Written questions by Jogee.

What steps he is taking to increase skills and employment support for people in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire in receipt of sickness benefits.

I refer the Hon. member to the answer I gave on 2 December to PQ 93871.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to support a) security, b) stability c) co-operation and d) prosperity in sub-Saharan Southern Africa.

I refer the Hon Member to the written ministerial statement published on 15 December 2025 (HCWS1168).

What estimate she has made of the length of time of a call to HMRC before it was answered.

HMRC publishes its call waiting times on GOV.UK:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-quarterly-performance-updates

What recent steps has he taken to help tackle fraud in the pension system.

The Government is resolute in its determination to protect pension scheme members from financial harm. There is a strong regulatory framework which allows pension scheme trustees to block pension transfers if there is risk of a scam and we are developing extended measures which seek to strengthen protections and combat any areas of evolving risk. DWP will continue to work closely with partners, including the police, the National Economic Crime Centre and anti-scams industry groups, to identify and disrupt unlawful activity and to ensure appropriate enforcement action is taken against those who exploit or seek to exploit pension savers. We will publicly consult on our work to strengthen the transfer process with enhanced protections in the coming months.

What recent engagement his Department has had with Action Bladder Cancer UK.

As part of the Department’s engagement to inform the development of the forthcoming National Cancer Plan, officials from the Department’s cancer team have worked closely with patient organisations, clinicians, cancer partners and have considered over 11,000 responses to the call for evidence. These included submissions from organisations, such as Fight Bladder Cancer and Cancer52, of which Action Bladder Cancer UK is a member of, as well as from individuals.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking with international partners to help tackle organised immigration crime.

I refer the Hon Member to the answers I gave in departmental oral questions on 28 October on tackling organised immigration crime. Fraudulent visa agents also target those seeking to come to the UK on fake visas and the UK and India are cooperating to protect people from scams and tackle irregular migration at its source.

If he will visit the North Staffordshire Branch of Parkinson's UK in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Ministers regularly consider visits across the country to see the impact of their policy areas. Any plans to visit specific locations will be notified to the relevant Members of Parliament in advance.

What recent steps have been taken to further develop trade links between the United Kingdom and Jamaica.

This Government is strengthening trade with Jamaica through multiple initiatives. UK Export Finance has signed a Framework for Cooperation with the Jamaican government enabling us to support a range of critical infrastructure projects with substantial UK content, including the replacement of bridges across the country. My department also recently funded the first inward mission from the Caribbean life sciences sector, which included senior Jamaican delegates, to deepen collaboration and tackle barriers to trade. We are also cooperating on digital trade, with Jamaican firms forging partnerships with UK businesses through the UK Trade Partnerships Programme.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking with the Secretary of State for the Home Department to tackle waste crime in rural communities.

This Government is making the necessary policy and regulatory reforms to close the loopholes being exploited by waste criminals. Key reforms include carrier, broker, dealer reform, waste permit exemption reform and the introduction of digital waste tracking. I believe these reforms are the best way to drive criminality out of the waste sector whether in urban or rural communities. However, the Government recognises that there can be challenges in responding to rural crime. That is why the Government collaborated with the National Police Chiefs’ Councils to deliver their renewal of the Rural and Wildlife Crime Strategy, which was published in November. The strategy, lasting until 2028, will ensure efforts to reduce crime benefit every community no matter where they live, including rural communities.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the financial contributions made by a) Australia, b) New Zealand, c) Canada and d) India to the Commonwealth Secretariat.

The UK is the largest donor to Commonwealth institutions and their programmes. We support reform of the Commonwealth Secretariat to help place the organisation on a more sustainable financial footing and encourage member states to contribute as appropriate to support Commonwealth activity.

Media and Sport, if she will visit a) the New Vic Theatre, b) the Brampton Museum and c) Apedale Heritage Centre in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

The Minister of State (then Sir Chris Bryant MP) had the pleasure of visiting both the New Vic Theatre and Brampton Museum on 27 August 2025. I will ask my officials to keep the Apedale Heritage Centre and attractions across Newcastle-under-Lyme in mind when planning future visits.Thank you for taking the time to share your suggestions of places to visit in your constituency. I am always delighted to support and promote the vital work being done across the cultural sector.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will discuss the adequacy of financial contributions made by member states to the Commonwealth Secretariat with her Ghanaian counterpart.

The UK is the largest donor to Commonwealth institutions and their programmes. We support reform of the Commonwealth Secretariat to help place the organisation on a more sustainable financial footing and encourage member states to contribute as appropriate to support Commonwealth activity.

What steps he is taking to ensure that a) businesses, b) economic growth and c) higher education institutions in Newcastle-under-Lyme are impacted by trade deals.

As the Honourable Member would expect, we do not direct the effects of individual Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) towards specific organisations within specific constituencies, nor do we monitor the way they are exploited in such granular detail. However, FTAs have an important role to play in delivering economic growth in all constituencies and all sectors. Through FTAs, businesses can benefit from tariff reductions, improved market access, and enhanced protections in investment and digital trade. The Department is working hand-in-hand with UK businesses to ensure firms have the tools and knowledge they need to seize these opportunities. If the Honourable Member knows of specific businesses that need assistance in exploiting our FTAs, he should approach the department and we will be happy to assist.Last year we concluded trade negotiations with India and the Republic of Korea. Our assessments suggest these deals will have significant benefits across the UK economy and key industrial strategy sectors.

What discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on improving public transport provision.

I meet regularly with Executive Ministers to discuss a range of issues, including how this Government can support public service transformation. While public transport is a devolved matter, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland recently met with the Infrastructure Minister to discuss the critical role of infrastructure in connecting communities and facilitating economic growth in Northern Ireland.

What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to increase trade and business co-operation between Scotland and a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.

A well‑functioning UK internal market is vital to economic growth across all parts of the country, with trade between the four nations worth around £129 billion and particularly important for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Government therefore carried out an expanded review of the UK Internal Market Act, engaging closely with businesses and other stakeholders. We are also now delivering our ambitious Industrial Strategy. We want to ensure that Scottish businesses are able to trade freely with the rest of the UK without encountering any unnecessary trade barriers.

What powers other than additional funding she has to ensure Staffordshire County Council fills potholes in Newcastle-under-Lyme in a timely and thorough way.

Local highway authorities, such as Staffordshire County Council, have a duty under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 to maintain the highways network in their area. The Act does not set out specific standards of maintenance, as it is for each individual local highway authority to assess which parts of its network need repair and what standards should be applied, based upon their local knowledge and circumstances. To receive their full share of the Government's £500 million funding uplift for local highways maintenance in 2025/26, local authorities had to publish transparency reports on their website to set out how they will spend the additional funding. As part of this, local authorities were required to demonstrate how they comply with best practice in highways maintenance, including in relation to preventative maintenance which helps to keep roads in good condition for longer and prevents potholes from forming in the first place. These requirements are designed to drive greater adoption of best practice to ensure that this funding is spent as effectively as possible to improve local road conditions. The transparency report for Staffordshire County Council is available online, at:www.staffordshire.gov.uk/Highways/Managing-the-highway-asset/Local-highways-maintenance-transparency-report.aspx The Department is also currently updating the Code of Practice for Well Managed Highways Infrastructure. The Code provides guidance to local authorities on the delivery of safe, efficient, and sustainable highway services through a risk‑based, evidence‑led approach to asset management. The Code encourages highways authorities to set repair timescales against defined risk levels, ensuring that safety-critical defects are fixed swiftly to reduce the likelihood of incident or liability. This is available online, at:https://www.ciht.org.uk/ukrlg-home/code-of-practice There are occasions where potholes need to be repaired quickly for safety reasons, but the Department encourages local authorities to also focus on long-term preventative maintenance to ensure that roads are fixed properly and potholes prevented from forming in the first place. This is also more cost-effective than the repeated and reactive patching of potholes. The current Code of Practice emphasises that “when determining the balance between preventative and reactive maintenance, authorities should adopt the principle that prevention is better than cure”.

What steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to increase trade and business co-operation between Northern Ireland and a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.

The Government is committed to strengthening trade and business cooperation across the whole of the United Kingdom. Last year, I established Intertrade UK which aims to promote and boost trade in goods and services across the United Kingdom and ensure that the benefits of the UK Internal Market are fully realised by businesses. At the Autumn Budget, the Chancellor allocated £2.25 million over the next three fiscal years to support Intertrade UK to implement its work programme to improve trade between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Intertrade UK is now considering how best to deploy this new funding and I look forward to seeing the results of its future work. Through our Industrial Strategy, we are also supporting growth in eight identified sectors, fostering opportunities for collaboration where Northern Ireland shares industrial strengths with regions such as Staffordshire.

What recent discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the National Health Service in Northern Ireland.

The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and I engage regularly with the Executive on public services, including health. While health is a devolved matter, this Government is committed to being an active partner in supporting the Executive to deliver high-quality, accessible and sustainable public services, and in assisting through the Public Sector Transformation Board.We all recognise the pressures facing the health service and that transformation requires prioritisation and difficult decisions. I welcome the progress made by the Health Minister to date.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will discuss the adequacy of financial contributions made by member states to the Commonwealth Secretariat with her Canadian counterpart.

The UK is the largest donor to Commonwealth institutions and their programmes. We support reform of the Commonwealth Secretariat to help place the organisation on a more sustainable financial footing and encourage member states to contribute as appropriate to support Commonwealth activity.

What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to increase trade and business co-operation between Wales and a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.

My Department supports growth by working closely with the Department of Business and Trade and the Welsh Government to attract private investment, helping business to grow and export, creating jobs and opportunities across Wales. Many businesses supported by this Government in Wales operate across Wales and England, particularly in border areas including Staffordshire and Newcastle-under-Lyme.The recently expanded Office for Investment works with local areas, leveraging public finance from institutions like the National Wealth Fund and the British Business Bank, to deliver strategic investments, aligned with the 10-year Infrastructure and Industrial strategies.This Government is investing in the infrastructure needed to boost growth across the Wales/England border region, including the approval of the M54-M6 link road.