Written questions by Morton.

What recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) on the ability of farming families to pass on agricultural (a) businesses and (b) property to future generations.

The Government believes its reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief from 6 April 2026 get the balance right between supporting farms and businesses, and fixing the public finances. The reforms reduce the inheritance tax advantages available to owners of agricultural and business assets, but still mean those assets will be taxed at a much lower effective rate than most other assets. Despite a tough fiscal context, the Government will maintain very significant levels of relief from inheritance tax beyond what is available to others and compared to the position before 1992. Where inheritance tax is due, those liable for a charge can pay any liability on the relevant assets over 10 annual instalments, interest-free. The reforms are expected to result in up to 520 estates claiming agricultural property relief, including those also claiming business property relief, paying more inheritance tax in 2026-27. Almost three-quarters of estates claiming agricultural property relief, including those that also claim for business property relief, will not pay any more tax as a result of the changes in 2026-27, based on the latest available data.

Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to support (a) councils and (b) local authorities to improve high streets.

The commercial vacancy rate is 13.3% in England and 16.2% in the West Midlands. This government is committed to tackling high street vacancy and supporting small businesses. On 4 March, we launched the Plan for Neighbourhoods, a £1.5 billion investment to help revitalise local areas and fight deprivation in 75 places across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. We also introduced High Street Rental Auctions (HSRAs), a power to auction the lease of persistently vacant commercial properties. This is backed by a fund of over £1 million to help local authorities implement these measures. Our Small Business Strategy, to be published in due course, will set out how we intend to further support small businesses on the high street and beyond.

What steps she is taking to help mitigate the impact of public sector pay settlements for 2025 on inflation.

For 2025-26, public sector pay awards for most frontline sector workforces are subject to the ongoing Pay Review Body (PRB) process. The majority of PRBs are required, per their terms of reference, to consider the government’s inflation target when forming their recommendations. The Chancellor has also been clear that departmental settlements for 2025-26 and beyond will need to fund these public sector pay awards, given that additional borrowing to fund pay awards could increase inflationary pressures.

Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to increase the (a) transparency and (b) accountability of lottery fundraising by charities.

The transparency and accountability of society lottery operators is a matter for the Gambling Commission through its Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP). The Minister for Gambling has no current plans to take action in this area.

Media and Sport, what plans her Department has to remove the cap on charity lottery ticket sales.

Society lotteries are a vital fundraising tool for many charities, community groups, sports clubs and other non-commercial organisations. We are carefully considering calls to increase or remove limits on ticket sales, alongside the results of independent research into the lotteries sector. We will provide an update on our policy position before the Summer Recess.

What steps her Department is taking to reduce potential barriers to accessing Pension Credit for pensioners who do not have access to digital services or face challenges with online applications.

The Department is in the process of modernising the Pension Credit delivery and consideration of accessibility, having previously introduced online claims, in addition to telephone and paper claims. Claims for Pension Credit can be made online at: www.gov.uk/pension-credit/how-to-claim. The service is available to use 24/7, and provides those who may struggle to make their claim alone the flexibility to have a friend or family member to support them when making their claim at a time that is most convenient to them. Pension Credit claims can also be made through the Freephone telephone number 0800 99 1234, and there is an option to complete a paper application form. DWP Agents and third-party organisations are also available to support customers with the application process. For customers who are unable to complete forms themselves a home visit from a visiting officer can be arranged. For customers who are deaf and use British Sign Language a Video Relay Service (known as VRS) is available and for customers who cannot hear or speak on the phone, can use Relay UK service. Further information can be found on Gov.uk Pension Credit easy read. DWP staff are trained to identify those who may need additional support, and Jobcentres will continue to provide face-to-face support as business as usual for those who cannot access support through telephony and digital channels. The Jobcentre will also consider whether the individual should be referred to specialist support within their geographical area.

Communities and Local Government, what estimate her Department has made of the number of empty retail units in town centres; and what assessment she has made of the potential merits of introducing new (a) grants and (b) funding streams to encourage small businesses to occupy vacant spaces.

The commercial vacancy rate is 13.3% in England and 16.2% in the West Midlands. This government is committed to tackling high street vacancy and supporting small businesses. On 4 March, we launched the Plan for Neighbourhoods, a £1.5 billion investment to help revitalise local areas and fight deprivation in 75 places across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. We also introduced High Street Rental Auctions (HSRAs), a power to auction the lease of persistently vacant commercial properties. This is backed by a fund of over £1 million to help local authorities implement these measures. Our Small Business Strategy, to be published in due course, will set out how we intend to further support small businesses on the high street and beyond.

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, how much and what proportion of expenditure on international climate finance will have been with (a) multilateral organisations and (b) development banks in each financial year between 2020-21 and 2025-26.

The UK Government spend on International Climate Finance (ICF) was £1,560 million in 2020-21, £1,623 million in 2021-22, £1,641 million in 2022-23, and £2,277 million in 2023-24. Financial years 2024-25 and 2025-26 are not complete and so figures are not available. The proportion of ICF spent through multilateral organisations was 41% in 2020-21, 23% in 2021-22, 39% in 2022-23, and 46% in 2023-24. The proportion of ICF spent on development banks, included under multilateral organisations, was 0% between 2020-21 and 2022-23, and 16% in 2023-24.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate he has made of (a) overspends and (b) underspends in the International Climate Finance budget.

The UK has met all of its climate finance targets to date.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking ensure the (a) effectiveness and (b) adequacy of the delivery of international climate finance spending planned for the (i) final two years of the 2021-2026 funding period and (ii) other years.

To ensure the effectiveness and adequacy of the delivery of international climate finance (ICF) spending the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has robust delivery rules in place - these can be found here: FCDO Programme Operating Framework - GOV.UK. In addition, ICF programmes report progress against a set of Key Performance Indicators annually. These results are published to demonstrate the impact and effectiveness of ICF spending - the latest report can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-international-climate-finance-results-2024

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent progress his Department has made on increasing private finance through (a) British International Investment and (b) British Investment Partnerships to help meet the UK's international climate finance targets; and how private finance is being targeted towards (i) low-income countries and (ii) climate-vulnerable regions.

In 2023, the British Investment Partnerships (BIP) portfolio invested £1.5 billion in developing countries which mobilised over £3.5 billion of private sector investment. Over 54 per cent of BIP programme spend was classified as International Climate Finance (ICF) and over 70 per cent of BIP programmes operate in least developed countries and lower-middle income countries.Since 2022, BII has invested over $1 billion in climate finance and mobilised over $2 billion of private capital. Over 90 per cent of BII's portfolio is invested in Africa and South Asia, in some of the poorest and most climate vulnerable countries in the world.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that aid reclassified as international climate finance provides additional finance to developing countries.

All UK International Climate Finance (ICF) supports developing countries with capital investment, technical assistance, and capacity building to help drive the transition to low-carbon, climate resilient and nature positive development paths. Since 2011 UK ICF programmes have directly supported over 110 million people adapt to the effects of climate change; reduced or avoided over 105 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and provided over 82 million people with improved access to clean energy.

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 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.

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 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 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.

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.

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.