Written questions by Jogee.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent reports his Department has received on the (a) political and (b) security situation in the United Republic of Tanzania.

The UK is closely monitoring the political and security situation in Tanzania. Ministers have engaged with Tanzanian counterparts to raise areas of concern. The British High Commission in Dar es Salaam continues to maintain an active dialogue with the Government of Tanzania on issues of governance and its stated commitment to free and fair elections.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of parental employment on levels of child poverty.

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of this Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity. We are exploring all available levers to drive forward short and long-term action across government to reduce child poverty, and we will publish a Child Poverty Strategy in the autumn that will deliver fully funded measures to tackle the structural and root causes of child poverty. Good work can significantly reduce the chances of people falling into poverty. Children living in households where no adults work are around 4 times more likely to be in relative poverty after housing costs, than those where all adults work. Our Get Britain Working White Paper, backed by an initial £240 million investment in 25/26, will deliver the biggest reforms to employment support in a generation to help more people into work and to progress. We are already taking steps to support parents into work. From this month, eligible working parents of children aged 9 months and above can access 30 hours a week (over 38 weeks a year) from the term following their child turning 9 months to when they start school. Parents claiming Universal Credit also have access to individual tailored help from their work coaches and funding through the Flexible Support Fund to address immediate barriers to employment.

What recent steps she has taken to reduce the number of children living in poverty in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

Tackling child poverty is at the heart of the Government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and improve the life chances of every child. It is unacceptable that in 2023/24 there were 5,866 children in the Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and 39,655 children in Staffordshire in relative poverty (before housing costs). The Child Poverty Taskforce is progressing work to publish the Child Poverty Strategy in autumn that will deliver fully funded measures to tackle the structural and root causes of child poverty. The Strategy will look at levers across four key themes of increasing incomes, reducing essential costs, increasing financial resilience; and better local support especially in the early years. This will build on the reform plans underway across government and work underway in Devolved Governments. As a significant downpayment ahead of Strategy publication, we have already taken substantive action across major drivers of child poverty through Spending Review 2025. This includes an expansion of Free School Meals that will lift 100,000 children out of poverty by the end of the parliament. We are also establishing a long-term Crisis and Resilience Fund supported by £1 billion a year (including Barnett impact), investing in local family support services, and extending the £3 bus fare cap. We also announced the biggest boost to social and affordable housing investment in a generation and £13.2 billion including Barnett impact across the Parliament for the Warm Homes Plan. We’ve also committed to rolling out Best Start Family Hubs in every local authority by April 2026 and creating up to 1,000 hubs across the country by the end of 2028. Backed by £500m funding, this vital support will relieve pressure on parents and give half a million more children the very best start in life. And last month, we confirmed funding of £600m for the Holiday Activities and Food programme for the next three years, ensuring that children and young people can continue to benefit from enriching experiences and nutritious meals during the school holidays. These commitments come on top of the existing action we have taken which includes expanding free breakfast clubs, capping the number of branded school uniform items children are expected to wear, increasing the national minimum wage for those on the lowest incomes and supporting 700,000 of the poorest families by introducing a Fair Repayment Rate on Universal Credit deductions.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill on financially vulnerable people in Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency.

The Bill includes new and important safeguards, including new reporting mechanisms and independent oversight on the face of the Bill, to ensure we are being transparent about how the powers will be used proportionately and effectively. This Bill is estimated to deliver benefits of £1.5bn over the next five years, as certified by the Independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). The Bill’s Impact Assessment, which was rated ‘green’ by the Regulatory Policy Committee, can be found at the following link: ImpactAssessment.pdf

Food and Rural Affairs, what financial support he is giving to farmers to conduct tuberculosis tests on their cattle.

The Government funds the cost of routine bovine tuberculosis (bTB) testing through contracts with veterinary delivery partners. The Government also pays compensation for cattle compulsorily slaughtered to control the spread of bTB.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the state of the UK dairy sector.

This Government recognises that food security is national security, and that this requires a resilient and healthy food system that works with nature and supports our farmers, including those in the UK’s world leading dairy sector. Our dairy industry is a vibrant and resilient sector worth £5-£6 billion at farm level, and many times that when the milk produced is processed into a diverse range of products and commodities. This has helped make the dairy industry the UK’s largest agricultural sector accounting for 19% of total 2023 UK agricultural output, bringing significant value to our economy.

What steps the Department has taken to assess the potential impact of Economic Partnership Agreements on (a) a country’s (i) economic development and (ii) ability to export and (b) the ability of African partner countries to implement (A) the African Continental Free Trade Area and (B) other regional integration plans.

Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) support inclusive, sustained economic growth and promote regional integration by providing duty-free access for partner exports to the UK and generous cumulation provisions aligned with AfCFTA objectives. Without this access, current trade faces significant risks.The Department engages closely with partner governments and businesses to gather feedback on tariff arrangements. The Government publishes two key sources of UK trade data with developing countries: statistics on UK utilisation of tariff preferences under trade agreements, and country factsheets outlining broader trade relationships. These data sources, alongside feedback, have shaped EPA priorities, as articulated in the UK's Trade Strategy.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of airports charging cars to drop off travelling passengers on blue badge holders.

The Secretary of State for Transport has made no assessment of the potential impact of airports charging cars to drop of travelling passengers on blue badge holders. Most airports in the UK are managed and operated as private businesses, and parking arrangements are subject to contractual agreements between airport operators and car parking companies covered by consumer laws. The provision and charging of car parking at airports (including drop off and pick charges) is a matter for the airport operator as a commercial business to manage and justify.

What discussions he has had with international partners on their willingness to negotiate on (a) investment, (b) competition, (c) services, (d) intellectual property, (e) government procurement and (f) other aspects of the sunset clauses of Economic Partnership Agreements.

The UK's Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) do not contain expiry provisions or 'sunset clauses'. The preferential market access they provide to developing country partners will continue indefinitely. EPAs do include review clauses allowing for discussion on areas such as investment, competition, and services.The Department's approach to these reviews will be guided by dialogue with partners and aligned with UK growth and development objectives, as per the Trade Strategy. There is no obligation for partners to negotiate where they are unwilling. The Strategy also commits to engaging governments and businesses on expanding EPAs to include services. Broader stakeholder consultation will be considered in any review process.

Whether the Department plans to consult (a) Parliament and (b) civil society in its assessment of (i) the implementation of Economic Partnership Agreements to date and (ii) the potential merits of negotiating issues listed in the sunset clauses of those agreements.

The UK's Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) do not contain expiry provisions or 'sunset clauses'. The preferential market access they provide to developing country partners will continue indefinitely. EPAs do include review clauses allowing for discussion on areas such as investment, competition, and services.The Department's approach to these reviews will be guided by dialogue with partners and aligned with UK growth and development objectives, as per the Trade Strategy. There is no obligation for partners to negotiate where they are unwilling. The Strategy also commits to engaging governments and businesses on expanding EPAs to include services. Broader stakeholder consultation will be considered in any review process.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of tackling welfare benefit fraud on public sector finances.

The Government has committed to the biggest ever package of welfare fraud error and debt measures at Autumn Budget 2024 and Spring Statement 2025. These will deliver an additional £9.6bn OBR-scored savings over the next five years.

Whether the Department plans to engage in negotiations on aspects of the sunset clauses of Economic Partnership Agreements.

The UK's Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) do not contain expiry provisions or 'sunset clauses'. The preferential market access they provide to developing country partners will continue indefinitely. EPAs do include review clauses allowing for discussion on areas such as investment, competition, and services.The Department's approach to these reviews will be guided by dialogue with partners and aligned with UK growth and development objectives, as per the Trade Strategy. There is no obligation for partners to negotiate where they are unwilling. The Strategy also commits to engaging governments and businesses on expanding EPAs to include services. Broader stakeholder consultation will be considered in any review process.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the National Beef Association.

We engage regularly with a number of key stakeholders, including the National Beef Association, to discuss a wide range of issues affecting the beef sector that are important to both producers and processors.

What recent steps he has taken to support working families in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire through the parental leave system.

Through the Employment Rights Bill the Government will ensure that Paternity Leave and Unpaid Parental Leave are ‘day one’ rights, removing continuity of service requirements for employees.In the Plan to Make Work Pay the Government committed to a review of the parental leave system. This review was launched on 1 July and will explore how the system can better support working families and reflect the realities of modern work and childcare. All current and upcoming parental leave and pay entitlements will be in scope.

Communities and Local Government, what recent progress her Department has made with developers to ensure unsafe buildings in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire are remediated quickly.

54 developers have signed the developer remediation contract with government. MHCLG publishes quarterly updates on progress that developers are making.As at 30 June 2025, those developers had identified 1,892 buildings with life-critical fire safety defects that they are obligated directly to remediate. Developers had started or completed work on 47% of those buildings.On 2 December 2024, MHCLG published a joint plan with developers to accelerate developer-led remediation and improve resident experience. 39 developers (accounting for over 95% of buildings to be remediated by developers) have signed up to the joint plan. In doing so, those developers committed to ambitious stretch targets to finish assessing all their buildings by July 2025, and to start or complete remedial works on 80% of relevant buildings by July 2026 and on all relevant buildings by July 2027.

What recent discussions he has had with the leadership of the Royal Air Forces Association on its charitable work.

The Royal Air Force (RAF) enjoys a long-standing and collaborative relationship with the Royal Air Forces Association (RAFA) recognising the critical role the organisation plays in supporting the RAF community, including Serving Personnel, veterans, and their families. RAFA provides a wide range of welfare and community services, including mental health support, financial assistance, and social engagement opportunities. The RAF works closely with RAFA to ensure these services are accessible and effective, fostering a shared commitment to the well-being of the RAF family. The RAF actively engages with RAFA through a variety of activities and initiatives at all levels and takes advantage of every opportunity that arises to work with the charity. Furthermore, the RAF regularly engages in formal settings with RAF charities, including RAFA, such as the biannual Deputy Chief of the Air Staff’s Charity Forum, the Charitable Stakeholders meeting, workshops, research symposiums and events. There has been a recent focus on developing a RAF Charities Charter and working closely with the RAF Families Federation, parented by RAFA, to provide a critical confidential channel for personnel and families who are committed to improving the quality of life for the RAF family, at home and overseas. This close partnership ensures that the RAF and RAFA work in unison to address the needs of the RAF community, both past and present. The RAF remains hugely grateful for RAFA’s unwavering support and looks forward to continuing this vital collaboration in the years to come.

Is she will take steps to support the hospitality sector in Staffordshire.

The Government is committed to supporting the hospitality sector and local businesses across the UK. To deliver on our manifesto pledge, we intend to introduce permanently lower business rates multipliers for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties with rateable values below £500,000 from 2026-27. We recognise that, ahead of the new multipliers being introduced, RHL businesses need support in 2025-26. So, we have prevented RHL relief from ending by extending it for one year at 40 per cent up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business and frozen the small business multiplier. At Autumn Budget 2024, the Chancellor also announced a duty cut on qualifying draught products – approximately 60% of the alcoholic drinks sold in pubs. This represents an overall reduction in duty bills of over £85m a year and cut 1p off the duty on an average strength pint. The hospitality sector is predominately made up of smaller businesses. The Government has protected the smallest businesses from the impact of the increase to employer National Insurance by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500, which means that 865,000 employers will pay no employer NICs at all next year. More than half of employers will see no change or will gain overall from this package and eligible employers will be able to employ up to four full-time workers on the National Living Wage and pay no employer NICs. In line with the Government’s Regulation Action Plan, we also want to ease the regulatory burden on hospitality businesses. The Government set up a Licensing Policy Taskforce earlier this year, to ensure licensing conditions for businesses within the sector – such as pubs, restaurants, and music venues – are proportional. The Taskforce’s recommendations were published in July, and the Government accepted the majority of its recommendations. We are now working with the sector to implement these measures, helping to drive economic growth, regenerate our high streets, and support vibrant and healthy communities. More specifically, Staffordshire has benefitted from £20m of funding for the Stafford Station Gateway and a £17m award to regenerate Leek town centre.

Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 25 April 2025 to Question 45551, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of including (a) Portsmouth Urban Area, (b) Reading/Wokingham Urban Area, (c) Sheffield Urban Area, (d) The Potteries and (e) Tyneside in the 2024 National Compliance Assessment.

Portsmouth Urban Area, Reading/Wokingham Urban Area, Sheffield Urban Area, The Potteries and Tyneside are all included in the 2024 national air quality compliance assessment. The national assessment is based on a combination of monitoring and modelling which has been specifically designed to meet the requirements of the Air Quality Standards Regulations 2010 for formally assessing compliance with air quality limits.

What steps he is taking to advance sexual and reproductive health in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

Local authorities across England are responsible for commissioning comprehensive, open access sexual and reproductive health services to meet local demand, and it is for them to decide on commissioning arrangements based on an assessment of local need.These services are commissioned through the ring-fenced Public Health Grant (PHG). In 2025/26, we have increased the PHG funding to £3.884 billion. This represents a significant turning point for local health services and marks the biggest real-terms increase after nearly a decade of reduced spending between 2016 and 2024.The Government remains committed to ensuring the public receive high quality sexual and reproductive health services across the country, including in Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire. For example, as part of our commitment to end new HIV transmissions within England by 2030, we are developing a new HIV Action Plan which we aim to publish by the end of the year. We will also continue to work with NHS England on how to take forward the Women's Health Strategy, by aligning it to the Government's Missions and the 10-Year Health Plan.

What steps she is taking to support consumer businesses in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme, (b) Staffordshire and (c) England.

The Government is committed to supporting the hospitality sector and local businesses across the UK. To deliver on our manifesto pledge, we intend to introduce permanently lower business rates multipliers for retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) properties with rateable values below £500,000 from 2026-27. We recognise that, ahead of the new multipliers being introduced, RHL businesses need support in 2025-26. So, we have prevented RHL relief from ending by extending it for one year at 40 per cent up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business and frozen the small business multiplier. At Autumn Budget 2024, the Chancellor also announced a duty cut on qualifying draught products – approximately 60% of the alcoholic drinks sold in pubs. This represents an overall reduction in duty bills of over £85m a year and cut 1p off the duty on an average strength pint. The hospitality sector is predominately made up of smaller businesses. The Government has protected the smallest businesses from the impact of the increase to employer National Insurance by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500, which means that 865,000 employers will pay no employer NICs at all next year. More than half of employers will see no change or will gain overall from this package and eligible employers will be able to employ up to four full-time workers on the National Living Wage and pay no employer NICs. In line with the Government’s Regulation Action Plan, we also want to ease the regulatory burden on hospitality businesses. The Government set up a Licensing Policy Taskforce earlier this year, to ensure licensing conditions for businesses within the sector – such as pubs, restaurants, and music venues – are proportional. The Taskforce’s recommendations were published in July, and the Government accepted the majority of its recommendations. We are now working with the sector to implement these measures, helping to drive economic growth, regenerate our high streets, and support vibrant and healthy communities. More specifically, Staffordshire has benefitted from £20m of funding for the Stafford Station Gateway and a £17m award to regenerate Leek town centre.