Written questions by Jogee.

What steps she has taken to encourage investment in (a) Staffordshire and (b) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency.

The Office for Investment (OfI) works with stakeholders across Staffordshire and Newcastle Under Lyme to promote strategic Investment opportunities to create high quality job growth in the region. OfI has funded a strategic key account management initiative in Staffordshire and Newcastle Under Lyme, to provide direct support to investors. I am delighted that Keele University, in Newcastle-under-Lyme, is ambitious to grow their successful Science and Innovation Park, and the OfI is supporting their work to bring this forward.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the impact of the contributions made by (a) Togo and (b) Gabon on the work of the Commonwealth since their admittance as full members.

The UK values the contribution of all Commonwealth members. Working together we can maximise the impact of the Commonwealth for the benefit of all members.Togo attended its first Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa in 2024, represented by Prime Minister Dogbé. The Commonwealth is currently working with Togo to develop a roadmap for technical assistance to support its national priorities. In July 2024, former Commonwealth Secretary-General visited Togo and met with President Gnassingbé.Gabon is currently partially suspended from the Commonwealth and is therefore unable to fully participate. However, in November 2024, Gabon permitted a Commonwealth Expert Team to observe their constitutional reform referendum and discuss technical support. In April 2025, they also welcomed a Commonwealth Observer Group to monitor their presidential elections. The Group assessed the elections as largely transparent, peaceful and conducted in accordance with the Gabon's legislative framework.

Media and Sport, what steps she plans to take to improve the provision of public libraries in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

Public libraries are funded by local authorities and each local authority is responsible for assessing the needs of their local communities and designing a library service to meet those needs within available resources.The Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 requires the Secretary of State to “superintend and promote the improvement of the public library service provided by local authorities in England”. To assist this function the department regularly monitors and reviews changes to local authority library service provision, and engages with local authorities to discuss issues related to their respective library service.The government is committed to getting local government back on its feet. The final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2025-26 makes available over £69 billion for local government, which is a 6.8% cash terms increase on 2024-25.The Secretary of State announced in February 2025 a further £5.5 million of the Libraries Improvement Fund for 2025-26 to enable library services across England to invest in a range of projects to upgrade buildings and technology. Staffordshire County Council has previously received around £465,000 from this fund to support projects at Burton and Wombourne libraries.

What recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the East–West Council.

The East-West Council, established under the Safeguarding the Union Command Paper, first met in London in March 2024. It will meet for the first time in Belfast later this month. This forum provides exciting opportunities for Northern Ireland as we prioritise building and strengthening connections across the United Kingdom, focussing on shared opportunities and addressing mutual challenges.

What recent steps he has taken to increase the level of access to NHS dentists by people in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and Staffordshire, this is the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB. ICBs have been asked to start making extra urgent dental appointments available from April 2025. The Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB is expected to deliver 16,190 additional urgent dental appointments as part of the scheme.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to support the natural regeneration of trees in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency, (b) Staffordshire and (c) England.

Across England, Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier does provide grant support for natural regeneration (including WD2 and WS2) in line with a UK Forestry Standard approved Woodland Management Plan. These grants are demand led, which means that the Forestry Commission welcomes applicants for sites that meet the criteria from any constituency. In addition to supporting natural regeneration of woodland within existing woodlands through Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier there is grant support for natural colonisation (woodland expansion through natural processes) through the England Woodland Creation Offer. We do not collate this information at constituency or county level.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the (a) political and (b) security situation in Ecuador.

The UK and Ecuador have an excellent bilateral relationship, and we work closely on shared issues including the environment and climate, the fight against drugs and organised crime, and delivering economic growth. The Minister of State for Security met ministerial counterparts on his recent visit to Ecuador. During his visit he discussed the security challenges facing Ecuador and signed a memorandum of understanding on security cooperation, which offers UK support to Ecuador in their fight against serious organised crime. In May, the Minister of State for International Development, Latin America and Caribbean met the Ecuadorean Foreign Minister in London, whilst President Noboa had an audience with His Majesty the King. We will continue to work to strengthen our relationship with Ecuador.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the (a) political and (b) security situation in South Korea.

I look forward to the opportunity of working with the newly elected Korean administration to develop our UK-ROK relationship even further. I hope to work together with the new government to build on the strong foundations of the Downing Street Accord and our global strategic partnership across all our shared interests.

What assessment he has made of the link between the installation of solar panels on new build homes and the cost of energy for those residents.

Solar panels benefit households by reducing electricity bills significantly and providing payment for excess electricity generated through the Smart Export Guarantee.Future standards this year will set our newbuild homes on a path that moves away from relying on fossil fuels and ensures readiness for a net zero future. We will encourage the installation of solar panels on these developments, where appropriate. We received a lot of feedback on the Future Homes Standard consultation proposals relating to solar and are mindful of the opportunity it represents. We are committed to ensuring that the standards we set are ambitious and technically achievable. We are working to get the technical detail right and will provide an update soon.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has with his Turkish counterpart on increasing humanitarian aid in Gaza.

I refer you to the Foreign Secretary's statement of 20 May on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The UK remains committed to working with regional partners to address the urgent humanitarian needs in Gaza and to support efforts to increase the flow of aid. The Foreign Secretary regularly speaks to his Turkish counterpart on a range of issues, including humanitarian aid to Gaza. It is the long-standing practice of successive governments not to comment on private diplomatic meetings.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Association of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Commonwealth Africa.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) works closely with the Commonwealth Secretariat, including on their efforts to strengthen anti-corruption agencies across Commonwealth countries. The UK's annual financial contribution to the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation (CFTC) supports this work, including partnership with the Association of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Commonwealth Africa (AAACoA), a non-profit organisation that focusses on supporting the needs of anti-corruption agencies in Commonwealth Africa countries and providing a space for these agencies to share best practice.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Trinidad and Tobago counterpart on trade.

An opportunity for the Foreign Secretary to discuss trade with his Trinidad & Tobago counterpart has not presented itself since their Government was elected on 28 April 2025.

When she last met with the leadership of the Criminal Cases Review Commission.

The Secretary of State met the incoming interim Chair of the Criminal Cases Review Commission, Dame Vera Baird DBE KC, on 3 June 2025.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of flight connections between England and Northern Ireland.

We recognise the importance of maintaining a thriving and competitive aviation sector in the UK that supports Union connectivity. The Department continues to joint-fund a Public Service Obligation route between London and Derry/Londonderry. During March 2025, around 4,000 passenger flights were operated by airlines including Aer Lingus, British Airways, easyJet, Loganair and Ryanair, between several airports across England and Northern Ireland.

Innovation and Technology, what recent steps he has taken to improve digital connectivity for older people living in rural communities.

The Government published its Digital Inclusion Action Plan in February 2025, which identified five target groups to benefit most from digital inclusion initiatives, including older people. The initiatives will be targeted locally for boosting digital skills and confidence, widening access to devices and connectivity, and getting support to people in their own communities so everyone can reap the benefits of technology.Through Project Gigabit and the Shared Rural Network, we are continuing to deliver broadband and mobile connectivity to hard-to-reach areas with limited or no coverage. Over 87% of UK premises now have access to a gigabit capable broadband connection, while more than 95% of the UK now has 4G geographic coverage from at least one mobile operator.

Innovation and Technology, what discussions he has had with his counterparts from the (a) Southern African Development Community, (b) Caribbean Community and (c) Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries on digital transformation.

International engagement is vital to the UK’s science and technology priorities. The Secretary of State and Ministers regularly engage with partners around the world, including a variety of nations in the regions represented by the organisations outlined. For example, the UK and Singapore recently signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen cooperation on digital transformation and the Secretary of State recently met Minister Teo on 6 November.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the United Nations Development Programme.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office maintain a close working relationship, with regular senior-level discussions to align on strategic priorities, coordinate development efforts, and respond jointly to global challenges.His Majesty the King and the Foreign Secretary engaged with the UNDP on Clean Energy in April at a UK-hosted Roundtable in Rome. Nick Dyer, the Second Permanent Under-Secretary met with the UNDP Administrator at the Hamburg Sustainability Conference on 2 June.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Jordanian counterpart on increasing humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The Jordan corridor has been a vital channel for achieving the scale of aid needed in Gaza over the last 18 months. The UK has worked with Jordan to facilitate the supply of aid through this channel. The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary met His Majesty King Abdullah II and Foreign Minister Safadi of Jordan on 5 June, and discussed ways to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza. The Prime Minister emphasised that it was vital that a sustainable ceasefire and the release of all hostages be secured, and humanitarian aid be delivered at speed and volume. He reiterated that if Israel did not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, the UK and its partners would take further concrete actions in response. Both leaders agreed on the importance of the Palestinian Authority's reform agenda as part of the path to a two-state solution and lasting peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential contribution of Invest Staffordshire to her Department’s delivery of her priorities for (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

Invest Staffordshire was launched at UKREIIF in May 2025. It aims to promote key strategic investment sites and economic opportunities in Staffordshire. We hope to see it play an important role in promoting economic growth, attracting private sector investment, and supporting local businesses to scale and innovate. The Department values this partnership and remains committed to supporting initiatives that deliver real, lasting benefits for residents and businesses across the region.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the (a) political and (b) security situation in Tunisia.

The UK and Tunisia share an ambition to build the bilateral relationship across trade, energy and security portfolios. The UK monitors the political and security situation in Tunisia closely. As noted by the UK's Human Rights Ambassador last October, the space for political participation in Tunisia has shrunk considerably. In both public and private, we encourage respect for civil, political, social and economic rights and the rule of law in Tunisia. During his visit to Tunisia in January, the Foreign Secretary noted the importance of political participation and human rights in discussions with the Tunisian Government. The UK continues to use a range of programmes and activities to encourage and support an open society, including the Integrated Security Fund (ISF) Programme that aims to directly tackle the drivers of instability.