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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support the museum sector in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

In January, the DCMS Secretary of State announced a historic £1.5 billion funding package for culture over this parliament, £160 million of which is earmarked for local museums around the country. This includes further rounds of the Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND), which has funded essential infrastructure projects around the country, including a £1.7m grant for Tamworth council announced last year. We have also delivered a new £20 million Museum Renewal Fund, supporting 75 museum organisations in 2025 to maintain public access and programming. This included awards for Ford Green Hall and Tamworth Borough Council in Staffordshire. Guidance on our new Museum Transformation Fund and the next round of MEND funding, both delivered by Arts Council England (ACE), will be published in May.

This investment doubles the £44 million that Arts Council England (ACE) invests annually in museums through their core funding programmes, including core funding for over 200 National Portfolio museum sites. In total, ACE has awarded just over £10 million in government and lottery funding to Staffordshire since 2021, through the National Portfolio and other grants, with the number of National Portfolio Organisations funded in Staffordshire quadrupling since 2023. As a designated Priority Place, Stoke-on-Trent is an area of particular focus for ACE for continued development and investment to boost local cultural opportunities in Staffordshire.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to (a) celebrate the heritage of and (b) support the arts and cultural sector in (i) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (ii) Staffordshire.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

This government recognises the importance of celebrating heritage and the arts all across the country, including the significant heritage of Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire. Funding is administered through the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) Arms-Length Bodies.

Since 1994, the National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded more than £101m to 771 projects in Staffordshire. Of this, more than £5.9m has been awarded to 92 projects in Newcastle-under-Lyme. This includes £99,900 awarded in September 2024 to support Brampton Museum to become more financially and environmentally sustainable, ensuring that Newcastle’s unique heritage will remain accessible, valued and in good condition for future generations.

Similarly, Historic England has provided funding and advice in Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire, including a grant of £39,946 for project development works to Tamworth Castle in 2025. This enabled the council to apply for a grant from DCMS’ Museum Estate and Development Fund. Historic England provided a project development grant of £1.7million.

Arts Council England invests in Staffordshire with regular funding through its National Portfolio Organisations (NPO) and Creative People and Places (CPP) programmes, as well as with one-off funding through programmes such as the Creative Foundations Fund (CFF) and National Lottery Project Grants (NLPG), an open access programme for arts, libraries and museums projects. Across Staffordshire, eight NPOs receive £2.3 million per year, with two CPPs receiving more than £839,000 per year to support creativity in communities across Stoke-on-Trent and the Staffordshire Moorlands.

In Newcastle-under-Lyme specifically, ACE supports the New Vic theatre and Partners in Creative Learning (PiCL) as part of their National Portfolio, and Appetite as part of the Creative People and Places programme. Earlier this year, the New Vic received £295,308 through our new Creative Foundations Fund to update essential control wiring throughout the auditorium and backstage areas. Since 2023, ACE has offered funding through nine NLPGs in the area, totalling more than £218,000.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support grassroots football in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

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

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of background, should have access to and benefit from quality sport and physical activity opportunities.

The constituency of Newcastle-under-Lyme has received a total of £1,194,497 through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme. Staffordshire has received a total of £4,508,388 through the Multi-Sport Grassroots Facilities Programme.

We are now working closely with the sport sector stakeholders, including the Football Foundation, and local leaders to develop plans for funding for a range of sports across the country based on what each community needs. We will keep stakeholders and the wider sport sector updated as this work progresses, and we will announce plans once they have been fully developed.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of moving the headquarters of the Office for Veterans’ Affairs to an English county outside of Greater London.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)

Office for Veterans’ Affairs (OVA) staff are principally based in both London and York, along with some additional locations. With the roll out of VALOUR Field Officers, there will be OVA representation across the UK by the end of 2026.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve the condition of the school estate in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The Education Estates Strategy outlines plans for an education estate that supports opportunity for all, backed by a 10‑year programme to renew and transform schools and colleges. This decade of national renewal is supported by unprecedented long‑term funding and £38 billion in overall education capital from 2025/26 to 2029/30.

The government has committed to capital investment through to 2034/35 to improve the condition of schools and colleges across England, investing almost £3 billion per year by 2034/35 in capital maintenance and renewal. This is in addition to continued investment in the School Rebuilding Programme, expanding across a further 250 schools to be selected.

The Condition Data Collection 1 programme from 2017 to 2019 showed significant variation in the condition of the estate across the country. Updated information provided by schools on the condition of their estate is being collected through the department’s 5-year Condition Data Collection 2, which will complete in 2026.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the number of schools days missed due to (a) poor roads and (b) inadequate road safety measures.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The department does not hold information on the number of school days missed due to poor roads and inadequate road safety measures.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent steps he has taken to protect the Green Belt in Staffordshire.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government is committed to preserving Green Belts, which have served England’s towns and cities well over many decades.

We have not changed the five purposes of the Green Belt set out in paragraph 143 of the National Planning Policy Framework.

The Framework still contains strong protections for the Green Belt, making it clear that inappropriate development should not be approved unless justified by very special circumstances.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the a) deterrents and b) sentences issued to repeat offenders.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

Prolific offenders represent nearly 10% of offenders but account for just over 50% of all sentences. That clearly cannot continue. Their offending, while not high harm, hurts local communities through shoplifting and anti-social behaviour.

Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for the courts and parliament has provided the courts with a broad range of sentencing powers to deal effectively and appropriately with offenders. When deciding what sentence to impose, courts must consider the circumstances of the case, including the culpability of the offender, the harm they caused or intended to cause, and any aggravating and mitigating factors. The courts also have a statutory duty to follow any relevant sentencing guidelines, developed by the Sentencing Council for England and Wales.

Previous convictions are a statutory aggravating factor, with sentencing guidelines being clear that sentencers must consider the nature and relevance of previous convictions, and the time elapsed since the previous convictions. For more serious prolific offending, we are clear that custody has a crucial role to play as a robust backstop, within the maximum penalties set out in statute.

The Sentencing Act 2026 introduced a presumption to suspend short sentences of 12 months or less. Around 60% of adults sentenced for under a year reoffend within 12 months, whereas the evidence shows that those given a community order or suspended sentence reoffend less than similar offenders given a short prison sentence. We are following the evidence to reduce crime, leading to fewer victims and safer communities. Short prison sentences will continue to be available where an offender has breached a court order, including breaching the requirements of a previous suspended sentence order or committing a further offence, as well as where an individual is at significant risk of harm and in exceptional circumstances.

There are a range of tools in the community available to tackle prolific offenders. Integrated Offender Management (IOM) sees joint management of the most persistent and problematic neighbourhood crime offenders by probation, police, and other partnership agencies providing cross-agency supervision and support. Our new approach on Intensive Supervision Courts will impose tough measures that address the causes of prolific offending.

We are investing up to £700 million in probation and community services by 2028/29 to help rebuild the Probation Service to deliver a strong, professional service at the heart of the criminal justice system. We will continue to work with cross government partners and police forces to consider new ways of targeting and focusing on persistent and prolific offenders.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the powers available to Staffordshire Police to seize dangerous dogs.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The police have appropriate powers to seize dangerous dogs, including under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and the general seizure power in section 19 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. The exercise of these powers is an operational decision for the police, who must take account of the circumstances of each case. We keep police powers under regular review to ensure the police have the necessary tools to respond quickly and effectively to tackle crime and protect the public.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support she is providing to colleges that are (a) oversubscribed and (b) want to expand.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The increasing 16 to 19 population means extra capacity is needed in some areas. The Post-16 capacity fund has already provided £282 million between 2021 and 2025 for additional capacity and we are investing a further £375 million by 2029/30 to accommodate additional learners. This investment will add capacity, including new classrooms, science laboratories and workshops, so all young people gain the skills they need to progress and get a good job.

There is also an additional £195 million capital investment by 2029/30 to expand construction course provision in further education providers, helping to deliver our commitment to get Britain building.

Of the total funding, £283 million is being devolved to strategic authorities as they are best placed to know the geography and nature of sustained demand. The remaining £287 million will be awarded to expand training places at sites in non-devolved areas through a national competitive bidding round, which closes on 17 April 2026.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he has taken to support fish and chip shops with the cost of food in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (b) Staffordshire.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Fish and chip shops, like many hospitality businesses, continue to face significant cost pressures, driven by global uncertainty, volatile energy markets, supply chain disruption and wider inflation, which have contributed to higher food input prices.

The Government recognises the impact this has on businesses and communities, including in Newcastle under Lyme and across Staffordshire and is taking action to help businesses manage these costs. This includes permanently lower business rates for eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties and increasing the employment allowance from £5,000 to £10,500.

We continue to engage with industry through the Hospitality Sector Council to strengthen resilience and productivity across the sector.

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 with Cabinet colleagues to support colleges and further education institutions applying for planning permission to expand their sites.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

There is an existing Permitted Development Right – Part 7 of Class M of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 – which allows colleges and universities to erect new buildings, extensions and make alterations without the submission of a planning application. The right is subject to limits and conditions to control local impacts.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) makes clear that local planning authorities should take a proactive, positive, and collaborative approach to ensuring that a sufficient choice of post-16 places are available to meet the needs of existing and new communities.

Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, the government consulted a new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The consultation on the revised Framework, which can be found on gov.uk here, included proposals relating to education facilities. We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police front desks were open 24 hour in Staffordshire in each year between 2019 and 2024; and their locations.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Home Office does not collect information on police front desks.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is ensuring that the (a) Strategic Road Network and (b) local road network in (i) Newcastle-under-Lyme and (ii) Staffordshire is (A) free of potholes and (B) safe for road users.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government’s recently published third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3) invests £27 billion in the management and improvement of England’s Strategic Road Network to make journeys safer, smoother and more reliable for the people and businesses that depend on these roads, including road users in Staffordshire. Continuing to improve road safety is a priority and RIS3 sets National Highways a challenging road safety target. National Highways aims to repair the most serious potholes and other defects within 24 hours, and RIS3 sets National Highways a target to ensure that over 95% of the road surfaces it is responsible for remain in good condition.

This Government is committed to tackling the poor state of our local roads. That is why we have confirmed a record investment of £7.3 billion for local highways maintenance for the next four years. Newcastle-Under-Lyme sits within Staffordshire, which is eligible to receive £201.9 million of this funding.

In addition, in January 2026, the Department released a new rating system for local highway authorities. Under this system, all local highway authorities in England received a red, amber or green rating based on the condition of their roads, how much they spend to maintain their roads, and whether they do so using best practice. These ratings are designed to promote good asset management and encourage a preventative approach to highways maintenance so that potholes do not form in the first place. Staffordshire was rated amber under this new system, with individual scorecards showing amber for road condition, green for spend, and amber for the adoption of best practice.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of people living in relative poverty in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme, b) Staffordshire and c) England.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

We are committed to tackling poverty and we know that good work can significantly reduce the chances of people falling into poverty. The Get Britain Working White Paper set out plans to reform employment, health and skills support to tackle rising economic inactivity levels, support people into good work, and create an inclusive labour market based on the unique needs of local communities, in which everybody can participate and progress in work.

Through our plan to Make Work Pay, we will, improve job security and boost living standards. From April, the National Living Wage increased by 6.7 per cent to £12.21 an hour, boosting the pay of 2.4 million workers. This represents an increase of £900 to the gross annual earnings of a full-time worker on the National Living Wage.

Universal Credit has a critical role to play in tackling poverty and making work pay and we have already taken steps to help those in need. The Universal Credit Act 2025, which came into force on 6 April 2026, delivered the first sustained, above inflation rise in the basic rate of Universal Credit since it was introduced. And the introduction of the Fair Repayment Rate in Universal Credit, from April 2025, means that around 1.2 million of the poorest households will retain more of their award, on average £420 a year.

The Child Poverty Strategy has looked at how the government can boost families' incomes through employment and the social security system, drive down the cost of essentials so parents can meet their children’s fundamental needs, and strengthen local support to ensure families can access vital services when they need them. The removal of the two child limit will lift 450,000 children out of poverty, rising to around 550,000 alongside other measures set out in our Strategy, such as the expansion of free school meals. These interventions will lead to the largest expected reduction in child poverty over a Parliament since comparable records began.

We have also introduced the new Crisis and Resilience Fund with £842 million per annum (£1 billion including Barnett consequential) to reform crisis support in England from 1 April 2026. This longer-term funding approach aims to enable local authorities to provide preventative support to communities as well as assisting people when faced with a financial crisis. We have allocated £28.2 million to Staffordshire over three years, (£9.3 million in 2026/27, £9.3 million in 2027/28 and £9.5 million in 2028/29) alongside £451,295 in 2026/27 to support heating oil households, with funding covering both the County and District Councils.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with a) the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and b) members of the Northern Ireland Executive on the potential impact of jet fuel shortages on travel between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government is monitoring the impact of the conflict in the Middle East on fuel supplies, including jet fuel. In coordination with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero we have worked with fuel suppliers, airlines and airports to understand levels of jet fuel and pricing.

Officials are engaging regularly with their counterparts in the Northern Ireland Executive and keeping Ministers briefed as necessary.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with her European counterparts on the potential impact of jet fuel shortages on travel between the United Kingdom and mainland Europe.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Government is monitoring the impact of the conflict in the Middle East on fuel supplies, including jet fuel. In coordination with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero we have worked with fuel suppliers, airlines and airports to understand levels of jet fuel and pricing.

Officials are engaging with international counterparts to monitor the situation and plan accordingly and are keeping Ministers briefed as necessary.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Arab counterparts about the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the answers given on this issue by the Foreign Secretary and myself at the most recent sessions of Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office oral questions on 3 March and 21 April, and to the joint statement issued by the Foreign Secretary and fourteen of her overseas counterparts on 24 December 2025: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/statement-on-israeli-settlement-expansion-in-the-west-bank.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her European counterparts about the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the answers given on this issue by the Foreign Secretary and myself at the most recent sessions of Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office oral questions on 3 March and 21 April, and to the joint statement issued by the Foreign Secretary and fourteen of her overseas counterparts on 24 December 2025: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/statement-on-israeli-settlement-expansion-in-the-west-bank.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to oppose the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank.

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

I refer the Hon Member to the answers given on this issue by the Foreign Secretary and myself at the most recent sessions of Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office oral questions on 3 March and 21 April, and to the joint statement issued by the Foreign Secretary and fourteen of her overseas counterparts on 24 December 2025: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/statement-on-israeli-settlement-expansion-in-the-west-bank.

Question to the Leader of the House:

To ask the Leader of the House, what steps he will take to allow Members to vote by proxy if a family member is dying or has died.

Answered by Alan Campbell - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons

The Government is always seeking to ensure that the balance is right and that we retain a robust voting system. Any changes to the voting system must be given careful consideration and should only ever be taken forwards when there is a clear consensus for change across the House.

The Procedure Committee has committed to conducting a further review of the proxy voting scheme later in the Parliament, and I would encourage the Hon. Member to engage with the Committee when it undertakes that work. Should the Committee consider the further extension of the proxy voting scheme as part of that review, the Government would give careful consideration to any recommendations from the Committee on this matter.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will publish the analysis of responses to the 2018 consultation on the Nutrient Profiling Model before any decision to adopt that model; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government published responses to the 2018 consultation on 27 January 2026 alongside the Nutrient Profiling Model (NPM) 2018 Review and Consultation Outcome and the associated NPM technical guidance.

The Government launched the consultation on applying the new NPM to the advertising and promotions restrictions on 25 March 2026.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of access to health visitors for families in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Families in England must receive at least five health visits, with additional support provided according to need. Health visiting service delivery data is available, and published annually, for upper tiers of local government, such as the Staffordshire County Council, but not lower tiers, such as the Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council.

The relevant dataset and statistical commentary for Staffordshire is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/health-visitor-service-delivery-data-for-2024-to-2025

In line with the Government’s commitment to strengthening health visiting, we have recently refreshed the guidance for the Healthy Child Programme, which specifies requirements for health visiting services, to promote national consistency in service delivery. We are working closely with regional colleagues to support the implementation of this guidance across the country.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to increase the number of health visitors in England.

Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

The child health workforce, including health visiting teams, is central to how we support families to give their children the best start in life. Health visitors’ contact with parents, carers, and children of all ages is a source of vital advice and support, helping to ensure that health, development, and safeguarding needs are identified early. As set out in the 10-Year Health Plan and Best Start in Life Strategy, the Government has committed to strengthening health visiting services to ensure that all families have access to high-quality, personalised support.

In the 10-Year Health Plan, we committed to a Professional Strategy for Nursing and Midwifery. Due for publication following the 10 Year Workforce Plan, this strategy will set out a professional direction of travel, up to 2040, for all nurses, including health visitors, midwives, and nursing associates in England.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent engagement her Department has had with SADC Heads of Mission to the United Kingdom about Trophy Hunting.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Department’s most recent engagement with a number of SADC State representatives on trophy hunting was a meeting held by Baroness Hayman in May 2025 to discuss the Government’s commitment to banning the import of hunting trophies from species of conservation concern.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, further to the answer of 20 April 2026 to WPQ 126191, what guidance will be issued to local authorities, including Newcastle-under-Lyme District Borough Council, to ensure the preservation of Green Belts in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme b) Staffordshire and c) England.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 94093 on 1 December 2025 and UIN 103333 on 14 January 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he can provide an update on the a) effectiveness and b) adequacy of Department's 'brownfield' first approach to development.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) makes clear that substantial weight should be given to the value of using suitable brownfield land within settlements, including the development of under-utilised land and buildings to meet the need for homes and other uses.

Through the revisions we made to the NPPF on 12 December 2024, we broadened the definition of brownfield land, set a strengthened expectation that applications on brownfield land will be approved, and made clear that plans should promote an uplift in density in urban areas. The definition in question can be found in the NPPF glossary on gov.uk here.

Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted on a new NPPF. The consultation on the revised Framework, which can be found on gov.uk here, included a range of proposals to further strengthen support for brownfield development. We are currently analysing the feedback received and will publish our response in due course.

We have also announced £5 billion of land and infrastructure capital grant funding. This funding, to be administered by a new, single National Housing Delivery Fund that will complement investment from our National Housing Bank, can be used to address viability gaps on brownfield sites.

It nevertheless remains the case that there are simply not enough sites on brownfield land registers to deliver the volume of homes that the country needs each year and Green Belt land will consequently need to be released for development where individual local planning authorities determine that exceptional circumstances exist and have first demonstrated that they have examined fully all other reasonable options for meeting identified need for development – including making as much use as possible of suitable brownfield sites and underutilised land, optimising the density of development, and working with neighbouring authorities to assess whether identified need might be sensibly accommodated.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he has taken to support the ceramics industry in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire since his appointment.

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

The British Industry Supercharger currently supports some ceramics businesses in Great Britain, including in Staffordshire, including in the technical and advanced ceramics, and brick production sectors, for the indirect costs of various electricity policy and network charges. Officials regularly engage with Ceramics UK, the sector’s main trade association, to explore how the ceramics industry can be supported. The Industrial Strategy, along with the Trade Strategy, have set out this Government’s approach to expanding trade opportunities and supporting UK businesses, including ceramics businesses.

Staffordshire Day 2026

Anzac Day 2026

Bryan Carnes MBE

Dave Palin's 40 years of service at KMF Precision Sheet Metal UK in Newcastle-under-Lyme

Appointment of Pritpal Singh Nagi MBE DL as High Sheriff of Staffordshire

Falkland Islands

60th anniversary of St James the Great in Clayton, Newcastle-under-Lyme

100th birthday of Sir David Attenborough

Keele Parish Council Election 2026

Rotary Club of Chippenham and Calne

Drumchapel Good Vibes Community Choir

St Patrick's Primary Sporting Gold

Recognition of Gaelic Games in Britain

Peregrine falcons in Woking

8th anniversary of Steps to Hope SCIO

David Colraine

Bicentenary of the Monkland and Kirkintilloch Railway

50th anniversary of Bangor Ladies Choir

Stoke Orchard Football Club

World Curlew Day

13th anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh

Dromore RFC, Bank of Ireland Towns Cup victory

50th anniversary of St Paul's Preschool, Northumberland Heath

Bowhouse Market awarded farmers market certification

Strathcarron Hospice 45th anniversary

Plough on the Green's fundraising for Dingley’s Promise

Kilmarnock Academy team crowned champions of the 10th Annual RTX Quadcopter Challenge

Performance of As You Like It by Shropshire Youth Theatre at Soulton Hall

School libraries and librarians and the National Year of Reading 2026

Seafarers in the Strait of Hormuz

Submit Evidence (by 1 Jun 2026)

Reconciliation remains central to the vision of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, whose multi‑party negotiators affirmed that lasting peace in Northern Ireland depended not only on strong political structures but on honouring those who suffered “the tragedies of the past” by “dedicating ourselves to the achievement of reconciliation, tolerance, and mutual trust, and to the protection and vindication of the human rights of all. (The Belfast Agreement - GOV.UK, p.1)