Written questions by Jogee.

How many hospitals have staff who are members of the Parkinson’s UK Excellence Network.

No estimate has been made of the number of people with Parkinson's disease who have access to a Parkinson’s nurse in Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire. The Department does not hold data on how many hospitals have staff who are members of the Parkinson’s UK Excellence Network.It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) and local authorities to meet the care and support needs of people diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Patients living in the Surrey Heath constituency would be covered by either the NHS Frimley ICB or the NHS Surrey Heartlands ICB. ICBs are responsible for commissioning services to meet the healthcare needs of their local populations and, in doing so, we expect them to have regard to best practice guidance, such as that published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.This Government is committed to publishing a 10 Year Workforce Plan which will ensure the National Health Service has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients, when they need it.The new NHS App will end the 8am rush by providing more flexibility in the way that people contact their general practitioner (GP), enabling better GP appointment booking as long as GPs make appointments available in the App. It will also help people to get care quicker without seeing their GP, for example improved self-care by going to a pharmacy or by self-referring into a specialist pathway or by providing remote consultations with specialists.

Whether his Department is taking steps to assess the potential impact of economic partnership agreements made with countries in Africa in the last 5 years on those countries' (a) economic development, (b) level of exports from and (c) capacity to pursue (i) regional integration plans and (ii) the African Continental Free Trade Area.

I refer the member for Newcastle-under-Lyme to the answer my predecessor gave on 3 September 2025 to UIN 71764.

Whether he has had recent discussions with his counterpart in Kenya on the sunset clause on investment in the UK-Kenya Economic Partnership Agreement.

The UK-Kenya Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) does not contain expiry provisions or ‘sunset clauses’, so preferential market access will continue indefinitely. The EPA does include a ‘rendez-vous clause’, committing Parties to conclude negotiations on areas such as investment. This was discussed at the UK-Kenya EPA Committee of Senior Officials in 2022.At the 2023 Ministerial EPA Council, both sides agreed to accelerate efforts to remove investment barriers, and the UK held workshops with Kenyan officials in March 2025 to support this.

What steps she is taking through the tax system to support small businesses in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

Small businesses are vital to high streets, local communities, and economic growth. At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government recognised this by: More than doubling the Employment Allowance to £10,500. This means more than half of businesses with NICs liabilities will either gain or see no change this year.Maintaining the Small Profits Rate and marginal relief at their current rates and thresholds, as well as maintaining the £1 million Annual Investment Allowance; andFreezing the small business multiplier for 2025/26, meaning that, taken together with Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR), over a million properties are protected from inflationary bill increases.

What recent discussion he has had with his Norwegian counterpart on defence co-operation.

There are regular discussions between UK and Norwegian Defence Ministers and our defence and security relationship is stronger than ever. A Norwegian frigate has participated throughout the UK's 2025 Carrier Strike Group deployment and our Royal Marines have trained in Norway for over 50 years.Most recently, the Defence Secretary met his Norwegian counterpart on 4 September 2025 in Stavanger to sign the Capability Framework Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) underpinning Norway’s decision to procure a minimum of five Type 26 frigates. As well as marking the beginning of a new strategic partnership with Norway, this deal will provide a £10 billion boost to the UK economy. It also delivers on the Government’s Plan for Change, supporting over 4,000 jobs and safeguarding ship building on the Clyde until 2040.

If he will make an assessment of the impact of the Economic Partnership Agreement on (a) African and (b) Caribbean countries.

The Department for Business and Trade engages closely with partner governments and businesses to gather feedback on tariff arrangements, including Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with African and Caribbean countries. Whilst this feedback is not shared externally, the Government does publish two sets of UK trade data with developing countries: statistics on UK utilisation of tariff preferences under trade agreements, and country factsheets outlining broader trade relationships.These data sources are available on the gov.uk website.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of devolution on economic growth in Staffordshire.

We know that giving local leaders who understand their patch greater powers to respond to the specific challenges they face, can unlock the growth potential of places.By empowering areas through devolution, all of our regions, including Staffordshire, can take the decisions that drive the change they want to see.

What discussions his Department has had with the African Business Chamber since 5 July 2024.

The Department expects to be represented at the African Business Chamber’s November 2025 Business Forum. The Department is happy to meet with the African Business Chamber to discuss further our work.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to meet the leadership of the National Farmers' Union.

As part of their Ministerial responsibilities, both the Secretary of State and her farming Minister meet routinely with farming organisations.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to meet the leadership of the Countryside Alliance.

As part of their Ministerial responsibilities, both the Secretary of State and her farming Minister meet routinely with farming organisations.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to meet the (a) President and (b) Vice President of the Ulster Farmers' Union.

As part of their Ministerial responsibilities, both the Secretary of State and her farming Minister meet routinely with farming organisations.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the security situation in Nepal.

The UK and Nepal share a deep historic relationship. The recent loss of life and violence in Nepal was appalling. The UK supports fundamental freedoms and respect for human rights, including the right to protest and peaceful assembly. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office made public statements condemning the violence and called for accountability and peaceful dialogue.On 12 September, our Embassy in Nepal welcomed the appointment of Sushila Karki as interim Prime Minister. As Nepal's oldest friend, we recognise the challenges ahead and affirm our commitment to support Nepali aspirations for accountability and inclusive governance.  We continue to follow events in Nepal closely and welcome the calming of tensions.

Food and Rural Affairs, whether she has had discussions with her counterparts in the devolved Administrations since her appointment.

Since her appointment the Secretary of State has held meetings to discuss a range of shared priorities with the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland, the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands in the Scottish Government, and the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs in the Welsh Government.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her Irish counterpart since 5 September 2025.

The Foreign Secretary had an introductory phone call with her Irish counterpart, Simon Harris, on 8 September. They discussed the importance of the UK-Ireland bilateral relationship and agreed on the current positive state of the relationship. They also discussed the situation in Ukraine and the Middle East. The Foreign Secretary and I hosted the Tánaiste at the Berlin Process Foreign Minister's Summit at Hillsborough Castle on 9 October.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to visit sub-Saharan southern Africa.

The Foreign Secretary's future travel plans will be set out in the normal way in due course.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with the African Union since 5 September 2025.

The Foreign Secretary's future travel plans will be set out in the normal way in due course.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with the Southern African Development Community since 5 September 2025.

The Foreign Secretary's future travel plans will be set out in the normal way in due course.

What the membership is of the collaboration committees that were established in July 2025.

The Collaboration Committees established in July 2025 are made up of a diverse group of members, including people with lived experience of DWP services, disabled people's organisations, charities, healthcare professionals, academics, support providers, and employer representatives. At least 50% of each committee is comprised of individuals with lived experience. To maintain trust and ensure inclusive participation, it was agreed with participants that we are not publishing personal or organisational information about committee members.

Pursuant to the Answer of 4 September 2025 to Question 73278 on Dementia: Research, what proportion of NHS funding was spent on (a) dementia, (b) cancer, (c) stroke and (d) coronary heart disease research in each year between 2019 and 2024.

The Department funds and delivers health research via the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Funding allocated to the NIHR is separate from National Health Service funding and is not calculated as a proportion of NHS spend.NIHR invests directly in research projects and programmes and also provides investment for research delivery within the NHS and wider health and care system, including research facilities and workforce, known as NIHR infrastructure.The following table shows a breakdown of total NIHR spend in millions of pounds for dementia, cancer, stroke, and cardiovascular research between 2019/20 and 2023/24, across research projects, programmes and infrastructure:Financial yearDementiaCancerStrokeCardiovascular, including coronary heart disease2019/202913822.253.12020/2121.973.512.746.12021/2230.398.320.356.32022/2335.1121.826.972.62023/2442.8132.823.993Total159.1564.4106321.1Source: NIHRNotes:The data presented is based on 11 September 2025 point-in-time analysis. Our data is not static and is subject to change due to contract variations, updated information regarding financial reconciliations and support activity.Funding figures for cardiovascular research have been calculated based on the Health Research Classification System code ‘cardiovascular’, which includes research into topics such as general circulation research, coronary heart disease, and vasculitis. NIHR infrastructure investment funds staff and facilities which deliver research across disciplines and disease areas simultaneously and represents approximately 40% of total NIHR funding. This component is therefore calculated as a proportionate approximation of spend based on number of studies/projects in these conditions supported by infrastructure against total infrastructure spend and therefore is an estimate only.

Food and Rural Affairs, , what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help tackle safety risks associated with landfill sites.

It is important that waste is managed safely in a way which does not pose risks to people or the environment. Operators of landfill sites in England are required by the Environmental Permitting (England & Wales) Regulations 2016 to hold an environmental permit. The regulatory framework in place is designed to serve operators and protect the local community.  Where poor performance does occur the Environment Agency has a range of powers to bring sites back into compliance and, where necessary, to take enforcement action against operators. The Government also recognises the importance of managing land contamination, including from historic landfill sites, to protect human health and the environment. Under Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, local authorities have a statutory duty to inspect their areas to identify contaminated land and require appropriate remediation where necessary. Defra supports local authorities in fulfilling their duties through the Contaminated Land Statutory Guidance, which sets out the legal framework for risk assessment and decision-making under Part 2A.