Written questions by Jogee.

What steps she has taken to help ensure Staffordshire County Council is able to effectively support children and young people with additional needs in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.

Awaiting answer.

What recent assessment she has made of the benefits to the youngest children in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire of learning through play.

Awaiting answer.

What steps she is taking alongside Staffordshire County Council to ensure that more girls and young women take up sport at secondary schools in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Awaiting answer.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Office for Environmental Protection.

Defra and the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) share an ambition to protect and enhance the environment. Nature is at the very foundation of growth, as nature’s recovery is a prerequisite of prosperity, health and wellbeing. It is Defra’s urgent priority to secure better outcomes for nature while accelerating growth, including through sustainable infrastructure development. Defra welcomes the OEP’s engagement in this agenda and supports a constructive relationship with them.

Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with her counterpart in the Government of Gibraltar about the processing of raw sewage in Gibraltar.

Ministers meet regularly with the Government of Gibraltar to discuss a range of environmental matters including wastewater management.

Whether he has had recent discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive on the safety of women and girls in Northern Ireland.

The Secretary of State and I regularly meet with Northern Ireland Executive Ministers to discuss a range of priority issues in Northern Ireland, this has included discussions on working together to tackle violence against women and girls. I welcome the Executive Office’s second Delivery Plan to implement the Ending Violence Against Women and Girls Strategic Framework 2024-2031 following its launch last month. I have also raised this shameful issue at last month’s British Irish Intergovernmental Conference along with the Irish Government. We can all learn from approaches across the UK and Ireland and beyond to ensure women and girls are safe and feel safe wherever they are in this country.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the British financial contribution to the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Awaiting answer.

How many civil servants in her Department undertook work relating to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

The Wales Office routinely assesses the implications for Wales of UK Parliament Bills, including Private Members Bills. As a result, a small proportion of three officials’ time was spent in relation to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

What steps he is taking to help increase the (a) volume and (b) value of trade between the United Kingdom and Jamaica.

Awaiting answer.

Communities and Local Government, what support he can provide Newcastle-under-Lyme District Borough Council in the development of a market strategy.

Markets make an important economic and social contribution to our high streets and towns. They help to grow their local economy, providing opportunities for entrepreneurs and start-up businesses, as well as social engagement and inclusion. Local authorities are empowered to make decisions on running, supporting and investing in local markets in their areas. This government is also committed to extending devolution in England, as set out in the English Devolution White Paper, and strategic authorities will be empowered to drive economic development and regeneration in local areas. In due course we will publish our High Streets Strategy, backed by £301 million of support, to help turn the tide on the high streets most in need.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she will take to help a) protect the lives of and b) support people living in the West Bank.

I refer the Hon Member to the answers that the Foreign Secretary and I gave at the last session of departmental oral questions on 21 April.

What steps he is taking to help increase the (a) volume and (b) value of trade between the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe.

Awaiting answer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the (a) Southern African Development Community and (b) African Union on the political situation in Zimbabwe.

Awaiting answer.

What steps he is taking to help increase the (a) volume and (b) value of trade between the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Awaiting answer.

Communities and Local Government, what specific support he plans to provide market towns like Newcastle in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire.

Markets make an important economic and social contribution to our high streets and towns. They help to grow their local economy, providing opportunities for entrepreneurs and start-up businesses, as well as social engagement and inclusion. Local authorities are empowered to make decisions on running, supporting and investing in local markets in their areas. This government is also committed to extending devolution in England, as set out in the English Devolution White Paper, and strategic authorities will be empowered to drive economic development and regeneration in local areas. In due course we will publish our High Streets Strategy, backed by £301 million of support, to help turn the tide on the high streets most in need.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the (a) effectiveness and (b) performance of the Rural Payments Agency.

Awaiting answer.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she has taken alongside her Arab counterparts to help protect residents in the West Bank from settler violence.

I refer the Hon Member to the answers that the Foreign Secretary and I gave at the last session of departmental oral questions on 21 April.

Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the impact of there being no approved Local Plan in Newcastle-under-Lyme on people living, learning and working in that area.

Awaiting answer.

What most recent discussions she has had with Banks to help support victims of economic abuse in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.

The Government recognises the devastating impact economic abuse can have and the important role the financial services sector plays in supporting victim-survivors. This is why economic abuse is a key theme in the Government’s Financial Inclusion Strategy which sets out an ambitious programme of measures for Government and the financial services sector to improve financial inclusion. This includes supporting victim-survivors to regain financial independence through industry interventions to increase access to banking services and improving the impact of coerced debt on victim-survivors’ credit files. Wider initiatives, like UK Finance’s Financial Abuse Code, also provide guidance for firms on how they should respond when a customer is facing abuse, including training employees to recognise and respond to the potential signs and effects of financial abuse and to support victim-survivors to access financial services in their own name. The Government continues to work closely with firms and charities, such as Surviving Economic Abuse, on the delivery of these interventions and the response to economic abuse.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what engagement she has had with her European counterparts in relation to the election of the next Secretary-General of the United Nations.

The UK's priority is to select the candidate best equipped to lead the UN in tackling our shared global challenges. We will continue to engage with our international partners throughout the selection process.