Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of a bespoke strategy to reduce energy costs for the ceramics industry.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The government recognises high energy prices as a significant pressure on UK industry, including ceramics. The only way to bring down bills for good is by ending the UK’s dependency on volatile fossil fuel markets, through the government’s Clean Power Mission.
Around 10% of ceramics manufacturers currently qualify for the British Industry Supercharger discount on electricity network charges that will increase from 60% to 90% in 2026. From 2027, the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme will reduce electricity costs for foundational manufacturing industries, such as ceramics, by c.£35-40/MWh.
We will publish a renewed Industrial Decarbonisation Plan (IDP), setting out a refreshed, strategic approach to delivering a competitive and low-carbon future for UK industry, shaped in close collaboration with industrial stakeholders. The government also intends to consult on further policies to bring down electricity costs relative to gas for the non-domestic sector.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she has plans for a formal national memorial to the Duchess of Kent.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government does not have any plans for a formal national memorial for the late Duchess of Kent.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much funding Staffordshire County Council has received from His Majesty’s Government since 1 May 2025.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
Funding for individual local authorities is primarily distributed through the Local Government Finance Settlement. Details of the funding allocated to Staffordshire County Council through the Settlement for 2025–26, as well as its Core Spending Power, are published online and can be accessed here Core Spending Power table: final local government finance settlement 2025 to 2026 - GOV.UK.Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Republic of Ghana joining the Francophonie on the work of the Commonwealth.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Ghana's full membership of the International Organisation of La Francophonie was confirmed more than fifteen months ago, and there are no indications that it has had any impact on Ghana's status as a historic and valued partner in the Commonwealth.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent steps he has taken to support the work of the Newcastle-under-Lyme Job Centre.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
DWP ensures that all Jobcentre Plus staff receive comprehensive training and have access to up-to-date, modern systems. This includes clear diary management tools, enabling staff to support customers as effectively as possible. Where additional expertise is needed, staff can draw on a network of specialist roles such as Disability Employment Advisers and work psychologists or refer customers to local providers.
DWP continues to work closely with local partners, employers, and training providers to ensure that Jobcentre services in Newcastle-under-Lyme remain responsive to the needs of the community. This includes signposting to training, apprenticeships, and employability programmes, as well as supporting local recruitment and skills initiatives.
In addition, we are reforming Jobcentre Plus and creating a new service across Great Britain that will enable everyone to access support to find good, meaningful work, and support to help them to progress in work. The new service will be a locally tailored and embedded service, designed to meet the different needs of local labour markets, local people and local employers. It will be an active partner with key local stakeholders and providers of services and will be flexible, operating differently in different areas to reflect local systems and needs.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans the Government has to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on April 21 2026.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
It is right that as a country we reflect on Queen Elizabeth II’s legacy to mark her centenary on 21 April 2026. For more than 70 years, she was our greatest public servant, an anchor of stability in an ever-changing and often uncertain world.
The Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee was appointed by the Government and Royal Household to develop recommendations for the national commemoration of Queen Elizabeth, including a national memorial in St James’s Park, London and a UK-wide legacy programme.
The Committee will announce the final design for the national memorial alongside plans for the legacy programme on 21 April 2026, to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s birth. More information about this announcement and associated events will be shared in due course.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions he has had with the Ulster Farmers’ Union.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
My officials and I regularly meet with the Ulster Farmers’ Union (UFU) to discuss the views of the farming community in Northern Ireland, the Government’s international trade policy and movements of agrifood products within the UK internal market.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and I wrote to the UFU on 23 December setting out the Government’s changes to inheritance tax and Agricultural Property Relief. These changes will protect more farms and businesses, while maintaining the core principle that more valuable agricultural and business assets should not receive unlimited relief.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the environmental condition of Lough Neagh.
Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The blue-green algae which we have seen develop over recent years in Lough Neagh is very worrying and has had a serious impact on the environmental health of the Lough.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State recently met with Northern Ireland’s Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir MLA, and discussed the environmental impact on Lough Neagh, the Lough Neagh Action Plan and where the UK Government can support the Department in tackling the pollution in Lough Neagh.
Whilst the protection and conservation of the Lough is a devolved matter, this Government recognises the vital importance of Lough Neagh and will continue to engage with the Executive on this issue.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to help ensure that the planning process protects access to green spaces for residents in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) makes clear that strategic policies set out in the development plan should make sufficient provision for green infrastructure.
In addition, the designation of land as Local Green Space through local and neighbourhood plans allows communities to identify and protect green areas of particular importance to them.
National planning policy also sets out strong protections for existing open space, outlining that it should not be built on unless an assessment has been undertaken which has clearly shown the open space to be surplus to requirements, or that any loss resulting from the proposed development would be replaced by equivalent or better provision in terms of quantity and quality in a suitable location, or that the development is for alternative sports and recreational provision, the benefits of which clearly outweigh the loss of the current or former use.
The government is currently consulting on changes to the NPPF, including policies relating to green infrastructure and open space. The consultation can be found on gov.uk here and will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her European counterparts following the fire in Crans-Montana.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Following the tragic deaths and injuries in Crans-Montana the Foreign Secretary and I contacted our Swiss counterparts to express the UK's condolences and offer assistance, as did the Prime Minister with his counterpart.