Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to financially support pubs in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government recognises the importance of pubs and the wider hospitality sector, including in Newcastle-under-Lyme and across Staffordshire. We continue to support these vital local businesses through a range of measures designed to ease cost pressures and strengthen communities.
The government has also introduced a support package worth £4.3 billion over the next three years to protect ratepayers seeing their bills increase because of the revaluation. We’ve introduced permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a ratable value under £500,000, worth nearly £900 million annually, benefitting over 750,000 properties. The new relief rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap so all qualifying properties will benefit.
The Chancellor announced a new National Licensing Policy Framework as part of her budget. This sets out a vision for a proportionate licensing system that supports good businesses while continuing to tackle bad operators.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support the hospitality sector in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government recognises the importance of pubs and the wider hospitality sector, including in Newcastle-under-Lyme and across Staffordshire. We continue to support these vital local businesses through a range of measures designed to ease cost pressures and strengthen communities.
The government has also introduced a support package worth £4.3 billion over the next three years to protect ratepayers seeing their bills increase because of the revaluation. We’ve introduced permanently lower tax rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a ratable value under £500,000, worth nearly £900 million annually, benefitting over 750,000 properties. The new relief rates are permanent, giving businesses certainty and stability, and there will be no cap so all qualifying properties will benefit.
The Chancellor announced a new National Licensing Policy Framework as part of her budget. This sets out a vision for a proportionate licensing system that supports good businesses while continuing to tackle bad operators.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent steps have been taken to further develop trade links between the United Kingdom and Jamaica.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
This Government is strengthening trade with Jamaica through multiple initiatives. UK Export Finance has signed a Framework for Cooperation with the Jamaican government enabling us to support a range of critical infrastructure projects with substantial UK content, including the replacement of bridges across the country. My department also recently funded the first inward mission from the Caribbean life sciences sector, which included senior Jamaican delegates, to deepen collaboration and tackle barriers to trade. We are also cooperating on digital trade, with Jamaican firms forging partnerships with UK businesses through the UK Trade Partnerships Programme.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to ensure that a) businesses, b) economic growth and c) higher education institutions in Newcastle-under-Lyme are impacted by trade deals.
Answered by Chris Bryant - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
As the Honourable Member would expect, we do not direct the effects of individual Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) towards specific organisations within specific constituencies, nor do we monitor the way they are exploited in such granular detail. However, FTAs have an important role to play in delivering economic growth in all constituencies and all sectors. Through FTAs, businesses can benefit from tariff reductions, improved market access, and enhanced protections in investment and digital trade. The Department is working hand-in-hand with UK businesses to ensure firms have the tools and knowledge they need to seize these opportunities. If the Honourable Member knows of specific businesses that need assistance in exploiting our FTAs, he should approach the department and we will be happy to assist.
Last year we concluded trade negotiations with India and the Republic of Korea. Our assessments suggest these deals will have significant benefits across the UK economy and key industrial strategy sectors.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to support investment in businesses in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) Staffordshire.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department for Business and Trade supports regional growth by working with local areas to attract private investment, helping business to grow and export, creating jobs and opportunities in Staffordshire and Newcastle-under-Lyme. As part of the recent Office for Investment expansion, we work with local areas, leveraging public finance from institutions like the National Wealth Fund and the British Business Bank, to deliver strategic investments, aligned with the 10-year Infrastructure and Industrial strategies.
Carlsberg Britvic plans to invest £4 million in Staffordshire, supporting hundreds of jobs, and the approval, of the M54-M6 link road, will further boost the local economy.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent steps his Department has taken to improve the rights of older workers in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) Staffordshire.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The government’s Plan to Make Work Pay will strengthen employment rights for people, at all stages of their working lives, boosting fairness and equality in the workplace. Measures in the Employment Right’s Bill to make it easier to access flexible working may help older workers balance their work with changes in their personal circumstances. The existing right to one week of unpaid carer’s leave from day one may help older workers manage work and care commitments. The government is currently reviewing the implementation of unpaid Carer’s Leave, including examining the potential benefits of introducing paid Carer’s Leave, while being mindful of the cost and impact on small employers.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent steps he has taken to support (a) pubs, (b) publicans and (c) the pub industry in Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency since his appointment; and what plans he has to visit a public house in Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government fully recognises the cultural and economic significance of pubs in communities, like Newcastle-under-Lyme and has taken a range of steps to support pubs and publicans.
We want planning and licensing systems to work fairly for businesses and residents and so we are creating a more balanced premises licensing system that not only safeguards communities but also supports responsible businesses. On 7 October the Government issued a Call for Evidence on Reforming the licensing system - GOV.UK (deadline: midday, 6 November 2025).
Additionally, we have cut alcohol duty on qualifying draught products, covering about 60% of pub sales saving pubs over £85m annually. We are also creating a fairer business rates system, including permanently lower rates for retail, hospitality and leisure properties under £500,000 rateable value
We continue to work closely with the sector, including through the Hospitality Sector Council, working together to address the challenges facing all hospitality businesses.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what progress his Department has made on improving parental rights for workers in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.
Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
We are strengthening rights for parents through the Employment Rights Bill, including making Paternity Leave and Unpaid Parental Leave ‘day one’ rights for qualifying employees, removing restrictions on taking Paternity Leave after Shared Parental Leave, strengthening flexible working rights, and bolstering protections for new and expectant mothers. We also launched the Parental Leave Review on 1 July which will consider how parental leave can better reflect modern work and childcare realities and support working families.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to encourage private sector investment in businesses in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.
Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Department for Business and Trade supports regional growth by working with local areas to attract private investment, helping business to grow and export, creating jobs and opportunities in Staffordshire and Newcastle-under-Lyme. As part of the recent Office for Investment expansion, we work with local areas, leveraging public finance from institutions like the National Wealth Fund and the British Business Bank, to deliver strategic investments, aligned with the 10-year Infrastructure and Industrial strategies.
Carlsberg Britvic plans to invest £4 million in Staffordshire, supporting hundreds of jobs, and the approval, of the M54-M6 link road, will further boost the local economy.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the delivery of the Industrial Strategy on people in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Industrial Strategy is a 10-year plan to back our strengths and realise Britain’s potential, targeting government investment towards eight-growth driving sectors (IS-8). There are clusters of the IS-8 sectors across the whole country, and the policy package addresses the biggest constraints to growth highlighted by businesses in these sectors.
To ensure robust and comprehensive monitoring and evaluation of the Industrial Strategy, we have chosen six economic indicators that reflect a range of desirable objectives for the IS-8 and the economy as a whole, which will be tracked at the economy-wide, sector and place level. Monitoring and evaluation of the Strategy will be overseen by the Industrial Strategy Advisory Council who will take a data-led approach.