Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
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 support small business growth in (a) Sutton Coldfield and (b) the West Midlands.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Last year the Business Secretary announced a new Business Growth Service which will make it easier for businesses in Sutton Coldfield, the West Midlands and across the UK, to get help, support and advice to grow and thrive.
The West Midlands Growth Hub is where small and medium sized businesses in Sutton Coldfield and the West Midlands can benefit from specialist advice on how to scale up, access new markets and receive financial support through the British Business Bank.
Businesses can also access other Government programmes such as the Business Support Service, Help to Grow: Management, the UK Export Academy, International Trade Advisors and the Export Support Service.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of investing in industrial sites in the West Midlands.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
While the Department has made no assessment of the potential merits of investing in industrial sites in the West Midlands, we continue to consider industry’s feedback on the key enablers for strategic investment which includes the need for industrial sites.
We have been working at pace to develop an Industrial Strategy based on businesses responses to the Invest 2035 Green Paper and ongoing engagement with businesses, with the advice and oversight of the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council.
The Office for Investment is also expanding its capacity to better support and enable large scale investments, such as the recent investment secured in Bedford for a multi-billion pound Universal theme park.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans she has to improve the electric vehicle charging network in the West Midlands.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is committed to accelerating the roll-out of charging infrastructure so that everyone, no matter where they live or work, can make the transition to an electric vehicle (EV). As of 1 January 2025, there were 6,484 public charging devices in the West Midlands region, or 108 per 100,000 of the population.
Going forward, the West Midlands region has been allocated over £37m capital and resource funding as part of the £381m Local EV Infrastructure Fund (LEVI), to transform the availability of EV charging for drivers without off-street parking in the area. The LEVI Fund is expected to leverage significant further private investment and support the installation of at least 100,000 local chargepoints across England and will give EV drivers, especially those without off-street parking, confidence they are never too far from a chargepoint.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of offering an official apology to Ali Kololo.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)
The operationally independent Metropolitan Police continue to progress matters relating to Mr. Kololo’s case. It would not be appropriate for Home Office Ministers to comment on any discussions concerning the individual.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what costs the Metropolitan Police have incurred defending the civil claim filed by Ali Kololo.
Answered by Dan Jarvis - Minister of State (Home Office)
The operationally independent Metropolitan Police continue to progress matters relating to Mr. Kololo’s case. It would not be appropriate for Home Office Ministers to comment on any discussions concerning the individual.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will consider the case of Ali Kololo in the review of the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance Guidance.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Overseas Security and Justice Assistance (OSJA) assessment is an essential tool to ensure that the UK's overseas security and justice assistance meets our human rights and international humanitarian law (IHL) obligations, increases respect for the rule of law, and supports UK values. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is currently reviewing the Government's guidance for OSJAs so that it remains fit for purpose and captures emerging risks that could contribute to violations of human rights and IHL. As part of that review, the FCDO will consider a wide range of material from civil society and other stakeholders, including internal users across HMG Departments and our overseas network. We will consider the relevance of the Ali Kololo case to the OSJA guidance review.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to support people who have been made redundant to access (a) training and (b) skills support in the West Midlands.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Get Britain Working White Paper focuses on building a thriving labour market, reducing economic inactivity and increasing the number of people in work, which is central to growing the economy.
DWP provides Rapid Redundancy Support (RRS) to both Employers and Individuals following notification from the National RRS team or via the DWP Strategic Relationship Team and Insolvency Service.
Local Employer Advisors will make contact the Employers/or Individuals to offer support as a matter of urgency. Support is tailored and can vary depending on the scale of the redundancy and the level of support required. This can include:
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
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 [humanitarian OR security] situation in (a) Zamzam and (b) El Fashir in north Darfur.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The security situation in El Fasher and around the ZamZam camp remains tense and civilians are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. The UK led a United Nations Security Council press statement on 31 January 2025 to condemn the intensifying assaults on El Fasher by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and the attack on the Saudi Teaching Maternal Hospital. This followed our leadership on resolution 2736 in June 2024 which demanded the RSF ends its siege on El Fasher, and that the crucial Adre border crossing be re-opened for humanitarian delivery. All sides must commit to protecting civilians. The UK continues to engage with all sides in this conflict to ensure this is the case.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
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 support (a) retail and (b) hospitality businesses in the West Midlands.
Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We are delivering across government to create better conditions for retail and hospitality businesses to thrive.
This government has introduced the Crime and Policing Bill, which will scrap the effective immunity for low-value shoplifting and do more to protect retail workers from assault. We have introduced High Street Rental Auction powers for local authorities, which will make town centre tenancies more accessible and affordable for SMEs, local businesses and community groups. And we are delivering permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality, and leisure properties from 2026-27.
Last year the Business Secretary announced a new Business Growth Service which will make it easier and quicker for businesses across the United Kingdom to get the help, support and advice they need to grow and thrive. The West Midlands Growth Hub is where small and medium businesses in the West Midlands can benefit from specialist business advice on how to grow, access new markets and receive government support.
Asked by: Andrew Mitchell (Conservative - Sutton Coldfield)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support vaccine distribution in conflict affected areas of Sudan.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The conflict in Sudan and the widespread destruction of sanitation and health services has caused a devastating cholera outbreak. Two-thirds of states in Sudan are experiencing more than three different disease outbreaks, which are exacerbated by the widening climatic shocks. In response, the UK is supporting United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and others who are delivering lifesaving emergency health interventions including cholera vaccines, treatment, and prevention. Specifically, we are also contributing to an ongoing cholera vaccination campaign in Kosti and Rabak, targeting one million people. UK aid is also addressing related needs across the region given the cross-border risks of Sudan's cholera outbreak. We continue to urge all parties in Sudan to facilitate humanitarian access so that aid reaches those most in need.