Written questions by Jogee.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to oppose the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank.

I refer the Hon Member to the answers given on this issue by the Foreign Secretary and myself at the most recent sessions of Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office oral questions on 3 March and 21 April, and to the joint statement issued by the Foreign Secretary and fourteen of her overseas counterparts on 24 December 2025: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/statement-on-israeli-settlement-expansion-in-the-west-bank.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps her Department has taken, alongside her SADC counterparts, to help secure supply chains of critical minerals.

The UK works closely with allies to strengthen critical minerals cooperation bilaterally and through fora such as the G7, G20 and related taskforces. This includes strong, mutually beneficial critical minerals partnerships across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) focused on improving resilience, supporting diversified supply chains and promoting the global transition to clean energy. The UK also supports the World Bank's global Resident and Inclusive Supply-Chain Enhancement partnership, providing knowledge, technical assistance and finance facilitation across the SADC region. We are also the largest contributor to the African Development Bank.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking, alongside her European counterparts, to help strengthen the NATO alliance.

I refer the Hon Member to the answer given on 21 April in response to Question 908775.

Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Arab counterparts about the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank.

I refer the Hon Member to the answers given on this issue by the Foreign Secretary and myself at the most recent sessions of Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office oral questions on 3 March and 21 April, and to the joint statement issued by the Foreign Secretary and fourteen of her overseas counterparts on 24 December 2025: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/statement-on-israeli-settlement-expansion-in-the-west-bank.

What assessment he has made of when young people in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire will be able to benefit from the Youth Guarantee scheme.

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave on 24 March 2026 to Question UIN 114579 which provides details of the Government’s recent announcements on the Youth Guarantee. As part of the Youth Guarantee, the Government is expanding support for young people looking for work on Universal Credit. This includes tailored employment support and a structured path into a job, apprenticeship, work experience, a Sector‑based Work Academy Programme, learning or training from their first appointment in the Jobcentre. Rollout of this support began this month on a phased basis and will be in place in all Jobcentres across Great Britain by the end of the year. Young people in Newcastle‑under‑Lyme and across Staffordshire will benefit through this national rollout. Youth Guarantee also includes the Jobs Guarantee. This will provide every eligible 18–24-year-old who has been claiming Universal Credit and looking for work for 18 months a guaranteed, fully subsidised six-month paid job, alongside a wraparound employability and in-work support to help them move into sustained employment. National roll out of the Jobs Guarantee will begin across Great Britain later in 2026, providing a total of 90,000 jobs over the next three years. We are also introducing a new hiring grant of £2,000 for non-levy paying employers, typically SMEs, that take on 16–24-year-old apprentices as new employees. It will apply to apprenticeship starts from October, as long as they have joined their employer within the past 3 months i.e. from July 2026. Delivery of the Youth Guarantee is a partnership between central government, Jobcentres, employers, and local partners. Local DWP teams are responsible for delivery in their areas, working closely with employers and stakeholders. As a Member of Parliament, the Honourable Member can support young people locally by encouraging employers in Newcastle‑under‑Lyme and Staffordshire to engage with the Youth Guarantee. Your most useful contact will be your local DWP team – details of local DWP Service Leaders are published online.

What steps he is taking to maintain the level of the state pension in real terms for pensioners in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Ensuring a decent State Pension for pensioners as a foundation for a secure retirement is a priority for this Government. The Government is committed to protecting the value of the State Pension in real terms. That is why, for the duration of this Parliament, we have committed to maintaining the Triple Lock, which increases the basic and new State Pension each year by the highest of earnings growth, price inflation or 2.5 per cent. This ensures that pensioners’ incomes keep pace with the cost of living and benefit from rising wages. In addition, Pension Credit is uprated in line with earnings, providing extra protection for pensioners on the lowest incomes. This year, the State Pension increased by 4.8%, boosting incomes for over 12 million pensioners.

Food and Rural Affairs, what recent engagement her Department has had with SADC Heads of Mission to the United Kingdom about Trophy Hunting.

The Department’s most recent engagement with a number of SADC State representatives on trophy hunting was a meeting held by Baroness Hayman in May 2025 to discuss the Government’s commitment to banning the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern.

Media and Sport, if she will take steps to encourage a) women and b) young people to play golf.

The Government is committed to ensuring that as many women and young people as possible have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities, including golf.We provide the majority of support for grassroots sport through our Arm’s Length Body, Sport England, which annually invests over £250 million in Exchequer and Lottery funding. They provide long term investment of £10.2 million to England Golf between 2022-2029 to support grassroots participation, including for both women and young people.England Golf run a campaign called Girls Golf Rock, which has enabled 5000 girls aged 7-14 to play golf over the last five years.I was delighted to attend The Open Championships at Royal Portrush last year where the R&A hosted a number of programmes aimed at getting young people to play golf including free tickets for children under 16, the R&A swingzone with free lessons and their “Road to the Opens” programme.

Communities and Local Government, whether he can provide an update on the a) effectiveness and b) adequacy of Department's 'brownfield' first approach to development.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) makes clear that substantial weight should be given to the value of using suitable brownfield land within settlements, including the development of under-utilised land and buildings to meet the need for homes and other uses. Through the revisions we made to the NPPF on 12 December 2024, we broadened the definition of brownfield land, set a strengthened expectation that applications on brownfield land will be approved, and made clear that plans should promote an uplift in density in urban areas. The definition in question can be found in the NPPF glossary on gov.uk here. Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted on a new NPPF. The consultation on the revised Framework, which can be found on gov.uk here, included a range of proposals to further strengthen support for brownfield development. We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course. We have also announced £5 billion of land and infrastructure capital grant funding. This funding, to be administered by a new, single National Housing Delivery Fund that will complement investment from our National Housing Bank, can be used to address viability gaps on brownfield sites. It nevertheless remains the case that there are simply not enough sites on brownfield land registers to deliver the volume of homes that the country needs each year and Green Belt land will consequently need to be released for development where individual local planning authorities determine that exceptional circumstances exist and have first demonstrated that they have examined fully all other reasonable options for meeting identified need for development – including making as much use as possible of suitable brownfield sites and underutilised land, optimising the density of development, and working with neighbouring authorities to assess whether identified need might be sensibly accommodated.

What steps he will take to allow Members to vote by proxy if a family member is dying or has died.

The Government is always seeking to ensure that the balance is right and that we retain a robust voting system. Any changes to the voting system must be given careful consideration and should only ever be taken forwards when there is a clear consensus for change across the House.The Procedure Committee has committed to conducting a further review of the proxy voting scheme later in the Parliament, and I would encourage the Hon. Member to engage with the Committee when it undertakes that work. Should the Committee consider the further extension of the proxy voting scheme as part of that review, the Government would give careful consideration to any recommendations from the Committee on this matter.

What discussions she has had with a) the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and b) members of the Northern Ireland Executive on the potential impact of jet fuel shortages on travel between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The Government is monitoring the impact of the conflict in the Middle East on fuel supplies, including jet fuel. In coordination with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero we have worked with fuel suppliers, airlines and airports to understand levels of jet fuel and pricing. Officials are engaging regularly with their counterparts in the Northern Ireland Executive and keeping Ministers briefed as necessary.

What discussions she has had with her European counterparts on the potential impact of jet fuel shortages on travel between the United Kingdom and mainland Europe.

The Government is monitoring the impact of the conflict in the Middle East on fuel supplies, including jet fuel. In coordination with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero we have worked with fuel suppliers, airlines and airports to understand levels of jet fuel and pricing.Officials are engaging with international counterparts to monitor the situation and plan accordingly and are keeping Ministers briefed as necessary.

What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the a) deterrents and b) sentences issued to repeat offenders.

Prolific offenders represent nearly 10% of offenders but account for just over 50% of all sentences. That clearly cannot continue. Their offending, while not high harm, hurts local communities through shoplifting and anti-social behaviour.Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for the courts and parliament has provided the courts with a broad range of sentencing powers to deal effectively and appropriately with offenders. When deciding what sentence to impose, courts must consider the circumstances of the case, including the culpability of the offender, the harm they caused or intended to cause, and any aggravating and mitigating factors. The courts also have a statutory duty to follow any relevant sentencing guidelines, developed by the Sentencing Council for England and Wales.Previous convictions are a statutory aggravating factor, with sentencing guidelines being clear that sentencers must consider the nature and relevance of previous convictions, and the time elapsed since the previous convictions. For more serious prolific offending, we are clear that custody has a crucial role to play as a robust backstop, within the maximum penalties set out in statute.The Sentencing Act 2026 introduced a presumption to suspend short sentences of 12 months or less. Around 60% of adults sentenced for under a year reoffend within 12 months, whereas the evidence shows that those given a community order or suspended sentence reoffend less than similar offenders given a short prison sentence. We are following the evidence to reduce crime, leading to fewer victims and safer communities. Short prison sentences will continue to be available where an offender has breached a court order, including breaching the requirements of a previous suspended sentence order or committing a further offence, as well as where an individual is at significant risk of harm and in exceptional circumstances.There are a range of tools in the community available to tackle prolific offenders. Integrated Offender Management (IOM) sees joint management of the most persistent and problematic neighbourhood crime offenders by probation, police, and other partnership agencies providing cross-agency supervision and support. Our new approach on Intensive Supervision Courts will impose tough measures that address the causes of prolific offending.We are investing up to £700 million in probation and community services by 2028/29 to help rebuild the Probation Service to deliver a strong, professional service at the heart of the criminal justice system. We will continue to work with cross government partners and police forces to consider new ways of targeting and focusing on persistent and prolific offenders.

Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of recent changes in the cost of fertiliser on farmers in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

The fertiliser market is a global market, and while there is no immediate risk to UK supply, the market price in the UK is strongly influenced by international prices for fertiliser and by the value of the pound. The current situation and impacts on farmers in particular, and industry more widely, of current rising fertiliser prices are being monitored closely. Defra has asked the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board to increase the frequency of its fertiliser price reporting and this data is now being published on a weekly basis. This will give farmers more timely and transparent information to support their decision-making. Defra has also issued a fertiliser survey aimed at farmers and land managers to help build better understanding of direct impacts. Defra will continue to engage with industry and farmers to understand any potential pressures and options to mitigate any risks.

Innovation and Technology, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Ofcom's powers.

The adequacy of Ofcom’s powers is kept under review. For example, the Mobile Market Review call for evidence launched in February 2026 will enable the government to ensure that our policy and regulatory framework supports the sector. And, for example, Ofcom has strong and extensive powers under the Online Safety Act, including the ability to request information, investigate non‑compliance and fine companies up to 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue. Recently, the Government strengthened Ofcom’s role under the Online Safety Act by making intimate image abuse and cyberflashing priority offences, placing clear duties on platforms to prevent this content and reinforcing Ofcom’s oversight of compliance.

How many honours were awarded to people (a) living and (b) working in Buckinghamshire in each of the last five years; and what the level of each award was.

Transparency data is published alongside each New Year Honours List and King’s Birthday Honours List, giving an individual breakdown of recipients' names, level of award, their short citation and the city and country in which their correspondence address was located. Transparency data for each Honours List in each of the past five years can be found on gov.uk using the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/honours-reform-and-operation#honours-lists The Cabinet Office does not collect home or work addresses for honours recipients; the information published reflects the correspondence address provided by recipients. This data relates only to the main Prime Minister’s List and does not include data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List, which are not administered by the Cabinet Office. Honours are awarded on merit basis. A key aim of the honours system is to ensure that it is more representative of the country as a whole and we will continue to encourage more nominations from every corner of the UK in future honours lists.

How many honours were awarded to people (a) living and (b) working in Derbyshire in each of the last five years; and what the level of each award was.

Transparency data is published alongside each New Year Honours List and King’s Birthday Honours List, giving an individual breakdown of recipients' names, level of award, their short citation and the city and country in which their correspondence address was located. Transparency data for each Honours List in each of the past five years can be found on gov.uk using the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/honours-reform-and-operation#honours-lists The Cabinet Office does not collect home or work addresses for honours recipients; the information published reflects the correspondence address provided by recipients. This data relates only to the main Prime Minister’s List and does not include data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List, which are not administered by the Cabinet Office. Honours are awarded on merit basis. A key aim of the honours system is to ensure that it is more representative of the country as a whole and we will continue to encourage more nominations from every corner of the UK in future honours lists.

How many honours were awarded to people (a) living and (b) working in Newcastle-under-Lyme in each year between 2019 and 2024.

Transparency data is published alongside each New Year Honours List and King’s Birthday Honours List, giving an individual breakdown of recipients' names, level of award, their short citation and the city and country in which their correspondence address was located. Transparency data for each Honours List in each of the past five years can be found on gov.uk using the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/honours-reform-and-operation#honours-lists The Cabinet Office does not collect home or work addresses for honours recipients; the information published reflects the correspondence address provided by recipients. This data relates only to the main Prime Minister’s List and does not include data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List, which are not administered by the Cabinet Office. Honours are awarded on merit basis. A key aim of the honours system is to ensure that it is more representative of the country as a whole and we will continue to encourage more nominations from every corner of the UK in future honours lists.

How many honours were awarded to people (a) living and (b) working in Essex in each of the last five years; and what the level of each award was.

Transparency data is published alongside each New Year Honours List and King’s Birthday Honours List, giving an individual breakdown of recipients' names, level of award, their short citation and the city and country in which their correspondence address was located. Transparency data for each Honours List in each of the past five years can be found on gov.uk using the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/honours-reform-and-operation#honours-lists The Cabinet Office does not collect home or work addresses for honours recipients; the information published reflects the correspondence address provided by recipients. This data relates only to the main Prime Minister’s List and does not include data from the Defence List or the Overseas and International List, which are not administered by the Cabinet Office. Honours are awarded on merit basis. A key aim of the honours system is to ensure that it is more representative of the country as a whole and we will continue to encourage more nominations from every corner of the UK in future honours lists.

What assessment his Department has made of the effect of Pramipexole on people living with Parkinson's.

Pramipexole is one of a range of medicines that help manage the symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for ensuring that medicines and healthcare products meet appropriate standards of safety, quality, and effectiveness, and are supported by detailed product information, via the Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) and the Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC). Both the PIL and the SmPC are designed to support safe use of the medicine by providing essential information for patients, and more detailed prescribing guidance for healthcare professionals via the SmPC. Any changes to these documents must be reviewed and approved by the MHRA.The MHRA continuously reviews the safety information for all licensed medicines, including pramipexole, to ensure that warnings and side-effects listed in the product information accurately reflect the available data. No effective medicine is completely free of risk and regulatory decisions on risks and benefits of a medicine are based on data from a number of different sources including the Yellow Card Scheme, scientific literature, pharmaceutical companies, and worldwide regulatory authorities, with regulatory action taken promptly as and when necessary.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is responsible for producing useful and usable guidance for the National Health Service and wider health and care system. The NICE guideline NG71 covers diagnosing and managing Parkinson's disease in people aged 18 years old and over. It aims to improve care from the time of diagnosis, including monitoring and managing symptoms, providing information and support, and palliative care. This guidance is available at the following link:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng71/chapter/Recommendations