Written questions by Jogee.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the security situation in Nepal.

The UK and Nepal share a deep historic relationship. The recent loss of life and violence in Nepal was appalling. The UK supports fundamental freedoms and respect for human rights, including the right to protest and peaceful assembly. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office made public statements condemning the violence and called for accountability and peaceful dialogue.On 12 September, our Embassy in Nepal welcomed the appointment of Sushila Karki as interim Prime Minister. As Nepal's oldest friend, we recognise the challenges ahead and affirm our commitment to support Nepali aspirations for accountability and inclusive governance.  We continue to follow events in Nepal closely and welcome the calming of tensions.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to meet the leadership of the National Farmers' Union.

As part of their Ministerial responsibilities, both the Secretary of State and her farming Minister meet routinely with farming organisations.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has had discussions with her counterparts in the devolved Administrations since her appointment.

Since her appointment the Secretary of State has held meetings to discuss a range of shared priorities with the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland, the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands in the Scottish Government, and the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs in the Welsh Government.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to meet the (a) President and (b) Vice President of the Ulster Farmers' Union.

As part of their Ministerial responsibilities, both the Secretary of State and her farming Minister meet routinely with farming organisations.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to meet the leadership of the Countryside Alliance.

As part of their Ministerial responsibilities, both the Secretary of State and her farming Minister meet routinely with farming organisations.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Irish counterpart since 5 September 2025.

The Foreign Secretary had an introductory phone call with her Irish counterpart, Simon Harris, on 8 September. They discussed the importance of the UK-Ireland bilateral relationship and agreed on the current positive state of the relationship. They also discussed the situation in Ukraine and the Middle East. The Foreign Secretary and I hosted the Tánaiste at the Berlin Process Foreign Minister's Summit at Hillsborough Castle on 9 October.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to visit sub-Saharan southern Africa.

The Foreign Secretary's future travel plans will be set out in the normal way in due course.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Southern African Development Community since 5 September 2025.

The Foreign Secretary's future travel plans will be set out in the normal way in due course.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with the African Union since 5 September 2025.

The Foreign Secretary's future travel plans will be set out in the normal way in due course.

What the membership is of the collaboration committees that were established in July 2025.

The Collaboration Committees established in July 2025 are made up of a diverse group of members, including people with lived experience of DWP services, disabled people's organisations, charities, healthcare professionals, academics, support providers, and employer representatives. At least 50% of each committee is comprised of individuals with lived experience. To maintain trust and ensure inclusive participation, it was agreed with participants that we are not publishing personal or organisational information about committee members.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 September 2025 to Question 73278 on Dementia: Research, what proportion of NHS funding was spent on (a) dementia, (b) cancer, (c) stroke and (d) coronary heart disease research in each year between 2019 and 2024.

The Department funds and delivers health research via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Funding allocated to the NIHR is separate from National Health Service funding and is not calculated as a proportion of NHS spend.NIHR invests directly in research projects and programmes and also provides investment for research delivery within the NHS and wider health and care system, including research facilities and workforce, known as NIHR infrastructure.The following table shows a breakdown of total NIHR spend in millions of pounds for dementia, cancer, stroke, and cardiovascular research between 2019/20 and 2023/24, across research projects, programmes and infrastructure:Financial yearDementiaCancerStrokeCardiovascular, including coronary heart disease2019/202913822.253.12020/2121.973.512.746.12021/2230.398.320.356.32022/2335.1121.826.972.62023/2442.8132.823.993Total159.1564.4106321.1Source: NIHRNotes:The data presented is based on 11 September 2025 point-in-time analysis. Our data is not static and is subject to change due to contract variations, updated information regarding financial reconciliations and support activity.Funding figures for cardiovascular research have been calculated based on the Health Research Classification System code ‘cardiovascular’, which includes research into topics such as general circulation research, coronary heart disease, and vasculitis. NIHR infrastructure investment funds staff and facilities which deliver research across disciplines and disease areas simultaneously and represents approximately 40% of total NIHR funding. This component is therefore calculated as a proportionate approximation of spend based on number of studies/projects in these conditions supported by infrastructure against total infrastructure spend and therefore is an estimate only.

What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to increase access to capital for businesses based in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

The Government is committed to ensuring that businesses across the UK, including in Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire, can access the capital they need to grow. Working with the British Business Bank (BBB), we are delivering a range of targeted interventions, including through loan guarantee programmes and equity investments, designed to address regional funding gaps and unlock investment opportunities. Businesses in Staffordshire and Newcastle-under-Lyme are already benefitting from the £400 million Midlands Engine Investment Fund II (MEIF). It is increasing the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for smaller businesses across the Midlands and providing funds to businesses that might otherwise not receive investment and helping to break down barriers in access to finance. In addition, as announced this week, the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme has now provided over £60 million in lending in the North East. The Bank will also host a ‘Meet the Investor’ event in partnership with Tech UK in Newcastle on 11 November to help connect SMEs with potential investors. Businesses in these areas also benefit from national programmes such as the Regional Angels Programme, Future Fund: Breakthrough and British Patient Capital. The recent Spending Review increased the Bank’s total capacity to £25.6 billion, which supports a broad range of regional and growth programmes and will enable annual investments of around £2.5bn to support more high-growth and innovative UK SMEs up and down the UK.

Food and Rural Affairs, , what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle safety risks associated with landfill sites.

It is important that waste is managed safely in a way which does not pose risks to people or the environment. Operators of landfill sites in England are required by the Environmental Permitting (England & Wales) Regulations 2016 to hold an environmental permit. The regulatory framework in place is designed to serve operators and protect the local community.  Where poor performance does occur the Environment Agency has a range of powers to bring sites back into compliance and, where necessary, to take enforcement action against operators. The Government also recognises the importance of managing land contamination, including from historic landfill sites, to protect human health and the environment. Under Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, local authorities have a statutory duty to inspect their areas to identify contaminated land and require appropriate remediation where necessary. Defra supports local authorities in fulfilling their duties through the Contaminated Land Statutory Guidance, which sets out the legal framework for risk assessment and decision-making under Part 2A.

What recent discussions she has had with the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has not had recent discussions with the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC). However, the Government works closely with the CWEIC by, for example, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office providing funding to the CWEIC in recent years for the biennial Commonwealth Business Forum, which is held on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) works closely with the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council. The Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council co-hosted a soft power workshop with the FCDO in June 2025. This workshop was held at the FCDO's King Charles Street office. The FCDO has provided funding in recent years to the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council for the Commonwealth Business Forum, which is held biennially at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), and also for the Commonwealth Trade and Investment Summit, held in London in non-CHOGM years.

What recent discussions he has had with the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council.

Details of the meetings held by Ministers of the Department for Business and Trade are available on the transparency pages of gov.uk.https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dbt-ministers-transparency-publications

What recent assessment he has made of the quality of the treatment available to people with Leukaemia in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) Staffordshire.

We will get the NHS diagnosing cancer earlier and treating it faster so more patients survive, and we will improve patients’ experience across the system. This will benefit patients across the system, including in Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire.We have not made a specific assessment of leukaemia treatment in Staffordshire and Newcastle-under-Lyme. However, in September 2024, NHS England announced a new targeted treatment, Quizartinib, to be prescribed to newly diagnosed patients with a specific type of leukaemia, boosting their chance of remission and long-term survival. This was made available through NHS England’s Cancer Drugs Fund, which fast-tracks new innovative cancer treatments into standard care. This followed a previous announcement in August 2024, announcing the new treatment, Zanubrutini, for those with marginal zone lymphoma, which could halt the progression of their cancer and provide an alternative to further rounds of chemotherapy.The National Cancer Plan will have patients at its heart and will cover the entirety of the cancer pathway, from referral and diagnosis to treatment and ongoing care- as well as prevention and research and innovation. It will seek to improve every aspect of cancer care to better the experience and outcomes for people with cancer, including in Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire.

What recent discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the (a) purpose and (b) efficacy of the AUKUS programme.

AUKUS is a landmark security and defence partnership with two of our closest allies. It is one of the most strategically important partnerships in decades, supporting peace and security in the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic, while also delivering jobs and economic growth in communities across all three nations.As one of our closest allies, the Defence Secretary and US Secretary of War have regular engagements where they discuss a number of matters, including AUKUS. The UK continues to work closely with the US and Australia at all levels to maximise the benefits and opportunities which AUKUS presents for our three nations.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of the Government issuing an official apology to people affected by forced adoptions.

This abhorrent practice should never have taken place, and our deepest sympathies are with all those affected.The government takes this issue extremely seriously and continues to engage with those affected to provide support.The department continues to follow up on the 2022 Joint Committee on Human Rights report, including improving access to adoption records, enhancing intermediary services and preserving historical records.

Innovation and Technology, whether he has had recent discussions with (a) Lightspeed and (b) other (i) broadband and (ii) connectivity companies on the effectiveness of their consultation processes with local residents before any telegraph pole installation takes place.

I have not had any discussions with Lightspeed about their consultation processes with local residents. However, my predecessor raised concerns about telegraph pole deployment directly with industry, through trade bodies ISPA and INCA.In response, the industry convened the Telecommunications Poles Working Group, and published its best practice recommendations. These guidelines set out expectations for operators who plan to deploy telegraph poles as part of their network and sets out steps that local authorities and communities can take if they have any concerns.