Written questions by Jogee.

What assessment he has made of the link between lung health and (a) air pollution and (b) indoor air quality in (i) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (ii) Staffordshire.

Poor air quality is one of the largest environmental risks to public health in the United Kingdom. Epidemiological studies have shown that long-term exposure to air pollution, over years or lifetimes, reduces life expectancy, due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and lung cancer. Short-term exposure, over hours or days, to elevated levels of air pollution can also cause a range of health impacts, including effects on lung function, exacerbation of asthma, increases in respiratory and cardiovascular hospital admissions, and mortality. Further information is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-matters-air-pollution/health-matters-air-pollution

If he will make an assessment of the potential merits of negotiating country-specific trade agreements between the United Kingdom and (a) Zimbabwe, (b) Botswana, (c) Namibia, (d) Mozambique, (e) Angola and (f) South Africa.

The UK’s existing trade agreements with the Southern African Customs Union and Mozambique, and Eastern and Southern Africa successfully facilitate trade with Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, and we plan to continue to support their implementation. Angola is not currently covered by these agreements, but there are provisions available should they wish to join, and they are eligible for duty-free, quota-free access to the UK through our Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS). None of these partner governments have requested a country-specific trade agreement. In addition, the nine (UK) Trade Envoys for Africa will seek to develop high level relationships with key decision makers to help further increase trade and investment.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many overseas diplomatic postings are waiting for a Head of Mission to be appointed.

Appointments to all Head of Mission roles, including Ambassadors and High Commissioners, are announced after the necessary internal processes have concluded, including approval through His Majesty The King and agreement from the host Government. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office ensures that all diplomatic posts are appropriately staffed, including with interim arrangements in place where necessary.

Which Ministers from his Department will attend the Commonwealth Business Summit in Windhoek between 18 and 20 June 2025.

No Ministers from the Department for Business and Trade will be attending the Business Summit in Windhoek, Namibia between 18 and 20 June 2025.

What discussions he has had with NHS England on the adequacy of the data available to help clinical staff reduce the time taken to (a) diagnose and (b) treat cancer patients in (i) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency, (ii) Staffordshire and (iii) England.

Officials in the Department regularly engage with NHS England on the adequacy of the data available, to improve performance against cancer waiting times.The Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board (ICB) is introducing primary care symptom-based pathways, designed to support cancer referrals and to reduce the number of referrals into cancer pathways, where the risk of cancer is very low or more effective alternative referral pathways exist. The ICB intends to pilot clinical decision tools, which will prompt general practitioners to order relevant tests and suggest alternative referral pathways.My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care announced that a National Cancer Plan for England will be published this year, supporting the Prime Minister’s mission to build a National Health Service fit for the future and reduce the number of lives lost to cancer. The plan will outline how we will improve outcomes for all cancer patients, by speeding up diagnosis and treatment and ensuring access to the latest treatments and technologies.

What progress she has made on reducing the average waiting time for driving tests in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) main priority is upholding road safety standards while it works hard to reduce car practical driving test waiting times. Significant progress has already been made as part of the DVSA’s 7-point plan to reduce waiting times with 1.95 million tests delivered last year nationally, but there is more work to be done.The current waiting time for a car practical driving test at Newcastle-under-Lyme and Stafford is 24 weeks.On the 23 April, the Secretary of State for Transport appeared before the Transport Select Committee and announced that DVSA will take further actions to reduce waiting times for all customers across Great Britain. Further information on these actions and progress on DVSA’s 7-point plan, which was set out last year, can be found on GOV.UK. DVSA is continuing to recruit as many DEs as possible. As a result of recent recruitment campaigns, offers of employment have been made to two potential new driving examiners (DE), one for Stoke-on-Trent (Cobridge) and one for Newcastle-under-Lyme.

What assessment he has made of the link between poor lung health and poverty.

I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton on 28 April 2025 to Question 46400.

Which Minister attended the 2025 Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting; and what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of outcomes from that meeting.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention attended the 2025 Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting on 17 May 2025. The meeting was an opportunity for the United Kingdom and our Commonwealth partners to exchange views and strengthen cooperation on shared health challenges.Commonwealth health ministers adopted an Outcome Statement outlining commitments to build equitable, resilient, and sustainably financed health systems that prioritise vulnerable member countries, that the UK supported. The statement included several UK health priorities including cancer, digital health, mental health, and antimicrobial resistance.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the impact of the contributions made by (a) Togo and (b) Gabon on the work of the Commonwealth since their admittance as full members.

The UK values the contribution of all Commonwealth members. Working together we can maximise the impact of the Commonwealth for the benefit of all members.Togo attended its first Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa in 2024, represented by Prime Minister Dogbé. The Commonwealth is currently working with Togo to develop a roadmap for technical assistance to support its national priorities. In July 2024, former Commonwealth Secretary-General visited Togo and met with President Gnassingbé.Gabon is currently partially suspended from the Commonwealth and is therefore unable to fully participate. However, in November 2024, Gabon permitted a Commonwealth Expert Team to observe their constitutional reform referendum and discuss technical support. In April 2025, they also welcomed a Commonwealth Observer Group to monitor their presidential elections. The Group assessed the elections as largely transparent, peaceful and conducted in accordance with the Gabon's legislative framework.

Media and Sport, what steps she plans to take to improve the provision of public libraries in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

Public libraries are funded by local authorities and each local authority is responsible for assessing the needs of their local communities and designing a library service to meet those needs within available resources.The Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 requires the Secretary of State to “superintend and promote the improvement of the public library service provided by local authorities in England”. To assist this function the department regularly monitors and reviews changes to local authority library service provision, and engages with local authorities to discuss issues related to their respective library service.The government is committed to getting local government back on its feet. The final Local Government Finance Settlement for 2025-26 makes available over £69 billion for local government, which is a 6.8% cash terms increase on 2024-25.The Secretary of State announced in February 2025 a further £5.5 million of the Libraries Improvement Fund for 2025-26 to enable library services across England to invest in a range of projects to upgrade buildings and technology. Staffordshire County Council has previously received around £465,000 from this fund to support projects at Burton and Wombourne libraries.

What recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the East–West Council.

The East-West Council, established under the Safeguarding the Union Command Paper, first met in London in March 2024. It will meet for the first time in Belfast later this month. This forum provides exciting opportunities for Northern Ireland as we prioritise building and strengthening connections across the United Kingdom, focussing on shared opportunities and addressing mutual challenges.

What recent steps he has taken to increase the level of access to NHS dentists by people in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

The Government plans to tackle the challenges for patients trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term, we will reform the dental contract with the sector, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.The responsibility for commissioning primary care services, including NHS dentistry, to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to the integrated care boards (ICBs) across England. For the Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and Staffordshire, this is the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB. ICBs have been asked to start making extra urgent dental appointments available from April 2025. The Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB is expected to deliver 16,190 additional urgent dental appointments as part of the scheme.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to support the natural regeneration of trees in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency, (b) Staffordshire and (c) England.

Across England, Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier does provide grant support for natural regeneration (including WD2 and WS2) in line with a UK Forestry Standard approved Woodland Management Plan. These grants are demand led, which means that the Forestry Commission welcomes applicants for sites that meet the criteria from any constituency. In addition to supporting natural regeneration of woodland within existing woodlands through Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier there is grant support for natural colonisation (woodland expansion through natural processes) through the England Woodland Creation Offer. We do not collate this information at constituency or county level.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has with his Turkish counterpart on increasing humanitarian aid in Gaza.

I refer you to the Foreign Secretary's statement of 20 May on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The UK remains committed to working with regional partners to address the urgent humanitarian needs in Gaza and to support efforts to increase the flow of aid. The Foreign Secretary regularly speaks to his Turkish counterpart on a range of issues, including humanitarian aid to Gaza. It is the long-standing practice of successive governments not to comment on private diplomatic meetings.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the (a) political and (b) security situation in Ecuador.

The UK and Ecuador have an excellent bilateral relationship, and we work closely on shared issues including the environment and climate, the fight against drugs and organised crime, and delivering economic growth. The Minister of State for Security met ministerial counterparts on his recent visit to Ecuador. During his visit he discussed the security challenges facing Ecuador and signed a memorandum of understanding on security cooperation, which offers UK support to Ecuador in their fight against serious organised crime. In May, the Minister of State for International Development, Latin America and Caribbean met the Ecuadorean Foreign Minister in London, whilst President Noboa had an audience with His Majesty the King. We will continue to work to strengthen our relationship with Ecuador.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Association of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Commonwealth Africa.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) works closely with the Commonwealth Secretariat, including on their efforts to strengthen anti-corruption agencies across Commonwealth countries. The UK's annual financial contribution to the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation (CFTC) supports this work, including partnership with the Association of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Commonwealth Africa (AAACoA), a non-profit organisation that focusses on supporting the needs of anti-corruption agencies in Commonwealth Africa countries and providing a space for these agencies to share best practice.

What steps she has taken to encourage investment in (a) Staffordshire and (b) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency.

The Office for Investment (OfI) works with stakeholders across Staffordshire and Newcastle Under Lyme to promote strategic Investment opportunities to create high quality job growth in the region. OfI has funded a strategic key account management initiative in Staffordshire and Newcastle Under Lyme, to provide direct support to investors. I am delighted that Keele University, in Newcastle-under-Lyme, is ambitious to grow their successful Science and Innovation Park, and the OfI is supporting their work to bring this forward.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the United Nations Development Programme.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office maintain a close working relationship, with regular senior-level discussions to align on strategic priorities, coordinate development efforts, and respond jointly to global challenges.His Majesty the King and the Foreign Secretary engaged with the UNDP on Clean Energy in April at a UK-hosted Roundtable in Rome. Nick Dyer, the Second Permanent Under-Secretary met with the UNDP Administrator at the Hamburg Sustainability Conference on 2 June.

Innovation and Technology, what discussions he has had with his counterparts from the (a) Southern African Development Community, (b) Caribbean Community and (c) Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries on digital transformation.

International engagement is vital to the UK’s science and technology priorities. The Secretary of State and Ministers regularly engage with partners around the world, including a variety of nations in the regions represented by the organisations outlined. For example, the UK and Singapore recently signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen cooperation on digital transformation and the Secretary of State recently met Minister Teo on 6 November.

Innovation and Technology, what recent steps he has taken to improve digital connectivity for older people living in rural communities.

The Government published its Digital Inclusion Action Plan in February 2025, which identified five target groups to benefit most from digital inclusion initiatives, including older people. The initiatives will be targeted locally for boosting digital skills and confidence, widening access to devices and connectivity, and getting support to people in their own communities so everyone can reap the benefits of technology.Through Project Gigabit and the Shared Rural Network, we are continuing to deliver broadband and mobile connectivity to hard-to-reach areas with limited or no coverage. Over 87% of UK premises now have access to a gigabit capable broadband connection, while more than 95% of the UK now has 4G geographic coverage from at least one mobile operator.