Written questions by Morton.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what amount of International Climate Finance funding is (a) allocated and (b) distributed via other Government departments.

Between 2021-22 and 2023-24 the amount spent on International Climate Finance was £4,111 million by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, £1,179 million by the Department for Energy Security and Net-Zero / Department for Science and Technology and £250 million by the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs. Figures for 2024-25 and subsequent years will be published in due course.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that (a) gender equity and (b) the needs of (i) women, (ii) indigenous groups, (iii) people with disabilities and (iv) other vulnerable communities are prioritised in international climate finance initiatives.

The International Development Act 2002, as amended by the International Development (Gender Equality) Act 2014, requires a consideration of gender equality before spending development and humanitarian assistance, including International Climate Finance. The duty ensures that gender equality remains at the heart of the UK's Official Development Assistance work. In addition, we seek to prioritise the needs of vulnerable communities, such as people with disabilities and indigenous groups, including through amplifying the voices of those whose views are often most marginalised, empowering them as decision-makers, advocates and leaders.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2025 to Question 28556 on International Day of Education, how much funding his Department will provide in (a) 2025-26 and (b) subsequent years for (i) girls' education overseas, (ii) Education Cannot Wait and (iii) the Global Partnership for Education.

The difficult decision to reduce UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) spending to 0.3% of Gross National Income (GNI) to fund an increase in defence spending to 2.5% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2027 has been taken by the Prime Minister to address the imperative of national security. Impacts on future ODA budgets are currently under review as part of the wider Spending Review process. Given the multi-year nature of many commitments, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is reassessing its ODA spending plans for 2025/26 to ensure they deliver maximum value for money in the context of the transition to spending 0.3% of GNI on ODA by 2027. Initial budget allocations for FCDO ODA in 2025/26 will be set later in March 2025, with final allocations for 2025/26 agreed in the summer. We therefore cannot at this time confirm how much funding will be provided in 2025/26 and beyond for global education; however, the UK remains committed to playing a significant role in international development. Education Cannot Wait and the Global Partnership for Education remain important partners for the UK.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department plans to take to support the integration of greener practices in (a) global healthcare and (b) the surgical sector to meet net-zero emissions targets while improving patient outcomes.

Since COP26, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has promoted climate-resilient and sustainable health systems, including in the surgical sector. We co-founded the Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health, with over 90 country members to drive implementation through best practice exchange and collective action. We have showcased UK practice and research, e.g. actions to meet NHS net-zero targets, including supply chains.Our diplomatic efforts supported "climate and health" resolutions and declarations at World Health Assemblies and COPs. Through bilateral projects and the World Bank Health Systems Fund, we help partners undertake diagnostics, develop plans, and mobilise resources for resilient and sustainable health systems.

Whether she has had discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of introducing a phased reduction in employer National Insurance contributions for businesses with fewer than 50 employees.

The Government has taken a number of difficult but necessary decisions on tax, welfare, and spending to fix the public finances, fund public services, and restore economic stability after the situation we inherited from the previous administration. One of the toughest decisions we took was to raise the rate of employer National Insurance contributions (NICs) from 13.8% to 15%, whilst reducing the per-employee threshold at which employers start to pay National Insurance (the Secondary Threshold) from £9,100 to £5,000. The Government decided to protect the smallest businesses from these changes by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. This means that next year, 865,000 employers will pay no NICs at all, and more than half of all employers will either gain or will see no change. It means employers will be able to employ up to four full-time workers on the National Living Wage without paying a penny of employer NICs.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 7 February 2025 to Question 27532 on the Soft Power Council, what allocation from existing budgets has (a) been allocated to and (b) been spent on the Soft Power Council to date; and what estimate he has made of the resources needed to support the Council in the financial year 2025-26.

£20,000 was allocated from existing budgets to support the Soft Power Council in the current financial year. £7,257.73 was spent on the first meeting, covering AV, pull-up banners, tea, coffee, water and biscuits as well as Government Hospitality staffing costs. £8,094 was spent on a one-off reception for 175 people to mark the launch of the Council and the Government's new approach to soft power. We are in the process of establishing a Secretariat to support the Council and its Working Groups as part of broader soft power structures.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to employer National Insurance contributions on the funding for neighbourhood police officers in the financial year 2025-26 and beyond.

The 2025-26 final police funding settlement provides funding of up to £19.6 billion for the policing system in England and Wales. This is an overall increase of up to £1.1 billion when compared to the 2024-25 and represents a 6% cash increase and 3.5% real terms increase in funding.This includes an additional £230.3 million of funding for territorial police forces to support cover the costs of the increases to National Insurance Contributions.The Government is committed to ensuring police forces are supported to effectively tackle crime. That is why we have committed £200 million to kickstart the recruitment of 13,000 additional neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs in communities across the country. The Government will work closely with policing to implement the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee and we are setting up a working group with key sector partners, including the College of Policing, NPCC, APCC and HMICFRS.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the increase in Employers National Insurance Contributions on the budgets of train and bus operators transitioning from franchise to public mode of operations management.

Budgets for 2025/26 are in the process of being agreed, as part of the annual business planning process, with train operating companies. These budgets take account of the increase in the cost of changes to employer National Insurance contributions made at Autumn Budget 2024. The increase to National Insurance employers’ contributions announced at the Budget is expected to increase bus operator costs. We are committed to working with the sector to deliver better bus services for passengers, and have confirmed investment of over £1 billion for buses in the financial year 2025 to 2026.

What steps she plans to take to (a) support small businesses and (b) ensure that they are not disproportionately impacted, in the context of the anticipated increase in Employers National Insurance Contributions from April 2025.

The Government has taken difficult but necessary decisions to deliver long-term growth. Fixing the public finances is the only way to create long-term stability in which businesses can invest and thrive. The Government recognises the need to protect the smallest employers, which is why we have more than doubled the Employment Allowance to £10,500. This means more than half of businesses with NICs liabilities either gain or see no change next year. Businesses will still be able to claim employer NICs reliefs including those for under-21s and under-25 apprentices. The Government is committed to making the UK one of the best places to start and grow a business. The Budget announced tax reforms to provide businesses with long term confidence, to make the tax system fairer, and to support the British high street, including: Introducing permanently lower tax rates for high-street retail, hospitality, and leisure properties (RHL) from 2026-27; Preventing RHL relief from ending in April by extending it at 40% for 2025-26, whilst also freezing the small businesses multiplier; and Publishing our Corporate Tax Roadmap to provide stability, certainty, and predictability within the tax system for businesses across the economy. With a capped headline rate of 25%, the UK has the lowest Corporate Tax rate in the G7. The retention of the Small Profits Rate means 9 in 10 actively trading companies, including many SMEs, will have a Corporation Tax rate lower than 25%, with almost 70% of actively trading companies at 19%.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2025 to Question 28557 on International Day of Education, what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of aid delivered to Afghanistan reaching women and girls.

The UK is committed to prioritising gender equality and rights. The needs and priorities of women and girls are at the core of the government's humanitarian response. In financial year 2023-24 (the most recent period for which we have verified data) we can confirm that at least 50 percent of our aid reached women and girls, supporting at least 1.3 million women with humanitarian assistance alone. We have met this target since financial year 2021-22 and expect to continue to meet this target in 2024-25. Our aid is subject to strict monitoring and we have robust third-party monitoring for all our official development assistance funded programmes.

Whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) introducing targeted relief for and (b) reforming employer National Insurance contributions.

The Government has taken difficult but necessary decisions to deliver long-term growth. Fixing the public finances is essential for providing long-term stability in which businesses can invest and thrive. The Government recognises the need to protect the smallest employers, which is why we have decided to more than doubled the Employment Allowance to £10,500. This means more than half of businesses with NICs liabilities either gain or see no change in 2025/26. Businesses will still be able to claim employer NICs reliefs including those for under-21s and under-25 apprentices.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2025 to Question 27263 on Development Aid: Asylum Hotels, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the use of asylum hotels in advance of the first meeting of the re-established ministerial ODA board.

The Foreign Secretary has regular discussions with his Cabinet colleagues.The Official Development Assistance Board's first meeting in February 2025 focused on in-donor refugee costs. The co-chairs were joined by the Minister for Border Security and Asylum.

What steps the Government is taking to ensure that police forces are sufficiently resourced to tackle crime rates.

The 2025-26 final police funding settlement provides funding of up to £19.6 billion for the policing system in England and Wales. This is an overall increase of up to £1.1 billion when compared to the 2024-25 and represents a 6% cash increase and 3.5% real terms increase in funding.The Government is committed to ensuring police forces are supported to effectively tackle crime. That is why we have committed £200 million to kickstart the recruitment of 13,000 additional neighbourhood police officers and PCSOs in communities across the country.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps is he taking to ensure continued accountability for people responsible for crimes committed during Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

The Foreign Secretary has raised the need for accountability directly with Syrian interim Foreign Minister Shaibani. We continue to support partners who are playing a pivotal role in developing a credible evidence base to record atrocities committed by the former regime and others. This financial year, we have committed £1.15 million to accountability and documentation-related programmes. Following the collapse of the Assad regime, we announced a further £240,000 in funding to help secure and preserve vital evidence.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of relaxing restrictions on the (a) energy, (b) transport and (c) finance sectors in Syria on the UK's (i) foreign policy objectives and (ii) humanitarian efforts in the region.

As I said in my statement to the House on 10 March, the Government is committed to helping to support the Syrian people in re-building their country and to promoting security and stability. We are focusing amendments to the Syria sanctions regime on energy, transport and finance as sectors of Syria's economy where international expertise, trade and investment has the greatest potential to contribute to meeting the immediate needs of the Syrian people. We are clear with the interim authorities in Damascus that they have a responsibility to ensure the protection of all Syrian civilians and to make progress towards an inclusive political transition. We will judge them by their actions, not their words.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of proposed closures of (a) Aldridge Police Station and (b) other local police stations on community safety.

The Home Office does not collect data on the number or location of police stations, or the impact of their closure. Police stations are just one of the ways people can access their local police services, including reporting online and by phone 24/7.It is up to Chief Constables and directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners (or equivalents) to make decisions on local resourcing and estates, including police stations. They are best placed to make these decisions based on their local knowledge and experience.As part of the Safer Street Mission to reduce crime and increase public confidence in policing, the Government has introduced a Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee to transform neighbourhood policing. Each neighbourhood will have a named, contactable officer dealing with local issues.We have also provided £200 million in FY 25/26 to support the first steps of delivering 13,000 more neighbourhood personnel. This increase in neighbourhood policing, alongside the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, will strengthen the connections between the police and the communities they serve.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to adapt the Syria sanctions regime.

As the Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories announced in Parliament on 13 February, we are making changes to the Syrian sanctions regulations to support the Syrian people in re-building their country and promote security and stability. On 6 March, the Government lifted asset freezes on 24 Syrian entities, including the Central Bank of Syria, that were previously used by the Assad regime to fund the oppression of the Syrian people. This follows the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation publishing on 12 February a General Licence, allowing payments that support humanitarian assistance in Syria. As I made clear in my Statement to the House on 10th March, we keep our sanctions under close review to ensure they are used as a responsive tool. Where there are changes to the Syria Regulations, Members of Parliament will have the opportunity to debate in line with the made affirmative procedure for sanctions Statutory Instruments.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans he has to develop internal guidance for including child and youth consultation for policymaking across his Department.

As a ratifier of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the UK Government is committed to the promotion, protection and realisation of children's rights at home and overseas, with the meaningful engagement of children and young people a core part of this commitment.For example, youth sit on the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO) External Gender Challenge Board and the Girls' Education Department regularly consults with the Youth Council on Global Education, including in preparation for the first Global Ministerial Conference on Violence Against Children.Moreover, children and young people are at the heart of the Foreign Secretary's new global campaign on children's care reform. Engagement sessions with care-experienced children and young people have directly contributed to the development of a Global Charter which will be launched later this year.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of establishing a Special Envoy for Children within his Department.

As a ratifier of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the UK Government is committed to the promotion, protection and realisation of children's rights at home and overseas. Whilst the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office does not have a dedicated Special Envoy on Children, Ministers and Senior Officials regularly raise and advocate for increased awareness and action on cross-cutting issues affecting children through diplomatic and international engagement.This is a priority for the Foreign Secretary: in January, he launched a new campaign to advocate for family-based care for children around the world, recognising the specific vulnerabilities faced by children in need of care and protection. Further, in November Baroness Chapman, Minister for International Development and Latin America and the Caribbean, represented the UK at the first Global Ministerial Conference on Violence Against Children.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February to Question 28082 on the British Council, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of any decision to reduce the number of British Council offices on his Department's objectives.

The British Council is operationally independent from the UK Government. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) works with the British Council to ensure strategic alignment between FCDO objectives and British Council activity. Decisions relating to its overseas network are operational matters for the British Council. In an increasingly digital age, the British Council's contribution and impact should be judged by its operational - rather than physical - presence and its results.