a vehicle.

Local authorities already have powers to stop, search and seize vehicles of suspected fly-tippers. We will consider the benefits of allowing penalty points to be added to the driving licence of people convicted of fly-tipping in due course.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of supporting the West Midlands Rail Hub.

Midlands Rail Hub would unlock thousands of homes and drive economic growth, with better connections regionally and nationally, and more reliable trains. It will provide up to 300 extra trains a day into Birmingham while improving the performance of services. In December, the Chancellor launched the second stage of the Spending Review. This is a ‘zero-based’ review, to ensure every line of spending – including the transport infrastructure portfolio – delivers the Plan for Change and provides good value for taxpayers.

What assessment she has made of (a) the potential merits of the West Midlands Rail Hub and (b) the potential impact of the West Midlands Rail Hub on (i) economic growth and (ii) connectivity.

Midlands Rail Hub would unlock thousands of homes and drive economic growth, with better connections regionally and nationally, and more reliable trains. It will provide up to 300 extra trains a day into Birmingham while improving the performance of services. In December, the Chancellor launched the second stage of the Spending Review. This is a ‘zero-based’ review, to ensure every line of spending – including the transport infrastructure portfolio – delivers the Plan for Change and provides good value for taxpayers.

Pursuant to the Answer of 27 March 2025 to Question 40496 on Business confidence in rural communities, what criteria her Department uses to classify a constituency as rural; and whether Aldridge-Brownhills constituency meets the criteria for such a classification.

Aldridge-Brownhills is not considered a rural constituency based on ONS 2021 rural-urban census data.The Government does not collect specific constituency level data on business confidence. Recent economy wide surveys from EY, PwC and Lloyds Bank show overall business and investor confidence is rising. This Government is going further and faster to deliver economic growth and support businesses by increasing capital spending, overhauling our regulatory system, and getting Britain building through the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

What budget was allocated to (a) social media advertising, (b) paid-partnerships and (c) other digital communication of the measures in the Spring Statement.

No budget was allocated by HM Treasury for social media advertising, paid partnerships, or other digital communication of the measures in the Spring Statement beyond the budget for the core HMT communications team.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of increases in employers National Insurance Contributions on wages.

The Office for Budget Responsibility published the Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO) in March 2025, which sets out a detailed forecast of the economy and public finances, including their forecast on wages Economic and fiscal outlook – March 2025 - Office for Budget Responsibility.