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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans take to support (a) farmers and (b) the farming sector in Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency.

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

We will deliver a resilient and healthy food system, with a new deal for farmers that works for farmers, food security and nature.

The only way to do this effectively is to listen to farmers and others with a stake in our food system, countryside and nature. The Government is doing this and assessing data and information about what is working and what is not before setting out detailed plans. Ministers will confirm plans for further rollout of farming grants and schemes shortly.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the enforcement powers of the Environment Agency.

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

The Environment Agency publishes an annual Review of Activities Regulated by the Environment Agency setting out details of enforcement action taken. The most recent of these reports was published in March this year and sets out statistics demonstrating the effectiveness of the regulatory activities of the Agency, including enforcement.

In relation to waste crime, the Environment Agency’s has a wide range of investigatory and enforcement powers, including powers of entry, powers to search and seize evidence and to access communications data. Further regulatory reform is underway. The Environment Agency also has powers to sanction offenders using Variable Monetary Penalties (VMPs).

In addition to the formal review, individual incidents and criminal investigation provide the regulators opportunity to learn lessons and identify further ways to frustrate the efforts of those who are determined to make profits, breaching environmental controls with no regard to their impact on the environment and local people.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the number of illegal vaping products that were sold in Staffordshire in each of the last five years.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Data collection and analysis to understand the scale of illegal vaping products across the country is part of the work led by National Trading Standards, to enhance illicit vape enforcement. This work, funded through a £3 million grant across two years from the Department, has identified that the Central England Trading Standards Authorities (CEnTSA) seized 129,244 illicit vapes from 2022 to 2023. The CEnTSA brings together 14 Local Authority Trading Standards services across the West Midlands, including Staffordshire County Council Trading Standards. Data for Staffordshire alone and data prior to 2022/23 is not held by the Department.

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 potential impact of hydrogen sulphide from landfill sites on the health and wellbeing of people aged (a) 18 and under and (b) over 65 in Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency.

Answered by Andrew Gwynne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

I have agreed to meet with my Honourable Friend about this issue. The UK Health Security Agency undertakes monthly assessments of the risk to people of all ages from hydrogen sulphide but does not produce separate assessments for individual age groups. The risk assessments are published and available on the Environment Agency website.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he plans to take to support pubs in Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

Eligible retail, hospitality and leisure properties currently benefit from 75 per cent business rates relief, up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business for 2024-25. The small business multiplier is frozen at 49.9p for 2024/25.

The government identified that the current business rates system disincentivises investment, creates uncertainty and places an undue burden on our high streets. In England, the government will replace the business rates system, so we can raise the same revenue but in a fairer way.

The British Business Bank supports SMEs to grow by improving their access to finance, through the Growth Guarantee Scheme which offers a 70% government guarantee on loans.

We will establish Skills England which will have a new partnership with employers at its heart and will reform the apprenticeship levy, a key ask of hospitality businesses.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Office for Environmental Protection.

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

This Government is committed to protecting the environment. We look forward to positive engagement with the Office for Environmental Protection. Their wide-ranging work is vital in supporting the environmental outcomes we all want to see, including restoring nature, and cleaning up Britain’s rivers, lakes and seas.

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 his Department has made of the potential impact of air pollution on the (a) natural environment in Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) economy in North Staffordshire.

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

Air pollution has a significant impact on our economy every year by reducing labour productivity and growth.

No specific assessment of air pollution and its impact on the natural environment in Newcastle-under-Lyme has been made recently nor the impact on the economy in North Staffordshire. However, a UK-wide risk assessment of the environmental impacts of the pollutants, ammonia, oxides of nitrogen and sulphur dioxide is made annually.

The results are summarised in the Air Pollution Trends Report (see: https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/assets/documents/reports/cat09/2401111009_Air_Pollution_Trends_Report_2023.pdf).

Specific results for UK designated habitats are viewable on the Air Pollution Information System website (see: https://www.apis.ac.uk/app).

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 adequacy of chemical regulations.

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

The Government is committed to protecting human health and the environment. We are currently considering the best approach to chemicals regulation in the UK.

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 effectiveness of the regulation of landfill sites.

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

No recent formal assessment has been made, although published Environment Agency data (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-activities-regulated-by-the-environment-agency-2022/review-of-activities-regulated-by-the-environment-agency-2022 ) shows that there are only a handful of serious pollution incidents from landfill sites each year. The regulatory framework in place is designed to serve operators and protect the local community. Where poor performance does occur the Environment Agency has a range of powers to bring sites back into compliance and, where necessary, to take enforcement action against operators. These enforcement powers include the use of civil sanction Stop Notices under the Regulatory and Enforcement Sanctions Act 2008, and the ability to suspend or revoke an environmental permit, or to close a site down where there is evidence of harm or risk to the environment or human health under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) 2016 Regulations, as well as to take criminal prosecutions under that legislation.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps he plans to take to support veterans in Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

This is a Government of service that will always stand up for those who serve our country. I am working across Government and with civil society to ensure veterans, including those in Newcastle-under-Lyme, get access to the health, housing, employment and other support they need

A range of support is in place to help veterans access services, including an accreditation scheme for NHS Trusts and Primary Care Networks across England to ensure they can best support veterans access health care; Government funded housing support for veterans; Armed Forces Champions across the UK’s Job Centre Plus network to help support members of the armed forces community into work; and the veterans’ railcard offering discounts on most rail travel.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what plans he has to help increase exports from (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) Staffordshire to European countries.

Answered by Gareth Thomas - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

We as a government will work to remove unnecessary barriers to trade with the EU.

UK businesses can access DBT’s export support services via Great.gov.uk. This comprises a digital self-serve offer and our wider network of support, including Export Champions, the Export Academy, our International Markets network, and UK Export Finance. Alongside this, our international trade advisers use their extensive experience of exporting and knowledge of the needs of SMEs in their sectors and regions to provide one-to-one tailored support to businesses across the UK. The Department are exploring options to improve our export support offer to UK businesses.

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 the Minister for the Environment in the Welsh Government on his departmental priorities.

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

The Secretary of State had a call with Huw Irranca-Davies MS, Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs on his second full day (9 July) where they committed to constructive partnership working, and identified early shared priorities to collaborate on to protect our natural resources and grow the economy, including initiatives to build a circular economy and measures to improve the water quality in our shared rivers.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of community service sentencing in reducing levels of reoffending in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) Staffordshire.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Across England and Wales, community service, now known as Unpaid Work (UPW), is primarily a punitive measure, however it can contribute to an individual's rehabilitation by providing an opportunity to gain vocational or skills-based on the job training while giving back to the society they have offended in. For those with an identified skills or training need, a percentage of their UPW hours can also be spent on education, training and employment activities to support their desistance from crime.

As it is primarily intended and used as a punitive part of a sentence, we do not measure the impact of having an UPW requirement on reoffending rates. This information could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.

Tackling reoffending is crucial to reducing crime, reducing demand on prison and probation services and protecting the public. This Government will continue to work with partners across the criminal justice systems to reduce reoffending and giving offenders the tools to move away from crime.

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 the Minister for the Environment in the Scottish Government on his departmental priorities.

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

The Secretary of State had a call with Mairi Gougeon MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands on his second full day (9 July) where they committed to constructive partnership working and identified early shared priorities to collaborate on including protecting our natural resources to grow the economy through circular economy measures; supporting farmers and improving food security; and, sharing information on land use reform and access to nature.

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 the Minister for the Environment in the Northern Ireland Executive on his departmental priorities.

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

The Secretary of State had a call with Andrew Muir MLA, Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs on his second full day (9 July) where they committed to constructive partnership working and identified early shared priorities to collaborate on including tackling water quality issues, and reducing waste and pollution in order to protect our natural resources and grow the economy.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he plans to take to help improve access to NHS dentistry in Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Government plans to tackle the challenges patients face when trying to access National Health Service dental care with a rescue plan to provide 700,000 more urgent dental appointments and recruit new dentists to the areas that need them most. To rebuild dentistry in the long term and increase access to NHS dental care, we will reform the dental contract, with a shift to focus on prevention and the retention of NHS dentists.

From 1 April 2023, the responsibility for commissioning primary care dentistry to meet the needs of the local population has been delegated to all integrated care boards across England.

NHS dentists are required to keep their NHS.UK profiles up to date so that patients can find a dentist more easily. This includes information on whether they are accepting new patients. In circumstances where patients are unable to access an urgent dental appointment directly through an NHS dental practice, they should contact NHS 111.

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 publish the correspondence received by his Department from Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council on the Walleys Quarry Landfill Site in each of the last five years.

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

The Hon Member has requested a significant amount of information. Some of this correspondence may be subject to the conventions regarding access to papers of a previous Administration. Publishing some items of this correspondence could also risk prejudicing ongoing regulatory or criminal investigations in relation to the site. To fully review all of this correspondence would incur disproportionate cost. With this in mind I would like to offer a meeting with the Hon Member to discuss the issues at the site and actions underway.

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 publish all correspondence between his Department and Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council on the Walleys Quarry Landfill site in each of the last five years.

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

The Hon Member has requested a significant amount of information. Some of this correspondence may be subject to the conventions regarding access to papers of a previous Administration. Publishing some items of this correspondence could also risk prejudicing ongoing regulatory or criminal investigations in relation to the site. To fully review all of this correspondence would incur disproportionate cost. With this in mind I would like to offer a meeting with the Hon Member to discuss the issues at the site and actions underway.

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 publish the correspondence received by his Department from Staffordshire County Council on the Walleys Quarry Landfill Site in each of the last five years.

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

The Hon Member has requested a significant amount of information. Some of this correspondence may be subject to the conventions regarding access to papers of a previous Administration. Publishing some items of this correspondence could also risk prejudicing ongoing regulatory or criminal investigations in relation to the site. To fully review all of this correspondence would incur disproportionate cost. With this in mind I would like to offer a meeting with the Hon Member to discuss the issues at the site and actions underway.

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 publish all correspondence between his Department and Staffordshire County Council on the Walleys Quarry Landfill site in each of the last five years.

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

The Hon Member has requested a significant amount of information. Some of this correspondence may be subject to the conventions regarding access to papers of a previous Administration. Publishing some items of this correspondence could also risk prejudicing ongoing regulatory or criminal investigations in relation to the site. To fully review all of this correspondence would incur disproportionate cost. With this in mind I would like to offer a meeting with the Hon Member to discuss the issues at the site and actions underway.

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 publish all correspondence between the Environment Agency and his Department on the Walleys Quarry Landfill site in each of the last five years.

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

The Hon Member has requested a significant amount of information. Some of this correspondence may be subject to the conventions regarding access to papers of a previous Administration. Publishing some items of this correspondence could also risk prejudicing ongoing regulatory or criminal investigations in relation to the site. To fully review all of this correspondence would incur disproportionate cost. With this in mind I would like to offer a meeting with the Hon Member to discuss the issues at the site and actions underway.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of levels of energy (a) poverty and (b) security in (i) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (ii) Staffordshire.

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

The latest statistics for the number of households in fuel poverty in parliamentary constituencies in England, can be found in the published sub-regional fuel poverty Official Statistics, in Table 4: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/fuel-poverty-statistics.

Whilst we cannot comment on specific constituencies, the energy security outlook for GB is positive for this upcoming winter - in their Early Winter Outlook (https://www.nationalgrideso.com/research-and-publications/winter-outlook), the National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) provisionally expects the margin between supply and demand for GB to be 5.6GW / 9.4%, which is an improved position from last winter (4.4 GW / 7.4%). We continue to work with Ofgem and the gas and electricity system operators to monitor our energy security.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans she has to improve the bus network in Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency.

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

The government knows that Britain needs a modern transport network to help kickstart economic growth. Good local bus services are an essential part of prosperous and sustainable communities. As announced in the King’s Speech, the government will pass the Better Buses Bill to put the power over local bus services back in the hands of local leaders right across England, to ensure networks can meet the needs to the communities who rely on them, including in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

We also plan to empower local transport authorities through reforming bus funding. By giving local leaders more control and flexibility over bus funding they can plan ahead to deliver their local transport priorities. The Department will work closely with local leaders and bus operators to deliver on the government’s ambitions.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans he has to promote economic cooperation between the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe.

Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign Secretary is putting growth at the heart of our foreign policy making, including improving relationships with the fastest growing markets of the future across the Global South. Trade between Zimbabwe and the UK was worth £633 million in 2023 and increasing economic growth between the UK and Zimbabwe is a top priority for our Embassy in Harare. We are pursuing this through a range of channels, including by supporting UK businesses to enter and navigate the Zimbabwean market and engaging with firms interested in the mining, horticulture, renewable energy and wider sustainability sectors. On 10 July, the UK's development finance institution, British International Investment, signed an agreement to invest $10 million in a Zimbabwean bank, for lending to the agriculture sector.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which Ministers will attend CHOGM 2024.

Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK Government is committed to the Commonwealth and is working closely with Commonwealth partners ahead of this year's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa, the first to take place in a Pacific Small Island Developing State. Ministerial attendance will be confirmed in due course.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the service provided by Avanti West Coast.

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

The performance of Avanti West Coast (AWC) has been inadequate, with too many cancellations and delays. Poor Network Rail infrastructure reliability has also contributed to the disruption experienced by passengers. The Secretary of State met with the Managing Director of AWC and the Network Rail Route Director on 16 July to challenge them on poor performance and demand immediate action to deliver urgent improvements.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to re-schedule the UK-African Investment Summit.

Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK-African Investment Summit, due to take place in April 2024, was postponed owing to scheduling issues in the international calendar.

The UK is committed to reconnecting with African countries, listening to our African partners and putting trade and growth at the heart of our partnerships. This includes working with South Africa next year under their G20 Presidency.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of police officers who left the service in (a) Staffordshire and (b) England in each of the last five years.

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

The Home Office collects and publishes data annually on the number of police officer leavers in the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin which can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-workforce-england-and-wales

Information on the number of police officers leaving the police service, by Police Force Area, between the years ending 31 March 2007 and 2023, can be found in the ‘Leavers Open Data Table’ here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64ba76662059dc000d5d27c0/open-data-table-police-workforce-leavers-260723.ods

The next release of the ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletin, which covers the number of police officer leavers in the year ending 31 March 2024, is scheduled for release at 9:30am on Wednesday 24 July 2024.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support (a) children with SEND and (b) their parents, families and carers in Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency.

Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) reinspected Staffordshire SEND services on their eight areas of significant weakness in February 2022. The inspectors assessed each area of weakness and concluded that sufficient progress had been made to address six. Staffordshire produced an Accelerated Progress Plan (APP) to address the remaining two areas of significant weakness. The APP is being monitored on a 6-monthly basis and the next review is due to take place in November 2024.

The department is committed to supporting and monitoring progress of the identified areas for improvement and have put in place regular monitoring and challenge meetings with SEND advisors from the department and NHS England.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will hold discussions with Staffordshire County Council on the condition of road surfaces in Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency; and if she will visit Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency to assess the condition of road surfaces.

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

I welcome conversations with local authorities, including Staffordshire County Council, to better understand the challenges that they face with regards to maintenance of the local highway network. I look forward to receiving an invite and further details in due course.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the World Health Organisation guidelines entitled WHO global air quality guidelines: particulate matter (‎PM2.5 and PM10)‎, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide, published on 22 September 2021, whether he plans to adopt the recommendations set out in those guidelines for (a) particulate matter, PM2.5 and PM10, (b) ozone, (c) nitrogen dioxide, (d) sulphur dioxide and (e) carbon monoxide.

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

The Government is committed to meeting current legal targets for air quality, including the targets recently set under the Environment Act 2021, and will review the policy measures needed to achieve them. We will deliver a comprehensive and ambitious Clean Air Strategy including a series of interventions to reduce emissions so that everyone’s exposure to air pollution is reduced.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of the number of people that are in work and claiming Universal Credit in Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Under my political leadership the DWP will shift from being a department for welfare to being a department for work. We will create a new jobs and careers service, bringing together Jobcentre Plus and the National Careers Service.

The service will be focused on helping people get into work and get on at work, not only on monitoring and managing benefit claims. For our employment support system, the outcomes that will matter are higher engagement, higher employment, and higher earnings.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she plans to take to help tackle (a) anti-social behaviour and (b) drug use in Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency.

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

Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for this Government, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission to take back our streets.

We will put thousands of neighbourhood police and community support officers into local communities so that residents have a named officer they can turn to when things go wrong.

​We will crack down on those causing havoc on our high streets by introducing tougher powers via a Crime and Policing Bill, including a new Respect Order to tackle repeat offending.

We know that drugs drive crime and cause harm to individuals and society. We will take action as part of our Safer Streets Mission to drive down crime and anti-social behaviour across the country, drawing on evidence for what works in identifying drug users and intervening effectively to change patterns of behaviour including, where appropriate, treatment and recovery services for those dependent on drugs. We will also give detailed consideration to the findings of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs’ forthcoming review of synthetic cathinones, sometimes referred to as ‘monkey dust’, which are a significant cause of anti-social behaviour and drug harms.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she plans to take to help tackle child poverty in Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Tackling child poverty is a priority for the Government and a central part of delivering the Government’s Mission to create and spread opportunity for every child and young person in our country.

We promised concrete actions in our manifesto to support children and families. Our initial steps to tackle poverty include free breakfast clubs in every primary school setting every child up at the start of the day ready to learn, expanding childcare to deliver work choices for parents and life chances for children, stronger protection for families who rent privately, and action to tackle high energy bills and slash fuel poverty.

We are also developing an ambitious, new child poverty strategy and have set up a Ministerial Taskforce, jointly led by the Work & Pensions Secretary and the Education Secretary, to drive cross-government action on this work.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people are in work and claiming Universal Credit in Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Official statistics for the number of people on Universal Credit are published each month on Stat-Xplore, with breakdowns available by Westminster Parliamentary Constituency. The latest statistics are to June 2024, with a breakdown by employment indicator available to May 2024.

Users can log in or access Stat-Xplore as a guest and, if needed, can access guidance on how to extract the information required.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the impact of the decision by the previous Conservative government to remove the £20 uplift to Universal Credit on poverty in Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

The £20 uplift in Universal Credit was removed in October 2021.

Statistics on the number of Children living in absolute and relative poverty per constituency before housing costs are published annually in the “Children in low income families: local area statistics” publication. They can be found in tabs “6_Absolute_ParlC” and “5_Relative_ParlC” at Children in low income families: local area statistics 2014 to 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). The latest statistics published on 21 March 2024 cover the years 2014/15 to 2022/23.

These statistics show the impact of all policies, economic, societal and behavioural changes on child poverty levels in constituencies.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the process to secure an autism diagnosis for children living in Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

It is the responsibility of integrated care boards (ICBs) to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including autism assessment services, in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

On 5 April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance to deliver improved outcomes in all-age autism assessment pathways. This guidance will help ICBs and the National Health Service to deliver improved outcomes for children, young people, and adults referred to an autism assessment service.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the police response to violence against women and girls in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) Staffordshire.

Answered by Jess Phillips - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)

The scale of violence against women and girls in our country is intolerable and this government will treat it as the national emergency that it is. The police are a crucial partner to deliver our ambition to halve VAWG in the next decade.

We must drastically improve the police and wider criminal justice response, in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire and across the country.

We expect to see sustained work across policing to drive up standards and to ensure there is always a swift and specialist response to these appalling crimes. We know that these crimes are underreported, and we will take action to ensure victims coming forward get the response they deserve.

The most recent statistics show that in the year ending March 2024:

In Newcastle under Lyme, police recorded:

• 452 stalking offences, up 9% from 413 in 2022/23
• 847 harassment offences, up 9% from 778 in 2022/23
• 396 sexual offences, down 8% from 431 in 2022/23.

Staffordshire Police recorded:

• 4,362 stalking offences, up 6% from 4,113 in 2022/23
• 8,623 harassment offences, up 36% from 6,344 in 2022/23
• 3392 sexual offences, down 12% from 3836 in 2022/23.

In the year ending March 2023 there were 23,697 domestic-abuse related crimes recorded by the police in Staffordshire, a 33% increase from the year ending March 2022 (17,870).

Data on DA flagged offences are not published for Newcastle-under-Lyme specifically.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she plans to take to help support women affected by the rise in the State Pension age in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) Staffordshire.

Answered by Emma Reynolds - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

DWP offers employment support for eligible customers of all ages, including those below State Pension age, through the network of Jobcentres across the UK, and through contracted employment programmes.

A dedicated offer for older workers seeks to provide tailored support for those affected by low confidence, menopause, health and disability or caring pressures, and out of date skills or qualifications. This includes an online midlife review tool that supports people to assess their health, wealth and skills.

The government has set out ambitious plans to improve employment support by bringing together jobcentres and the national careers service.

Hartlepool Carers' 30th anniversary