Written questions by Jogee.

Representing the Church Commissioners, what the age profile is of members of the clergy in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

The Diocese of Lichfield has licensed clergy ranging in age from 32 to 72 years. The most recent Ministry Statistics held by the National Church Institutions were published in 2024 and cover the years 2022-23. See: https://www.churchofengland.org/about/data-services/resources-publications-and-data#na The information can be found on sheet M in columns BA and BB of the 2022 data.This data indicates that the Diocese of Lichfield has a total of 244 clergy in active ministry, including bishops, clergy, curates and non-parochial clergy. 17% of stipendiary clergy are under 40, with 50% being 40-59 and 33% being aged 60+. This is roughly comparable to the national landscape where 16% of stipendiary clergy are under 40, 55% are between 40-55 years old and 29% are aged 60+. It is not possible to say what age bracket the self-supporting clergy are, as this information is not held centrally. For further information do please contact the Bishop of Lichfield, the Rt Revd Michael Ipgrave, or the Archdeacon of Stoke, the Venerable Megan Smith. Contact details are available on the Diocese of Lichfield website.

Representing the Church Commissioners, what recent progress the Church of England has made on the appointment of the next Archbishop of Canterbury.

Following an extensive public consultation, which gathered input from over 11,000 individuals, the Church of England has made significant progress in the process of appointing the next Archbishop of Canterbury.The full membership of the Crown Nomination Commission (CNC), including the local and global representatives, has now been published here: https://www.churchofengland.org/about/governance/archbishops/canterbury-crown-nominations-commission/members-canterbury-crown-nominations-commission and will soon hold its first meeting, with further meetings in July and September 2025.The CNC members will first establish a ‘Role Profile’ and ‘Person Specification’ for the next Archbishop of Canterbury. They will also review a longlist of candidates, determine a shortlist and conduct interviews, before voting to submit a name to the Prime Minister and the Crown in the usual manner. The committee is expected to be in a position to make this recommendation to the Prime Minister in the autumn of this year.

Representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England is taking to help tackle poverty in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

Many churches across the Diocese of Lichfield are involved in initiatives to help those in poverty, including offering Warm Welcome Spaces, foodbanks, and school uniform banks. Such initiatives are developed according to locally identified needs and available resources in parishes.St Thomas’ Church in Kidsgrove, St Luke’s Church in Clayton, and All Saints Church in Madeley are three of the six local distribution points for the Newcastle-Staffs Foodbank. These churches work with other denominations in Chesterton, Silverdale and Newcastle town centre to provide this service to the local community in Newcastle under Lyme. On the 22nd May, the Foodbank published data to show that in one year, it had provided 8,720 emergency food parcels to people in need. 3,018 of these parcels went to children across Newcastle under Lyme. More information is available here: https://newcastlestaffs.foodbank.org.uk/2025/05/22/end-of-year-stats-2/The Diocese of Lichfield Strengthening Communities team works with communities and individuals, churches and other faiths across Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, the Black Country and north Shropshire, to support community building and improve lives. More information about the work of the diocese can be found here: https://www.lichfield.anglican.org/about-us/strengthening-communities/ For further information do please contact the Bishop of Lichfield, the Rt Revd Michael Ipgrave, or the Archdeacon of Stoke, the Venerable Megan Smith. Contact details are available on the Diocese of Lichfield website.

Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans to take to improve standards for kept animals.

This Government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious plans to improve animal welfare in a generation. The Department is engaging with key animal welfare stakeholders as part of the development of our overarching approach to animal welfare. We will be outlining more details on this in due course.

What steps he is taking to remove barriers to trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The UK Internal Market Scheme enables businesses to move goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland without customs proceses where products are not at risk of entering the EU.From 1 May, new arrangements for parcels and freight movements have significantly simplified the process for providing information and moving relevant products, and the Government has also announced it will continue important Trader Support Service arrangements beyond 2026.The Government will continue to guarantee unfettered access for Northern Ireland’s businesses to the rest of the UK market on a permanent basis, and take forward its manifesto commitment to protect the UK internal market going forward.

When he expects a Victims Commissioner to be appointed in Northern Ireland.

The role of Victims Commissioner is a public appointment made by Ministers in the Executive Office under the guidance of the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland. I understand that the First Minister and deputy First Minister have met candidates deemed suitable for appointment by the independent selection panel. I hope the process of appointing a new Commissioner will conclude soon, allowing the successful candidate to take up this important role representing victims and survivors.

What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on business confidence in Northern Ireland.

The Secretary of State for Business and Trade continues to have regular discussions with all Cabinet colleagues, including the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, on the best ways to deliver economic growth that raises living standards and puts money in people’s pockets. This Government is driving long-term, inclusive growth through our Industrial Strategy, Trade Strategy, Small Business Strategy and Plan to Make Work Pay. Our recent landmark economic deal with the United States and Free Trade Agreement with India will improve access to important markets for Northern Ireland businesses.

What recent discussions he has had with the leadership of the Social and Democratic Labour Party on the (a) adequacy and (b) effectiveness of the work of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery.

As part of its commitment to repeal and replace the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy & Reconciliation) Act 2023, the Government has committed to introducing primary legislation when parliamentary time allows, including to fundamentally reform and strengthen the independent Commission established by the Act to ensure it is fully human rights compliant and can command public confidence. As part of this process, the Government continues to engage with all interested parties in a spirit of openness regarding an appropriate way forward, including the Northern Ireland parties. I regularly meet the leader of the SDLP to discuss a range of issues, including legacy, and will continue to do so.

What discussions he has had with the First Minister and Deputy First Minister on the appointment of a Victims Commissioner in Northern Ireland.

The appointment of a Commissioner for Victims and Survivors is a devolved matter for Ministers in the Executive Office and is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Office has been kept aware of progress in this matter by the Commission for Victims and Survivors as part of ongoing engagement on legacy related matters. I hope the process of appointing a new Commissioner will conclude soon, allowing the successful candidate to take up this important role representing victims and survivors.

How many of the 18 parliamentary constituencies in Northern Ireland has he visited since his appointment.

I have visited 16 parliamentary constituencies across Northern Ireland since my appointment.

What recent discussions he has had with the leadership of the Democratic Unionist Party on the (a) adequacy and (b) effectiveness of the work of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery.

As part of its commitment to repeal and replace the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy & Reconciliation) Act 2023, the Government has committed to introducing primary legislation when parliamentary time allows, including to fundamentally reform and strengthen the independent Commission established by the Act to ensure it is fully human rights compliant and can command public confidence. As part of this process, the Government continues to engage with all interested parties in a spirit of openness regarding an appropriate way forward, including the Northern Ireland parties. I regularly meet the leader of the DUP to discuss a range of issues, including legacy, and will continue to do so.

What recent discussions he has had with the leadership of the Alliance Party on the (a) adequacy and (b) effectiveness of the work of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery.

As part of its commitment to repeal and replace the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy & Reconciliation) Act 2023, the Government has committed to introducing primary legislation when parliamentary time allows, including to fundamentally reform and strengthen the independent Commission established by the Act to ensure it is fully human rights compliant and can command public confidence. As part of this process, the Government continues to engage with all interested parties in a spirit of openness regarding an appropriate way forward, including the Northern Ireland parties. I regularly meet the leader of the Alliance Party to discuss a range of issues, including legacy, and will continue to do so.

What recent discussions he has had with the leadership of the Ulster Unionist Party on the (a) adequacy and (b) effectiveness of the work of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery.

As part of its commitment to repeal and replace the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy & Reconciliation) Act 2023, the Government has committed to introducing primary legislation when parliamentary time allows, including to fundamentally reform and strengthen the independent Commission established by the Act to ensure it is fully human rights compliant and can command public confidence. As part of this process, the Government continues to engage with all interested parties in a spirit of openness regarding an appropriate way forward, including the Northern Ireland parties. I regularly meet the leader of the UUP to discuss a range of issues, including legacy, and will continue to do so.

If he will meet the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme to discuss support for the ceramics industry in relation to rises in energy costs.

The Government believes that our mission to deliver clean power by 2030 is the best way to break our dependence on global fossil fuel markets and protect billpayers permanently. The creation of Great British Energy will help us to harness clean energy with less reliance on volatile international energy markets and help in our commitment to make Britain a clean energy superpower by 2030.Companies in the ceramics sector are eligible to apply to the British Industry Supercharger scheme, which has provided energy bill support to hundreds of firms in energy intensive sectors. Financial relief to support energy intensive industries with electricity costs is worth £470 million per year through a mixture of spending and bill discounts. I meet frequently with representatives of the ceramics sector to discuss challenges faced by manufacturers, including high energy costs. Government is committed to continuing to listen and engage with the sector.

What discussions he has had with civil society in Northern Ireland on the work of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery.

As part of its commitment to repeal and replace the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy & Reconciliation) Act 2023, the Government has committed to introducing primary legislation when parliamentary time allows, including to fundamentally reform and strengthen the independent Commission established by the Act to ensure it is fully human rights compliant and can command public confidence. The Government continues to engage with all interested parties at ministerial and official level in a spirit of openness regarding an appropriate way forward, including members of civil society. I and my officials have regularly met victims groups, groups representing veterans, human rights organisations, and others including academics as part of this process.

What recent discussions he has had with the leadership of Sinn Fein on the (a) adequacy and (b) effectiveness of the work of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery.

As part of its commitment to repeal and replace the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy & Reconciliation) Act 2023, the Government has committed to introducing primary legislation when parliamentary time allows, including to fundamentally reform and strengthen the independent Commission established by the Act to ensure it is fully human rights compliant and can command public confidence. As part of this process, the Government continues to engage with all interested parties in a spirit of openness regarding an appropriate way forward, including the Northern Ireland parties. I have recently met the leadership of Sinn Fein to discuss a range of issues, including legacy, and will continue to do sox.

What assessment he has made of trends in the level of public support for the work of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery in Northern Ireland.

There are encouraging signs of increasing engagement with ICRIR. By the end of March 2025, 154 individuals have come forward with 50 live investigations currently underway. The Government has confidence in its ability to deliver investigations, accountability, and information for families. These figures illustrate a growing willingness to engage with ICRIR, but it is clear that confidence in ICRIR will be determined by the outcomes provided for victims and survivors. However, as part of its commitment to repeal and replace the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023, the Government has committed to introducing primary legislation when parliamentary time allows, including to fundamentally reform and strengthen the independent Commission to ensure it is fully human rights compliant and can command public confidence.

What recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of the work of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery on delivering truth and reconciliation in Northern Ireland.

A growing number of families are taking cases to ICRIR, and the Government has confidence in its ability to start delivering investigations, accountability, and information for them.In its judgment, the Court of Appeal recognised ICRIR’s powers to access information and its independence from government. However, the confidence of families in its work is paramount.That is why the Government has already begun the process of repealing and replacing the previous Government's Legacy Act and is committed to fundamentally reforming the ICRIR to further strengthen its powers and independence.The Government will continue to work with all parties in a spirit of openness as we seek a resolution to legacy that can see us move forward together.

What assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the work of the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery.

A growing number of families are taking cases to ICRIR, and the Government has confidence in its ability to start delivering investigations, accountability, and information for them.In its judgment, the Court of Appeal recognised ICRIR’s powers to access information and its independence from government. However, the confidence of families in its work is paramount.That is why the Government has already begun the process of repealing and replacing the previous Government's Legacy Act and is committed to fundamentally reforming the ICRIR to further strengthen its powers and independence.The Government will continue to work with all parties in a spirit of openness as we seek a resolution to legacy that can see us move forward together.

What steps he is taking to support the ceramics industry in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire through his Department's trade strategy.

I have been working closely with Ceramics UK and local MPs on the challenges facing the sector. My department will continue to consider all possible options where support may be given.The Trade Strategy will set out the Government’s approach to maximising trade opportunities in support of the UK’s growth mission, for all sectors and regions. The United Kingdom currently has anti-dumping measures in place on ceramic tiles and ceramic tableware & kitchenware originating from China. The UK ceramics industry may apply for an investigation from the Trade Remedies Authority if it is being injured by unfair trading practices.