Written questions by Morris.

What steps the Office for Investment is taking to help increase private sector investment in Hexham constituency.

The Office for Investment is piloting an Investment Opportunities Accelerator in partnership with the North East Combined Authority. This programme aims to facilitate and expedite investment prospects by working collaboratively with regional partners, relevant government departments, and industry stakeholders. The North East’s designation as the UK’s first AI Growth Zone which includes sites in Northumberland, positions it as a national leader in AI innovation. NECA is also receiving support through DSIT’s £30m Innovation Accelerator Fund to strengthen its R&D ecosystem and drive commercialisation in advanced manufacturing, clean energy and digital sectors.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on its manifesto commitment to extend the ban on trail hunting.

This Government is committed to enacting a ban on trail hunting in line with our manifesto commitment. Work to determine the best approach for doing so is ongoing and we will consult on how to deliver a ban in the new year. Stakeholder engagement will form an important element of the consultation process, and we will ensure everyone has the opportunity to give their views and present their evidence.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with relevant stakeholders on the proposed ban on trail hunting.

This Government is committed to enacting a ban on trail hunting in line with our manifesto commitment. Work to determine the best approach for doing so is ongoing and we will consult on how to deliver a ban in the new year. Stakeholder engagement will form an important element of the consultation process, and we will ensure everyone has the opportunity to give their views and present their evidence.

What assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of reduced electricity costs for employers on employment growth in energy- intensive sectors in Hexham constituency.

Government delivers electricity cost relief schemes that provide support to businesses in energy intensive sectors across the country, helping UK businesses to remain competitive and protect thousands of well paid, British jobs. The British Industry Supercharger cuts electricity costs for around 550 energy intensive businesses, and Government recently confirmed an uplift in relief through its Network Charging Compensation Scheme from 60% to 90%. This will further reduce the gap in electricity prices between the UK and other countries. Alongside this, from 2027, the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme will cut electricity costs for even more businesses.

What discussions his Department has had with relevant stakeholders on ensuring that vulnerable pensioners in the North East are protected from online benefit scams.

DWP is taking a number of steps to protect our vulnerable customers from online benefit scams. This includes raising public awareness of benefit scam messages on the Gov.uk website. Our most recent press release relating to Winter Fuel Payment warned our customers to be alert to text message scams in advance of next month’s payments and urging them to forward any suspicious texts to 7726. This is free of charge and helps phone providers block the numbers involved. Customers are also encouraged to forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk. We are also working together with Action Fraud raising awareness on social media sites including Facebook and X formerly known as Twitter. This is alongside DWP’s continued work with trusted partners and charities such as Independent Age to ensure accurate and timely information is available. DWP has also developed a recorded message for our telephone lines to raise awareness of Winter Fuel Payment scams.

What discussions her Department has had with relevant stakeholders on tackling harassment on public transport against women and girls in the North East.

The Department is working across government and with partners, including the British Transport Police (BTP), the transport industry and local authorities to ensure that everyone feels and is safe when travelling. And, as part of that, I meet with a range of stakeholders from across the country to discuss issues across my portfolio, including the safety of women and girls on public transport. Last month, the Department and Greater Manchester Combined Authority jointly hosted a Safer Streets, Safer Transport Summit which brought together representatives from across the transport industry, Government, local authorities (including the North East Combined Authority), the third sector and policing to commit to taking action against anti-social behaviour (ASB) and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). As part of the Government’s aims to reduce VAWG by half over the next decade, the Department has an ambitious, evidence-based programme of work to help tackle VAWG on transport. This includes measures in the Bus Services Act 2025 such as training on how to recognise and respond to incidents of criminal and anti-social behaviour. The Act also enables all Local Transport Authorities to introduce byelaws to tackle ASB on vehicles, as well as within and at bus-related infrastructure (for example bus stations). The Department supports BTP’s zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment and sexual offences. This includes using a range of policing techniques to pursue offenders on the rail network to ensure it remains a safe environment and encourage reporting of incidents via BTP’s 61016 text number or 999 in an emergency. BTP officers in the North East attend the local Safer Transport Regional Group and the Violence Against Women and Girls on Transport Partnership Working Group, strengthening collaboration with partners and focusing joint efforts on preventing these offences. BTP also deliver numerous public campaigns to increase VAWG reporting across the network including in the North East. The Rail Delivery Group also delivers its ‘zero tolerance’ campaign, which is aimed at educating people about the different types of sexual harassment and encouraging reporting to the BTP or anonymously to crime stoppers.

What recent assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of investor-state dispute settlement provisions on the UK's climate targets.

The UK is party to 78 Bilateral Investment Treaties and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership that contain Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS). ISDS provides an independent means to resolve disputes with states where investors believe they have experienced arbitrary, discriminatory or unfair treatment or expropriation without compensation. ISDS does not remove governments' right to regulate in the public interest, including with respect to the UK's climate targets.The UK has a longstanding record of supporting foreign investment, including through fulfilling its obligations in international investment agreements it is party to.

What recent discussions he has had with relevant stakeholders on providing support to victims of rape and sexual violence through the court system in the North East.

Ministers at the Ministry of Justice engage regularly with stakeholders across the criminal justice system and victim support sector organisations across the country and in all regions. I recently held a roundtable at the Angel Centre (a Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Newcastle) to meet with and learn from local services supporting victims of sexual violence.This Government is committed to ensuring that victims are supported throughout their engagement with the criminal justice system, regardless of where they live. Across the country, every Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) area now has at least two dedicated Victim Liaison Officers in its rape and serious sexual offences unit. Pre-trial meetings are offered to all adult victims of these crimes, and the CPS have also delivered trauma-informed training to staff as part of their Victims’ Programme. The Ministry of Justice-funded Witness Service also provides on-the-day emotional and practical support to victims who are witnesses.This year we have protected dedicated Ministry of Justice Violence Against Women and Girls victims spending, maintaining 2024-25 funding levels for ringfenced sexual violence and domestic abuse support services in every Police and Crime Commissioner area. This also includes the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Fund, which provides funding to over 60 specialist support organisations, including in the North East.

How many parents with three and four- year-olds from (a) Hexham constituency, (b) Northumberland, (c) Newcastle and (d) the North East have used their entitlement to 15 hours of free childcare in each of the last three years.

The latest Accredited Official Statistics release ‘Funded early education and childcare’ for January 2025 was published on 17 July 2025. Statistics are not readily available at constituency level. Figures on the number of three and four-year-old children registered for the universal entitlement in Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, and the North East between January 2023 and 2025 are available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/b250b87d-7a41-4383-6814-08de1ade192d.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Plan for Neighbourhoods on communities in the North East.

On 25 September the Government announced its flagship Pride in Place Programme, which will provide up to £20 million in flexible funding and support to 244 of Great’s Britain’s most in-need neighbourhoods over the next decade. This will serve as the cornerstone of this Government’s support for communities, incorporating the 25 trailblazer areas announced at Spending Review and the existing 75 Phase 1 areas that were announced in March, previously the Plan for Neighbourhoods.10 areas in the North East were selected in Phase 1 of the Pride in Place Programme, including areas in Darlington, Hartlepool and Sunderland. A further 10 neighbourhoods across the region were announced as part of Phase 2, extending long-term investment to communities in places such as County Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and North Tyneside. In addition, 6 local authorities across the region, including Gateshead, Middlesbrough and South Tyneside, have been awarded funding through the Pride in Place Impact Fund, with each receiving £1.5 million over two years.In total, the Government is investing up to £409 million across the North East through the Pride in Place Programme and the Pride in Place Impact Fund. This investment will help build stronger communities across the region, create thriving places, and enable residents to take back control of their neighbourhoods. Funding will support locally led Pride in Place plans shaped around local priorities, with each area guided by a Neighbourhood Board representing the local community to ensure that investment reflects local needs and ambitions. The Pride in Place Impact Fund will provide more immediate support over the next two years, helping to revitalise high streets and community spaces while visible improvements are delivered on the ground.

Media and Sport, what discussions her Department has had with relevant stakeholders on the role of a freelance champion in the North East.

We committed in the Creative Industries Sector Plan to appoint a Freelance Champion in 2025, who will work across the UK to advocate for the creative sector’s freelancers within government and be a member of the Creative Industries Council. We have been working closely with industry through a working group of the Creative Industries Council to inform the role's remit, including organisations who work nationally, such as Bectu and Creative UK. This group developed a draft Terms of Reference, which outlines what industry would like to see from the role including commissioning and/or informing data and evidence gathering on creative industries freelancers; establishing mechanisms to give creative freelancers voice within government policy discussions; and working with a representative cross-section of creative industries stakeholders. We will use this work to inform the role specification prior to appointment.

What steps his Department is taking to tackle backlogs in the courts in the North East.

The Government is committed to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the court system.  This is being delivered through a combination of increased funding and improving efficiency. In the North East, specifically, the Government is taking the following steps:CRIMINAL COURTSFor this financial year (25/26), this Government is funding a record allocation of Crown Court sitting days to deliver swifter justice for victims – 111,250 sitting days this year, 5,000 higher than the previous Government funded in the last financial year.As a result of increased government funding, the North East circuit will sit an extra 1,500 days in FY25/26, taking the total to around 15,000 days.In the magistrates’ courts, we continue to recruit trainee legal advisers and magistrates to deal with the increasing levels of cases coming into the courts.FAMILY COURTSThe North East has strengthened arrangements between the judiciary and HMCTS operational teams. This collaborative approach ensures early triage of applications, timely allocation of judicial resources, and improved scheduling of hearings. By jointly reviewing case readiness and safeguarding information at the outset, courts are better able to identify appropriate pathways, reduce unnecessary delays, and maintain progress toward the 16-week measure.

What discussions her Department has had with relevant stakeholders in the North East on the Rape Action Plan.

In July 2025, His Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCPSI) published itsinspection report on early advice and pre-charge decision-making in adult rape cases. Inresponse to the report’s recommendations, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is implementinga new Rape Action Plan.The Plan aims to ensure that the quality of the CPS’s rape casework is of a consistently highstandard, with a focus on providing enhanced oversight of legal decision-making, supporting andupskilling prosecutors, and increasing public confidence. The Plan is still under development andhas not yet been finalised.Following the publication of the HMCPSI report, the CPS convened an engagement session withnational stakeholders from the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) sector to discuss thefindings and outline the actions the CPS would be taking under a new Rape Action Plan. TheCPS continues to engage regularly with these stakeholders through its established consultationgroup. At a local level, CPS Areas maintain a range of engagement mechanisms, including localscrutiny panels and dedicated Inclusion and Community Engagement Managers. Both nationaland local channels will be used to keep relevant stakeholders informed as the Rape Action Planprogresses.The CPS remains resolute in its determination to increase the number of rape cases capable ofbeing taken to court each year, so that more victims – irrespective of their background andcircumstances – can see justice. It greatly values the expertise and insights of externalstakeholders and is grateful for their continued engagement as it works towards this ambition.

Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions his Department has had with relevant stakeholders on the use of the Community Recovery Fund in the North East.

MHCLG has maintained proactive engagement with stakeholders across the North East to ensure effective deployment of the Community Recovery Fund. In particular, the Department continues to work in close partnership with Hartlepool Borough Council, Middlesbrough Borough Council, and Sunderland City Council, the three areas awarded funding, to ensure alignment with local priorities and the delivery of community - led initiatives. In the North East, the Community Recovery Fund has been strategically utilised at the local authority level to support the recovery and resilience of affected communities. This includes investment in the repair of physical infrastructure, targeted support for vulnerable groups and local businesses, and initiatives designed to foster social cohesion and rebuild trust within communities.

Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to help support community cohesion in Hexham constituency.

MHCLG's Community Cohesion Unit works to support and promote cohesion across England, through working closely with local authorities, voluntary and community sector and faith organisations, and other government departments. The Government's new £2.87m Common Ground Resilience Fund is supporting community connection and cohesion by funding locally led interventions to build community resilience. As part of this, the Common Ground Award is investing capital funding into VCSE sector organisations that are bringing people together from different backgrounds, supporting the cost of constructing or renovating facilities, or the purchasing of equipment to deliver services. Furthermore, MHCLG is co-ordinating cross-Government efforts to develop a longer-term, more strategic approach to social cohesion - working in partnership with local government, communities and local stakeholders to rebuild, renew and address the deep-seated issues.

What recent discussions she has had with relevant stakeholders on tackling harassment on trains against women and girls in Hexham constituency.

Everyone should be able to use the rail network without fearing for their safety. As part of the Government’s Safer Streets mission, we have a commitment to reduce violence against women and girls (VAWG) by half over the next decade. Last month, the Department and Greater Manchester Combined Authority jointly hosted a Safer Streets, Safer Transport Summit which brought together representatives from across the transport industry, Government, local authorities (including the North East Combined Authority), the third sector and policing to commit to taking action against anti-social behaviour (ASB) and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). Hexham Station has a very low crime rate, with no sexual offences reported this year or in 2024/25. BTP officers in the North East attend the local Safer Transport Regional Group and the Violence Against Women and Girls on Transport Partnership Working Group, strengthening collaboration with partners and focusing joint efforts on preventing these offences. BTP deliver numerous public campaigns to increase VAWG reporting across the network including in the North East. The Rail Delivery Group also delivers its ‘zero tolerance’ campaign, which is aimed at educating people about the different types of sexual harassment and encouraging reporting to the BTP or anonymously to Crime Stoppers.

What recent discussion her Department is having with relevant stakeholders to help tackle harassment against women and girls on trains in the North East.

Everyone should be able to use the rail network without fearing for their safety. As part of the Government’s Safer Streets mission, we have a commitment to reduce violence against women and girls (VAWG) by half over the next decade. The Department is committed to working with the rail industry and the British Transport Police (BTP) to ensure this is the case. Last month, the Department and Greater Manchester Combined Authority jointly hosted a Safer Streets, Safer Transport Summit which brought together representatives from across the transport industry, Government, local authorities (including the North East Combined Authority), the third sector and policing to commit to taking action against anti-social behaviour (ASB) and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). BTP officers in the North East attend the local Safer Transport Regional Group and the Violence Against Women and Girls on Transport Partnership Working Group, strengthening collaboration with partners and focusing joint efforts on preventing these offences. BTP deliver numerous public campaigns to increase VAWG reporting across the network including in the North East. The Rail Delivery Group also delivers its ‘zero tolerance’ campaign, which is aimed at educating people about the different types of sexual harassment and encouraging reporting to the BTP or anonymously to crime stoppers.

Whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of improving parliamentary scrutiny procedures for international trade agreements.

Effective parliamentary scrutiny of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) is vital. The Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 (CRaG) gives Parliament the statutory right to scrutinise treaties prior to ratification, and includes the power to block ratification. Parliament must also pass legislation that may be necessary to implement a treaty.In addition, the House of Commons Business and Trade Committee plays an important role in scrutinising the Government’s trade policy.Taken together, the current framework facilitates robust parliamentary scrutiny of FTAs.

What assessment the Department has made of the potential merits of continuing the use of Education, Health and Care Plans to support children with Special Education Needs and Disabilities with a guaranteed right to support in the North East.

This government inherited a special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system that has failed to meet the needs of families for too long.The department’s priority is improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND so they get every chance to achieve and thrive in their education, no matter where they are in the country.We are continuing to engage closely with children, parents and experts as we develop plans to ensure all children and young people get the outcomes and life chances they deserve. The government's approach to SEND reform will be set out in a Schools White Paper, which will be published in the new year.There will always be a legal right to additional support for children and young people with SEND. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has also set out our principles for SEND reform in her letter to the Chair of the Education Select Committee.

Media and Sport, what discussions her Department has had with stakeholders to improve tennis facilities in (a) Hexham constituency, (b) Northumberland, (c) Newcastle, (d) the North East and (e) England.

The Government is determined to ensure that everyone has access to quality sport and physical activity opportunities. That is why we have committed another £400 million to transform facilities across the whole of the UK following the Spending Review. We are now working closely with sporting bodies and local leaders to establish what communities need and will then set out further plans. I have met with the Lawn Tennis Association, the National Governing Body for tennis, along with representatives from other sports, to discuss this. The Government provides the majority of support for grassroots sport through Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. This includes long term investment in the Lawn Tennis Association, which receives up to £10.2 million for five years from 2022 to 2027 to invest in community tennis initiatives in England that will benefit as many people as possible.