Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions her Department has had with Cabinet colleagues on UK representation at the 23rd meeting of the UN Tourism Committee on Tourism and Sustainability in April 2026.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

While the UK is not a member of UN Tourism, we maintain close and constructive working relationships with UN Tourism officials to ensure that UN resolutions relating to tourism appropriately reflect UK interests. DCMS officials work closely with colleagues across Government to align the UK’s tourism and sustainability priorities with wider international discussions and emerging best practice.

DCMS regularly engages in global tourism fora, including Ministerial participation in the UN Tourism Ministerial Summit and EU Sustainability Roundtable at the World Travel Market last year, as well as bilateral engagements with international counterparts, including discussions with the Spanish Minister for Tourism during a recent visit to Spain.

The Government remains committed to supporting sustainable tourism growth through a combination of domestic policy, bilateral engagement and multilateral cooperation, including active participation in relevant international fora where the UK is represented.

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 creation of well-paid jobs in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave to Written PQ 107250 on 28^th January 2026.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent engagement his Department has had with Action Bladder Cancer UK.

Answered by Ashley Dalton - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

As part of the Department’s engagement to inform the development of the forthcoming National Cancer Plan, officials from the Department’s cancer team have worked closely with patient organisations, clinicians, cancer partners and have considered over 11,000 responses to the call for evidence. These included submissions from organisations, such as Fight Bladder Cancer and Cancer52, of which Action Bladder Cancer UK is a member of, as well as from individuals.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the voluntary sector in Northern Ireland.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

I meet frequently with Northern Ireland Executive Ministers on a range of issues. Most recently, my officials and I have been working in partnership with the Northern Ireland Executive to design and deliver the Local Growth Fund in Northern Ireland. Additionally, at the East-West Council in Belfast earlier this month, we discussed how the Connect Fund is supporting the work of voluntary organisations in sectors directly affecting Northern Ireland communities and encouraging civic East-West collaboration across the UK. I acknowledge the excellent work of voluntary organisations and the important services that they provide for communities in Northern Ireland. I am committed to working with the Northern Ireland Executive to support the voluntary sector in Northern Ireland now and in the future.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the voluntary sector in Northern Ireland.

Answered by Hilary Benn - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

I meet regularly with Cabinet colleagues on a range of issues, including matters relating to the voluntary sector in Northern Ireland. Most recently, my officials have been working in partnership with the Grants Management Function of Cabinet Office for the delivery of the Northern Ireland Office Connect Fund, supporting the work of voluntary organisations in sectors directly affecting Northern Ireland communities and encouraging civic East-West collaboration across the UK.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce the number of women waiting for gynaecological treatment in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We are committed to returning to the National Health Service constitutional standard that 92% of patients are treated within 18 weeks of referral to consultant-led care, including in gynaecology, by March 2029.

The Department only holds data at a trust and integrated care board level. Newcastle-under-Lyme is served by the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNB), and Staffordshire is served by the NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board (SSOT ICB). Performance against this standard at the UHNB’s gynaecology service has improved by 7.6% since the Government came into office, to 55.5%, with a 16% reduction in the waiting list. At the SSOT ICB, performance for gynaecology services has improved by 6.9% to 55.2% over the same period, with a 15% reduction in waiting list size.

Our Elective Reform Plan, published in January 2025, sets out the reforms we are making to improve gynaecology waiting times, across England. This includes innovative models of care that offer care closer to home and in the community, piloting gynaecology pathways in community diagnostic centres for patients with post-menopausal bleeding, and increasing the relative funding available to incentivise providers to take on more gynaecology procedures.

Wider elective reforms will help cut waiting times for gynaecology services in Staffordshire and across England. These include more consistent clinical triage, tackling missed appointments, delivering new and expanded surgical hubs, and scaling up remote monitoring and use of patient-initiated follow ups.

We also provided new funding for general practices (GPs) to expand Advice and Guidance (A&G) services. A&G helps to keep patients out of hospital and delivers more care closer to home, saving time, protecting capacity, and improving care experience. A&G for gynaecology is available in all GPs within the SSOT ICB.

We are also introducing an “online hospital” via NHS Online. From 2027, people on certain pathways, including severe menopause symptoms and menstrual problems that may be a sign of endometriosis or fibroids, will have the choice of getting the specialist care they need from their home, providing additional appointments to cut waiting times.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking with international partners to help tackle organised immigration crime.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

I refer the Hon Member to the answers I gave in departmental oral questions on 28 October on tackling organised immigration crime. Fraudulent visa agents also target those seeking to come to the UK on fake visas and the UK and India are cooperating to protect people from scams and tackle irregular migration at its source.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support her Department has offered to the a) Republic of Mozambique, b) Republic of Zimbabwe and c) Republic of South Africa following the recent flooding incidents in those countries; and what direct engagement has taken place between His Majesty's Government and Ministers in each nation about the recovery effort.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK was one of the first countries to step up with lifesaving assistance for Mozambique. We delivered a £2 million increase in humanitarian funding, building on earlier action in 2025 to help communities prepare for increasingly frequent climate-related disasters. This support enabled the deployment of a specialist UK International Search and Rescue team, which saved dozens of lives, and helped provide emergency sanitation and health support to those most in need through local partners. The Minister of State for Development has just returned from Mozambique and saw first-hand the impact of the UK's flexible and rapid response to the crisis.

We have not had any direct ministerial engagement with Zimbabwe or South Africa on this matter, but we continue to monitor the situation closely.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support she plans to provide to farmers in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire facing increases in the average costs of a bale of hay.

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

The UK's agricultural sectors, including those farming in Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire, operate in an open market with the value of commodities established by those in the supply chain including farmers, processors, wholesalers, retailers and consumers. While the Government may take action in exceptional market circumstances, it does not routinely intervene in these markets.

On 29 January 2026, Defra published the Agriculture Price Index (Agricultural price indices – United Kingdom: November 2025 - GOV.UK). This shows rises in output costs over time outstripping rises in input costs, for example the price of hay. Defra continues to closely monitor the agricultural market including output and input costs.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on helping to provide young people with the skills and knowledge to undertake jobs in the farming and agriculture sector.

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

Young people are essential to the long-term resilience of UK agriculture, and Defra works closely with industry bodies, including the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs, to promote careers in the sector and to understand the challenges facing new entrants.

Through its agricultural reform programme, Defra is investing £2.7 billion a year to support a productive, sustainable farming sector. This includes measures to improve business resilience, productivity and skills development, which help make agriculture a more accessible and attractive career option for young people, including those in Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of a national campaign showcasing the diversity and rewards of young people with careers in the agriculture industry.

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

Young people are essential to the long-term resilience of UK agriculture, and Defra works closely with industry bodies, including the National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs, to promote careers in the sector and to understand the challenges facing new entrants.

Through its agricultural reform programme, Defra is investing £2.7 billion a year to support a productive, sustainable farming sector. This includes measures to improve business resilience, productivity and skills development, which help make agriculture a more accessible and attractive career option for young people, including those in Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire.

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 brick production.

Answered by Chris McDonald - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Brick deliveries remain well above the dip seen in 2022-2023, with around 80% of bricks used in the UK produced domestically. The Government’s housebuilding targets will support demand as industry delivers the new private, social and affordable homes our citizens need.

Construction’s inclusion as a foundational industry in the Industrial Strategy will also help to drive brick production. Additionally, brick manufacturers could benefit from the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme if they meet electricity intensity and sector criteria, though eligibility is not yet confirmed.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to help tackle pay disparities for disabled people living in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The consultation on ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting closed on 10 June. We will publish the Government response to the ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting consultation in due course.

Last year, the Office for Equality and Opportunity published a call for evidence on equality law, which included consideration of how we make the right to equal pay effective for ethnic minority and disabled people. This closed on 30 June 2025 and we are now working to analyse the responses.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she has taken with Cabinet colleagues to help increase workforce numbers in the farming and agriculture sectors in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme, (b) Staffordshire and (c) England.

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

The Government recognises that access to a sufficient workforce is essential for the resilience and productivity of the farming and agriculture sectors.

Defra works closely with other Government departments, including the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Department for Education, to support workforce supply and ensure that employers in agriculture can access the people and skills they need. This includes engagement on employment programmes, skills routes and local delivery, which can benefit businesses in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire and across England.

Through the agricultural reform programme, we are investing £2.7 billion a year to support productivity, innovation and business resilience, helping to make farming and agriculture more sustainable and attractive as long-term careers.

The DWP delivers Sector-based Work Academy Programmes, which provide training, work experience and a guaranteed job interview tailored to employer needs. Between April 2021 and December 2025, DWP delivered 1,380 SWAP starts in the agriculture sector, helping employers to recruit and support people into agricultural roles.

TMT First in Newcastle-under-Lyme

Found: Democratic & Labour Party; Belfast South and Mid Down) Simon Hoare (Conservative; North Dorset) Adam Jogee

Found: the meeting Members present: Tonia Antoniazzi (Chair); Chris Bloore; Claire Hanna; Simon Hoare; Adam Jogee

Found: the meeting Members present: Tonia Antoniazzi (Chair); Chris Bloore; Claire Hanna; Simon Hoare; Adam Jogee