Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make a statement on his engagement with the Government of Ireland since his appointment as Secretary of State.

Answered by Sarah Owen - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)

The UK Government is acutely aware of the importance of the UK-Ireland relationship. Since taking office, the Secretary of State has continued to build on the reset in relations. In August, he travelled to Dublin to meet with Irish Government counterparts, and held bilateral discussions with Minister McEntee at the recent British Irish Association conference in Oxford.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Attorney General, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of the use of technology to improve efficiency in the criminal justice system.

Answered by Andy Slaughter - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has assessed that modern digital technologies can enhance existing processes and support more efficient case handling. Through its Future Casework Tools programme, the CPS is modernising systems to improve the casework experience and reduce the time required to review case files. The CPS is also working with His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service on initiatives such as digital jury bundles, which aim to increase transparency, accessibility and efficiency in court proceedings.

The CPS has further assessed that artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to deliver substantial efficiency gains by assisting with routine administrative tasks. This can enable prosecutors and other specialists to devote more time to complex legal work and decision-making. The CPS published its AI Vision in July 2025, setting out how AI can be used to drive efficiencies in a legal, safe and ethical manner, while ensuring responsible use, transparency and coordination across the criminal justice system.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support a) youth democracy and b) the work of the UK Youth Parliament.

Answered by Vicky Foxcroft - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The Government is committed to strengthening young people’s participation in democratic processes and decision-making. Through the Be Seen and Heard chapter of Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy, we set out our ambition to strengthen young people’s participation in decision-making at both national and local levels.

This Government has committed to lowering the voting age to 16 for all elections, ensuring young people have the information and support they need to participate fully in the democratic process, and establishing new Youth Councils across England. We will also test and learn from different approaches to involving young people in local funding decisions.

Over the summer, my Department has worked directly with young people and the youth sector to understand what support young people need to influence decisions at both national and local levels. Their views will inform the development of our youth empowerment programmes and help ensure that young people can participate meaningfully as more decisions are taken closer to local communities.

My Department is also supporting the UK Youth Parliament during 2026/27. This provides young people from across the UK with opportunities to represent their peers, campaign on the issues that matter to them, and make their voices heard by decision-makers, including through its annual sitting in the House of Commons.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help reduce loneliness among older people.

Answered by Vicky Foxcroft - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

Loneliness is not just an individual struggle; it is a national challenge that we must solve together. Through our cross-government Social Connection For All programme, we are supporting those most at risk of loneliness, including older people, so everyone has the social connections they need to thrive.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of reports of attacks and restrictions affecting Christian communities in the West Bank; and what representations he has made to the Israeli Government on protecting Christian places of worship and freedom of religion or belief.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK remains committed to championing freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all around the world, including in the West Bank and Jerusalem. The right to worship must be protected. The Government of Israel must work with religious communities to facilitate worship in Jerusalem in line with the status quo.

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions she has had with her EU counterparts on improving touring arrangements for artists from a) Newcastle-under-Lyme, b) Staffordshire and c) the United Kingdom.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)

The UK and EU committed to cultural exchange at the UK-EU Summit in May 2025. The government is dedicated to improving touring conditions for creative professionals across the UK, including Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire.

DCMS Ministers and officials, UK Ambassadors and FCDO officials regularly engage with the European Commission and EU Member States to support cross-border touring. This has yielded practical improvements, including visa-free short stays in Croatia since 21 February 2025. More broadly, most EU Member States offer visa and work permit free routes for at least 30 days, with many others offering up to 90 days, including the UK’s biggest touring markets (e.g. France, Germany, Spain).

We continue to pursue these solutions through high-level channels – including my co-chairing of the UK-European Commission High-Level Meeting on Culture with Commissioner Glenn Micallef on 24 March 2026 – and we look forward to further progressing this meaningful dialogue at the next UK-EU Summit once a date is confirmed.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he has taken to tackle fraud in the welfare system since 1 January 2026.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)

Since the Autumn Budget 2024 DWP has committed to delivering gross savings of £14.6bn up to the end of 2030-31 from fraud, error and debt activity

In 2026, the Department has continued to strengthen its approach to tackling fraud and error across the welfare system through increased operational activity, the use of new powers, and targeted interventions to identify incorrect claims. These activities include:

- investments to deploy up to 3,000 additional staff within counter fraud teams,

- delivering the extension of Targeted Case Reviews (TCR) in Universal Credit to check accuracy of claims at risk of being incorrect,

- introducing Pension Credit Claim Reviews (PCCR) to check claims at risk of being incorrect,

- the implementation of the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act 2025 (PAFER) which introduces new powers to better identify, prevent and deter fraud and error

- and continuing to seek prosecutions in the courts for those who commit benefit fraud.

Overall, levels of benefit fraud are the lowest since the pandemic and currently stand at 2.2%, compared to a peak of 3.0% in FYE 2022.

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to help tackle pay disparities for ethnic minority people in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

We are committed to delivering our manifesto commitment to introduce mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting for large employers.

This will provide transparency and vital data to help businesses identify and address ethnicity and disability pay gaps within their workforces. We are working on this urgently and will introduce legislation as soon as parliamentary time allows.

We have also committed to making the right to equal pay effective for disabled people and those from ethnic minority groups. This will help fulfil our aim to ensure that hard work provides opportunities fairly. We recently launched a consultation on our equal pay and pay discrimination proposals to create legislation that works for everyone. The consultation will close on 27 October 2026.

These measures will help tackle pay disparities for ethnic minority groups and disabled people across Great Britain.

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to help tackle pay disparities for disabled people in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

We are committed to delivering our manifesto commitment to introduce mandatory ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting for large employers.

This will provide transparency and vital data to help businesses identify and address ethnicity and disability pay gaps within their workforces. We are working on this urgently and will introduce legislation as soon as parliamentary time allows.

We have also committed to making the right to equal pay effective for disabled people and those from ethnic minority groups. This will help fulfil our aim to ensure that hard work provides opportunities fairly. We recently launched a consultation on our equal pay and pay discrimination proposals to create legislation that works for everyone. The consultation will close on 27 October 2026.

These measures will help tackle pay disparities for ethnic minority groups and disabled people across Great Britain.

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking to support the economic empowerment of women and girls in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

This Government is dedicated to breaking down barriers to economic opportunity for women and girls in every part of the country, including Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire, and to national initiatives that address the gender pay gap.

Through policies including the Invest in Women Taskforce and the Investing in Women Code, we want women-led businesses in Newcastle-under-Lyme and across Staffordshire to gain fair access to finance, angel investment and venture funding.

Currently, the national gender pay gap stands at 12.8%. The Office for National Statistics releases annual data on the national gender pay gap, including breakdowns by region and constituency, which can be accessed at:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/annualsurveyofhoursandearningsashegenderpaygaptables

As part of the Employment Rights Act, we have launched action plans encouraging large employers to publish not just what their gender pay gap is, but the concrete actions they are taking to address it, as well as how they are supporting employees experiencing menopause. These action plans will help employers to tackle the barriers that women face in the workplace and better harness their skills.

Question

To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what plans she has with Cabinet colleagues to help reduce the gender pay gap.

Answered by Satvir Kaur - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

This Government is dedicated to breaking down barriers to economic opportunity for women and girls in every part of the country, including Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire, and to national initiatives that address the gender pay gap.

Through policies including the Invest in Women Taskforce and the Investing in Women Code, we want women-led businesses in Newcastle-under-Lyme and across Staffordshire to gain fair access to finance, angel investment and venture funding.

Currently, the national gender pay gap stands at 12.8%. The Office for National Statistics releases annual data on the national gender pay gap, including breakdowns by region and constituency, which can be accessed at:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/datasets/annualsurveyofhoursandearningsashegenderpaygaptables

As part of the Employment Rights Act, we have launched action plans encouraging large employers to publish not just what their gender pay gap is, but the concrete actions they are taking to address it, as well as how they are supporting employees experiencing menopause. These action plans will help employers to tackle the barriers that women face in the workplace and better harness their skills.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he plans to take to support economic growth in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)

The Government's ambition is to support good growth across all parts of the United Kingdom. As set out in the Prime Minister's recent Machinery of Government Statement, No10 North will be responsible for driving good growth through devolution and working in close partnership with local leaders, businesses, and communities to strengthen place-based growth.

Staffordshire will receive £93m in transport capital funding between 2026/27 and 2029/30, enabling it to deliver more ambitious local transport improvements through a simplified, consolidated funding settlement.

Newcastle-under-Lyme will benefit from wider interventions to boost growth in the West Midlands, including the £25.3bn to progress the delivery of HS2 Phase One, improved connections to the South East, and funding to progress delivery of the Midlands Rail Hub to deepen connections with Wales and the South West. Conversations with local transport authorities are already taking place on the North – South New Rail Lines study, which is expected to bring further benefits to the region. The Government’s ambition is that every area in England has a strategic authority in place by 2027, or a plan for one, so that more power and resources are controlled locally to unlock more economic investment. This includes Newcastle-under-Lyme.

At Budget, the Government will publish a fiscal devolution roadmap which will set out a path to replacing grants from central government with a share of local income tax for every mayor beginning in 2028, such that where a region grows its tax base, it benefits from the increased receipts. This will sit alongside greater retention of the revenue from business rates for local councils and strategic authorities. The long-term certainty of funding via taxation will provide more flexibility and enable greater investment to fund interventions that will deliver a return.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she will take to ensure that her Department is adequately prepared for Second Reading of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on 11 September.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Ahead of Second Reading, the Department carried out standard preparations, including publishing an impact assessment and other bill products. That work has now ceased.

Question

To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England has taken to support people on low-incomes in rural communities since 1 January 2026.

Answered by Marsha De Cordova

There are more than 10,000 Church of England churches in rural areas and, through the National Society for Education, the Church is the single largest provider of rural and village education in the country. Churches and church schools often play a particularly important role at the heart of rural communities.

St James’s Church in Audley, as an example, provides a ‘Tots’ group for the local community. It offers an opportunity for parents and caregivers to meet and for children to engage in play and crafts. These opportunities can be formative for the children and enable adults to share experiences and provide mutual support.

According to the most recent Statistics for Mission, Church of England churches were involved in 31,300 social action projects, including lunch clubs, coffee mornings, parent and toddler groups and food banks. These projects offer vital support to people living in rural communities, where a lack of access to employment opportunities, poor transport links, and hidden homelessness can be particularly acute.

Question

To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what recent steps the Church of England has taken to support community cohesion in its parishes.

Answered by Marsha De Cordova

The Church of England has a long and proud tradition of working across faiths and communities to promote understanding, strengthen relationships and support community cohesion. Most dioceses have dedicated interfaith advisers who work with clergy and congregations to encourage engagement with people of different faiths and backgrounds, supported by the Church’s national Presence and Engagement programme.

Through its parish network, the Church maintains a presence in communities across the country, helping to build the trust and long-term relationships that are essential to bringing people together. Churches regularly work alongside other faith organisations, local authorities, schools, community groups and the police to foster mutual understanding, tackle local challenges and support peaceful, resilient communities.

The Church also supports the work of organisations such as the Church Urban Fund and Near Neighbours, which play a vital role in promoting interfaith understanding, encouraging social action and strengthening community ties. Together, these partnerships help ensure that churches continue to contribute positively to community cohesion, social justice and good relations across our diverse society.

Question

To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England is taking to help tackle poverty in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.

Answered by Marsha De Cordova

I refer the Hon member for Newcastle under Lyme to the answer given on the 28 May 2025, UIN 53336.