Written questions by Jogee.

What recent engagement his Department has had with Parkinson’s UK.

The Department has engaged with Parkinson’s UK on several occasions in recent months. On 30 October 2025, I hosted a roundtable with Parkinson’s UK, Cure Parkinson’s, and members of the Movers and Shakers group to discuss priorities for improving care and support for people living with Parkinson’s disease. This included discussions on workforce challenges, access to specialist nurses, and opportunities to strengthen community-based services.Department officials also continue to meet representatives of Parkinson’s UK virtually in routine stakeholder catch‑up meetings, most recently on 19 November 2025. These discussions focus on ongoing collaboration to improve support for people living with Parkinson’s, including updates on policy priorities.The Department values this ongoing engagement and remains committed to working closely with Parkinson’s UK and other stakeholders to ensure equitable access to high-quality care for everyone living with Parkinson’s.

Media and Sport, whether she has plans for a formal national memorial to the Duchess of Kent.

The Government does not have any plans for a formal national memorial for the late Duchess of Kent.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland about the potential impact of proposed changes to inheritance tax on family farms in Ulster.

Following the reforms to inheritance tax announced at Budget 2024, we have engaged with the farming community and businesses. Having carefully considered this feedback, we are going further to protect more farms and businesses, while maintaining the core principle that the most valuable agricultural and business assets should not receive unlimited relief. The allowance for 100% rate of relief will be increased from £1 million to £2.5 million when it is introduced in April 2026. This means a couple will now be able to pass on up to £5 million tax-free between them, on top of existing allowances such as the nil rate band. Raising the threshold will significantly reduce the number of farms and business owners facing higher inheritance tax bills under the reforms, ensuring only the largest estates are affected. This gets the balance right between supporting farms and businesses, fixing the public finances, and funding public services.

What recent discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the environmental condition of Lough Neagh.

The blue-green algae which we have seen develop over recent years in Lough Neagh is very worrying and has had a serious impact on the environmental health of the Lough. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State recently met with Northern Ireland’s Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir MLA, and discussed the environmental impact on Lough Neagh, the Lough Neagh Action Plan and where the UK Government can support the Department in tackling the pollution in Lough Neagh. Whilst the protection and conservation of the Lough is a devolved matter, this Government recognises the vital importance of Lough Neagh and will continue to engage with the Executive on this issue.

How much funding Staffordshire County Council has received from His Majesty’s Government since 1 May 2025.

Funding for individual local authorities is primarily distributed through the Local Government Finance Settlement. Details of the funding allocated to Staffordshire County Council through the Settlement for 2025–26, as well as its Core Spending Power, are published online and can be accessed here Core Spending Power table: final local government finance settlement 2025 to 2026 - GOV.UK.

If she will make an assessment of the adequacy of library provision in schools in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

​​​​I refer my hon. Friend, the Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme, to the answer of 22 October 2025 to Question ​​81502​.​

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help ensure those seeking election to local authorities are provided with support in advance of election day.

The Government does not provide direct support to individuals seeking election. The Electoral Commission is the independent regulatory body responsible for providing guidance and support to candidates on how to comply with electoral law. This department funds the Local Government Association (LGA) to deliver a programme of sector support, including the LGA’s Be A Councillor Campaign which aims to raise awareness of the councillor role, help people to find out more about becoming a councillor and increase representation in local government of the communities it serves.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Republic of Ghana joining the Francophonie on the work of the Commonwealth.

Ghana's full membership of the International Organisation of La Francophonie was confirmed more than fifteen months ago, and there are no indications that it has had any impact on Ghana's status as a historic and valued partner in the Commonwealth.

What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of a rail connection to Belfast International Airport on economic growth across the United Kingdom.

Belfast International Airport is vital not just for Northern Ireland’s connectivity but for economic growth across the whole of the UK. While civil aviation is a reserved matter, the development of airports in Northern Ireland, and the surface transport serving them, is devolved. It is therefore for the Northern Ireland Executive to determine their infrastructure investment priorities, including any potential rail connection, within the record funding settlement for Northern Ireland announced by the Chancellor at the spending review.

What recent steps he has taken to support veterans families in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.

This Government is committed to ensuring that veterans and their families are easily able to access support in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire and across the country, when and where it is needed. Late last year we launched a new Veterans Strategy which recognises veterans as a national asset and resets the nation’s relationship with those who have served. Alongside this, we launched the £50 million VALOUR programme, which will make it easier for veterans to access the care and support they deserve, and we confirmed £12 million for the continuation of the Reducing Veteran Homelessness Programme. In addition, dedicated supported is available to veterans through Ops FORTITUDE, COURAGE, RESTORE, ASCEND and NOVA as well as through programmes such as the Career Transition Partnership.

How many children in Newcastle-under-Lyme have used the bikeability scheme in each of the last 5 years.

The Bikeability Trust, the national charity that manages the Bikeability programme in England on behalf of Government, provides targeted funding and support to local authorities to address barriers to engagement. Uptake of Bikeability can be limited by a variety of factors including low levels of access to cycles and parents choosing to opt out. In 2024/5 Staffordshire County Council (SCC) were allocated up to £575,990 funding for Bikeability. Of this available funding, SCC claimed £266,987. We do not hold information for funding allocations to Newcastle-under-Lyme as local training delivery allocations are managed by Staffordshire County Council.

What steps she is taking to increase the number of young people in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire using the bikeability scheme.

The Bikeability Trust, the national charity that manages the Bikeability programme in England on behalf of Government, provides targeted funding and support to local authorities to address barriers to engagement. Uptake of Bikeability can be limited by a variety of factors including low levels of access to cycles and parents choosing to opt out. In 2024/5 Staffordshire County Council (SCC) were allocated up to £575,990 funding for Bikeability. Of this available funding, SCC claimed £266,987. We do not hold information for funding allocations to Newcastle-under-Lyme as local training delivery allocations are managed by Staffordshire County Council.

What recent discussions he has had with the Ulster Farmers’ Union.

My officials and I regularly meet with the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) to discuss the views of the farming community in Northern Ireland, the Government’s international trade policy and movements of agrifood products within the UK internal market. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and I wrote to the UFU on 23 December setting out the Government’s changes to inheritance tax and Agricultural Property Relief. These changes will protect more farms and businesses, while maintaining the core principle that more valuable agricultural and business assets should not receive unlimited relief.

What recent discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the potential merits of a train connection to Belfast International Airport.

The Government recognises that connectivity is vital for supporting economic growth and opportunity across the United Kingdom. I note that the Northern Ireland Executive recently received the findings from the Translink feasibility study into the reopening of the Antrim-Lisburn line, which includes options for a connection to Belfast International Airport. The Executive also recently received the final report of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review, which considers this project a priority. As transport is a devolved matter, it is for the Executive to determine their infrastructure investment priorities based on these findings and to allocate funding from the record financial settlement of £19.3 billion for 2025-26.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of a bespoke strategy to reduce energy costs for the ceramics industry.

The government recognises high energy prices as a significant pressure on UK industry, including ceramics. The only way to bring down bills for good is by ending the UK’s dependency on volatile fossil fuel markets, through the government’s Clean Power Mission. Around 10% of ceramics manufacturers currently qualify for the British Industry Supercharger discount on electricity network charges that will increase from 60% to 90% in 2026. From 2027, the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme will reduce electricity costs for foundational manufacturing industries, such as ceramics, by c.£35-40/MWh.We will publish a renewed Industrial Decarbonisation Plan (IDP), setting out a refreshed, strategic approach to delivering a competitive and low-carbon future for UK industry, shaped in close collaboration with industrial stakeholders. The government also intends to consult on further policies to bring down electricity costs relative to gas for the non-domestic sector.

What plans the Government has to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on April 21 2026.

It is right that as a country we reflect on Queen Elizabeth II’s legacy to mark her centenary on 21 April 2026. For more than 70 years, she was our greatest public servant, an anchor of stability in an ever-changing and often uncertain world. The Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee was appointed by the Government and Royal Household to develop recommendations for the national commemoration of Queen Elizabeth, including a national memorial in St James’s Park, London and a UK-wide legacy programme. The Committee will announce the final design for the national memorial alongside plans for the legacy programme on 21 April 2026, to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s birth. More information about this announcement and associated events will be shared in due course.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help ensure that the planning process protects access to green spaces for residents in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) makes clear that strategic policies set out in the development plan should make sufficient provision for green infrastructure. In addition, 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. National planning policy also sets out strong protections for existing open space, outlining that it should not be built on unless an assessment has been undertaken which has clearly shown the open space to be surplus to requirements, or that any loss resulting from the proposed development would be replaced by equivalent or better provision in terms of quantity and quality in a suitable location, or that the development is for alternative sports and recreational provision, the benefits of which clearly outweigh the loss of the current or former use. The government is currently consulting on changes to the NPPF, including policies relating to green infrastructure and open space. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here and will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the potential impact of the death of Begum Khaleda Zia on the a) security, b) political and c) economic situation in Bangladesh.

No such assessment is considered necessary at this time, but our condolences go to the friends and family of the late Khaleda Zia, and to the millions in Bangladesh who are mourning the loss of the country's first female Prime Minister.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the economic situation in Myanmar.

The UK's security assessment for Myanmar is kept up-to-date on the FCDO Travel Advice: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/myanmar/safety-and-security.On the economic side, poverty rates, food insecurity and forced labour in the country remain significant concerns. Advice to UK business operating in Myanmar can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/overseas-business-risk-myanmar-burma.

Whether she is taking steps to ensure that children and young people in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme, b) Staffordshire and c) England learn about farming, agriculture and food at school.

Food education is covered primarily within Design and Technology, and elements of food education, farming and agriculture can also be covered across Biology, Geography and RSHE in the national curriculum.The curriculum requires that pupils learn about healthy eating, where food comes from, nutrition and sustainability. Schools also have flexibility within the broad framework of the national curriculum to tailor curriculum subjects to meet the needs of their pupils.Additional resources are available from Oak National Academy, who have recently developed a new cooking and nutrition curriculum package. This has been designed by experts to give access to practical, engaging lessons covering food preparation, cooking techniques, and healthy eating.In the recent response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review, the department set out that it will be ensuring that the programmes of study for cooking and nutrition, which will be renamed food and nutrition, are more specific and prepare pupils for life and potential future careers in the food sector.