Asked by: Sam Rushworth (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress she has made with Cabinet colleagues on implementing the Pride in Place programme.
Answered by James Murray - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
For too long, people have watched their towns and neighbourhoods’ decline. Through the Pride in Place programme, we’re cutting through bureaucracy to put money directly in the hands of local people. As it stands, almost 250 places will receive a share of £5bn from Spring next year to help them reclaim beloved local assets and drive renewal, street by street.
Asked by: Sam Rushworth (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of Norway’s decision to purchase Type 26 frigates from BAE Systems on levels of supply chain opportunities for businesses in the North East.
Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)
I refer the hon. Members to the answer given by my noble Friend, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence (Lord Coaker), on 16 September 2025 to Question number HL10176 in the House of Lords.
The Norwegian Government’s announcement on 31 August 2025, that it had selected the UK as a strategic partner for their acquisition of Type 26 warships, will sustain around 4,000 jobs across the UK’s supply chain until well into the 2030s.
This is the largest ever UK warship export deal by value and it is expected to provide a £10 billion boost to the UK economy and support more than 400 British companies across all regions, including the north east of England. It is a huge vote of confidence in the UK’s defence industry and supply chains, which are supported by small and medium enterprises.
Asked by: Sam Rushworth (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps UK Research and Innovation is taking to help increase technological capabilities in battery cell production.
Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Faraday Battery Challenge funds battery related research, development of battery materials and technologies, and encourages investment into the UK’s world-class battery facilities.
An example of investment into UK facilities is the Advanced Materials Battery Industrialisation Centre (AMBIC), due to open in Q2 2025. AMBIC will provide innovation capability for the synthesis and processing of battery materials right through to the prototyping of commercially attractive batteries. The £12 million facility will bring together scalable and commercially relevant equipment into one entity to fast-track battery materials development.
Asked by: Sam Rushworth (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the decision was taken not to grant Restore Your Railway funding to the Weardale Line; and for what reason that decision was taken.
Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Aside from Restoring Your Railway (RYR) projects currently at the delivery stage or in construction, all remaining RYR-originated projects, including the Darlington to Weardale line, are now being considered as part of preparations for the Spending Review. Ministers have been clear that not all projects will be able to proceed to delivery due to the challenging financial situation facing the Department.