Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will meet with the hon. Member for Newcastle-under Lyme to discuss (a) the potential merits of releasing the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme (BCSSS) investment reserve and (b) support for BCSSS Members in (i) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency, (ii) Staffordshire and (iii) the United Kingdom.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

This matter is currently under consideration. I am happy to update my honourable friend.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he plans to meet the new Chair of the African Union.

Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary sent congratulations to Mahmoud Ali Youssouf following his election as Chairman of the African Union Commission on 15 February. The Deputy Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP, was visiting Addis Ababa on 17 February and congratulated Youssouf in person. Chairperson-elect Youssouf will take-up office on 15 March, and we hope there will be an opportunity for the Foreign Secretary to meet with him soon after.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether new police recruits will be trained on the impact of (a) waste crime and (b) retail crime on victims in (i) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency, (ii) Staffordshire and (iii) England and Wales.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

This Government is committed to ensuring there are consistent, high standards for training in the police. This will help to maintain public confidence and ensure the workforce is equipped to respond to the crime challenges they face every day.

The College of Policing sets and maintains standards for training and professional development, including initial police education. This includes setting the national policing curriculum for initial training.

The Government has provided funding for the national rollout of the Neighbourhood Policing Pathway. This training will provide all neighbourhood officers and PCSOs with specialist training and will include modules on community engagement, problem-solving and tackling anti-social behaviour.

Under the previous government, shop theft soared to record highs and it continues to increase at an unacceptable level, with more and more offenders using violence and abuse against shopworkers.

As set out in the Autumn Budget 2024, we will provide £100,000 of additional funding next financial year for the National Police Chiefs' Council to give further training to police and retailers on retail crime prevention tactics. This will build on funding this financial year to the Police Crime Prevention Initiatives, for development of training for both police and retailers to help combat retail crime and promote partnership working.

Through our Crime and Policing Bill, introduced on 25 February, this Government has brought forward a new offence of assaulting a retail worker, to protect hardworking and dedicated shop workers, including small and independent retailers. The offence carries a maximum penalty of six months imprisonment and/or unlimited fine, as well as a presumption on the courts to impose a Criminal Behaviour Order. This will prohibit the offender from doing anything described in the order, which might include a condition preventing specific acts which cause harassment, alarm or distress, or preventing an offender from visiting specific premises.

Also included as part of the Bill is the removing of the legislation which makes shop theft of and below £200 a summary-only offence, sending a clear message that any level of shop theft is illegal and will be taken seriously.

The Government is committed to tackling waste crime, which blights communities, damages the environment and undermines legitimate businesses. Waste crime and poor performing waste sites undermine legitimate businesses, deprive the public purse of tax income, harm the environment and communities and in the worst cases directly threaten our health.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to tackle drug related crime in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

To deliver on our pledge to halve knife crime in the next decade, it is crucial that we tackle the gangs that lure children and young people into crime and run county lines through violence and exploitation.

County Lines are the most violent model of drug supply and a harmful form of child criminal exploitation. Through the County Lines Programme, we will continue to target exploitative drug dealing gangs and break the organised crime groups behind the trade.

Since July 2024, policing activity delivered through the County Lines Programme has resulted in over 400 deal lines being closed, the arrest and charge of over 200 deal line holders, 500 arrests and 800 safeguarding referrals of children and vulnerable people.

As part of the Programme, the National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC) regularly coordinates weeks of intensive action against county lines gangs, which all police forces take part in. The most recent of these took place 25 November to 1 December 2024 and resulted in 261 lines closed, as well as 1,660 arrests, 1,434 individuals safeguarded and 557 weapons seized.

As committed to in the Government’s manifesto, we are also introducing a new offence of child criminal exploitation in the Crime and Policing Bill to go after the gangs who are luring children into violent crime. A new criminal offence is necessary to increase convictions against exploiters, deter gangs from enlisting children, and improve identification of victims. Alongside a new offence, we are creating a new regime for CCE prevention orders to prevent exploitative conduct committed by adults against children from occurring or re-occurring.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the (a) effectiveness and (b) performance of the Rural Payments Agency.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Secretary of State meets arm’s length body CEOs and Chairs bi-annually to discuss delivery and performance. The Minister for Farming has set out a programme of quarterly performance meetings with the Rural Payments Agency (RPA).

As the principal sponsor of the RPA, Defra works closely with RPA officials at every level to provide constructive challenge and support on RPA performance, efficacy and delivery. Defra ministers as well as the wider political team meet with the RPA leadership to discuss the RPA ’s performance and delivery of departmental priorities.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the (a) performance and (b) effectiveness of the Rural Payments Agency.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Secretary of State meets arm’s length body CEOs and Chairs bi-annually to discuss delivery and performance. The Minister for Farming has set out a programme of quarterly performance meetings with the Rural Payments Agency (RPA).

As the principal sponsor of the RPA, Defra works closely with RPA officials at every level to provide constructive challenge and support on RPA performance, efficacy and delivery. Defra ministers, as well as the wider political team, meet with the RPA leadership to discuss the RPA ’s performance and delivery of departmental priorities.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the support provided by the Rural Payments Agency to farmers in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) Staffordshire.

Answered by Daniel Zeichner - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Secretary of State meets arm’s length body CEOs and Chairs bi-annually to discuss delivery and performance. The Minister for Farming has set out a programme of quarterly performance meetings with the Rural Payments Agency (RPA).

As the principal sponsor of the RPA, Defra works closely with RPA officials at every level to provide constructive challenge and support on RPA performance, efficacy and delivery. Defra ministers as well as the wider political team meet with the RPA leadership to discuss the RPA ’s performance and delivery of departmental priorities.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterparts in the Middle East on (a) the territorial integrity of the West Bank and (b) the steps that will be taken to ensure the establishment of a free, safe, independent and secure Palestine alongside a safe and secure Israel.

Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary raised this issue when he spoke with Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar on 22 January. Stability in the West Bank is crucial to ensure the fragile ceasefire in Gaza can last. All sides should work to ensure a lowering of tension in the West Bank at this time. We are of the clear view that Israel should bring an end to its presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) as rapidly as possible - but this must be done in a way that creates the conditions for negotiations towards the two-state solution. The UK will continue to work with Israel, the Palestinian Authority, the US, and regional partners to build consensus for a post-conflict Gaza governance and security framework that supports conditions for a permanent and sustainable peace. We must give the people of the West Bank and Gaza the political perspective of a credible route to a Palestinian state and a new future, and it needs to be irreversible.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding has been allocated to (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire for (i) road maintenance and (ii) pothole filling since July 2024.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Staffordshire County Council is the local highway authority for Newcastle-under-Lyme. For the 2024/25 financial year, the previous Government allocated Staffordshire County Council £28.935 million for local highway maintenance. For the 2025/26 financial year, this Government is providing Staffordshire County Council with £39.465 million, an increase of around £10.5 million, for local highway maintenance. Funding is not ring-fenced, and it is entirely a matter for Staffordshire County Council to determine how the money is best spent to improve its local highway network according to its needs and circumstances.

The Department advocates a risk-based whole life cycle asset management approach to local authority highways maintenance programmes. This considers all parts of the highway network, such as bridges, cycleways and lighting columns – not just the fixing of potholes.

Newcastle United FC's footballing achievement

Coalfields Regeneration Trust funding

Found: Q20 Chair: The next request is from Adam Jogee, for an application for a Chamber debate on St Patrick

Found: Tonia Antoniazzi (Chair); Dan Aldridge; Chris Bloore; Claire Hanna; Simon Hoare; Leigh Ingham; Adam Jogee