Every parliamentary written question tabled by Adam Jogee this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.
Showing 141–160 of 926 · this parliament
What assessment she has made of the number of schools days missed due to (a) poor roads and (b) inadequate road safety measures.
The department does not hold information on the number of school days missed due to poor roads and inadequate road safety measures.
Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support grassroots football in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.
The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities. The constituency of Newcastle-under-Lyme has received a total of £1,194,497 through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme. Staffordshire has received a total of £4,508,388 through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme. We are now working closely with the sport sector stakeholders, including the Football Foundation, and local leaders to develop plans for funding for a range of sports across the country based on what each community needs. We will keep stakeholders and the wider sport sector updated as this work progresses, and we will announce plans once they have been fully developed.
Communities and Local Government, what recent steps he has taken to protect the Green Belt in Staffordshire.
The government is committed to preserving Green Belts, which have served England’s towns and cities well over many decades. We have not changed the five purposes of the Green Belt set out in paragraph 143 of the National Planning Policy Framework. The Framework still contains strong protections for the Green Belt, making it clear that inappropriate development should not be approved unless justified by very special circumstances.
Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to (a) celebrate the heritage of and (b) support the arts and cultural sector in (i) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (ii) Staffordshire.
This government recognises the importance of celebrating heritage and the arts all across the country, including the significant heritage of Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire. Funding is administered through the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) Arms-Length Bodies.Since 1994, the National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded more than £101m to 771 projects in Staffordshire. Of this, more than £5.9m has been awarded to 92 projects in Newcastle-under-Lyme. This includes £99,900 awarded in September 2024 to support Brampton Museum to become more financially and environmentally sustainable, ensuring that Newcastle’s unique heritage will remain accessible, valued and in good condition for future generations.Similarly, Historic England has provided funding and advice in Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire, including a grant of £39,946 for project development works to Tamworth Castle in 2025. This enabled the council to apply for a grant from DCMS’ Museum Estate and Development Fund. Historic England provided a project development grant of £1.7million.Arts Council England invests in Staffordshire with regular funding through its National Portfolio Organisations (NPO) and Creative People and Places (CPP) programmes, as well as with one-off funding through programmes such as the Creative Foundations Fund (CFF) and National Lottery Project Grants (NLPG), an open access programme for arts, libraries and museums projects. Across Staffordshire, eight NPOs receive £2.3 million per year, with two CPPs receiving more than £839,000 per year to support creativity in communities across Stoke-on-Trent and the Staffordshire Moorlands.In Newcastle-under-Lyme specifically, ACE supports the New Vic theatre and Partners in Creative Learning (PiCL) as part of their National Portfolio, and Appetite as part of the Creative People and Places programme. Earlier this year, the New Vic received £295,308 through our new Creative Foundations Fund to update essential control wiring throughout the auditorium and backstage areas. Since 2023, ACE has offered funding through nine NLPGs in the area, totalling more than £218,000.
What steps he has taken to support fish and chip shops with the cost of food in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.
Fish and chip shops, like many hospitality businesses, continue to face significant cost pressures, driven by global uncertainty, volatile energy markets, supply chain disruption and wider inflation, which have contributed to higher food input prices. The Government recognises the impact this has on businesses and communities, including in Newcastle under Lyme and across Staffordshire and is taking action to help businesses manage these costs. This includes permanently lower business rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties and increasing the employment allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. We continue to engage with industry through the Hospitality Sector Council to strengthen resilience and productivity across the sector.
Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking with Cabinet colleagues to support colleges and further education institutions applying for planning permission to expand their sites.
There is an existing Permitted Development Right – Part 7 of Class M of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 – which allows colleges and universities to erect new buildings, extensions and make alterations without the submission of a planning application. The right is subject to limits and conditions to control local impacts. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) makes clear that local planning authorities should take a proactive, positive, and collaborative approach to ensuring that a sufficient choice of post-16 places are available to meet the needs of existing and new communities. Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, the government consulted a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The consultation on the revised Framework, which can be found on gov.uk here, included proposals relating to education facilities. We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.
What support she is providing to colleges that are (a) oversubscribed and (b) want to expand.
The increasing 16 to 19 population means extra capacity is needed in some areas. The Post-16 capacity fund has already provided £282 million between 2021 and 2025 for additional capacity and we are investing a further £375 million by 2029/30 to accommodate additional learners. This investment will add capacity, including new classrooms, science laboratories and workshops, so all young people gain the skills they need to progress and get a good job.There is also an additional £195 million capital investment by 2029/30 to expand construction course provision in further education providers, helping to deliver our commitment to get Britain building.Of the total funding, £283 million is being devolved to strategic authorities as they are best placed to know the geography and nature of sustained demand. The remaining £287 million will be awarded to expand training places at sites in non-devolved areas through a national competitive bidding round, which closes on 17 April 2026.
What assessment she has made of the adequacy of the powers available to Staffordshire Police to seize dangerous dogs.
The police have appropriate powers to seize dangerous dogs, including under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and the general seizure power in section 19 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. The exercise of these powers is an operational decision for the police, who must take account of the circumstances of each case. We keep police powers under regular review to ensure the police have the necessary tools to respond quickly and effectively to tackle crime and protect the public.
Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support the museum sector in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.
In January, the DCMS Secretary of State announced a historic £1.5 billion funding package for culture over this parliament, £160 million of which is earmarked for local museums around the country. This includes further rounds of the Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND), which has funded essential infrastructure projects around the country, including a £1.7m grant for Tamworth council announced last year. We have also delivered a new £20 million Museum Renewal Fund, supporting 75 museum organisations in 2025 to maintain public access and programming. This included awards for Ford Green Hall and Tamworth Borough Council in Staffordshire. Guidance on our new Museum Transformation Fund and the next round of MEND funding, both delivered by Arts Council England (ACE), will be published in May.This investment doubles the £44 million that Arts Council England (ACE) invests annually in museums through their core funding programmes, including core funding for over 200 National Portfolio museum sites. In total, ACE has awarded just over £10 million in government and lottery funding to Staffordshire since 2021, through the National Portfolio and other grants, with the number of National Portfolio Organisations funded in Staffordshire quadrupling since 2023. As a designated Priority Place, Stoke-on-Trent is an area of particular focus for ACE for continued development and investment to boost local cultural opportunities in Staffordshire.
How many police front desks were open 24 hour in Staffordshire in each year between 2019 and 2024; and their locations.
The Home Office does not collect information on police front desks.
What steps she is ensuring that the (a) Strategic Road Network and (b) local road network in (i) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (ii) Staffordshire is (A) free of potholes and (B) safe for road users.
The Government’s recently published third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3) invests £27 billion in the management and improvement of England’s Strategic Road Network to make journeys safer, smoother and more reliable for the people and businesses that depend on these roads, including road users in Staffordshire. Continuing to improve road safety is a priority and RIS3 sets National Highways a challenging road safety target. National Highways aims to repair the most serious potholes and other defects within 24 hours, and RIS3 sets National Highways a target to ensure that over 95% of the road surfaces it is responsible for remain in good condition. This Government is committed to tackling the poor state of our local roads. That is why we have confirmed a record investment of £7.3 billion for local highways maintenance for the next four years. Newcastle-Under-Lyme sits within Staffordshire, which is eligible to receive £201.9 million of this funding. In addition, in January 2026, the Department released a new rating system for local highway authorities. Under this system, all local highway authorities in England received a red, amber or green rating based on the condition of their roads, how much they spend to maintain their roads, and whether they do so using best practice. These ratings are designed to promote good asset management and encourage a preventative approach to highways maintenance so that potholes do not form in the first place. Staffordshire was rated amber under this new system, with individual scorecards showing amber for road condition, green for spend, and amber for the adoption of best practice.
What steps he is taking to reduce the number of people living in relative poverty in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme, b) Staffordshire and c) England.
We are committed to tackling poverty and we know that good work can significantly reduce the chances of people falling into poverty. The Get Britain Working White Paper set out plans to reform employment, health and skills support to tackle rising economic inactivity levels, support people into good work, and create an inclusive labour market based on the unique needs of local communities, in which everybody can participate and progress in work. Through our plan to Make Work Pay, we will, improve job security and boost living standards. From April, the National Living Wage increased by 6.7 per cent to £12.21 an hour, boosting the pay of 2.4 million workers. This represents an increase of £900 to the gross annual earnings of a full-time worker on the National Living Wage. Universal Credit has a critical role to play in tackling poverty and making work pay and we have already taken steps to help those in need. The Universal Credit Act 2025, which came into force on 6 April 2026, delivered the first sustained, above inflation rise in the basic rate of Universal Credit since it was introduced. And the introduction of the Fair Repayment Rate in Universal Credit, from April 2025, means that around 1.2 million of the poorest households will retain more of their award, on average £420 a year. The Child Poverty Strategy has looked at how the government can boost families' incomes through employment and the social security system, drive down the cost of essentials so parents can meet their children’s fundamental needs, and strengthen local support to ensure families can access vital services when they need them. The removal of the two child limit will lift 450,000 children out of poverty, rising to around 550,000 alongside other measures set out in our Strategy, such as the expansion of free school meals. These interventions will lead to the largest expected reduction in child poverty over a Parliament since comparable records began. We have also introduced the new Crisis and Resilience Fund with £842 million per annum (£1 billion including Barnett consequential) to reform crisis support in England from 1 April 2026. This longer-term funding approach aims to enable local authorities to provide preventative support to communities as well as assisting people when faced with a financial crisis. We have allocated £28.2 million to Staffordshire over three years, (£9.3 million in 2026/27, £9.3 million in 2027/28 and £9.5 million in 2028/29) alongside £451,295 in 2026/27 to support heating oil households, with funding covering both the County and District Councils.
What recent steps she has taken to support the ceramics industry in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.
The government engages closely with the ceramics sector. As set out in the Industrial Strategy, we are increasing support for our most energy-intensive industries eligible for the British Industry Supercharger package, including some of those in the ceramics sector, with an uplift of the Network Charging Compensation scheme from 60% to 90%. This will provide additional price relief from April 2026 to eligible businesses.
What steps is his department taking to ensure that people with Huntington’s disease in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire have a named healthcare professional who coordinates their care.
The Government is committed to improving the lives of those living with rare diseases, such as Huntington’s Disease, including in Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire. Better coordination of care is a priority under the UK Rare Diseases Framework.On 26 February, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence published an evidence-based new quality standard for rare diseases, which includes a named healthcare professional to coordinate care. It sets out priority areas for quality improvement and NHS England and my Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, are required to have regard to quality standards as they discharge their quality improvement duties. Local National Health Service commissioners are expected to take them fully into account in the design of services that meet the needs of their local populations.The revised NHS England Specialised Neurology Services (adults) specification 2025 also outlines expectations of a system-wide approach, incorporating end-to-end pathways within an integrated neurology system, supporting more equitable and efficient care for people with long-term neurological diseases, including Huntington’s disease.Dedicated care co-ordinators for Huntington’s disease are not centrally commissioned. Integrated care boards are responsible for working with their local communities to understand the needs of the local populations and to make decisions about how best to commission services, including for those with Huntington’s disease.
What steps his department is taking to ensure neighbourhood health centres meet the needs of people with Huntington's disease.
The Neighbourhood Health Service will ensure that people can better access care that is joined up, personalised, and designed to proactively meet their needs. It will improve access by making it easier to speak to a general practitioner (GP), providing more care closer to where people live, including in neighbourhood health centres, and will move us towards a fully digitally enabled health service.Integrated neighbourhood teams will support people with conditions like Huntington’s disease that require specialist care by considering their needs holistically, with reference to health, care, and wider needs.In the Autumn budget, the Government announced its commitment to deliver 250 neighbourhood health centres, with 120 delivered by 2030, through a mix of public private partnership and public capital. On 26 March 2026, we announced Wave 1 of the neighbourhood health centre schemes, with 27 sites across England selected to bring care closer to home 12 hours a day, six days a week, backed by £50 million.Neighbourhood health centres will be the place to go for most health needs in every community. These centres bring together GPs, with a mix of community, local authority, and voluntary sector services. Integrated care boards and local authorities will determine the particular mix of services shaped by local population needs. These will be designed to reflect the priorities and requirements of each community, including the needs of people with Huntington’s disease where appropriate. In March 2026, we published the Neighbourhood Health Framework to support this service planning, and we are shortly due to publish additional guidance on neighbourhood health centres.
What assessment he has made of the potential impact of his department’s requirement for opportunity cost neutrality in NICE’s severity modifier on investment in treatments for more severe conditions.
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer I gave to the Hon. Member for East Grinstead and Uckfield on 13 January 2026 to Question 103809.
Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking with cabinet colleagues to improve the a) safety and b) provision of playgrounds for young people in Newcastle-under-Lyme.
Local authorities work locally to support adults and children to lead more active lives through access to nature, parks, and play spaces. We are investing in local government. The Spending Review 2025 provides over £5 billion of new grant funding over the next three years for local services that communities rely on. This includes £3.4 billion of new grant funding which will be delivered through the Settlement for 2026-27 to 2028-29.Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework. That consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here, included proposals relating to the provision of play space. The government has recently published a draft update to national design guidance, which emphasises that development proposals should maximise the potential for play in the layout, form and appearance of development. In terms of safety, owners and operators of playgrounds are required to comply with existing legal requirements as applicable.Government also owns the Green Flag Award scheme, which helps to increase access to quality green spaces and parks; sets the standard for those spaces to meet the needs of the communities they serve and has helped to transform thousands of spaces across the country. This includes many parks across Newcastle-under-Lyme, such as Bathpool Park, Brampton Park and Lyme Valley Park.
What recent steps he has taken to improve bilateral defence cooperation between the UK and Ireland.
On 13 March 2026 the Secretary of State for Defence, and the Irish Minister for Defence, announced the signing of the refreshed UK-Ireland Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The updated MOU focuses on maritime cooperation, cyber defence, air domain information sharing, and increased joint procurement. This modernised MOU will improve bilateral defence cooperation between the UK and Ireland, providing a stronger, more agile foundation for cooperation, while respecting the distinct defence and security policies of both countries.
If his Department will publish the analysis of responses to the 2018 consultation on the Nutrient Profiling Model before any decision to adopt that model; and if he will make a statement.
The Government published responses to the 2018 consultation on 27 January 2026 alongside the Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM) 2018 Review and Consultation Outcome and the associated NPM technical guidance.The Government launched the consultation on applying the new NPM to the advertising and promotions restrictions on 25 March 2026.
Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the additional jobs that will be required in the reuse and repair sectors as the UK moves to a more circular economy.
This Government is committed to transitioning towards a circular economy where resources are kept in use for longer and waste is designed out. This systemic change, with investment in green jobs and vital infrastructure, builds a path to economic growth, progress towards Net Zero, restoration of nature, and a more resilient economy. We intend to publish a Circular Economy Growth Plan that sets out how the Government will deliver a more circular and more prosperous economy. The Plan will set out the biggest opportunities to support growth in sectors right across the economy, including: agri-food; built environment; chemicals and plastics; electrical and electronic equipment; textiles; and transport. It will consider critical enablers including skills and infrastructure. Defra recognises that fostering green skills, including those needed for repair and reuse, is a fundamental tenet of any circular economy, and a successful transition aims to deliver on strengthening our current green workforce as well as developing the new green skills we will need for the future. We will consider the evidence for appropriate action right across the economy as we develop the Plan.