Written questions by Jogee.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of a) local, b) regional and c) general elections being held on a Saturday on voter turnout.

The Government has not made any recent assessment of the impact of moving polling day to a Saturday on voter turnout. The Government is committed to increasing democratic participation, as set out in its manifesto. As part of this work, we are preparing to pilot a range of flexible voting options at this May’s local elections, including opportunities for electors to cast their vote over the weekend alongside the traditional polling day. These pilots are designed to build a fuller understanding of how giving people greater choice in when and where they vote can support wider participation and strengthen the overall voting experience.

Communities and Local Government, if he will remove the right to vote from Irish passport holders in elections in the United Kingdom.

The government has no plans to change the existing voting rights of Irish citizens or Commonwealth citizens.

What steps he is taking to ensure that people in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme, b) Staffordshire and c) England with Huntington's disease are able to access hyoscine hydrobromide.

We are aware that hyoscine hydrobromide 1.5 milligram patches are currently out of stock and we are in dialogue with the manufacturer. We do not hold information on stock availability locally, however, this product is currently unavailable across the United Kingdom.The resupply date has yet to be confirmed by the supplier, however, to minimise the impact on patients, we have issued comprehensive management guidance to the National Health Service, including all general practitioners (GPs) and community pharmacists, on alternative products, including unlicensed hyoscine hydrobromide. The decision on whether to prescribe an unlicensed medicine rests with the prescriber.Patients/patient representatives should speak to their GP or specialist on the most appropriate treatment option, taking into account the licensed and unlicensed alternatives available.We continue to work with the supplier and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, as appropriate, to resolve the issue as soon as possible.The vast majority of the UK’s licensed medicines are in good supply and to make sure this remains the case, we are investing more in the domestic medicine manufacturing industry.

Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to remove the right to vote from Commonwealth citizens in elections in the United Kingdom.

The government has no plans to change the existing voting rights of Irish citizens or Commonwealth citizens.

Innovation and Technology, what discussions she has had with the Children’s Commissioner for England on proposals to protect young people in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme, b) Staffordshire and c) England from harm online.

On 2 March, the government launched a landmark consultation on how to give young people the childhood they deserve in an online world. This includes versions accessible to both children and busy parents.In addition, we have started the National Conversation to gather input from parents and children throughout the UK. Children are at the heart of this discussion; we've held two events with the Children’s Commissioner for England so far, and we plan to keep working together in the future.Details of ministerial meetings, including the purpose of meetings, are published quarterly on the GOV.UK website.

Communities and Local Government, what support his Department is providing to the Iranian community in the United Kingdom.

The Secretary of State, Ministers and officials are regularly engaging with faith, community and diaspora leaders as well as with local authorities who have Iranian constituents, providing an opportunity for the Iranian community to share how they are feeling, their concerns and any support needs. Further engagement with organisations supporting the Iranian community are being agreed. We are aware that many in the Iranian diaspora in the UK are vocal in calling out the Iranian regime's unacceptable human rights record. We have been consistent in highlighting this record on the world stage and directly with the Iranian government. We continue to engage Iranian human rights experts in the UK.

What steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for decisions on Access to Work claims.

We are committed to reducing waiting times in Access to Work so that people can access the support they need. We prioritise applications from customers who are due to start work within the next four weeks, as well as renewals for existing grants, to minimise disruption to employment. The Pathways to Work Green Paper launched a consultation on the future of Access to Work which has now concluded. Following over 47,500 responses from individuals, charities and other stakeholders, as well as 18 consultation events, we published our summary of the responses to the Pathways to Work Green Paper consultation on 30 October 2025. We are now considering the responses and will bring forward our proposals for reforming Access to Work as soon as we are able to.

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact of raising the personal allowance in line with future increases in the State Pension on pensioners in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

The Government is committed to making sure older people can live with the dignity and respect they deserve in retirement. The State Pension is the foundation of the support available to them. Over the course of this Parliament, the yearly amount of the full new State Pension is currently projected to go up by around £2,100. This reflects the Government’s commitment to the Triple Lock for the duration of this Parliament. This will increase the basic and new State Pension by 4.8% next April, boosting pensioner incomes by up to £575 a year and strengthening retirement security. The Chancellor has said that those whose only income is the basic or new State Pension without any increments will not have to pay income tax over this Parliament. At the Budget, the Government announced that it will achieve this by easing the administrative burden for pensioners so that they do not have to pay small amounts of tax via Simple Assessment from 2027/28. The Government will set out more details in due course.

If he will publish the a) names and b) positions of the committee members who decide the awarding of honours.

Honours committees are made up of individuals with considerable experience of the areas covered by the committee. Each of the ten independent committees are made up of senior civil servants (‘official members’) and people who are independent of government (‘independent members’). All honours committees have a majority of members who are independent and each has an independent chairperson.Each committee sends their recommendations to the Main Honours Committee which is made up of the chairs of all ten honours committees as well as an official chairperson who is appointed by the Cabinet Secretary. This Committee agrees on a final list of recommendations which goes to the Prime Minister and then to The King, who awards the honour.The names and positions of all committee members are published on gov.uk and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/honours-committees

If she will make an assessment of the potential impact on the a) effectiveness and b) future of the Common Travel Area between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland of airlines insisting that passengers travelling between both countries now require valid passports.

There are no routine immigration controls on Common Travel Area (CTA) journeys, and none whatsoever on the Ireland-Northern Ireland land border. There are no specific travel document requirements for British and Irish citizens on intra CTA journeys. British and Irish citizens on journeys to the UK from Ireland are able to use a variety of documents to confirm their identity and nationality if they are asked by a Border Force Officer; this does not have to be a passport or passport card, but they may use one if they wish.It is the case that many air and sea carriers require some form of identification in order to use their services. Some carriers regard a passport as the only valid form of identification.

What discussions he has had with cabinet colleagues about the potential impact on the a) effectiveness and b) future of the Common Travel Area between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland of the insistence of airlines that passengers travelling between both countries now require valid passports.

The Common Travel Area is a long-standing successful arrangement. In the UK-Ireland 2030 Joint Statement, the Prime Minister and Taoiseach committed to working together to protect the integrity and security of the Common Travel Area. It is the case that many air and sea carriers require some form of identification in order to use their services and some carriers regard a passport as the only valid form of identification.

What recent discussions he has had with the First Minister of Northern Ireland on the health priorities of the Northern Ireland Executive.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and I have regular discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive, including the First Minister and deputy First Minister, on a wide range of priorities.While health is a devolved matter, the Government is committed to supporting the Executive to deliver sustainable, high-quality, and accessible public services for the people of Northern Ireland. I welcome the progress made under the Health Minister's Reset Plan, which has already produced some tangible results, including significant reductions in waiting lists and the successful rollout of the Encompass digital record system.

What recent engagement he has had with the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland about the trade priorities of the Northern Ireland Executive.

I meet regularly with the First Minister and deputy First Minister to discuss a range of issues, including trade. I also chaired the East-West Council on 22 January 2026, attended by both the First Minister and deputy First Minister, which included a discussion of the £16.6 million provided to Northern Ireland via the Internal Market Package, to support East-West trade; and, an update on the work of Intertrade UK and the £2.25 million funding it received in the budget.

What recent discussions he has had with the board of InterTrade UK.

I met with the Chair of Intertrade UK, Baroness Foster, last month at the East-West Council to hear an update on the Board’s work to date and its future plans. I have also engaged directly with Intertrade UK on the advice they have submitted to me on issues affecting UK internal market trade. This has included the Windsor Framework, veterinary medicines, vehicle type approvals and customs arrangements. I look forward to engaging with the Board further as they continue to implement their work programme.

What recent discussions he has had with the Minister of Health for Northern Ireland on the work of the NHS in Northern Ireland.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and I have regular discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive, including the First Minister and deputy First Minister, on a wide range of priorities.While health is a devolved matter, the Government is committed to supporting the Executive to deliver sustainable, high-quality, and accessible public services for the people of Northern Ireland. I welcome the progress made under the Health Minister's Reset Plan, which has already produced some tangible results, including significant reductions in waiting lists and the successful rollout of the Encompass digital record system.

What recent discussions he has had with the First Minister of Northern Ireland on the transport priorities of the Northern Ireland Executive.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and I have regular discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive, including the First Minister and deputy First Minister, on a wide range of priorities. Transport is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland and the responsibility of the Executive’s Infrastructure Minister.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to support the British Council.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer I provided on 28 October in response to question 906060, and to the oral evidence provided to the Foreign Affairs Committee on 9 December by the Permanent Under-Secretary to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and on 16 December by the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, where this issue was addressed at length.

What recent engagement he has had with businesses in Co Armagh.

I have met with Wilson’s Country in Portadown.

What recent engagement he has had with the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland about the environmental priorities of the Northern Ireland Executive.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and I have regular discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive, including the First Minister and deputy First Minister, on a wide range of priorities. The environment is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland and the responsibility of the Executive’s Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.

What recent engagement he has had with businesses in Co Down.

I have met with Eakin Healthcare in Comber, The Exact Group in Newry and Lakeland Dairies in Newtownards.