Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to a) protect and b) promote community cohesion in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
MHCLG’s Community Cohesion Unit supports and promotes cohesion across England by working closely with local authorities, voluntary and community sector and faith organisations, and other government departments.
Following the disorder in summer 2024, several areas in Staffordshire have received sustained support. In Stoke-on-Trent, MHCLG has supported a multi-agency partnership approach to strengthen cohesion and resilience, aligned with the development of the city’s cohesion strategy. This brings together statutory and community partners to address integration, cohesion and tensions monitoring.
Five areas across Staffordshire, Bentilee and Ubberley, Bradley and Chell Heath, Meir North, Cannock Chase, and Glascote Heath have each been awarded Pride in Place Programme funding, with £20 million invested over ten years to deliver long-term, preventative improvements to community cohesion.
In Tamworth, MHCLG supported the Borough Council following unrest in summer 2024, addressing immediate challenges and strengthening longer-term cohesion capability through initiatives such as the ‘We Are Tamworth’ programme.
Nationally, MHCLG is coordinating cross-government work on a longer-term approach to social cohesion. Protecting What Matters, published on 9 March 2026, set out HMG’s vision to build stronger, more cohesive communities through sustained investment, improved integration, strengthened English language provision, and robust action against hate and extremism.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will consider furthering the working relationship between HM Treasury and the Coalfields Regeneration Trust.
Answered by Emma Reynolds - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Government recognises the valuable role the Coalfields Regeneration Trust plays in supporting former coalfield communities.
In June 2026, the Government confirmed £13.5 million from the Growth Mission Fund, matched by the Trust, to support six new industrial developments in former coalfield areas in England, Scotland and Wales.
The Coalfields Regeneration Trust should continue to work with BIST as these projects are delivered.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to help disabled people in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire with the cost of transport.
Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) provides free off-peak bus travel in England to those of state pension age and those with eligible disabilities between 0930 and 2300 on weekdays and all day at weekends and on Bank Holidays.
Disabled bus pass holders will be able to travel free of charge at any time of day across England from 1 April 2027. Removing the current weekday time restrictions will provide a more consistent national entitlement and improve access to jobs, education and other opportunities for disabled passengers.
The Government is investing in bus services long-term and has confirmed over £3 billion from 2026/27 to support local leaders and bus operators to improve bus services. This includes multi-year allocations for local authorities under the Local Authority Bus Grant totalling nearly £700 million per year. Staffordshire County Council will be allocated £33.7 million from 2026/27 to 2028/29, which it can use to improve local bus services for passengers.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on increasing apprenticeship opportunities for young people in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
This Government is transforming the Apprenticeships Levy into a new Growth and Skills Levy in England, backed by over £1 billion of additional investment. This will support 50,000 more young people across the country, including in Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire, into apprenticeships over the next three years. Young people and employers in Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire will also benefit from a range of additional measures to increase apprenticeship opportunities and support recruitment.
In August 2025, we introduced foundation apprenticeships to give young people a new route into careers in critical sectors, enabling them to earn while they learn, and in April 2026 expanded the offer to hospitality and retail, creating more opportunities for young people at the start of their careers. Foundation apprenticeships come with £2,000 of additional funding for employers to contribute to the extra costs of supporting someone at the beginning of their career.
As of August this year, the Government fully funds apprenticeship training costs for all eligible under 25 apprentices for employers of all sizes. We have also introduced a £2,000 hiring payment for non-levy employers who recruit 16–24-year-old apprentices as new employees. Employers recruiting apprentices aged 18-24 who have been on Universal Credit for over six months may also be eligible for the new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant.
In addition, employers and training providers each receive £1,000 when they take on apprentices aged under 19, or 19-to-24-year-old apprentices who have an EHCP or have been, or are, in care. These payments can be combined where eligibility criteria are met.
Finally, the Government also funds and supports the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (AAN) which comprises over 2,000 employers and apprentices who actively volunteer to promote the benefits of apprenticeships. It operates across all parts of England, including in Staffordshire and Newcastle-under-Lyme, through nine regional networks. These networks provide buddying and mentoring support to small businesses to help them recruit and retain apprentices.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she will take to ensure that her council home building programme uses British bricks.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
It is for individual local authorities to determine how best to build new council homes in their local areas, including the right approach to procurement, in line with framework set out by the Procurement Act 2023.
I otherwise refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 23729 on 2 November 2026.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking alongside a) the Arab League, b) the United Nations and c) other international partners to help protect freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is working closely with regional and international partners, as well as through the UN and International Maritime Organization, to restore safe, secure and unimpeded transit through the Strait of Hormuz, in accordance with international law as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. At the UN General Assembly, the Foreign Secretary joined fellow UN Security Council member Bahrain supported by 80 other countries, to demonstrate broad international support for freedom of navigation and opposition to tolls, conditions, or illegal charges in the Strait. UK Ministers also spoke at UN events on the law of the sea and maritime security to reinforce these principles.
On 23 October, the Foreign Secretary met E3 and regional partners, including Arab League members, in Istanbul to jointly press for de-escalation, safeguard global trade, and encourage the full reopening of the Strait.
I met the Arab League to discuss a range of issues on 18 August in Cairo, and discussed these issues with a range of partners in Manama on the 31 October. I visited the Joint Maritime Security Centre to discuss our work on 8 October.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to support first time house buyers in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
At the Autumn Budget 2026, the Chancellor announced £4.7 billion in funding for a new equity loan scheme, Your First Home. The scheme will enable prospective first-time buyers who can't rely on help from the bank of Mum and Dad to purchase a new-build home from a participating housebuilder with a 2.5% deposit, supported by a 20% government-backed equity loan.
The Chancellor also announced a new First Time Buyer ISA, providing a simpler route for first-time buyers to save for a deposit.
From 28 October, the Lifetime ISA withdrawal charge will also be reduced to 20%, meaning first-time buyers purchasing a home above the existing £450,000 property price cap will not be penalised.
First-time buyers can also benefit from existing support through Shared Ownership and the permanent Mortgage Guarantee Scheme, which supports the availability of low-deposit mortgages.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the Trump administration’s decision to lift some its 50% tariffs on Canadian goods.
Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade) (Jointly with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
The Government remains firmly committed to strengthening the UK’s trading relationships with both the US and Canada. We continue to monitor developments in US-Canada trade and assess any implications for UK interests. These developments do not change our focus on deepening bilateral trade and investment with Canada and identifying further opportunities for UK businesses. However, we cannot comment on trade relations between third countries.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if she will ensure that the sacrifices of Rhodesian troops in the two world wars are remembered at the national Act of Remembrance on Remembrance Sunday.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
The National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph, coordinated by DCMS alongside colleagues across government, the Armed Forces and veterans' organisations, commemorates the service and sacrifice of military and civilian personnel who served alongside British and Allied forces in the two world wars and subsequent conflicts. The service honours all those who contributed to the Allied war effort, including those who served from what was then Rhodesia.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, What discussions she has had with her African counterparts about the support the United Kingdom can provide for the preparations for the 2029 World Championships.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
We congratulate Nairobi on securing the 2029 World Athletics Championships and wish organisers the best of luck in hosting the event. My department has not to date held any formal discussions with African counterparts on supporting Kenya's preparations to host the Championships.
However, the UK's major sporting event industry has a world-class reputation and regularly shares its expertise directly with international events on request.