Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 21 July 2025 to Question 68454 on Manufacturing Industries: West Midlands, which SME sectors in the West Midlands were consulted during the development of the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy 2025.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

As part of Invest 2035 the Department issued a public consultation asking for feedback on 36 questions to inform the Industrial Strategy. The consultation received over 27,000 online answers to individual questions from a wide range of businesses and organisations, including more than 250 business associations representing hundreds of thousands of businesses across the UK.

In the West Midlands input was sought from businesses across a wide range of sectors, including all eight growth driving sectors. We engaged with organisations representing business interests across sectors, including the Combined Authority, Midlands Engine Partnership, local business representation organisations, and regional networks such as the export champions. Additionally, we met directly with representatives from businesses in the growth driving sectors in the region to give them an opportunity to feed into the development of the strategy.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what role her Department will have in reforming the (a) UN, (b) International Monetary Fund and (c) World Bank.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK supports the UN80 reform initiative and is working closely with the Secretary-General and member states to deliver meaningful reform. We are advocating for a bold vision of a UN that focuses once again on core tasks and maximum impact. The UK, as a major shareholder of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, will also continue to influence and shape these institutions in line with our modernised aid approach.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps is she taking to a) support and b) encourage new open access rail applications.

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

We want a rail sector that is innovative and provides greater connectivity and understand that Open Access can support this aim. That is why we have been clear that we will support Open Access in the right circumstances, and why my department stands ready to engage with Open Access operators to assess the financial, operational and performance impacts of individual applications on a case-by-case basis. We will, however, only provide support to individual applications where benefits clearly outweigh costs to taxpayers and do not impact upon the efficient operation of the network.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2025 to Question 65284 on Railways: West Midlands, what assessment she made of the potential impact of the Midlands rail hub on (a) capacity and (b) connectivity with the Sutton Park line.

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

Midlands Rail Hub creates the capacity for additional trains benefiting rail users across the region; it does not propose any changes to the Sutton Park Line.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions has she had with Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway since their open access application was rejected in July 2025.

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

My Department provided its support for Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway’s (WSMR) original application in February 2025 and officials have met with WSMR since July to discuss its views regarding the regulator’s decision to reject their application due to lack of capacity on the West Coast Main Line.

The Department respects the ORR’s ruling and acknowledges that large areas of the network are already operating at full capacity, but remains open to further engagement with WSMR – and other Open Access operators – as may be required in the future.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what progress she has made on the Midlands Rail Hub West Chord link; and when this work will be completed.

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

In the 2025 Spending Review the Chancellor committed to progress the next stage of Midlands Rail Hub, building on £123m previously released. Network Rail are procuring a contractor to design and build the scheme. The western scope of MRH is due to be completed in the early 2030s.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of people who arrived by small boat crossings have been (a) prosecuted and (b) deported since 1 July 2024. .

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The information requested on those identified as being involved in people smuggling activity and on prosecutions is not currently available from published statistics.

On returns, in the year ending June 2025, there were 2,330 returns of people who had arrived by small boat, this information can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-system-statistics-year-ending-june-2025/how-many-people-are-returned-from-the-uk#s-5

The Home Office publishes data on the number of returns from the UK in each quarter in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’ : https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release

The latest data on returns of people who arrived by small boat crossings are presented in table Ret_06 of the ‘returns summary tables’ (of which ‘deportations’ are a subset) and can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/immigration-system-statistics-data-tables#returns

The latest data relate to the year ending June 2025.

The Home Office also publishes data on small boat arrivals, with data available in table Irr_01 of the ‘Irregular migration summary tables’ : ‘https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release’

In further publications, The National Crime Agency (NCA) publish a performance overview in their ‘Annual Report and Accounts’. This provides a summary of the NCA’s purpose, objectives and performance during the year, including information on organised immigration crime disruptions. The latest report can be found here: National Crime Agency Annual Report and Accounts - 2024-2025.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of people who arrived by small boat crossings have been identified as being involved in people smuggling activity since 1 July 2024.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The information requested on those identified as being involved in people smuggling activity and on prosecutions is not currently available from published statistics.

On returns, in the year ending June 2025, there were 2,330 returns of people who had arrived by small boat, this information can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-system-statistics-year-ending-june-2025/how-many-people-are-returned-from-the-uk#s-5

The Home Office publishes data on the number of returns from the UK in each quarter in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’ : https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release

The latest data on returns of people who arrived by small boat crossings are presented in table Ret_06 of the ‘returns summary tables’ (of which ‘deportations’ are a subset) and can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/immigration-system-statistics-data-tables#returns

The latest data relate to the year ending June 2025.

The Home Office also publishes data on small boat arrivals, with data available in table Irr_01 of the ‘Irregular migration summary tables’ : ‘https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release’

In further publications, The National Crime Agency (NCA) publish a performance overview in their ‘Annual Report and Accounts’. This provides a summary of the NCA’s purpose, objectives and performance during the year, including information on organised immigration crime disruptions. The latest report can be found here: National Crime Agency Annual Report and Accounts - 2024-2025.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been prosecuted for offences related to people smuggling by small boat crossings since 1 July 2024.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The information requested on those identified as being involved in people smuggling activity and on prosecutions is not currently available from published statistics.

On returns, in the year ending June 2025, there were 2,330 returns of people who had arrived by small boat, this information can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-system-statistics-year-ending-june-2025/how-many-people-are-returned-from-the-uk#s-5

The Home Office publishes data on the number of returns from the UK in each quarter in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’ : https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release

The latest data on returns of people who arrived by small boat crossings are presented in table Ret_06 of the ‘returns summary tables’ (of which ‘deportations’ are a subset) and can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/immigration-system-statistics-data-tables#returns

The latest data relate to the year ending June 2025.

The Home Office also publishes data on small boat arrivals, with data available in table Irr_01 of the ‘Irregular migration summary tables’ : ‘https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release’

In further publications, The National Crime Agency (NCA) publish a performance overview in their ‘Annual Report and Accounts’. This provides a summary of the NCA’s purpose, objectives and performance during the year, including information on organised immigration crime disruptions. The latest report can be found here: National Crime Agency Annual Report and Accounts - 2024-2025.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of using the Sutton Park freight line for passenger services on (a) the capacity of the West Coast main line and (b) passenger services into central Birmingham.

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

The Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline investment portfolio was set out in the June 2025 Spending Review settlement.

The Department for Transport is not actively exploring this proposal for the Sutton Park freight line, but local authorities such as West Midlands Combined Authority, are free to develop local proposals for investment using their own devolved transport funding.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11 July 2025 to Question 65783 on landfill, what estimate she has made of the amount of waste transported from Scotland to landfill sites in England by (a) volume and (b) lorry or container load.

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

I have engaged with the Scottish Government on the potential impacts of their forthcoming ban on the landfilling of biodegradable municipal waste. We don’t have an estimate for the amount of waste transported from Scotland to England, but the Scottish Government has assured the department that it is not acceptable for a large amount of waste to be transported from Scotland to landfills in England and they are working closely with Scottish Local Authorities to prevent this outcome.

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 she has made of the incinerator capacity for waste destined for landfill in Scotland.

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

I have engaged with the Scottish Government on the potential impacts of their forthcoming ban on the landfilling of biodegradable municipal waste. We don’t have an estimate for the amount of waste transported from Scotland to England, but the Scottish Government has assured the department that it is not acceptable for a large amount of waste to be transported from Scotland to landfills in England and they are working closely with Scottish Local Authorities to prevent this outcome.

Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps he is taking to help improve broadband (a) speed and (b) quality in underserved areas; and how his Department plans to (i) monitor and (ii) report on progress.

Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

According to the independent website, Thinkbroadband.com, 89% of premises in the UK have access to a gigabit-capable broadband connection. Our goal is for nationwide gigabit coverage by 2032, ensuring at least 99% of UK premises can access a gigabit-capable connection.

As part of Project Gigabit, the government’s programme to deliver gigabit-capable broadband to UK premises that are not included in suppliers' commercial plans, more than £2.4 billion of contracts have already been signed to connect over one million more premises with gigabit-capable broadband.

Building Digital UK (BDUK) reports on delivery progress through its annual report and quarterly official statistics. BDUK has also committed to publishing monthly reports on how many premises are contracted and built under each of its gigabit contracts.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of increases in employers’ National Insurance contributions on levels of redundancies in schools.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

School funding is increasing by £3.7 billion in 2025/26, meaning that core school budgets will total £65.3 billion, compared to £61.6 billion in 2024/25. This includes the additional funding being provided to support schools and high needs settings, with the increases to employer National Insurance contributions from April 2025.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 July 2025 to Question 66929 on BBC World Service, whether any (a) specific programmes and (b) projects within the BBC World Service are under consideration for funding decisions in the autumn review.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Rt Hon Member to the answer provided on 10 September to Question 70437.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of reducing levels of funding for Level 7 apprenticeships on the number of nurses in training.

Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

This government has a driving mission to break down barriers to opportunity. Apprenticeship starts by young people under 25 fell by almost 40% over the last decade.

The government therefore wants to ensure that public funding is prioritised towards those at the start of their working lives, rather than those already in work with higher levels of prior learning and qualifications.

That is why from January 2026 the government will no longer fund level 7 apprenticeships, equivalent to master’s degree level – except for young apprentices under the age of 22, and those under 25 who are care leavers or have an Education, Health and Care Plan.

This decision was informed by a wide range of evidence, including analysis by Skills England of official apprenticeship statistics and engagement with relevant stakeholders, including other government departments such as the Department of Health and Social Care. Skills England evidence also suggested that there was unlikely to be a significant or unavoidable fall in the supply of these skills in the long term, post-defunding.

The department also continues to work across government to tackle the skills needs of different sectors, including addressing the skills gaps in the health and social care industry which were identified in Skills England’s first report on driving growth and widening opportunities.

There is a complete apprentice pathway for nursing, from entry level to postgraduate advanced clinical practice. A person can join the NHS as an entry level Healthcare Assistant apprentice with a view to eventually qualifying as a Registered Nurse.

In addition, the Department of Health and Social Care will be funding ongoing provision of Level 7 apprenticeships in five professions, including Specialist community public health nurse (SCPHN) and District nurse (Community Specialist Practice Qualification).