Wendy Morton MP: written questions
881 published records · newest first.
Written questions
Undocumented Migrants: English ChannelHome OfficeTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100926More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of current deterrence measures aimed at reducing illegal Channel crossings; and what further steps she plans to take to prevent small-boat arri
Answer: The Government has taken significant steps to address illegal migration and its Plan for Change sets out our ambition to secure borders and control immigration. We are committed to tackling illegal migration and the criminal networks which facilitate it. ...
Answered 7 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordEmployment: West MidlandsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100925More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, to ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Written Statement of 8 December 2025 on Support for Young People, HCWS1137, what evidence underpinned the selection of Birmingh
Answer: The government is investing over £1.5 billion in tackling youth unemployment and inactivity, including £820 million for the expanded Youth Guarantee and £725 million for the Growth and Skills Levy. This will provide young people aged 16–24 with greater su...
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordSector-based Work Academy Programme: West MidlandsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100924More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Written Statement of 8 December 2025 on Support for Young People, HCWS1137, what steps he is taking to ensure that expanded Sector-based Work Academy Programmes in West Midlands gr
Answer: DWP’s Sector-based Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) – which offer training, work experience and a job interview to DWP customers seeking work – help employers with immediate and future employment needs by upskilling benefit claimants to fill local job vaca...
Answered 29 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordApprentices: Young PeopleDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100923More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Written Statement of 8 December 2025 on Support for Young People, HCWS1137, and the ambition to support 50,000 more young people into apprenticeships, what modelling his Department
Answer: From the next academic year, the government will fully fund apprenticeship training for all eligible people aged under 25 at non-levy paying employers, essentially small and medium sized enterprises. Currently, this only happens for apprentices aged 16-21...
Answered 13 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordEmployment: West MidlandsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100877More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Written Statement of 8 December 2025 on Support for Young People, HCWS1137, what assessment he has made of the readiness of Jobcentre Plus districts across the West Midlands, inclu
Answer: We have already taken the first steps towards delivering a Youth Guarantee, to ensure that all 16–24-year-olds in Great Britain can access support to find work, training, or an apprenticeship. We have launched Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, anno...
Answered 12 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordTreasury: Video RecordingsTreasuryTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100876More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much the treasury spends on external videography services annually.
Answer: In 24/25 HMT spent £16,831 on external videography services. In 25/26, HMT have spent £11,160 as at 30 November 2025 on external videography services. These figures are inclusive of the use of external videography services to make training videos for the ...
Answered 8 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordTreasury: Scotland and WalesTreasuryTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100875More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much was spent on her visit to Wales and Scotland in early December 2025, including staffing, accommodation, expenses and security.
Answer: As has been the case under successive administrations, the Government does not publish granular detail on Ministers’ domestic travel. As a police protected minister, we do not comment on the specific arrangements in place for the Chancellor for security r...
Answered 8 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordGreat British Railways: MarketingDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100874More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the effect of introducing the Great British Rail branding on existing regional identities and heritage railway liveries; whether she plans to permit local or heritage-specific va
Answer: In developing the new brand for Great British Railways (GBR), the Secretary of State has carefully considered how to preserve Britain’s iconic railway history. With that in mind, many heritage names like Great Western Railway and London North Eastern Rail...
Answered 6 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordGreat British Railways: MarketingDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100873More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her planned timetable is for implementing the Great British Rail branding across (a) rolling stock, (b) stations, (c) staff uniforms and (d) digital platforms; what estimate she has made of the cost of eac
Answer: The Department is working to develop a rollout plan for the GBR branding, with a focus on maximising opportunities to ensure value for money, such as repainting trains when they were due to be repainted by their leasing companies. The brand rollout will b...
Answered 6 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordGreat British Railways: MarketingDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100872More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Great British Rail branding designs currently in circulation are the final approved versions; what stages of design development or ministerial approval remain outstanding; what consultation has take
Answer: The railway today features a huge variety of conflicting signage standards, driven by the wasteful approach in of rebranding operators each time the franchise changed – creating a fragmented and confusing system for passengers, and in some cases not reach...
Answered 6 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordGreat British Railways: MarketingDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100871More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what external agencies or consultants her Department or its arm’s-length bodies have commissioned to design the branding, logo and visual identity for Great British Rail; whether those contracts were subject to
Answer: The brand unveiled on 9 December 2025 was developed in-house by staff at the Department for Transport with support from a livery design specialist who works for a train operator in public ownership. This approach was chosen to ensure good value for money ...
Answered 6 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordGreat British Railways: MarketingDepartment for TransportTabled 17 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 100870More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the total budget is for the development and rollout of branding for Great British Rail; and what the cost has been to date.
Answer: The Department is working to develop a rollout plan for the GBR branding, with a focus on maximising opportunities to ensure value for money, such as repainting trains when they are due to be repainted by their leasing companies and changing station signa...
Answered 6 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordPlanning Permission: West MidlandsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98791More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of how planning reforms will affect public consultation and community engagement in planning decisions in the West Midlands.
Answer: Local planning authorities are required to undertake a formal period of public consultation, prior to deciding a planning application. The proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) that the government is currently consulting on wil...
Answered 5 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordPlanning Permission: AppealsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98790More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to review the performance and efficiency of the planning appeals process under forthcoming reforms.
Answer: The Planning Inspectorate's Strategic Plan commits the Agency to removing all casework backlogs and meeting all Ministerial targets, including those on relating to planning appeals, by 2027. The Inspectorate regularly publishes updates on its performance.
Answered 19 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordGreat British Railways: Network RailDepartment for TransportTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98789More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the planned timeline is for the full transition of responsibilities from Network Rail to Great British Railways as set out in the Railways Bill.
Answer: Network Rail and its functions will become a foundational part of Great British Railways (GBR) as it is stood up, which we are aiming to be around 12 months after the Railways Bill receives Royal Assent. The detailed GBR design process is underway, consid...
Answered 17 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: West MidlandsDepartment for TransportTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98788More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of rail freight capacity through the West Midlands corridor.
Answer: The West Midlands Combined Authority have commissioned economists to conduct an independent prioritisation exercise called the ‘Rosewell Review’ which will produce a portfolio-level prospectus setting out major investment opportunities that will support d...
Answered 18 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordRailways: West MidlandsDepartment for TransportTabled 10 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98787More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the Railways Bill on service reliability of rail routes (a) connecting Birmingham and Walsall and (b) the rest of the West Midlands.
Answer: The Railways Bill includes the introduction of Great British Railways (GBR) which will be a new public company responsible for providing the single point of leadership our railways sorely need, squarely accountable to its passengers for the service it del...
Answered 17 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordPlanning: West MidlandsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 9 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98483More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of his Department's planning reform proposals on the continued protection of green spaces and environmentally sensitive sites
Answer: Green spaces and environmentally sensitive sites continue to receive protection in national planning policy. The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that open space should not be built on unless there is clear evidence it is no longer required;...
Answered 17 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordBrownfield Sites: West MidlandsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 9 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98482More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what support is available to West Midlands local authorities to bring forward brownfield sites under the proposed changes to the planning system.
Answer: I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 91369 on 27 November 2025.
Answered 5 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordHousing: West MidlandsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 9 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98481More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that planning reforms support the timely delivery of local infrastructure in areas experiencing housing growth in the West Midlands.
Answer: I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 26106 on 5 February 2025.
Answered 17 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordLocal Plans: West MidlandsMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled 9 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98480More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of planning reform proposals on the timescales for the adoption of local plans by local authorities in the West Midland
Answer: Local planning authorities are responsible for publishing the intended timeframes for the production and adoption of their local plans. The government is determined to drive local plans to adoption as quickly as possible in order to achieve our ambition o...
Answered 17 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordSocial Security BenefitsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 9 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98479More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many face-to-face assessments for benefit claimants have taken place since 1 January 2024.
Answer: While this information is not currently published by the department, we will be sharing this data in a future statistical release.
Answered 26 Jan 2026
Original Parliament recordSocial Security BenefitsDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 9 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98478More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the financial impact of future welfare spending on the economy.
Answer: We inherited from the previous administration a welfare system that forced too many people out of work and on to long-term benefits, while leaving millions of children in poverty. We have begun to address that through reforms to universal credit, increase...
Answered 18 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordWorkplace PensionsTreasuryTabled 9 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98477More
Question: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the potential impact of the salary sacrifice pension scheme changes announced in the Autumn Budget 2025 on the value of occupational
Answer: A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to pensions salary sacrifice. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) set out in their November 2025 Economic and Fiscal Outlook that t...
Answered 16 Dec 2025
Original Parliament recordUnemployment: Young PeopleDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled 9 Dec 2025AnsweredUIN 98476More
Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of trends in the level of youth unemployment in the West Midlands.
Answer: The information requested is published and available at:https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/default.asp Guidance for users can be found at:https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/home/newuser.aspThe estimated unemployment levels can be found by selecting “Query data” on the NO...
Answered 16 Dec 2025
Original Parliament record
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