Written questions by Jogee.

Representing the House of Commons Commission, if the Commission will take steps to ensure that British made bricks are used to make repairs to the Parliamentary estate.

Parliament sources materials that are appropriate to the specific building, taking into account its listed status and any relevant heritage considerations. All sourcing decisions are guided by the building’s unique requirements, including material compatibility, conservation guidance, and availability. These decisions are informed by best conservation practices to ensure the closest possible match for repair materials. A good example is the recent brick repair of the Norman Shaw North façade, as part of the Norman Shaw North Refurbishment Project. Traditional handmade clay bricks were used, and the replacement bricks were sourced from the original British clay quarry.The Restoration and Renewal Programme (R&R) is the longer-term programme of work to restore and renew the Palace of Westminster and work is underway to develop options for how to deliver the works. Regardless of the delivery approach, the R&R Programme will be one of the UK's biggest restoration projects. The legislation that created the R&R framework states that the Programme must have regard to “the need to ensure that opportunities to secure economic or other benefits of the Parliamentary building works are available in all areas of the United Kingdom.”

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his European counterparts on the (a) political, (b) economic and (c) humanitarian situation in the West Bank.

The previous Foreign Secretary discussed the situation in the West Bank, including the economic situation, with Prime Minister Mustafa in April, and the current Foreign Secretary did likewise with President Abbas on 8 September.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, (a) how many Heads of Missions representing their countries in the United Kingdom have been summoned to the Foreign Office since 2019 and (b) which country they represent.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) does not keep a central record of which Heads of Mission accredited to the UK have been summoned.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with African Union counterparts on the political situation in Togo.

The UK engages with the African Union (AU) on a range of regional issues, including political developments in West Africa.While the Foreign Secretary has not held direct discussions with African Union counterparts specifically on Togo, UK officials regularly exchange views with AU representatives on governance, stability, and democracy across the region.The UK works alongside the AU in supporting democratic outcomes in Africa through high-quality AU election observation and AU engagement during political transitions.Through our partnership with the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA), we continue to support the AU to train and deploy election observers, with regular assessment of its effectiveness.The UK and France maintain regular diplomatic engagement on regional developments in West Africa, including Togo. Officials from our Embassy in Abidjan recently met French counterparts in Togo to exchange views on the political situation.

What steps her Department is taking to reduce the gap between the lowest and highest achievers in GCSE english performance.

On 5 February 2025, the government announced a £2 million investment to drive high and rising standards in reading and writing. We know that supporting pupils to build strong foundations in reading and writing will give them the tools to succeed in key stage 4 and beyond. Therefore, from September, building on the success of phonics, teachers will receive additional training to help children progress from the early stages of phonics in reception and year 1 through to reading fluently by the time they leave primary school. This will be delivered through the English Hubs programme.Building on this, secondary schools will get funded support to foster a strong whole-school reading culture, and in January 2026 they will get access to the Unlocking Reading programme, a continuing professional development package delivered by FFT Education on behalf of the department, aimed at boosting reading through evidence-based strategies.Ensuring pupils build strong foundations in the early years and key stage 1, and offering further guidance and support on best-practice in the teaching of reading and writing in key stage 2 and 3, will prepare pupils for GCSEs in key stage 4.

What steps her Department is taking to reduce the gap between the lowest and highest achievers in GCSE science performance.

High and rising school standards are central to the government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and the key to strengthening outcomes for all children and young people. The best way of helping schools to support lower attainers and drive standards in GCSE science performance is to ensure high quality science teaching at all levels, by helping schools to recruit and retain good teachers.For those training to teach in the 2025/26 academic year, there is a bursary worth £29,000 tax-free or a scholarship worth £31,000 tax-free to train to teach high priority subjects, such as chemistry and physics. There is also a £26,000 tax-free bursary for biology.For the 2025/26 academic year, the department is also offering a targeted retention incentive, worth up to £6,000 after tax, for physics and chemistry teachers in the first five years of their careers who choose to work in disadvantaged areas. This will support recruitment and retention of specialist teachers in these subjects and in the schools and areas that need them most.The department also funds the Subject Knowledge for Physics Teaching programme, a series of blended learning courses with modules available each term to support non-specialist teachers of key stage 3 and 4 physics to enhance their subject knowledge.

What consideration his Department gives to the use of British made bricks when repairs are carried out to the Government estate.

The Government Property Agency aims to utilise and support British businesses where applicable. Whilst there is no specific consideration towards bricks made in Britain, we aim to utilise our supply chain to support local business where possible. Furthermore, this Government announced on 26 June 2025 a new 10-week consultation entitled Public Procurement - Growing British industry, jobs and skills. These reforms aim to go further to strengthen the UK’s economic resilience and support British businesses. By strategically leveraging our annual public procurement spend, we can protect our supply chains, open up new opportunities for local small businesses and social enterprises, create good local jobs, and deliver greater value for taxpayers.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the French Government on the political situation in Togo.

The UK engages with the African Union (AU) on a range of regional issues, including political developments in West Africa.While the Foreign Secretary has not held direct discussions with African Union counterparts specifically on Togo, UK officials regularly exchange views with AU representatives on governance, stability, and democracy across the region.The UK works alongside the AU in supporting democratic outcomes in Africa through high-quality AU election observation and AU engagement during political transitions.Through our partnership with the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA), we continue to support the AU to train and deploy election observers, with regular assessment of its effectiveness.The UK and France maintain regular diplomatic engagement on regional developments in West Africa, including Togo. Officials from our Embassy in Abidjan recently met French counterparts in Togo to exchange views on the political situation.

What steps she is taking to reduce the number of children in poverty in Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency.

No child should be in poverty, and we are determined to ensure a better start for every child in Newcastle-under-Lyme, where nearly a quarter are in relative poverty. Ahead of our Child Poverty Strategy, we have tripled our investment in breakfast clubs to over £30 million in 2025/26, and I’m pleased that Langdale Primary School and The Meadows Primary were selected to take part in the early adopter programme. 4,760 children in Newcastle-under-Lyme will also benefit from our extension of Free School Meals. It’s my personal priority to reduce child poverty not just in Newcastle-under-Lyme but across the whole country.

What engagement he has had with the White Butterfly Foundation.

Northern Ireland Office ministers and officials regularly engage with charities and voluntary and community sector organisations in Northern Ireland on a wide range of issues. I have not met the White Butterfly Foundation.

What discussions she has had with the operators and management of each UK Airport on the increase in costs of passenger drop-offs and pick-ups; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of this on the livelihoods of people in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme, (b) Staffordshire and (c) England.

Most airports in the UK are managed and operated as private businesses, and parking arrangements are subject to contractual agreements between airport operators and car parking companies covered by consumer laws. The provision and charging of car parking at airports (including drop off and pick charges) is a matter for the airport operator as a commercial business to manage and justify. Officials regularly engage with commercial airports on a large number of matters such as surface access, which includes the use of drop off charges, to improve access to airports whilst taking into account associated environmental impacts.

How much he plans to save by stopping the use of wax seals on official documents; and whether he plans to implement this immediately.

The Government is considering legislation to scrap laws that get in the way of a modern and productive state. Any such legislation will be brought forward and announced in the usual way.

What steps he has taken with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that businesses in Northern Ireland will be eligible for support under the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme.

The British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme will only be applicable to businesses within Great Britain. This is due to the energy market being devolved within Northern Ireland, where a Shared Energy Market is operated with the Republic of Ireland.We will continue to work in partnership with the Government of Northern Ireland to ensure the Industrial Strategy benefits people and businesses in Northern Ireland. This includes working with the Northern Ireland Executive to establish an Enhanced Investment Zone, as well as funding support for growth-driving sectors like advanced manufacturing and defence to further drive growth where Northern Ireland thrives.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the UK Commonwealth Envoy.

The UK Commonwealth Envoy acts as a link between the UK government and the wider Commonwealth community. The Envoy represents the UK on Commonwealth governance bodies, leads engagement with the Commonwealth Secretariat and other member states' representatives, and negotiates Commonwealth statements and communiques on behalf of the UK government.

What recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of missed medication in hospitals on Parkinson’s patients in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme, (b) Staffordshire and (c) England.

Hospital providers across England, including hospitals in the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board (ICB) area, are responsible for ensuring that patients within hospital settings, including those with Parkinson’s disease, receive their appropriate medication on time. There are tools to support both patients and staff to achieve this. Electronic prescribing systems, currently in use in 85% of hospitals in England, enable in-depth monitoring and reporting on missed or delayed dosing of medications.As set out in the 10 Year Health Plan, we will support people with long-term conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease, across England, including in Newcastle-under-Lyme and the wider Staffordshire area, to better manage their condition, including managing their medication. As part of the NHS App, the My Medicines section will enable patients to manage their prescriptions and remind them when to take their medications, and the My Health section will enable patients to monitor their symptoms and will bring all their data into one place. Patients will be able to decide whether their data is shared in real-time with care teams, so they can proactively monitor health and intervene when necessary.Guidance produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on Parkinson’s disease in adults highlights the importance of patients getting Parkinson’s medicines on time to prevent harmful effects. The NICE guidance states that people with Parkinson’s disease who are admitted to hospital or care homes should be given their medicines at the appropriate times, which, in some cases, may mean allowing self-medication.Parkinson’s UK has produced resources as part of its Get It on Time campaign, which supports people with Parkinson's with medicine management in preparation for a hospital stay. These resources can also support hospital and care home staff to make sure that patients and residents get their medication on time, every time.NHS England has also published guidance, developed in partnership with charities, including Parkinson’s UK, to help local National Health Service staff take practical steps to improve the care for patients with progressive neurological conditions in hospitals, including hospitals in the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB area. The Right Care Toolkit for progressive neurological conditions provides advice on medicine optimisation, highlighting the importance of timely administration of specific drugs for Parkinson’s, such as Levodopa, in both acute and community health settings.

What (a) steps he is taking to support and (b) funding he has allocated to the rollout of AI-assisted stethoscope checks for heart murmurs in community pharmacies.

Artificial intelligence (AI) assisted stethoscope tools are currently being trialed in 200 general practices (GPs) across London and Wales, with trials set to end in December 2025. The AI in Health and Care Award and the National Institute for Health and Care Research provided £1.2 million in funding for these trials, known as the TRICORDER programme, which aims to assess whether providing the tool to GPs can increase the early detection of heart failure and reduce diagnosis through emergency hospital admission. Early results have shown these devices can test for heart failure with high levels of sensitivity, 91%, and specificity, 80%, compared to routine diagnostic tests that are invasive and expensive.

Whether his Department plans to introduce a cardiovascular disease strategy.

The Government is committed to ensuring that fewer lives are lost to the biggest killers, including cardiovascular disease (CVD).The 10-Year Health Plan, published on 3 July, outlines our commitment to publish a Modern Service Framework in 2026 that will identify the interventions with the best evidence, and set standards for and drive innovation in CVD.

Whether he plans to take steps to publish a women's health strategy.

The Government is committed to prioritising women’s health. We are turning the commitments in the existing Women's Health Strategy into tangible action, such as: providing emergency hormonal contraception free of charge at pharmacies on the National Health Service from October 2025; setting out how we will eliminate cervical cancer by 2040 through the new cervical cancer plan; and taking urgent action to tackle gynaecology waiting lists through the Elective Reform Plan. Through our 10-Year Health Plan, we are delivering our commitment that never again will women’s health be neglected. The three shifts will improve the care women receive. Hospital to community will mean women can access convenient, coordinated care closer to home through Neighbourhood Health Centres, building on best practice examples such as Tower Hamlets women’s health hub. Analogue to digital will put more power and data in women’s hands, which will make it easier to get more personalised support, book appointments, and stay healthy. Treatment to prevention will mean faster and fairer access to life-saving prevention through human papillomavirus (HPV) self-sampling kits, and access to the HPV vaccine through community pharmacies.

What assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the article by The University of Manchester entitled Making headlines: Young people’s social media use and navigating media narratives, published on 9 June 2025.

The department notes the article published by the University of Manchester, and officials have recently discussed its content with the authors. Media literacy skills are embedded across the curriculum, including citizenship, computing, English and relationships, sex and health education, which together develop critical thinking, research skills, an understanding of the media in shaping opinion and how to be a discerning consumer of information online, including through social media.The independent Curriculum and Assessment Review’s interim report noted the rise of artificial intelligence and trends in digital information and that it is necessary that the curriculum keep pace with these changes, including a renewed focus on digital and media literacy and critical thinking skills. The Review’s final report and recommendations will be published in autumn with the government’s response.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of aligning the UK's PM2.5 air quality targets with the World Health Organisation’s 2021 guidelines.

The revised Environmental Improvement Plan is due to include further details on the PM2.5 air quality targets set under the Environment Act 2021. The World Health Organisation (WHO) air quality guidelines will continue to inform our evidence when considering future targets.