Written questions by Jogee.

What steps he has taken to support fish and chip shops with the cost of food in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

Fish and chip shops, like many hospitality businesses, continue to face significant cost pressures, driven by global uncertainty, volatile energy markets, supply chain disruption and wider inflation, which have contributed to higher food input prices. The Government recognises the impact this has on businesses and communities, including in Newcastle under Lyme and across Staffordshire and is taking action to help businesses manage these costs. This includes permanently lower business rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties and increasing the employment allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. We continue to engage with industry through the Hospitality Sector Council to strengthen resilience and productivity across the sector.

What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the powers available to Staffordshire Police to seize dangerous dogs.

The police have appropriate powers to seize dangerous dogs, including under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and the general seizure power in section 19 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. The exercise of these powers is an operational decision for the police, who must take account of the circumstances of each case. We keep police powers under regular review to ensure the police have the necessary tools to respond quickly and effectively to tackle crime and protect the public.

What support she is providing to colleges that are (a) oversubscribed and (b) want to expand.

The increasing 16 to 19 population means extra capacity is needed in some areas. The Post-16 capacity fund has already provided £282 million between 2021 and 2025 for additional capacity and we are investing a further £375 million by 2029/30 to accommodate additional learners. This investment will add capacity, including new classrooms, science laboratories and workshops, so all young people gain the skills they need to progress and get a good job.There is also an additional £195 million capital investment by 2029/30 to expand construction course provision in further education providers, helping to deliver our commitment to get Britain building.Of the total funding, £283 million is being devolved to strategic authorities as they are best placed to know the geography and nature of sustained demand. The remaining £287 million will be awarded to expand training places at sites in non-devolved areas through a national competitive bidding round, which closes on 17 April 2026.

Communities and Local Government, what recent steps he has taken to protect the Green Belt in Staffordshire.

The government is committed to preserving Green Belts, which have served England’s towns and cities well over many decades. We have not changed the five purposes of the Green Belt set out in paragraph 143 of the National Planning Policy Framework. The Framework still contains strong protections for the Green Belt, making it clear that inappropriate development should not be approved unless justified by very special circumstances.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support colleges and further education institutions applying for planning permission to expand their sites.

There is an existing Permitted Development Right – Part 7 of Class M of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 – which allows colleges and universities to erect new buildings, extensions and make alterations without the submission of a planning application. The right is subject to limits and conditions to control local impacts. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) makes clear that local planning authorities should take a proactive, positive, and collaborative approach to ensuring that a sufficient choice of post-16 places are available to meet the needs of existing and new communities. Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, the government consulted a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The consultation on the revised Framework, which can be found on gov.uk here, included proposals relating to education facilities. We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.

What steps he is taking to reduce the number of people living in relative poverty in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme, b) Staffordshire and c) England.

We are committed to tackling poverty and we know that good work can significantly reduce the chances of people falling into poverty. The Get Britain Working White Paper set out plans to reform employment, health and skills support to tackle rising economic inactivity levels, support people into good work, and create an inclusive labour market based on the unique needs of local communities, in which everybody can participate and progress in work. Through our plan to Make Work Pay, we will, improve job security and boost living standards. From April, the National Living Wage increased by 6.7 per cent to £12.21 an hour, boosting the pay of 2.4 million workers. This represents an increase of £900 to the gross annual earnings of a full-time worker on the National Living Wage. Universal Credit has a critical role to play in tackling poverty and making work pay and we have already taken steps to help those in need. The Universal Credit Act 2025, which came into force on 6 April 2026, delivered the first sustained, above inflation rise in the basic rate of Universal Credit since it was introduced. And the introduction of the Fair Repayment Rate in Universal Credit, from April 2025, means that around 1.2 million of the poorest households will retain more of their award, on average £420 a year. The Child Poverty Strategy has looked at how the government can boost families' incomes through employment and the social security system, drive down the cost of essentials so parents can meet their children’s fundamental needs, and strengthen local support to ensure families can access vital services when they need them. The removal of the two child limit will lift 450,000 children out of poverty, rising to around 550,000 alongside other measures set out in our Strategy, such as the expansion of free school meals. These interventions will lead to the largest expected reduction in child poverty over a Parliament since comparable records began. We have also introduced the new Crisis and Resilience Fund with £842 million per annum (£1 billion including Barnett consequential) to reform crisis support in England from 1 April 2026. This longer-term funding approach aims to enable local authorities to provide preventative support to communities as well as assisting people when faced with a financial crisis. We have allocated £28.2 million to Staffordshire over three years, (£9.3 million in 2026/27, £9.3 million in 2027/28 and £9.5 million in 2028/29) alongside £451,295 in 2026/27 to support heating oil households, with funding covering both the County and District Councils.

How many police front desks were open 24 hour in Staffordshire in each year between 2019 and 2024; and their locations.

The Home Office does not collect information on police front desks.

What steps is his department taking to ensure that people with Huntington’s disease in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire have a named healthcare professional who coordinates their care.

The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as Huntington’s Disease, including in Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire. Better coordination of care is a priority under the UK Rare Diseases Framework.On 26 February, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published an evidence-based new quality standard for rare diseases, which includes a named healthcare professional to coordinate care. It sets out priority areas for quality improvement and NHS England and my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, are required to have regard to quality standards as they discharge their quality improvement duties. Local National Health Service commissioners are expected to take them fully into account in the design of services that meet the needs of their local populations.The revised NHS England Specialised Neurology Services (adults) specification 2025 also outlines expectations of a system-wide approach, incorporating end-to-end pathways within an integrated neurology system, supporting more equitable and efficient care for people with long-term neurological diseases, including Huntington’s disease.Dedicated care co-ordinators for Huntington’s disease are not centrally commissioned. Integrated care boards are responsible for working with their local communities to understand the needs of the local populations and to make decisions about how best to commission services, including for those with Huntington’s disease.

What recent steps she has taken to support the ceramics industry in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.

The government engages closely with the ceramics sector. As set out in the Industrial Strategy, we are increasing support for our most energy-intensive industries eligible for the British Industry Supercharger package, including some of those in the ceramics sector, with an uplift of the Network Charging Compensation scheme from 60% to 90%. This will provide additional price relief from April 2026 to eligible businesses.

What steps his department is taking to ensure neighbourhood health centres meet the needs of people with Huntington's disease.

The Neighbourhood Health Service will ensure that people can better access care that is joined up, personalised, and designed to proactively meet their needs. It will improve access by making it easier to speak to a general practitioner (GP), providing more care closer to where people live, including in neighbourhood health centres, and will move us towards a fully digitally enabled health service.Integrated neighbourhood teams will support people with conditions like Huntington’s disease that require specialist care by considering their needs holistically, with reference to health, care, and wider needs.In the Autumn budget, the Government announced its commitment to deliver 250 neighbourhood health centres, with 120 delivered by 2030, through a mix of public private partnership and public capital. On 26 March 2026, we announced Wave 1 of the neighbourhood health centre schemes, with 27 sites across England selected to bring care closer to home 12 hours a day, six days a week, backed by £50 million.Neighbourhood health centres will be the place to go for most health needs in every community. These centres bring together GPs, with a mix of community, local authority, and voluntary sector services. Integrated care boards and local authorities will determine the particular mix of services shaped by local population needs. These will be designed to reflect the priorities and requirements of each community, including the needs of people with Huntington’s disease where appropriate. In March 2026, we published the Neighbourhood Health Framework to support this service planning, and we are shortly due to publish additional guidance on neighbourhood health centres.

What assessment he has made of the potential impact of his department’s requirement for opportunity cost neutrality in NICE’s severity modifier on investment in treatments for more severe conditions.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for East Grinstead and Uckfield on 13 January 2026 to Question 103809.

Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking with cabinet colleagues to improve the a) safety and b) provision of playgrounds for young people in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Local authorities work locally to support adults and children to lead more active lives through access to nature, parks, and play spaces. We are investing in local government. The Spending Review 2025 provides over £5 billion of new grant funding over the next three years for local services that communities rely on. This includes £3.4 billion of new grant funding which will be delivered through the Settlement for 2026-27 to 2028-29.Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework. That consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here, included proposals relating to the provision of play space. The government has recently published a draft update to national design guidance, which emphasises that development proposals should maximise the potential for play in the layout, form and appearance of development. In terms of safety, owners and operators of playgrounds are required to comply with existing legal requirements as applicable.Government also owns the Green Flag Award scheme, which helps to increase access to quality green spaces and parks; sets the standard for those spaces to meet the needs of the communities they serve and has helped to transform thousands of spaces across the country. This includes many parks across Newcastle-under-Lyme, such as Bathpool Park, Brampton Park and Lyme Valley Park.

What recent steps he has taken to improve bilateral defence cooperation between the UK and Ireland.

On 13 March 2026 the Secretary of State for Defence, and the Irish Minister for Defence, announced the signing of the refreshed UK-Ireland Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The updated MOU focuses on maritime cooperation, cyber defence, air domain information sharing, and increased joint procurement. This modernised MOU will improve bilateral defence cooperation between the UK and Ireland, providing a stronger, more agile foundation for cooperation, while respecting the distinct defence and security policies of both countries.

If his Department will publish the analysis of responses to the 2018 consultation on the Nutrient Profiling Model before any decision to adopt that model; and if he will make a statement.

The Government published responses to the 2018 consultation on 27 January 2026 alongside the Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM) 2018 Review and Consultation Outcome and the associated NPM technical guidance.The Government launched the consultation on applying the new NPM to the advertising and promotions restrictions on 25 March 2026.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to take steps to help ensure the provision of green skills to deliver a more circular economy.

This Government is committed to transitioning towards a circular economy where resources are kept in use for longer and waste is designed out. This systemic change, with investment in green jobs and vital infrastructure, builds a path to economic growth, progress towards Net Zero, restoration of nature, and a more resilient economy. We intend to publish a Circular Economy Growth Plan that sets out how the Government will deliver a more circular and more prosperous economy. The Plan will set out the biggest opportunities to support growth in sectors right across the economy, including: agri-food; built environment; chemicals and plastics; electrical and electronic equipment; textiles; and transport.  It will consider critical enablers including skills and infrastructure. Defra recognises that fostering green skills is a fundamental tenet of any circular economy, and a successful transition aims to deliver on strengthening our current green workforce as well as developing the new green skills we will need for the future. We will consider the evidence for appropriate action right across the economy as we develop the Plan.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, further to the Answer of 21 October 2025 to Question 81646, what specific policies, programmes or commitments have resulted from the Government’s engagement with Pakistan’s Human Rights and Interior Ministers regarding the protection of Christian and Hindu prisoners; and how frequently such ministerial or official-level engagement takes place.

The UK engages with the Government of Pakistan on the rights of religious minorities, including the treatment of Christian and Hindu prisoners, at Ministerial and official levels as appropriate. We do not comment on private diplomatic exchanges, but this engagement complements Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office work to strengthen the rule of law, prison oversight and minority protections, including through our High Commission's partnerships with civil society. We will continue to raise these concerns where appropriate and press for improved safeguards.

What steps his Department will take to mitigate the risk of supply delays of bone cement, and other medical supplies.

The Government has very well-established processes in place to help manage disruption to the supply of medical products when it occurs, always very seriously considering the needs of individual patients.The Department’s National Supply Disruption Response acts as the single point of contact for the medical supply industry, and has been supporting the bone cement shortage since early February this year. Together with NHS England and NHS Supply Chain we have organised a formal coordinated national incident response, including daily meetings with operational colleagues, development of clinical guidance, and close engagement with suppliers, professional bodies, and the devolved administrations.The incident management group was able to secure additional supplies from alternative, clinically assured suppliers, which are now being actively used. Elective orthopaedic activities have resumed.These measures ensured that trauma and urgent care continued safely during the shortage, with orthopaedic waiting lists prioritised according to clinical needs.The Department continues to hold regular discussions with NHS England on the supply position, operational impact, and alternative products, using well-established incident coordination arrangements.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the additional jobs that will be required in the reuse and repair sectors as the UK moves to a more circular economy.

This Government is committed to transitioning towards a circular economy where resources are kept in use for longer and waste is designed out. This systemic change, with investment in green jobs and vital infrastructure, builds a path to economic growth, progress towards Net Zero, restoration of nature, and a more resilient economy. We intend to publish a Circular Economy Growth Plan that sets out how the Government will deliver a more circular and more prosperous economy. The Plan will set out the biggest opportunities to support growth in sectors right across the economy, including: agri-food; built environment; chemicals and plastics; electrical and electronic equipment; textiles; and transport.  It will consider critical enablers including skills and infrastructure. Defra recognises that fostering green skills, including those needed for repair and reuse, is a fundamental tenet of any circular economy, and a successful transition aims to deliver on strengthening our current green workforce as well as developing the new green skills we will need for the future. We will consider the evidence for appropriate action right across the economy as we develop the Plan.

Food and Rural Affairs, if she will meet with the Tenant Farmers Association to discuss the potential merits of compensation for tenant farmers who lose land due to non-agricultural development.

The Tenant Farmers Association (TFA) raised the important matter of compensation for tenant farmers when they recently met with me, one in a series of regular meetings. The Secretary of State is also due to meet with the TFA, providing another opportunity for this issue to be discussed.

Innovation and Technology, with reference to the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill (Network and Information Systems) Bill, a) what estimate she had made of the shortage of the cybersecurity skills which will be necessary to implement and comply with the new regulations created by the Bill and b) what steps the department is taking to address skills gaps.

The Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill was introduced in November 2025 to increase UK defences against cyber attacks. The Bill has been developed in close collaboration with regulators to ensure that they have the right information and tools they need to be supported and effective under the new framework.This includes allowing regulators to recover all the costs of their activities under the regime so that they can be sufficiently resourced, enhancing their impact through clearer information gateways, and establishing a unified set of objectives so that regulators can better focus their resources. DSIT will also issue clear guidance to support regulators as they exercise their functions and will monitor and evaluate the new framework following its implementation to review the effectiveness of the regime, which could include regulator capability.New regulated entities being brought into scope of the Bill are in highly technical, high skill sectors and will have guidance and support they can draw from Regulators, Government and NCSC to help them to drive up cyber maturity and effectively manage risks to the essential services they provide. To further support the development of cyber security skills, the £187 million TechFirst programme will fund up to 4,000 students, researchers and innovators entering frontier industries, and help local firms fill around 1,000 tech roles, including cyber security roles.