Written questions by Jogee.

How much funding has been allocated to (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire for (i) road maintenance and (ii) pothole filling since July 2024.

Staffordshire County Council is the local highway authority for Newcastle-under-Lyme. For the 2024/25 financial year, the previous Government allocated Staffordshire County Council £28.935 million for local highway maintenance. For the 2025/26 financial year, this Government is providing Staffordshire County Council with £39.465 million, an increase of around £10.5 million, for local highway maintenance. Funding is not ring-fenced, and it is entirely a matter for Staffordshire County Council to determine how the money is best spent to improve its local highway network according to its needs and circumstances. The Department advocates a risk-based whole life cycle asset management approach to local authority highways maintenance programmes. This considers all parts of the highway network, such as bridges, cycleways and lighting columns – not just the fixing of potholes.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he plans to meet the new Chair of the African Union.

The Foreign Secretary sent congratulations to Mahmoud Ali Youssouf following his election as Chairman of the African Union Commission on 15 February. The Deputy Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP, was visiting Addis Ababa on 17 February and congratulated Youssouf in person. Chairperson-elect Youssouf will take-up office on 15 March, and we hope there will be an opportunity for the Foreign Secretary to meet with him soon after.

Whether new police recruits will be trained on the impact of (a) waste crime and (b) retail crime on victims in (i) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency, (ii) Staffordshire and (iii) England and Wales.

This Government is committed to ensuring there are consistent, high standards for training in the police. This will help to maintain public confidence and ensure the workforce is equipped to respond to the crime challenges they face every day.The College of Policing sets and maintains standards for training and professional development, including initial police education. This includes setting the national policing curriculum for initial training.The Government has provided funding for the national rollout of the Neighbourhood Policing Pathway. This training will provide all neighbourhood officers and PCSOs with specialist training and will include modules on community engagement, problem-solving and tackling anti-social behaviour.Under the previous government, shop theft soared to record highs and it continues to increase at an unacceptable level, with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers.As set out in the Autumn Budget 2024, we will provide £100,000 of additional funding next financial year for the National Police Chiefs' Council to give further training to police and retailers on retail crime prevention tactics. This will build on funding this financial year to the Police Crime Prevention Initiatives, for development of training for both police and retailers to help combat retail crime and promote partnership working.Through our Crime and Policing Bill, introduced on 25 February, this Government has brought forward a new offence of assaulting a retail worker, to protect hardworking and dedicated shop workers, including small and independent retailers. The offence carries a maximum penalty of six months imprisonment and/or unlimited fine, as well as a presumption on the courts to impose a Criminal Behaviour Order. This will prohibit the offender from doing anything described in the order, which might include a condition preventing specific acts which cause harassment, alarm or distress, or preventing an offender from visiting specific premises.Also included as part of the Bill is the removing of the legislation which makes shop theft of and below £200 a summary-only offence, sending a clear message that any level of shop theft is illegal and will be taken seriously.The Government is committed to tackling waste crime, which blights communities, damages the environment and undermines legitimate businesses. Waste crime and poor performing waste sites undermine legitimate businesses, deprive the public purse of tax income, harm the environment and communities and in the worst cases directly threaten our health.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the Middle East on (a) the territorial integrity of the West Bank and (b) the steps that will be taken to ensure the establishment of a free, safe, independent and secure Palestine alongside a safe and secure Israel.

The Foreign Secretary raised this issue when he spoke with Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar on 22 January. Stability in the West Bank is crucial to ensure the fragile ceasefire in Gaza can last. All sides should work to ensure a lowering of tension in the West Bank at this time. We are of the clear view that Israel should bring an end to its presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) as rapidly as possible - but this must be done in a way that creates the conditions for negotiations towards the two-state solution. The UK will continue to work with Israel, the Palestinian Authority, the US, and regional partners to build consensus for a post-conflict Gaza governance and security framework that supports conditions for a permanent and sustainable peace. We must give the people of the West Bank and Gaza the political perspective of a credible route to a Palestinian state and a new future, and it needs to be irreversible.

Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the support provided by the Rural Payments Agency to farmers in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) Staffordshire.

The Secretary of State meets arm’s length body CEOs and Chairs bi-annually to discuss delivery and performance. The Minister for Farming has set out a programme of quarterly performance meetings with the Rural Payments Agency (RPA). As the principal sponsor of the RPA, Defra works closely with RPA officials at every level to provide constructive challenge and support on RPA performance, efficacy and delivery. Defra ministers as well as the wider political team meet with the RPA leadership to discuss the RPA ’s performance and delivery of departmental priorities.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) performance and (b) effectiveness of the Rural Payments Agency.

The Secretary of State meets arm’s length body CEOs and Chairs bi-annually to discuss delivery and performance. The Minister for Farming has set out a programme of quarterly performance meetings with the Rural Payments Agency (RPA). As the principal sponsor of the RPA, Defra works closely with RPA officials at every level to provide constructive challenge and support on RPA performance, efficacy and delivery. Defra ministers, as well as the wider political team, meet with the RPA leadership to discuss the RPA ’s performance and delivery of departmental priorities.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent meetings he has had with the Food Standards Agency.

I meet regularly with the Food Standards Agency Chair Professor Susan Jebb.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the (a) leadership and (b) management of the Rural Payments Agency.

Ministers meet with the leadership and management of the Rural Payments Agency regularly.

If he will meet with the hon. Member for Newcastle-under Lyme to discuss (a) the potential merits of releasing the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme (BCSSS) investment reserve and (b) support for BCSSS Members in (i) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency, (ii) Staffordshire and (iii) the United Kingdom.

This matter is currently under consideration. I am happy to update my honourable friend.

What discussions her Department has had with Barclays Bank on technical issues impacting (a) payments and (b) transactions for customers in (i) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (ii) Staffordshire since 31 January 2025.

The Government was sorry to hear of the issues impacting Barclays customers over the weekend including those in my Hon. Friend’s constituency but understands that Barclays’ services are restored, and the firm has committed to ensure customers are not left out of pocket as a result of the issues. Engagement with specific firms is a matter for the sector’s regulators, including the Bank of England, Prudential Regulation Authority and Financial Conduct Authority, who will continue to monitor the firm and the impact of the issues.

Whether she has made an estimate of the number of people impacted by the Barclays IT outage in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) Staffordshire.

The Government was sorry to hear of the issues impacting Barclays customers over the weekend including those in my Hon. Friend’s constituency but understands that Barclays’ services are restored, and the firm has committed to ensure customers are not left out of pocket as a result of the issues. Engagement with specific firms is a matter for the sector’s regulators, including the Bank of England, Prudential Regulation Authority and Financial Conduct Authority, who will continue to monitor the firm and the impact of the issues.

What steps she plans to take to support parents who live in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) Staffordshire into work.

Our recently published Get Britain Working White Paper sets out our aspirations to overhaul the Jobcentre system and establish a new Job and Career Service, which will focus on people’s skills and careers instead of just monitoring and managing benefit claims. This will be kickstarted by £55million of investment, to help people – including parents - get into work, stay in work, build skills and progress in their career. The Get Britain Working White Paper also committed DWP to supporting and providing all areas in England with resource to produce a local ‘Get Britain Working Plan’. Initially focussing on economic inactivity, local Get Britain Working plans will enable all areas to take the lead in shaping a coherent offer of support for their local citizens, including the offer of support for parents, across work, health, and skills. We are also considering how we can improve our support to help parents into work as part of our Child Poverty Strategy which will be published later this year. At present Work Coaches provide individual, tailored support to all customers across the country, this includes advice to parents on childcare support or help to address their skills gaps to aid career progression. Both areas also have access to The UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which was extended for a further year until March 2026. Areas are free to select from three investment priorities, with People and Skills interventions are designed to help reduce the barriers some people – including parents - face to employment, support them closer towards employment and education, reduce economic inactivity and to fund skills support.

Whether she has had discussions with Network Rail on the use of the word passenger.

The Secretary of State regularly discusses all aspects of Network Rail’s performance with the CEO and Chair of Network Rail. She supports Network Rail in its efforts to engage with passengers in a clear manner that recognises passengers' position at the heart of the railway.

What steps her Department is taking to support probation officers working in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) Staffordshire.

West Midlands Probation region is committed to supporting probation officers across Staffordshire, including those working in the Newcastle-under-Lyme area. The challenges faced by probation staff are recognised and the region continues to take steps to ensure their wellbeing and professional development.The Lord Chancellor has committed to bringing in at least 1,000 new probation officer trainees by March 2025 to bolster probation capacity. Across the West Midlands region, there are currently 186 trainee officers. In North Staffordshire, caseloads are carefully managed to make sure staff have the capacity to deliver effective supervision.The Probation Service Learning and Development Model sets out the mandatory, required, and desirable learning for Probation Officer (PO) and Probation Services Officers (PSO). Support includes digital (e.g. videos, podcasts, interactive experiences and virtually delivered learning), as well as face to face delivery and a suite of resources. Alongside this, HMPPS launched a new learning programme in 2024 for all new Senior Probation Officers focused on developing their skills to support Probation Officers to deliver high quality probation practice.Regional staff support and wellbeing leads cover both prison and probation. Their role includes coordinating wellbeing services, peer services and liaison with human resources (HR) and other stakeholders. An updated HMPPS Staff Support Directory was published in May 2024. A range of well-being and support initiatives are in place across North Staffordshire.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the changes to death certification process support in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency, (b) Staffordshire and (c) England.

The Government is monitoring the impact of the death certification reforms, which came into legal effect on 9 September 2024, but has not made a specific assessment of the impact of the reforms in the Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency or Staffordshire.The median time taken to register a death since the introduction of the reforms in England and Wales has typically been eight days. This figure is for all deaths, as it includes those certified by a doctor and those investigated by a coroner. The median time taken to register a death varies depending on the type of certification. Deaths certified by a doctor, that comprise approximately 80% of deaths registered each week, have typically had a median time to registration of seven days. It is important to note that the medical examiner system was active on a non-statutory basis before the introduction of the statutory system on 9 September, and this makes direct before and after comparisons challenging to draw conclusions from.The core purposes of the death certification reforms are to introduce scrutiny of the cause of death to detect and deter malpractice, to improve reporting, and crucially to put the bereaved at the centre of the process by offering a conversation with the medical examiner about the cause of death. The expectation on doctors and medical examiners is clear, that they should complete certification as quickly and efficiently as possible, and the Government is working with all stakeholders to make sure this is the case.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the number of appeals against Special Educational Needs and Disabilities decisions in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) Staffordshire; and if she will meet the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme to discuss the impact of those appeals on families in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

The last Ofsted/Care Quality Commission inspection of Staffordshire special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services took place in February 2022 and identified two outstanding areas of weakness. An Accelerated Progress Plan is in place and progress is monitored regularly. The department has appointed a SEND Advisor along with a bespoke package of support from the Research and Improvement for SEND Excellence Consortium to support the Local Area Partnership.The department knows that many parents struggle to get the right support for their children, particularly through what can be a long and difficult education, health and care (EHC) plan application and appeals process. We understand the urgency and the need to drive improvements but also are mindful that there are no quick fixes and want to take a considered approach to deliver sustainable system reform.The department is working closely with experts on SEND reform, recently appointing a Strategic Advisor for SEND, who will play a key role in engaging the sector, including leaders, practitioners, children, and families, as we consider next steps.We published independently commissioned insight, that suggests if the system is extensively improved through early intervention and better resourcing in mainstream schools, it could lead to many more needs being met without an EHC plan in a mainstream setting. This would remove the need for a Tribunal appeal.As the Minister responsible for SEND and high needs, the hon. Member for Newcastle-Under-Lyme can contact my office and I would be pleased to meet with him to discuss these matters.

What assessment he has made of the potential merits of a free trade agreement with the Southern African Development Community.

None of our partner governments in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) have requested a collective UK-SADC FTA. There are two customs unions within the SADC grouping, which our existing agreements aim to align with.Our UK-Southern African Customs Union and Mozambique Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) is with Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia and South Africa, and our UK-Eastern and Southern African EPA is with Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles and Zimbabwe. The remaining SADC countries (Angola, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo , Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia) are not currently covered by our FTAs, but there are provisions available should they wish to join These remaining countries are eligible for duty-free quota-free access to the UK (on nearly all goods) through our Developing Countries Trading Scheme.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of job centres on economic growth in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) Staffordshire.

Jobcentre colleagues understand the labour market needs of their local areas. Across Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire, our Jobcentre teams engage with employers and providers to host job fairs, Sector-Based Work Academy Programmes, recruitment events and group information sessions to support customers to improve their ability to enter and retain employment. Higher participation in the labour market, and more people in work are key to supporting the Government’s mission to kickstart economic growth. As announced in the recent Get Britain Working White Paper, we are reforming Jobcentre Plus and creating a new service that will enable everyone to access support to find good, meaningful work, and support to help them progress in work, including through an enhanced focus on skills and careers advice. This new service will transform our ability to support people into work, help those on low pay to increase their earnings, and create a more flexible workforce for a fast changing, higher skilled jobs market. This transformation is expected to contribute to economic growth by addressing local skills gaps and providing tailored support to meet the needs of local labour markets. Since September 2024 we have delivered 42 Sector Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) in Staffordshire with the majority of them supporting the Construction, Education & Teaching, Transport and Adult Social Care. Thes SWAPs have supported several employers with their recruitment activity.

What recent steps her Department has taken to help reduce reoffending in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) Staffordshire.

The Government is committed to tackling the causes of reoffending by giving people the tools to move away from crime. That is why we are investing in a wide range of interventions to directly support a prisoner’s rehabilitation journey, including accommodation and employment services. We are delivering a transitional accommodation service (CAS3) which provides prison leavers who are under probation supervision and at risk of homelessness with up to 12 weeks of accommodation to provide a stable base on release. CAS3 is in place across England and Wales with the constituency of Newcastle-under-Lyme and the county of Staffordshire coming under the West Midlands probation region. We now also have dedicated Prison Employment Leads in every resettlement prison to match prisoners to jobs on release, including in several Staffordshire prisons such as HMP Dovegate, HMP Drake Hall and HMP Featherstone. We have also recently launched regional Employment Councils, which for the first time will bring businesses together with probation services and the Department for Work and Pensions to support offenders in prison and the community. The constituency of Newcastle-under-Lyme and the county of Staffordshire are covered by the East, North & West Midlands Employment Council.

If she will make an assessment of the potential merits of renaming London Heathrow Airport after Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Royal Titles are granted very sparingly and there has always been an emphasis on the rarity of the honour. Permission to use protected Royal titles is given by the Sovereign on the advice of Ministers. The Royal Names Memorialisation Public Guidance is available on gov.uk, which confirms that the full title of Queen Elizabeth II will continue to be closely protected and only be granted for applications with strong Royal connections. Requests should be directed to the Cabinet Office (for requests in England and Northern Ireland), Scottish Government (for requests in Scotland) and Welsh Government (for requests in Wales). The Government also notes that Terminal 2 in Heathrow airport is already named after the late Queen.