Written questions by Morton.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 19 March 2025 to Question 37169 on Neighbourhood Boards, what steps her Department plans to take to allow (a) public scrutiny and (b) questions from communities.

Undertaking meaningful engagement with the local community is a central pillar of the Plan for Neighbourhoods. Building trust and empowering the local community requires consistency, dedication and time, and evidence that people’s priorities have been acted upon. Together the Neighbourhood Board and local authority should ensure that residents, businesses, and grassroots organisations are actively involved in programme design and decision-making to ensure delivery reflects the priorities of local people and helps build capacity within the community. In line with the principles of public life and to ensure the local community can hold the board to account, the board’s operations must be transparent. The board should publish membership and governance arrangements (including minutes of meetings and decision logs) on the lead council’s website. Boards should establish their own practices in line with the Nolan Principles and Managing Public Money principles.

What steps she is taking to reduce the use of hotels to house asylum seekers.

This Government inherited an asylum system under exceptional strain, with tens of thousands of people stuck in limbo without any prospect of having their claims processed. At their peak use under the previous government, in the autumn of 2023, more than 400 asylum hotels were being leased by the Home Office, at a cost of almost £9 million a day.Inevitably, due to the size of the backlog we inherited, the Government has been forced to continue with the use of hotels for the time being. This is not a permanent solution, and the small increase in the number in use at the end of last year was a temporary but necessary step to manage pressures in the system, which is now in the process of being reversed.It remains our absolute commitment to end the use of hotels over time, as part of our reduction in overall asylum accommodation costs.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of the upcoming increase to employers National Insurance contributions on hospices.

We have taken necessary decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances at the Autumn Budget, enabling the Spending Review settlement of a £22.6 billion increase in resource spending for the Department from 2023/24 outturn to 2025/26.The employer National Insurance contribution rise will be implemented in April 2025, and planning guidance published on 30 January 2025 sets out the funding available to integrated care boards, and the overall approach to funding providers in the next financial year. It takes into account a variety of pay and non-pay factors and pressures on providers of secondary healthcare, including charitable hospices. Further information on the planning guidance is available at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/2025-26-priorities-and-operational-planning-guidance/ We are supporting the hospice sector with a £100 million capital funding boost for adult and children’s hospices in England, to ensure they have the best physical environment for care. We are pleased to confirm that the Government has released the first £25 million tranche of that funding, with Hospice UK kindly allocating and distributing the money to hospices throughout England. An additional £75 million will be available from April 2025.We are also providing £26 million of revenue funding to support children and young people’s hospices for 2025/26.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure UK food security.

Food security is national security. We need a resilient and healthy food system, that works with nature and supports British farmers, fishers and food producers. That is why this Government will introduce a new deal for farmers to boost rural economic growth and strengthen Britain's food security. The UK has a resilient food supply chain and is equipped to deal with situations with the potential to cause disruption. We produce 62% of all the food we need, and 75% of food which we can grow or rear in the UK for all or part of the year. Food security is built on supply from diverse sources, strong domestic production as well as imports through stable trade routes. UK consumers have access through international trade to food products that cannot be produced here, or at least not on a year-round basis. This supplements domestic production and also ensures that any disruption from risks such as adverse weather or disease does not affect the UK's overall security of supply. Defra works with industry and across Government to monitor risks that may arise. This includes extensive, regular and ongoing engagement in preparedness for, and response to, issues with the potential to cause disruption to food supply chains. The UK Agriculture Market Monitoring Group monitors UK agricultural markets including price, supply, inputs, trade, and recent developments.

What steps she is taking to deport people who enter the UK by small boat.

Since coming into office in July 2024, the Government has ensured the removal of 24,000 failed asylum seekers, foreign criminals and other migration offenders with no right to be in the UK, the highest nine-month total since 2017.

How many Pension Credit applications her Department has processed in the latest period for which data is available.

On 27 February 2025 we published Pension Credit applications and award statistics. This publication provides application volumes up to 23 February 2025. Pension Credit Applications and Awards - February 2025. Please note, the figures presented are from DWP’s Pension Credit system which has previously been collected for internal departmental operations use only and has not been quality assured to Official Statistics publication standards.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure the UK's active involvement in discussions on the ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

As the Foreign Secretary said to the House on 20th March, we strongly oppose Israel's resumption of hostilities. We urgently want to see a return to a ceasefire. More bloodshed is in no-one's interest. Hamas must release all the hostages and negotiations must resume. We want Israel and Hamas to re-engage with negotiations, we continue to condemn Hamas, of course, for their actions on October 7th 2023, their refusal to release the hostages, and their ongoing threat to Israel, but we are also resolute in calling on Israel to abide by international law and to lift the unacceptable restrictions on aid and demand the protection of civilians. Since the renewed outbreak of hostilities, the Foreign Secretary has spoken to US Secretary of State Rubio, to EU High Representative Kallas, to UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher and plans to speak to his Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa'ar and Palestinian Prime Minister Mustafa.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the closure of the Sustainable Farming Incentive on the effectiveness of the Environmental Land Management scheme.

Defra has closed the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) for the submission of new applications, but existing agreements will continue. We now have over 37,000 live SFI agreements. Every penny in all existing SFI agreements will be paid to farmers, and outstanding eligible applications that have been submitted will be processed. We will provide further details about the reformed SFI offer once the Spending Review has been completed.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the oral contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs in the debate on Israeli-Palestinian Peace: International Fund on 11 March 2025, Official Report, column 368WH, when the inaugural meeting of the international fund for Israeli-Palestinian peace will take place in London; and who will be present.

The Foreign Secretary is committed to convening a meeting to support civil society in the region. On 11 March, I answered a Westminster Hall Debate on this topic, where I emphasised the UK's commitment to supporting peace efforts in the Middle East and to help find a resolution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. We want to make sure that the meeting will have the desired effect of building trust across communities, and that the timing is sensitive to the circumstances in the region.I have also met with representatives of the Alliance for Middle East Peace to discuss their proposal for an International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian peace. The Foreign Secretary and I welcome the opportunity to discuss further with civil society organisations their work and the prospects for peacebuilding.  Since day one, the Government has prioritised working to end this conflict and secure the safe release of hostages, in co-ordination with international partners. We will continue to use every diplomatic lever to bring about a ceasefire deal as the first step towards long-term peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians, and the wider region.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support the ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

As the Foreign Secretary said to the House on 20th March, we strongly oppose Israel's resumption of hostilities. We urgently want to see a return to a ceasefire. More bloodshed is in no-one's interest. Hamas must release all the hostages and negotiations must resume. We want Israel and Hamas to re-engage with negotiations, we continue to condemn Hamas, of course, for their actions on October 7th 2023, their refusal to release the hostages, and their ongoing threat to Israel, but we are also resolute in calling on Israel to abide by international law and to lift the unacceptable restrictions on aid and demand the protection of civilians. Since the renewed outbreak of hostilities, the Foreign Secretary has spoken to US Secretary of State Rubio, to EU High Representative Kallas, to UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher and plans to speak to his Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa'ar and Palestinian Prime Minister Mustafa.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with (a) Israel, (b) the USA, (c) the UAE and (d) other countries in the region on the ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

As the Foreign Secretary said to the House on 20th March, we strongly oppose Israel's resumption of hostilities. We urgently want to see a return to a ceasefire. More bloodshed is in no-one's interest. Hamas must release all the hostages and negotiations must resume. We want Israel and Hamas to re-engage with negotiations, we continue to condemn Hamas, of course, for their actions on October 7th 2023, their refusal to release the hostages, and their ongoing threat to Israel, but we are also resolute in calling on Israel to abide by international law and to lift the unacceptable restrictions on aid and demand the protection of civilians. Since the renewed outbreak of hostilities, the Foreign Secretary has spoken to US Secretary of State Rubio, to EU High Representative Kallas, to UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher and plans to speak to his Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa'ar and Palestinian Prime Minister Mustafa.

Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has for participation at the 2025 UN Ocean Conference by (a) officials and (b) Ministers.

The third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3), co-hosted by France and Costa Rica in June, will be at a critical time for the ocean and a stocktake of progress towards UN Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water. The UK is supportive of an action-orientated UNOC and looks forward to the event. Defra is leading on the planning for UK attendance at the Conference and is considering along with other relevant departments appropriate official-level attendance in line with UK priorities for UNOC. Formal invitations from the co-hosts have been shared and Defra is considering appropriate Ministerial attendance.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with (a) Israel and (b) regional partners on the future governance of Gaza.

The Foreign Secretary welcomed the Arab initiative of a Recovery and Reconstruction Plan for Gaza, alongside Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and Italy on 8 March. Reconstruction efforts must be based upon a solid political and security framework that provides long-term peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike. We are committed to working with the Arab initiative, Palestinians and Israel, including on security and governance, and are engaging international partners to support these efforts. We are clear there can be no role for Hamas. The UK supports a central role for the Palestinian Authority.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans he has for participation at the Financing for Development Conference 2025 by (a) officials and (b) Ministers.

The UK views the Fourth Financing for Development Conference (FfD4) as a pivotal moment to secure global consensus on a modernised development finance landscape that addresses the interlinked challenges our world is facing: be that climate change, stagnating growth, stalling poverty reduction, increasing vulnerability or rising conflict. Reforming the Global Financial System must be at the heart of our efforts.As we are three months away from the conference, we have not yet finalised the UK's delegation, at official and ministerial levels. The UK is committed to attending FfD4 at senior levels, demonstrating UK commitment to the financing for development agenda.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans he has for participation at the World Summit for Social Development 2025 by (a) officials and (b) Ministers.

The UK recognises the significance of the second World Summit for Social Development (WSSD), marking 30 years since the first World Social Summit in Copenhagen in 1995 which set strong foundational principles on poverty eradication, full and productive employment, and equalities and social inclusion as interconnected priorities - with people at the centre. WSSD will be an important moment to reinvigorate and modernise the priorities set out in the Copenhagen Declaration and Programme of Action, aligning them to the United Nation's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Effective modern partnerships will be essential to deliver on commitments.As we are eight months away from the conference, we have not yet finalised the UK's delegation, at official and ministerial levels. The UK is committed to attending the World Summit for Social Development at senior levels, demonstrating UK commitment to key social development agendas.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he made of the potential impact of the reduction in Official Development Assistance funding on programmes in (a) Israel and the (b) Occupied Palestinian Territories in the 20525-26 financial year.

The Prime Minister made clear in the House on 25 February that this Government is proud of the UK's pioneering record on overseas development, and we will continue to play a key humanitarian role in Gaza. The reduction in Official Development Assistance will come into effect from 2027. This will provide time for planning and adapting plans to ensure the smoothest transition possible. We cannot yet confirm funding allocations for the region in financial year 2025-26 but continue to assess all overseas development assistance.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the UN Secretary General’s UN80 Initiative.

In its 80th year, the need for an effective UN remains clear; however, the organization needs major reform if it is to meet the complex challenges of the future.The UK welcomes the UN Secretary-General's decision to launch a UN80 Task Force on reform, to ensure that the UN focuses once again on core tasks and maximum impact. If done right, a reformed UN will serve as a multiplier for UK interests and priorities, as we work to build a safer, more prosperous and equitable world. Therefore, we will encourage the Secretary-General's reform initiative to be as ambitious and far-reaching as possible.I was able to convey our support in person when I recently met with the Secretary General in Geneva.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help support efforts to promote conflict prevention in (a) the United Nations and (b) other multilateral fora.

As the Prime Minister said in New York in September 2024, we must put new energy and creativity into conflict prevention, reverse the trend towards ever-greater violence, make the institutions of peace fit for purpose.The UK remains a steadfast supporter of United Nations' peacebuilding efforts, including as a top donor to the UN Peacebuilding Fund.We continue to support the UN's Complex Risk Analytics Fund, investing in better data and analysis to strengthen global risk foresight and enable earlier response.We will use this year's UN Peacebuilding Architecture Review to press for more systematic focus on early warning and conflict prevention across the UN system, encouraging national prevention approaches that are supported by affected communities, including women and youth.We promote conflict prevention across our engagement with multilateral fora, including the G7, G20, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the African Union, and advocate for scaled up, targeted support in fragile settings from the World Bank and other international financial institutions.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of access to (a) water and (b) sanitation in Sudan.

The conflict in Sudan is causing a nationwide humanitarian crisis - the most severe and largest globally with over 30 million people in need. Water access remains woefully inadequate in part due to the targeting of water supply infrastructure by armed actors. More than 17 million people now lack access to safe drinking water with 24 million people without access to adequate sanitation facilities. Combined these factors have contributed to a huge spike in cases of cholera and malnutrition among children. These conditions will only get worse as we approach the rainy season. This financial year (2024/25) we will provide £226.5 million in life-saving aid towards the crisis. As part of this, we support the United Nations Children's Fund, who conduct a wide range of water, sanitation and hygiene interventions across Sudan.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Sudanese Government’s response to the findings of the report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification entitled Famine Review Committee: Sudan, published on 24 December 2025, on the effectiveness of (a) UK and (b) multilateral nutrition and food programmes operating in that country.

The findings from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC)'s Sudan assessment makes clear the gravity of the humanitarian context across the country. The IPC's findings show the presence of famine in at least five areas of the country and projecting it could expand into at least ten areas by May 2025. The Sudanese authorities since the report's publication have consistently denied the existence of famine and have also announced its withdrawal from IPC-led analyses. The UK remains steadfast in its support to the people of Sudan. This financial year, we will provide £226.5 million in life-saving aid towards the crisis. As part of this, we are supporting the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) who are delivering lifesaving nutrition programmes to some of the most vulnerable children in Sudan as well as the World Food Programme who are delivering urgent food aid.