Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of current measures to protect public green spaces from (a) unauthorised encampments and (b) environmental damage.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The designation of land as Local Green Space through local and neighbourhood plans allows communities to identify and protect green areas of particular importance to them.

Local plans are expected to identify, map and safeguard locally designated sites of importance for biodiversity, including Local Wildlife Sites.

Local planning authorities already have a wide range of enforcement powers, with strong penalties for non-compliance, which they can use to tackle all types of unauthorised development. We will keep the use of these powers under review.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of neighbourhood planning policies in involving local communities in the planning process.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

As set out in Paragraph 30 of the National Planning Policy Framework, neighbourhood planning gives communities the power to develop a shared vision for their area. Neighbourhood plans can shape, direct, and help to deliver sustainable development, by influencing local planning decisions as part of the statutory development plan.

The government remains of the view that neighbourhood plans can play an important role in the planning system. Communities can continue to prepare neighbourhood plans where they consider that doing so is in their best interests.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department is taking steps to help ensure that developers take account of adopted neighbourhood plans.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government remains of the view that neighbourhood plans can play an important role in the planning system.

Once passed at referendum, neighbourhood plans form part of the statutory development plan for the local area which is the basis for making decisions on planning applications.

The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that where a planning application conflicts with an up-to-date development plan (including any neighbourhood plans), permission should not usually be granted.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the oral contribution of the Secretary of State for Transport of 8 July 2025 on Road and Rail Projects, Official Report, columns 822-3, what her Department's timetable is for providing more information on its plans for the midlands rail hub.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The first phase of Midlands Rail Hub enables additional rail services between Birmingham and South Wales, and the South West, and on Birmingham’s Cross City Line. Subsequent phases are at an earlier stage of development but include the potential for additional rail services from Birmingham to the East Midlands and between Worcester and Hereford.

The Government’s commitment to deliver detailed designs of the first phase of MRH will produce a more accurate delivery schedule in due course. This phase is due to enter service in the early 2030s. The delivery timescales for later phases are subject to further development work and subsequent investment decisions.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to increase capacity on the West Coast Main Line southern section, in the context of the decision by the Office of Rail and Road to reject the open access application from Wrexham, Shropshire & Midlands Railway.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The delivery of HS2 will almost double long-distance rail capacity between London and the West Midlands, significantly improving the heavily congested southern section of the West Coast Main Line and releasing capacity for other services on that section of the line. Unfortunately, following significant cost increases and delays as a result of poor management, HS2 will not be delivered by 2033 as was previously planned; the government has taken urgent action to bring the project under control and tasked new HS2 Ltd CEO with undertaking a comprehensive reset of the programme, which will include setting updated cost and delivery schedule estimates.

In the meantime, the West Coast Main Line will continue to be capacity constrained making it virtually impossible for additional train services to reliably come into operation, which is the primary reason why the Office of Rail and Road declined the Wrexham, Shropshire, and Midlands Railway’s application.

While the government will not reverse the previous government’s decision to cancel HS2 Phase 2, we acknowledge concerns about future capacity north of Birmingham and hope to say more on connectivity in the Midlands and the North in the coming months. In the meantime, we are investing to increase power supply on the southern end of the West Coast Main Line, to enable the introduction of new electric services and support future growth and performance improvements on the route.

Further, my Department remains committed to a role for Open Access where it provides genuine benefits to passengers without disproportionately impacting taxpayers, which is why we provided support for Wrexham, Shropshire, and Midlands Railway’s application. However, we must equally ensure that Open Access does not have detrimental impacts upon the performance of the network. It is the role of the regulator to take access decisions informed by assessments of capacity.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department will take steps to support (a) the freedom of expression and (b) civil society in Georgia.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I remain deeply concerned by the Georgian Dream government's increasing repression of opposition voices, civil society, and independent media. On 11 July in coordination with European partners, the Foreign Secretary condemned politically motivated detentions of opposition politicians. I have repeatedly called out repressive legislation targeting Civil society and peaceful protesters. We have downgraded our bilateral cooperation and are considering all other options available to us. We urge Georgian Dream to reverse course and engage in inclusive national dialogue with all stakeholders in Georgia's future.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his new development financing strategy will prioritise the most vulnerable countries.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Reducing poverty in the world's poorest, most fragile and unstable environments remains central to our Official Development Assistance (ODA). The UK will remain a leading humanitarian actor, in a world where 300 million people require humanitarian assistance. That includes our continued bilateral support to Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan.

Reducing the overall size of our ODA budget will have an impact on the scale and shape of the work we do. We need to focus on greater impact, ensuring every pound delivers for the UK taxpayer and the people we support. We will sharpen our focus on three priorities that align with the needs of our partners, UK interests, and where we can drive real change: humanitarian, health, and climate and nature, underpinned by economic development.

We expect to publish the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office final 2025/26 ODA programme allocations in the Annual Report & Accounts on the 21 July. Over the coming months, we will work through detailed decisions on how the ODA budget will be used, informed by internal and external consultation and impact assessments, ahead of publishing indicative multi-year allocations in the autumn.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding her Department plans to allocate to Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council for fixing potholes in each of the next three financial years.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The West Midlands Combined Authority, of which Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council is a constituent authority, is in receipt of £1.05bn of devolved City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) funding for the period 2022/23 to 2026/27, and has been allocated £2.4bn of Transport for City Regions (TCR) funding for the period up until 2031/32. These funding settlements are for investment in the West Midlands’ local transport network and consolidate local highways maintenance funding. It is for the Combined Authority to determine how this funding is allocated across the city region in line with local priorities.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his letter to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee of 16 June 2025, how the £200 million uplift in non-ODA spending in 2025-26 will be allocated across the priorities he identifies.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The £200 million non-Official Development Assistance (ODA) spending uplift is from 2026/27 onwards as was agreed in the latest Spending Review. There is no £200 million uplift in 2025/26. Decisions on the allocation of non-ODA programme will be agreed during the multi-year allocations process, expected to conclude in the Autumn.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his letter to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, dated 16 June 2025, what changes he plans to make in the context of his comments on (a) working as an investor rather than only a donor and (b) moving from service delivery to system support.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We have been clear that we must transform what development means to respond to the global context. For too long it has been the Global North telling the Global South how to work - we will work in partnership, not paternalism.

When moving from donor to investor, we will partner with countries to unlock growth, jobs and trade through innovative finance and private sector investment - scaling up our instruments and public-private partnership to channel greater investment. And when moving from service delivery to system support, we will prioritise helping countries build their own education, health, and economic systems so they can thrive without aid, including by expanding the way that UK expertise works alongside countries. We must modernise our approach, make choices and focus on greater impact - ensuring every pound delivers for the UK taxpayer and the people we support.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what information his Department holds on the number of businesses which have ceased trading each day since July 2024.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority.

A response to the Hon lady’s Parliamentary Question of 15th July is attached.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to support British farmers producing (a) cereal, (b) milk, (c) butter, (d) beef and (e) other staple food items.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Ministers and Defra officials regularly engage with food retailers and producers on a wide range of food supply issues, including affordability and access to staple items such as cereal, milk, butter, and beef. These discussions form part of our ongoing efforts to ensure a resilient and fair food supply chain.

While pricing decisions remain a matter for individual businesses, we recognise the pressures facing both consumers and retailers. The Government continues to monitor food price trends closely and Defra’s Food Strategy, announced in December, will be considering how easily our citizens can access affordable, safe, nutritious, healthy food and we’ll be working across government and with the food supply chain to find solutions.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether additional funding has been allocated to the Environment Agency to tackle waste crime in the current financial year.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Defra works closely with the Environment Agency (EA) to ensure it is equipped to carry out its functions effectively and deliver for the public and the environment. The EA’s total budget for 2025 to 2026 has increased to £2,274 million and includes £10 million baselined for waste crime enforcement and additional £5.6 million this financial year to tackle waste crime.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2025 to Question 65283 on Railways: Electrification, how many miles of electrification will be delivered from that funding in each of those three years.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department does not hold estimates for how much electrification will be delivered on a yearly basis, as the rate of delivery can vary as projects progress and proposals are finalised in the development stage.

Network Rail publishes yearly statistics for electrification delivered annually in Great Britain as part of their annual return. These returns can be found here: https://www.networkrail.co.uk/who-we-are/publications-and-resources/regulatory-and-licensing/annual-return/

Electrification delivery over the course of the coming three years will be published here in the normal way.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what additional funding she plans to provide to planning departments in local authorities in 2025-26.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Supporting local planning authorities to attract, retain and develop skilled planners is crucial to ensuring they provide a proactive, efficient planning service for local communities and that new developments are well designed and facilitate local growth.

The government appreciates that planning departments across the country are experiencing challenges with recruitment, retention, and skills gaps and that in many cases these issues are having a negative impact on service delivery.

At the Budget last year, the Chanceller announced a £46 million package of investment into the planning system as a one-year settlement for 2025-2026.

Our manifesto committed us to appointing 300 new planning officers into LPAs. We are on track to meet that commitment through two routes, namely graduate recruitment through the Pathways to Planning scheme run by the Local Government Association and mid-career recruitment through Public Practice.

On 27 February 2025, the government announced funding to support salaries and complement graduate bursaries. Further information can be found in the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 27 February 2025 (HCWS480).

On 25 February 2025, the draft Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications, Deemed Applications, Requests and Site Visits) (England) (Amendment and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2025 were agreed. These regulations increase planning fees for householder and other applications, with a view to providing much-needed additional resources for hard-pressed LPAs.

More broadly, the Department’s established Planning Capacity and Capability programme is also developing a wider programme of support, working with partners across the planning sector, to ensure that LPAs 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.

Lastly, the Planning and Infrastructure Bill includes provisions that will allow LPAs to set planning fees or charges at a level that reflects the individual costs to the LPA to carry out the function for which it is imposed and to ensure that the income from planning fees or charges is applied towards the delivery of the planning function.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to have discussions with (a) NGOs, (b) parliamentarians, and (c) women and girls before his refresh of the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK remains committed to advancing the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda through implementation of the fifth WPS National Action Plan.

This government is committed to engaging widely ahead of refreshing the National Action Plan. We held our first round of consultation with civil society organisations and academics on 11 July to hear their views and expertise. The Minister for Africa, the Minister responsible for WPS, also met with the WPS All Party Parliamentary Group on 3 July where he heard from civil society organisations and parliamentarians on national and international work in this area.

We will continue to engage with women and girls, NGOs and parliamentarians throughout the development of the refreshed plan.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what discussions he had with the Mayor of the West Midlands during the development of The UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy 2025, published on 23 June 2025.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The government is committed to working in partnership with Mayoral Strategic Authorities (MSAs) as part of delivering the Industrial Strategy's regional growth objective. We have engaged regularly with the West Midlands Combined Authority, at official and Mayoral level, to reflect and support its significant strengths in the Industrial Strategy and to coordinate local and national policies ahead of the publication of the West Midlands' forthcoming Local Growth Plan.

Regular engagement at Ministerial and official level will continue as we implement the Industrial Strategy, including the delivery of Sector Plans, which the government has committed to implement in partnership with MSAs.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he plans to publish the refreshed National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK remains firmly committed to the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda as reflected in the UK's fifth WPS National Action Plan. The Government intends to build on this ambition through a refreshed National Action Plan, advancing implementation and aligning to emerging priorities.

While we have not yet set a publication date for the refreshed National Action Plan, we have already begun consultations with civil society and academics. This included a first round of consultation on 11 July to hear their expert views.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to The UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy 2025 published on 23 June 2025, what plans he has to develop clusters of excellence in the West Midlands.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Industrial Strategy highlights the West Midlands' strengths in all eight Industrial Strategy growth-driving sectors.

The Strategy's UK-wide measures will make it quicker and easier to do business, including in the West Midlands. Specific Industrial Strategy interventions for the West Midlands include devolved funding from the £150m Creative Places Growth Fund, a co-created Professional and Business Services Hub and exploring a pilot initiative for an Electric Vehicles manufacturing cluster. The West Midlands will also receive £30m through the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund, a British Business Bank Cluster Champion to coordinate investment and a strategic partnership with the National Wealth Fund.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to The UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy 2025, published on 23 June 2025, which sectors in the West Midlands he consulted with during the development of the Industrial Strategy.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The government engaged widely throughout the development of the Industrial Strategy, including with businesses, business representation organisations, and trade unions.

In the West Midlands, this included roundtables and discussions with businesses, engagement with the Midlands Engine Partnership, written consultation on our Green Paper Invest 2035 and close working with the West Midlands Mayoral Strategic Authority to understand the strengths and barriers to growth in the region. Additionally, the department's regionally based teams sought input from SME businesses across a range of sectors.

We will continue engaging widely throughout Industrial Strategy implementation.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much funding her Department plans to provide for brownfield remediation in the (a) 2025-26 and (b) 2026-27 financial year.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government is making available over £1.8bn of grant funding for land and infrastructure in 2025/26.

We will launch the National Housing Delivery Fund in 2026/27. Its c.£5bn of capital grant funding will be available across the four financial years from 2026/27 to 2029/30.

As per the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 18 June 2025 (HCWS712), we are also intend to establish a new, permanent National Housing Bank to act as the government’s investment arm.

We also intend to establish a new, permanent National Housing Bank to act as the government’s investment arm. The Bank will have an initial allocation of £16 billion of new financial capacity.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many affordable homes have been built since July 2024.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Statistics on gross additional affordable housing supply in England between April 2024 and March 2025, including the number of affordable homes built, will be published by December 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 4 July 2025 to Question 62958 on Affordable Housing: West Midlands, when he will publish a figure for the funding that has been allocated to the West Midlands as part of the 10‑year Affordable Homes Programme.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 2 July (HCWS771).

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many affordable homes she plans to deliver in this Parliament.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 2 July (HCWS771).

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department is taking steps to increase the role of neighbourhood plans in the planning process.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government remains of the view that neighbourhood plans can play an important role in the planning system. Communities can continue to prepare neighbourhood plans where they consider that doing so is in their best interests.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding her Department has allocated to the M54 to M6 link road in Staffordshire; and how she plans to allocate this funding across the Spending Review period.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

On the 8th July, the Transport Secretary announced that the scheme will be progressing, following on from the Spending Review in June. £24 billion of capital funding is being provided between 2026-27 and 2029-30 to maintain and improve motorways and local roads. Scheme costs for the Strategic Road Network schemes including the M54 to M6 Link Road will be confirmed as part of the setting of the third road investment strategy (RIS3), planned to be published by the end of March next year.

The delivery timetable for the scheme will also be confirmed during the setting of the next Road Investment Strategy [RIS3], which begins in April 2026.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her Department's planned timetable is for completing the M54 to M6 link road in Staffordshire.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

On the 8th July, the Transport Secretary announced that the scheme will be progressing, following on from the Spending Review in June. £24 billion of capital funding is being provided between 2026-27 and 2029-30 to maintain and improve motorways and local roads. Scheme costs for the Strategic Road Network schemes including the M54 to M6 Link Road will be confirmed as part of the setting of the third road investment strategy (RIS3), planned to be published by the end of March next year.

The delivery timetable for the scheme will also be confirmed during the setting of the next Road Investment Strategy [RIS3], which begins in April 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Oral Contribution of the Secretary of State for Transport: Road and Rail Projects delivered on 8 July 2025, how many of the 39,000 new properties will be built (a) in the West Midlands combined authority area and (b) in Aldridge-Brownhills constituency.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The 39,000-figure cited by the Secretary of State for Transport is an estimate of the number of new homes that will be supported by the road and rail projects announced on 8 July 2025.

My Department is working with others across government to ensure that investment in transport infrastructure maximises opportunities to support new homes across England.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Oral Contribution of the Secretary of State for Transport: Road and Rail Projects delivered on 8 July 2025, when the 39,000 new properties will be built.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The 39,000-figure cited by the Secretary of State for Transport is an estimate of the number of new homes that will be supported by the road and rail projects announced on 8 July 2025.

My Department is working with others across government to ensure that investment in transport infrastructure maximises opportunities to support new homes across England.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of energy costs on energy intensive industries.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Government is well aware of the issue of high industrial energy costs, and the challenges that poses for Energy Intensive Industries (EII). That is why we continue to offer support to electro-intensives through the EII compensation scheme and the Supercharger.

We will also soon be consulting on an uplift of the Network Charges Compensation scheme.

The recent Industrial Strategy also committed to consulting on the establishment of a new support scheme, British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS) which will exempt up to 7,000 businesses from some of policy costs included within electricity bills.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce industrial electricity prices.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Government is well aware of the issue of high industrial energy costs, and the challenges that poses for Energy Intensive Industries (EII). That is why we continue to offer support to electro-intensives through the EII compensation scheme and the Supercharger.

We will also soon be consulting on an uplift of the Network Charges Compensation scheme.

The recent Industrial Strategy also committed to consulting on the establishment of a new support scheme, British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme (BICS) which will exempt up to 7,000 businesses from some of policy costs included within electricity bills.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the conviction rate was for waste crime offences in each of the last five years.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The conviction rates for the last five years are as follows:

2020 – 82%

2021 – 81%

2022 – 86%

2023 – 83%

2024 – 84%

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of prosecutions for waste crime offences in England and Wales.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Of the additional £5.6 million allocated to the Environment Agency (EA) this year to tackle waste crime, £2 million has allowed the EA to recruit an additional 43 operational staff and achieve focus on enforcement. Prosecution is not always the most effective way of stopping waste crime and the EA will continue to use a variety of approaches to disrupt and prevent waste crime, whilst prosecuting the worst offences and offenders, in line with its strategy for reducing crime in the waste sector.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to p.12 of The UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy 2025 published on 23 June 2025, on what evidential basis his Department determined which business sectors have high potential.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Invest 2035 (published on GOV.UK in October 2024) identified 8 high-level 'growth driving' sectors (the IS-8): Advanced Manufacturing, Clean Energy Industries, Creative Industries, Defence, Digital and Technologies, Financial Services, Life Sciences, and Professional and Business Services. Pages 18-20 of the Invest 2035 green paper outline the methodology for identifying the IS-8 sectors.

The Technical Annex of the Modern Industrial Strategy 2025 (published on GOV.UK in June 2025) outlines the methodology for identifying the frontier industries within the IS-8 sectors.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Africa has had with trade unions on women’s empowerment; and on what dates those discussions were held.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Minister for Africa had two official engagements on the topic of women's empowerment during the UN Commission on the Status of Women. Firstly, a meeting with a senior delegation from the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) on 12 March 2025, comprising Paola Simonetti, Director of the ITUC, Siobhan Vipond from the ITUC Canada and Dur e Shawar from the Pakistan Workers Party. Secondly, a meeting with Christina McAnea, General Secretary of UNISON, on 13 March 2025.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of resources available to local authorities to enforce waste disposal regulations.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

This question has been interpreted as relating to whether an assessment has been made regarding adequate infrastructure availability for local authorities to meet their Simpler Recycling requirements.

We are working with WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) and waste industry representatives to support readiness for the Simpler Recycling requirements. Specifically, we have engaged with Materials Recycling Facilities (MRF) operators and local authorities to identify challenges with MRF capacity, investment and upgrade timelines, and to work with the sector to identify interventions to support MRFs as they prepare for Simpler Recycling. Those engaged with us are aware of their obligations and are working hard to upgrade their facilities to ensure they can separate the target materials as required by Simpler Recycling.

Further workstreams have included engagement with the organics processing sector who are also clear of the obligations on them and the increase in food waste material which will be generated in the coming years.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of Great British Energy on reducing household energy bills.

Answered by Michael Shanks - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government’s mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower will bring energy security, protect billpayers, create good jobs, and help to protect future generations from the cost of climate breakdown. Delivering clean power by 2030 will protect billpayers from volatile international fossil fuel markets and bring down energy bills for good

Great British Energy is a key part of this plan. It will ensure taxpayers and billpayers reap the benefits of homegrown energy by investing in and developing clean energy projects across the United Kingdom.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with businesses on the S&P Global Flash UK PMI.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Details of the meetings held by Ministers of the Department for Business and Trade are available on transparency pages of gov.uk and are released as part of the Government’s transparency agenda.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made with Cabinet colleagues of the potential impact of infrastructure developments on agricultural land.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government places great importance upon our agricultural land.

The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that planning policies and decisions should recognise the benefits of the Best and Most Versatile Agricultural Land (land in grades 1, 2 and 3a of the Agricultural Land Classification system).

Where significant development of agricultural land is demonstrated to be necessary, areas of poorer quality land should be preferred to those of a higher quality.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that local housing targets include provision for (a) infrastructure and (b) brownfield remediation.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The revised National Planning Policy Framework published on 12 December 2024 includes a new Standard Method for assessing housing needs that is aligned to our Plan for Change milestone of building 1.5 million new safe and decent homes in England by the end of this Parliament.

The Standard Method for assessing housing needs provides a starting point for local planning authorities (LPAs) to inform the preparation of their local development plans.

Once an assessment has been made, LPAs should take into account land availability, environmental constraints, and other relevant matters, to determine how much of the assessed housing need can be met. It is for local authorities, in consultation with their communities, to set out the most appropriate strategy to meet their housing needs.

The NPPF makes clear that planning policies and decisions should give substantial weight to the value of using suitable brownfield land within settlements for homes and other identified needs and should support opportunities to remediate derelict and contaminated land.

Local development plans should address needs and opportunities in relation to infrastructure and identify what infrastructure is required and how it can be funded and brought forward. When preparing a Local Plan, Planning Practice Guidance recommends that local planning authorities use available evidence of infrastructure requirements to prepare an Infrastructure Funding Statement. Such Statements can be used to demonstrate the delivery of infrastructure throughout the plan-period.

The government provides financial support for essential infrastructure in areas of greatest housing demand through Land and Infrastructure funding programmes, such as the Housing Infrastructure Fund.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of fiscal uncertainty on levels of business confidence.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

Ensuring fiscal stability is a core part of delivering economic stability and providing a strong foundation for growth. The Government has been clear that the fiscal rules are non-negotiable.

We also introduced a series of responsible reforms to the fiscal framework that improve certainty, transparency and accountability, such as committing to one major annual fiscal event to provide certainty for families and businesses and introducing a ‘fiscal lock’ to ensure no government can announce fiscally significant measures without being subject to an independent assessment by the Office for Budget Responsibility.

The Government monitors a wide range of indicators to assess the UK’s economic performance, including measures of business confidence.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 25 June 2025 to Question 60503 on Housing: Construction, what the cost components are of the stability of energy costs in manufacturing.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Manufacturing energy costs are comprised of the wholesale price, network charges, and policy costs used to fund renewables and other initiatives including the Contracts for Difference, Renewables Obligation, Feed-in Tariff, Capacity Market charges, Nuclear RAB, and more. The Climate Change Levy is also applied to industrial energy bills, and there are indirect costs associated with the Emissions Trading Scheme and Carbon Price Support.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he made of the potential impact of delaying the implementation of the Employment Rights Bill’s provisions on unfair dismissal protections on levels of business confidence.

Answered by Justin Madders - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

There is no delay to implementation. On 1 July the Government published “Implementing the Employment Rights Bill: Roadmap”. It provides clarity for employers and workers on when Government will consult on the implementation of Bill measures, and when measures will take effect. Feedback from businesses is that this clarity has improved confidence. The Roadmap sets out our initial view that day one unfair dismissal protections will take effect in 2027, after regulations have been made and the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service has considered to what extent , to reflect day one rights in the Code of Practice on disciplinary and grievance procedures.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department with Cabinet colleagues to help seek justice for every victim of grooming gangs.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

On 16 June 2025, the Home Secretary made a statement to Parliament announcing Government's acceptance of all the recommendations made in Baroness Louise Casey's independent National Audit on Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse in England and Wales.

The Government is now moving swiftly to act on these recommendations which includes the establishment of a national inquiry into Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation, with the power to go into local areas, gather evidence, talk to victims, compel witnesses to appear, and to get to the truth of institutional failures.

We have also announced that the police will launch a new national criminal operation into group-based child sexual exploitation, overseen by the National Crime Agency, against a backdrop of continued investment in other work to strengthen law enforcement capacity and capability to tackle child sexual abuse and exploitation, including the Child Sexual Exploitation Police Taskforce which - since July 2023 - has supported the arrest of over 1300 individuals and protected thousands of victims.

Both initiatives will operate in parallel with continued commitment from Government to strengthen efforts to tackle this abhorrent crime and improve victims and survivors' access to justice.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of funding the National Association of Local Councils.

Answered by Jim McMahon - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government welcomes the work of the National Association of Local Councils to support and represent town and parish councils in England. The government has not assessed the merits of providing general funding to the National Association of Local Councils.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy 2025, published on 23 June 2025, if he will provide a breakdown of where he plans for the 41,000 new homes in the West Midlands to be built; and what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on this matter.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

In setting out how the Government will strengthen connections between and within city regions and clusters, the Industrial Strategy confirmed our commitment to delivering and maximising the growth benefits of HS2. The Industrial Strategy referenced independent research by Arcadis, conducted on behalf of HS2 Ltd, that suggests HS2 could lead to 41,000 new homes in the West Midlands. The source can be found at https://www.arcadis.com/en-gb/projects/europe/united-kingdom/hs2-impact-study.

The department has worked closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government during the development of the Industrial Strategy and will continue to do so.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the oral contribution of the Secretary of State for Transport of 8 July 2025 on Road and Rail Projects, Official Report, columns 822-3, whether it is her policy that the full cost of the midlands rail hub should be paid for by her Department; and when she expects the midlands rail hub to be completed.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

A sum of £123m has been allocated by the Government to deliver detailed designs of the first phase of MRH. The designs will produce a more accurate cost estimate, a delivery schedule and subsequently form the basis of a ‘Final Investment Decision’. This phase is due to enter service in the early 2030s. The costs and delivery timescales for later phases are subject to further development work and subsequent investment decisions.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what infrastructure projects the National Wealth Fund has (a) funded, (b) initiated and (c) delivered in the West Midlands since October 2024.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The National Wealth Fund (NWF) has a strong regional mandate and proactively identifies investment opportunities across the UK to ensure the benefits of investment are felt nationwide.

In March 2025, the NWF’s local authority function provided a £9.6 million loan to Solihull Council to help deliver its innovative new town centre energy network.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that neighbourhood plans effectively safeguard the environment and green belt in local areas.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

By designating Local Green Spaces and setting expectations for development in their area, neighbourhood plans can ensure development is environmentally acceptable and preserves access to nature.

Local planning authorities, in consultation with their communities and any neighbourhood planning bodies, decide whether land should be designated as green belt in accordance with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The Framework permits neighbourhood plans to amend green belt boundaries where strategic policies set out in a local development plan or spatial development strategy justify changes.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the merits of decision to close the Fleming Fund.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

To fund a necessary increase in defence spending, the Government has taken the decision to reduce our Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget to 0.3% of Gross National Income (GNI) by 2027. This reflects the world we live in and the threats our country faces and to maintain economic stability - the foundation of this Government's Plan for Change.

Tackling Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is a top priority for the UK Government and is vital also for protecting our NHS. The UK played a key role in securing an action-oriented Political Declaration from the UN High Level Meeting on AMR last September, including on the importance of strengthening multisectoral surveillance.

The UK is working with our partners to drive robust implementation of the commitments from the Political Declaration. Regarding specific UK funding in light of the upcoming conclusion of the work of the Fleming Fund in its current form we are currently working through detailed decisions on how the Official Development Assistance budget will be used in future years, informed by internal and external consultation and impact assessments, ahead of publishing indicative multi-year allocations in the autumn.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the UK’s contribution to the Pandemic Fund.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK has committed £25 million to the Pandemic Fund. We remain committed to building pandemic prevention, preparedness and response capacity and capability in developing countries, including through our other multilateral investments and diplomatic engagement.

We are currently working through detailed decisions on how the Official Development Assistance budget will be used in future years, informed by internal and external consultation and impact assessments, ahead of publishing indicative multi-year allocations in the autumn.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his letter to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, dated 16 June 2025, what multilateral organisations he plans to prioritise.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We will prioritise multilaterals in the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget, while driving reform of the multilateral system to strengthen its most important parts - humanitarian, health, climate, and the global financial system - to help lower-income countries sustain their progress and become self-sufficient.

We will support the most effective multilateral organisations, including Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (as demonstrated by our recent commitment of £1.25 billion between 2026 and 2030), the Global Fund, and the World Bank's International Development Association.

We will publish our support to some multilateral organisations throughout the year as commitments are made and report on all ODA spending in the Statistics on International Development publication.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department plans to provide transitional funding to help prevent the closure of surveillance laboratories.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK recognises the role that surveillance laboratories play in early detection and response to infectious disease threats. We are currently working through detailed decisions on how the Official Development Assistance budget will be used in future years, informed by internal and external consultation and impact assessments, ahead of publishing indicative multi-year allocations in the autumn.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of maintaining the UK’s level of support for the Global Fund for the 2026-28 period on global health security.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK remains committed to tackling global health challenges and will continue to work with all international partners towards the collective goal of a healthier, safer and more prosperous world. Over the coming months, we will work through decisions on how the Official Development Assistance budget will be used, and the impact on specific programmes, informed by internal and external consultation and impact assessments.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to p.99 of The UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy 2025, published on 23 June 2025, what strategic partnerships are being trialled by The National Wealth Fund in the West Midlands.

Answered by James Murray - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The National Wealth Fund (NWF) is trialling a Strategic Partnership with West Midlands – as well as Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and Glasgow City Region – to provide enhanced, hands-on support to help it develop and finance long-term investment opportunities.

The Strategic Partnerships will offer a closer, enhanced relationship with a small number of places to test whether this approach is more effective at building investment pipelines. They are bespoke arrangements, tailored to unique local requirements. This will include specific support at the early stages of project development to address capability and capacity gaps.

Alongside these, the NWF continues to provide financial and commercial advice and financing to local authority projects across the UK.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of taking steps with his with African counterparts to support the use of (a) Lenacapavir and (b) other long-lasting HIV prevention drugs among high-risk populations.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Long-acting technologies could be game-changers in the global response to HIV, but only if they reach the countries and communities that need them most, including young women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa and the most vulnerable and marginalised groups everywhere. Promoting choice is an important element of this.

We welcome the latest World Health Organisation guidelines announced this week recommending lenacapavir as an additional long-acting HIV prevention tool and long-acting cabotegravir and rilpivirine for long-acting HIV treatment. The UK continues to work closely with global partners to address regulatory, manufacturing, and affordability barriers to improve access to these technologies for those most at risk. This includes our support to Unitaid, the Global Fund, and towards research and development of the dapivirine ring.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make a comparative assessment of the potential impact of using (a) Lenacapavir, (b) other long-lasting HIV prevention drugs, (c) PrEP and (d) other daily HIV prevention drugs on levels of treatment uptake by (i) rural women and girls and (ii) other marginalised communities in Africa.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Long-acting technologies could be game-changers in the global response to HIV, but only if they reach the countries and communities that need them most, including young women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa and the most vulnerable and marginalised groups everywhere. Promoting choice is an important element of this.

We welcome the latest World Health Organisation guidelines announced this week recommending lenacapavir as an additional long-acting HIV prevention tool and long-acting cabotegravir and rilpivirine for long-acting HIV treatment. The UK continues to work closely with global partners to address regulatory, manufacturing, and affordability barriers to improve access to these technologies for those most at risk. This includes our support to Unitaid, the Global Fund, and towards research and development of the dapivirine ring.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help support manufacturing capacity for (a) Lenacapavir and (b) other long-lasting HIV prevention drugs.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Long-acting technologies could be game-changers in the global response to HIV, but only if they reach the countries and communities that need them most, including young women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa and the most vulnerable and marginalised groups everywhere. Promoting choice is an important element of this.

We welcome the latest World Health Organisation guidelines announced this week recommending lenacapavir as an additional long-acting HIV prevention tool and long-acting cabotegravir and rilpivirine for long-acting HIV treatment. The UK continues to work closely with global partners to address regulatory, manufacturing, and affordability barriers to improve access to these technologies for those most at risk. This includes our support to Unitaid, the Global Fund, and towards research and development of the dapivirine ring.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, on which dates the Ministerial Women Peace and Security National Action Plan steering board has met since July 2024.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Ministers are unwavering in their commitment to the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda.

A robust governance structure is in place to ensure accountability and transparency in delivery of the WPS National Action Plan (NAP). This includes a commitment to quarterly Cross-Whitehall Working Group meetings with civil society and academics (most recent meeting in April 2025), a biannual Cross-Whitehall Deputy Director Shadow Board (most recent meeting in January 2025), an annual Ministerial Steering Board, and a two-yearly update to the WPS All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG). In June 2025, the Minister for Africa and the Minister for the Armed Forces briefed the WPS APPG on the NAP Annual Report. In addition, Ministers engage regularly with civil society organisations on WPS.

A Ministerial Steering Board will form a part of the process of refreshing the WPS NAP.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the policy paper entitled UK and Palestinian strategic cooperation: memorandum of understanding, published on 28 April 2025, what information his Department holds on the timescale for the Palestinian Authority to hold (a) presidential and (b) parliamentary elections.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK supports and commends the Palestinian Authority's (PA) commitment to delivering its ambitious and necessary 'National Program for Development and Reform', based on its seven strategic development initiatives and four institutional performance and service delivery reform pillars. As part of the UK-PA Memorandum of Understanding, the PA committed to convening Presidential and Parliamentary elections within the shortest feasible timeframe. President Abbas has publicly outlined his commitment to holding Presidential and Parliamentary elections within a year. We continue to encourage the PA to work towards genuine and democratic elections within the shortest feasible timeframe.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the oral contribution of the Rt Hon Member for Aldridge-Brownhill of 2 July 2025 on West Bank: Forced Displacement, Official Report, column 770, if he will publish the bilateral humanitarian aid spend allocation to the Occupied Palestinian Territories in the 2025-26 financial year.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

On 28 April, the UK announced a package of support for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including £101 million for humanitarian aid, support for Palestinian economic development and strengthening Palestinian Authority governance and reform. As part of this package, on 21 May the Minister for Development announced a £4 million contribution to the British Red Cross to deliver humanitarian relief in Gaza through their partner, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. Once the remainder of the funding has been allocated, we will publish the information.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the oral contribution of the Rt Hon Member for Aldridge-Brownhills on 2 July 2025 on West Bank: Forced Displacement, Official Report, column 770, what steps he is taking to get (a) new aid routes into the Occupied Palestinian Territories opened and (b) more aid where it is needed most.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire. Not enough aid is getting in and vital services such as water supplies, ambulances and hospitals are at risk of shutting down due to fuel shortages. On 12 July, the UN stated that fuel shortages in Gaza had reached a critical level. The small amounts that have been allowed to enter in recent days are nowhere near enough. We continue to call on Israel to allow for a full and unhindered resurgence in the flow of aid into Gaza and to allow the UN and humanitarian partners to operate in line with humanitarian principles. The Foreign Secretary spoke to Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar on 12 July, where he reiterated our concerns about the situation on the ground and pressed for a return to a ceasefire. We called on Israel to open all access routes and allow fuel into Gaza at a meeting of the UN Security Council on 30 June.