Written questions by Jogee.

What steps she is taking to ensure the effective distribution of funding for technical education to meet the needs of (a) students and (b) employers in (i) all and (ii) high-demand sectors.

16 to 19 funding enables students to take part in study programmes, which includes technical qualifications, or T levels. The department uses the 16 to 19 funding formula to calculate an allocation of funding to each institution, in each academic year, based on volumes and characteristics of students and their programmes. Additional funding is also available via the high value courses premium to encourage and support delivery of selected level 3 study programmes and T Levels.Additionally, in the 2025/26 academic year, the adult skills fund will be 68% devolved to mayoral strategic authorities. These authorities have autonomy in deciding how to use their funding to make decisions that are best for their areas. In non-devolved areas, the department uses five funding bands that reflect, amongst other considerations, the cost of the provision involved and skill needs of the economy.My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, also committed over £600 million over the Parliament to deliver up to 60,000 skilled construction workers, supporting the government’s infrastructure and housebuilding priorities. This includes additional funding to deliver more construction courses, skills bootcamps, foundation apprenticeships, industry placements, and the establishment of ten new Technical Excellence Colleges.

What steps Skills England plans to take with Institutes of Technology to (a) coordinate technical education and (b) ensure that regional skills needs are met.

As part of its work with employers, providers and others across the skills system, Skills England will enable Institutes of Technology (IoTs) to support the delivery of skills local employers need, as aligned to the needs of national priority sectors.Skills England will work with mayoral strategic authorities and other forms of regional government and local organisations, such as employer representative bodies, to ensure that regional and national skills needs are met. Skills England will oversee the Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) programme, including where LSIPs have identified IoTs’ role in meeting local skills needs.Skills England will continue to set out evidence and insights into skills gaps in the economy, building on the publication of its first report in September 2024.

What steps she plans to take with (a) Skills England and (b) Technical Excellence Colleges to support the provision of high-quality technical education by Institutes of Technology.

Skills England will work with Technical Excellence Colleges (TECs) and Institutes of Technology (IoTs) to ensure they are supported in delivering the skills that local employers need, as aligned to the needs of national priority sectors.The government will transform further education colleges into specialist TECs to deliver the priority skills needed by employers to help drive economic growth at local and national level. This starts with £100 million, announced as part of a wider construction skills package, to establish ten construction TECs, with one in every English region to deliver the skills required to support the government’s Plan for Change in building 1.5 million homes by the end of this Parliament. TECs will work with IoTs as part of wider sectoral collaboration to ensure skills gaps across regions are addressed and the skills employers need to grow the economy are delivered.

What steps her Department plans to take to encourage small and medium businesses to take up technical education opportunities; and if she will take steps to consult with those businesses on shaping the curriculum.

The department continues to support small and medium businesses to benefit from a range of technical education opportunities including apprenticeships, T Level industry placements, Higher Technical Qualifications, and Skills Bootcamps.For example, on T Levels we are actively engaging small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through our T Level Ambassador network and raising awareness and support of industry placements, including a new Employer Support Fund to help SMEs meet delivery costs, and on apprenticeships we pay full training costs for non-levy paying employers for young apprentices under the age of 22 and provide £1000 payments to employers who take on young apprentices under the age of 19.Employers are playing a more strategic role in the skills system, through working with providers, including through local skills improvement plans where they can help shape local curriculum offers and become more actively involved in the planning, design and delivery of further education provision.Skills England will work with employers to identify and fill skills gaps and build the highly trained workforce that employers need, delivering the national, regional and local skills needs of the next decade.

What steps she plans to take to ensure that the amount of funding available for technical education is aligned with the skills requirements for key industries.

Over £7.5 billion of funding for the 16 to 19 programme is being invested during the 2024/25 academic year, with funding available via the High Value Courses Premium to encourage and support the delivery of level 3 study programmes and T Levels in priority subject areas.Programme cost weightings support the delivery of higher cost vocational subject areas, which are often also areas of high value to the economy.Additionally, the department will provide approximately £1.4 billion in funding for the Adult Skills Fund (ASF) in the 2025/26 academic year and will have devolved 68% of the ASF to mayoral strategic authorities. These authorities have autonomy in deciding how to use their funding to make decisions that are best for their areas. In non-devolved areas, the department uses five funding bands that reflect, amongst other considerations, the cost of the provision involved and skills needs.My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, also committed over £600 million over the Parliament to deliver up to 60,000 skilled construction workers, supporting the government’s infrastructure and housebuilding priorities. This includes additional funding to deliver more construction courses, skills bootcamps, foundation apprenticeships, industry placements and the establishment of ten new Technical Excellence Colleges.

What discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on improving homeland security.

The Plan for Change emphasises that national security is the first duty of Government. The Secretary of State for the Home Department therefore engages in regular and ongoing discussions with Cabinet colleagues to ensure a coordinated and robust approach to improving homeland security. These discussions have been integral to shaping the UK's forthcoming National Security Strategy 2025 and the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) 2025.The Home Secretary is also a member of the National Security Council, which regularly discusses homeland security and how we make the country safer, more secure and increasingly resilient against these interconnected threats.

Innovation and Technology, what steps he has taken to protect people in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency, (b) Staffordshire and (c) the UK from cyber attack.

The cyber security of the UK is a priority for the government. We are taking a range of action to protect people, businesses and the economy from cyber threats. This year the government will introduce the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill to improve UK cyber defences and better secure our essential services and the IT infrastructure they rely upon. In Staffordshire, the Cyber Resilience Centre for the West Midlands is part of a nationwide police-led collaboration helping strengthen cyber resilience in small and medium-sized businesses, while the Cyber PROTECT Network operates in every police force area, providing advice and guidance to individuals to help protect against a range of threats and provide support to victims. The government’s Stop! Think Fraud campaign provides the public with advice on how to prevent fraud and cyber crime.

What recent discussions she has had with the executive management team of HS2 Limited.

DfT Ministers regularly meet with Mark Wild and the other members of HS2’s executive team to discuss the range of issues related to the delivery of HS2. In addition, Government has re-established regular meetings of the HS2 Ministerial Task Force to ensure ministerial oversight of the project. The last meeting took place on 18 March 2025 and was chaired by the Transport Secretary, with the Rail Minister, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and senior executives from HS2 Ltd in attendance.

What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on improving homeland security.

This Government continues to review the risk landscape, including threats to homeland security from overseas, which will feature in the Strategic Defence Review. We continue to work together to review and build a resilient Home Defence Programme to keep Britain safe. As part of this process, Defence Ministers are in regular communication with our Ministerial colleagues on matters that relate to homeland security.

What steps he is taking to help reduce energy prices for energy intensive industries.

This Government recognises high energy prices are a key challenge for UK businesses. Our Clean Power 2030 target is the key to long-term sustainable price reductions. Our mission is for clean power by 2030 because clean, homegrown energy is the best way to protect billpayers and boost Britain's energy independence. This Government is also already bringing energy costs for UK industries closer in line with other major economies through the British Industry Supercharger. This fully exempts eligible firms from certain costs linked to renewable energy policies, particularly those exposed to the high cost of electricity. UK businesses using more electricity and less fossil fuels is the future. The latest advice from the Climate Change Committee expects electricity to meet 61% of industrial energy demand by 2040. My department is developing options to enable them to do that.

What steps her Department is taking to help support victims of sexual abuse living in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

The Government was elected with a landmark mission to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) in the next decade.Our VAWG strategy will be published this year and will include joint steps to tackle image-based abuse across England and Wales (including Staffordshire and Newcastle-under-Lyme). These include delivering our manifesto commitment to ensure that perpetrators who create a deepfake intimate image of someone without their consent face prosecution, and criminalising asking someone to create an intimate image deepfake for you, regardless of where that person is based or whether the image is created. Under our new offences in the Crime and Policing Bill, anyone who takes or records intimate images without consent or installs equipment with intent to do so will face up to two years’ custody.In the year 2024/25, the Home Office increased the amount of funding provided to the Revenge Porn Helpline from £150,000 to £210,000, to provide free, high-quality support and advice to adult victims of intimate image abuse. This funding will be increased for the year 2025/26.The Ministry of Justice also provides funding for vital victim and witness support services, including sexual abuse victims. This includes funding to Police and Crime Commissioners to commission local support services for victims of all crime, including sexual abuse, based on their assessment of local need; and through the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund (RASASF) to enable specialist support organisations to deliver services to victims, including victims of intimate image abuse, to cope and recover. RASASF provides £399,000 to organisations in the Staffordshire PCC area (including Newcastle-under-Lyme).Victims in Staffordshire can also access the 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line, commissioned by the Ministry of Justice and delivered by Rape Crisis England and Wales. The Line provides victims aged 16 and over access to vital help and information whenever they need it.Funding for services beyond March 2026 will be subject to decisions made through the ongoing Spending Review process.

What steps her Department is taking to tackle intimate image abuse in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

The Government was elected with a landmark mission to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) in the next decade.Our VAWG strategy will be published this year and will include joint steps to tackle image-based abuse across England and Wales (including Staffordshire and Newcastle-under-Lyme). These include delivering our manifesto commitment to ensure that perpetrators who create a deepfake intimate image of someone without their consent face prosecution, and criminalising asking someone to create an intimate image deepfake for you, regardless of where that person is based or whether the image is created. Under our new offences in the Crime and Policing Bill, anyone who takes or records intimate images without consent or installs equipment with intent to do so will face up to two years’ custody.In the year 2024/25, the Home Office increased the amount of funding provided to the Revenge Porn Helpline from £150,000 to £210,000, to provide free, high-quality support and advice to adult victims of intimate image abuse. This funding will be increased for the year 2025/26.The Ministry of Justice also provides funding for vital victim and witness support services, including sexual abuse victims. This includes funding to Police and Crime Commissioners to commission local support services for victims of all crime, including sexual abuse, based on their assessment of local need; and through the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund (RASASF) to enable specialist support organisations to deliver services to victims, including victims of intimate image abuse, to cope and recover. RASASF provides £399,000 to organisations in the Staffordshire PCC area (including Newcastle-under-Lyme).Victims in Staffordshire can also access the 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line, commissioned by the Ministry of Justice and delivered by Rape Crisis England and Wales. The Line provides victims aged 16 and over access to vital help and information whenever they need it.Funding for services beyond March 2026 will be subject to decisions made through the ongoing Spending Review process.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent engagement his Department has had with the Sudanese diaspora in the United Kingdom.

Sudan is a personal priority for the Foreign Secretary. Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) Ministers and officials most recently engaged with members of the Sudanese diaspora during the run up to the 15 April London Sudan Conference. This included a roundtable with representatives of the Sudanese diaspora that the Minister for Africa, hosted at the FCDO on 31 March. The FCDO will continue to engage with members of the Sudanese diaspora as part of our ongoing work.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to improve relations with the African Union.

The UK is committed to a close relationship with the African Union (AU). The UK Office to the AU, based in Addis Abba, works closely with the AU across a range of country specific and thematic themes. The Deputy Prime Minister became the first non-African leader to meet the newly elected AU Commission Chairperson, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, on 17 February, just two days after his election success. The Foreign Secretary was delighted that the AU co-hosted the London-Sudan Conference with us on 15 April. We look forward to the next ministerial level UK-AU High-Level Dialogue in the autumn.

What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of UK energy security.

Great Britain’s energy system is diverse and reliable, with the annual Statutory Security of Supply Report 2024 assessing that GB is expected to have sufficient supplies of electricity and gas to meet consumers’ demands over the short and long-term. However, our dependence on fossil fuels has left us vulnerable to global supply shocks and unstable energy prices. The Government's Clean Energy Superpower Mission, supported by the largest investment in home-grown clean energy in British history, will enhance energy security by boosting our energy independence, protecting billpayers, and reducing exposure to global supply shocks.

What steps her Department is taking to improve the provision of criminal legal aid to people in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

Criminal legal aid, where needed, is essential to support those accused of a crime to defend themselves and to uphold their right to a fair trial.This Government inherited a justice system in crisis, with a legal aid system that is creaking and on the point of collapse. We have already taken steps to start rebuilding that system and we are committed to ensuring the long-term sustainability of the legal aid sector.As an important first step, in November 2024, we announced our response to the Crime Lower consultation, confirming an uplift to the lowest police station fees, introducing a new Youth Court fee scheme, and paying for travel time in certain circumstances. Together, these changes amount to a £24 million investment for criminal legal aid providers.Furthermore, in December 2024, we announced that criminal legal aid solicitors will receive up to £92 million more a year to support the sustainability of the criminal legal aid market. This latest commitment reflects the vital work that is undertaken by those who provide criminal legal aid and demonstrates our ongoing commitment to access to justice. We are also committed to continuing to work with the criminal legal aid profession, including the Bar, on further opportunities for reform this Parliament and to support the overall sustainability, diversity, and efficiency of the system.The Legal Aid Agency is responsible for commissioning legal aid services in England and Wales. Procurement for legal aid contracts is now operated under the ‘always on principle’ so that the procurement remains open during the life of the contract. This is a significant change from the previous approach where firms could only bid to join at the initial tender of what typically was a five-year contract term. This new approach enables new entrants to apply for a contract at any time and for existing providers to expand their services. It is a more flexible approach, removing hard deadlines and maximising the available supply of services.

What her planned timetable is for making available land acquired by the Government for cancelled northern legs of HS2.

My department is thoroughly reviewing the position we have inherited before setting out more detailed plans in due course, including future plans for HS2 Phase 2b safeguarding and a disposal programme for land and property acquired for HS2 that is no longer required. We expect to be able to provide further detail of our intended approach for Phase 2b safeguarding during the summer. Any land acquired for Phase 2 that is no longer required will be sold in line with Treasury rules through a disposal programme.

If she will have discussions with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the research entitled The Impact of Chiropractors on Workplace Productivity in NHS MSK Pathways, published on 19 March 2025, on the potential impact of the use of chiropractors on waiting lists for musculoskeletal conditions, in the context of increasing levels of people in employment.

There are no current plans to have discussions with my Rt Hon. Friend, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the research specified, or for the Department for Health and Social Care to assess the use of chiropractors to reduce waiting times in Newcastle-under-Lyme. Cutting waiting lists forms a key part of the Government’s mission to reform the National Health Service.

What steps he is taking to reduce musculoskeletal condition waiting times in Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency; and if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of using chiropractors as regulated and qualified healthcare professionals already embedded in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) other constituencies to help reduce reduce those waiting times.

There are no current plans to have discussions with my Rt Hon. Friend, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the research specified, or for the Department for Health and Social Care to assess the use of chiropractors to reduce waiting times in Newcastle-under-Lyme. Cutting waiting lists forms a key part of the Government’s mission to reform the National Health Service.

What assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of freezing levels of Local Housing Allowance on future levels of homelessness, in the context of her membership of the Inter-Ministerial Group on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping.

The causes of homelessness are multi-faceted and often complex; they interact dynamically making it very difficult to isolate the relative importance of individual factors. We work closely with other departments, including MHCLG, to ensure the impacts of Local Housing Allowance (LHA) on homelessness and local government, are considered.This included consideration in last year’s Autumn Budget not to increase LHA rates for 2025/26. Rental data, the impacts of LHA rates, rate increases in April 2024, and the wider fiscal context were all considered. The April 2024 one-year LHA increase cost an additional £1.2bn in 2024/25 and approximately £7bn over 5 years.At last year’s Budget, funding for Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) were maintained. These are available from local authorities and can be paid to those entitled to Housing Benefit or Universal Credit who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs. The Autumn Budget also announced an increase in 2025/26 by £233 million compared to last year (FY2024-25) to grant funding for homelessness services. This increased spending will help prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help prevent rough sleeping. This brings total spend to nearly £1 billion in 2025-26.The government will also invest £2bn in social and affordable housing in 2026-27, to deliver up to 18,000 new homes. This will immediately allow housing associations and local councils to bring bids forward for new developments in every part of the country.We continue to work across government, including on the development of MHCLG’s Long Term Housing and Homelessness and Rough-sleeping strategies to ensure that interactions and impacts between departments are considered. The Inter-Ministerial Group on Homelessness and Rough-sleeping, for example, brings together ministers from across Government to drive progress on the strategy development and get back on track to ending homelessness.Any future decisions on LHA policy will be taken in the context of the Government’s missions, goals on housing, including as part of the strategies mentioned above, and considered for prioritisation within the challenging fiscal context.