Written questions by Morton.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing funding to Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance’s replenishment campaign for the 2026-2030 strategic period.

The UK is a longstanding proud donor to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, committing £1.65 billion from 2021-2025 which is helping save up to 8 million lives from vaccine preventable diseases. In 2026-2030, Gavi aims to immunise up to 500 million more children, saving an additional 8-9 million lives. The UK remains committed to supporting Gavi and is working with international partners to ensure sustainable resources for upcoming global health replenishments. These are being considered together to ensure we are best placed to address the global health challenges ahead. Funding decisions will be taken following the conclusion of the Spending Review in 2025.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) Lebanon and (b) the Middle East on ensuring that aid can be brought into Lebanon.

The UK continues to engage with international partners on alleviating the suffering of those most in need in Lebanon, including refugees and vulnerable Lebanese communities. I attended the International Conference in Support of Lebanon's People and Sovereignty in Paris on 24 October, where approximately €800 million in humanitarian support was committed. I met Lebanon's Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib and Environment Minister Nasser Yasin to discuss the situation, as well as other regional and international counterparts. The UK is one of the largest donors to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs' Lebanon Humanitarian Fund and the Central Emergency Response Fund. We have announced £10 million of aid to Lebanon, which includes essential medicine, hygiene kits, fuel for water stations, education and child protection services for the most vulnerable children, and cash assistance. This is in addition to the £5 million already provided to support emergency response programming. UK bilateral humanitarian support for this financial year so far is £31 million.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to identify any potential additional routes for humanitarian aid delivery into Gaza since July 2024.

The UK continues to call on Israel to increase humanitarian and commercial access into the Palestinian territories by ensuring all aid crossings are fully operational. This is particularly vital in the winter months as heavy rain and flooding are now exacerbating an already desperate humanitarian situation. We are clear that Israel can and must do more to get aid into Gaza. The Prime Minister stressed this in a call with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on 19 October; and the Foreign Secretary reiterated this at the UN Security Council on 18 November. Israel must streamline processes at Ashdod, increase the flow of aid from Jordan and Egypt, and allow the commercial import of goods from Israel, the West Bank and neighbouring countries.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of UK sanctions on Iran.

We judge UK sanctions to be an important tool in deterring and disrupting Iran's malign activity and demonstrating that, alongside our international partners, the UK condemns Iran's threats to international security and its human rights violations. Since September, the UK has announced four sanctions packages to counter Iranian activity, including coordinated international responses to both Iran's 1 October attack against Israel, and its transfer of ballistic missiles to Russia. Furthermore, on 13 September, the UK also expanded its trade sanctions to cover further goods which play an important role in Iran's unmanned aerial vehicle and missile programmes.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure the safety of UK humanitarian workers in Lebanon.

Any British national in Lebanon, regardless of the purpose of their stay, is entitled to consular support from the British Embassy. We provide detailed and up-to-date travel advice on gov.uk, which gives useful information for British Nationals to inform their personal security arrangements.The UK funds a humanitarian programme in Lebanon and while we do not assume duty of care for our implementing partners, we perform due diligence to understand their security arrangements. There is explicit criteria in grant or commercial contracts which outline HMG's expectations of suppliers in terms of duty of care and security provision for their staff, for example regarding safety briefings and risk mitigation plans.We urge all parties involved in the conflict in Lebanon to allow humanitarian workers to carry out their work safely, and we continue to do so even with the ceasefire in place. More broadly, the FCDO supports the safety of humanitarian workers by investing in protective measures that our partners need to work safely, championing international humanitarian law, and using UK seats at key multilateral fora to raise awareness and promote accountability. The UK was proud to co-sponsor and vote in favour of UN Security Council resolution 2730, which calls on states to protect humanitarian personnel, and we support its full implementation in Lebanon and around the world.

With reference to Qs 258-259 of the oral evidence given by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the Treasury Select Committee on Wednesday 6 November 2024, what value of Business Property Relief was claimed on farmer's estates for financial year 2021-22.

The Government published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief at www.gov.uk/government/publications/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms. This includes information on claims at death in 2021to 2022 referenced by the Chancellor at the Treasury Select Committee on 6 November 2024. The Chancellor wrote to the Treasury Select Committee on 15 November 2024, detailing the distribution of claims at death for agricultural property relief with values of business property relief claims added, where an estate has also claimed business property relief. This letter has been published at https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/45691/documents/226235/default/.

With reference to Qs 258-259 of the oral evidence given by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the Treasury Select Committee on Wednesday 6 November 2024, whether the figures quoted in her answers related only to Agricultural Property Relief and did not include Business property Relief claimed by farmers for the same period.

The Government published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief at www.gov.uk/government/publications/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms. This includes information on claims at death in 2021to 2022 referenced by the Chancellor at the Treasury Select Committee on 6 November 2024. The Chancellor wrote to the Treasury Select Committee on 15 November 2024, detailing the distribution of claims at death for agricultural property relief with values of business property relief claims added, where an estate has also claimed business property relief. This letter has been published at https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/45691/documents/226235/default/.

Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to ensure the provision of adequate funding to support (a) up-to-date local plans and (b) high-quality design codes.

Within weeks of taking office, the government consulted on increasing planning fees to put planning services on a firmer footing and to reflect the real costs of the services they provide.Subject to the outcome of our consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework, the government will provide funding to enable eligible local authorities to progress their plans to examination quickly. Further details on the funding will be provided in due course.More generally, the government is committed to supporting local planning authorities. At the Budget, the Chancellor announced a £46 million package of investment into the planning system to support capacity and capability in local planning authorities. This includes funding for the recruitment and training of 300 graduate and apprentice planners, along with funding to Public Practice for the recruitment of planners, architects, and urban designers. Together, this framework provides a clear basis for the delivery of more high-quality, well-designed homes.We are also developing a wider programme of support, working with partners across the planning sector, to ensure that local planning authorities have the skills and capacity they need, both now and in the future to modernise local plans and speed up decision making, including through innovative use of digital planning data and software.

Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to utilise architects to allow development of complex brownfield sites in proposed National Planning Policy Framework reforms.

National planning policy sets out the circumstances in which the development of brownfield land is considered appropriate, and the standards that are expected, including a high quality of design. It does not specify the professions which should be involved, which is a matter for the client, but is important that a range of disciplines is brought to bear as appropriate to the nature of the site, and architects will often play a key role. We have set out proposals for how brownfield development could be better supported in our consultation on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework and our discussion paper on ‘brownfield passports’.

Pursuant to the Answer of 20 November 2024 to Question 13775 on Hospices: Children, what his timescale is for announcing funding arrangements for the Children's Hospice Grant for 2025/26.

We are aware that clarity on the 2025/26 funding arrangements is needed to help children’s hospices, as they confirm their budgets. I have met NHS England, Together for Short Lives, and one of the co-chairs of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Children Who Need Palliative Care, Lord Balfe, and discussed these issues at length.The Department is working to confirm funding arrangements as a matter of urgency.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of changes to (a) Agricultural Property Relief and (b) Business Property Relief on trends in the sale of agricultural land assets.

The Government published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief at www.gov.uk/government/publications/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms. It is expected that up to around 2,000 estates will be affected by the changes to APR and BPR in 2026-27, with around half of those being claims that involve AIM shares. Almost three-quarters of estates claiming agricultural property relief (including those claiming agricultural property relief and business property relief together) each year are expected to be unaffected by these reforms. In accordance with standard practice, a tax information and impact note will be published alongside the draft legislation before the relevant Finance Bill.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to Agricultural Property Relief and Business Property Relief on (a) arable, (b) livestock and (c) hill farms.

The Government published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief at www.gov.uk/government/publications/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms. It is expected that up to around 2,000 estates will be affected by the changes to APR and BPR in 2026-27, with around half of those being claims that involve AIM shares. Almost three-quarters of estates claiming agricultural property relief (including those claiming agricultural property relief and business property relief together) each year are expected to be unaffected by these reforms. In accordance with standard practice, a tax information and impact note will be published alongside the draft legislation before the relevant Finance Bill.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes to (a) agricultural property relief and (b) business property relief announced in the Autumn Budget 2024 on (i) abattoirs, (ii) butchers, (iii) agricultural retailers, (iv) agricultural machinery retailers and (v) other agriculture-related businesses.

The Government published information about the reforms to agricultural property relief and business property relief at www.gov.uk/government/publications/agricultural-property-relief-and-business-property-relief-reforms. It is expected that up to around 2,000 estates will be affected by the changes to APR and BPR in 2026-27, with around half of those being claims that involve AIM shares. Almost three-quarters of estates claiming agricultural property relief (including those claiming agricultural property relief and business property relief together) each year are expected to be unaffected by these reforms. In accordance with standard practice, a tax information and impact note will be published alongside the draft legislation before the relevant Finance Bill.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the (a) effectiveness and (b) reliability of routes for humanitarian aid delivery into Gaza.

The UK is clear that Israel can and must do more to ensure that humanitarian assistance can move freely and safely into and within Gaza. October saw the lowest number of humanitarian aid trucks entering Gaza since the crisis began, and the hugely concerning breakdown of law and order in Gaza is further restricting efforts to move aid within the territory. At a UK-chaired meeting of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on 18 November, the Foreign Secretary underlined that there is no excuse for Israel's ongoing restrictions on humanitarian aid. Israel must end its aid restrictions and ensure that the UN and humanitarian partners can work safely and effectively. The Foreign Secretary also emphasised this in his 14 November call with Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar. And at a 12 November UNSC meeting, Lord Collins reiterated the UK's condemnation of Israel's ongoing aid restrictions. We continue to work alongside partners to press for an immediate ceasefire, the release of the hostages and a significant increase in aid to Gaza.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the role of Qatar in mediating between the parties to the conflict in the Middle East.

Qatar has played a vital role in negotiating a ceasefire deal to secure the release of all those being held hostage by Hamas and bring the conflict in Gaza to an end. We thank Qatar, Egypt, the US and all international partners for their coordinating efforts. Securing an immediate ceasefire and the release of hostages remains the UK's top priority and will pave the way for wider de-escalation, bringing greater stability to the Middle East. The Foreign Secretary has been urging the parties to return to the negotiating table to engage in meaningful dialogue and show the flexibility needed to reach an agreement. Negotiations remain the best chance to get hostages home to their loved ones.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to increase the UK’s contribution of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza is intolerable. The UK continues to play a leading role in alleviating the suffering in Gaza: in July we announced £5.5m in additional funding for UK-Med to run field hospitals in Gaza, and in August an additional £6m for UNICEF to provide lifesaving aid to vulnerable families in Gaza. During my visit to Egypt in October, I pledged £1 million of UK assistance to the Egyptian Ministry of Health to support medically evacuated civilians from Gaza who are receiving care in Egypt. At a humanitarian conference in Cairo on 2 December, the Minister of State for Development announced £19 million of funding for Gaza, including £12 million in funding to the United Nations' Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and World Food Programme (WFP). We continue to provide significant funding to partners to support those most in need, including by announcing on 17 October that the Government will match up to £10 million of public donations to the Disasters Emergency Committee's Middle East humanitarian appeal.

Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of applying zero rate Society Lotteries to a compulsory levy for problem gambling.

Society lotteries are a vital fundraising tool for many charities, community groups, sports clubs and other non-commercial organisations.The Government is committed to reviewing the best available evidence from a wide range of sources and working with all stakeholders in order to support the industry and ensure there are robust protections in place to protect those at risk.We will provide further updates to the House soon.