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 he is taking with cabinet colleagues to improve the a) safety and b) provision of playgrounds for young people in Newcastle-under-Lyme.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Local authorities work locally to support adults and children to lead more active lives through access to nature, parks, and play spaces. We are investing in local government. The Spending Review 2025 provides over £5 billion of new grant funding over the next three years for local services that communities rely on. This includes £3.4 billion of new grant funding which will be delivered through the Settlement for 2026-27 to 2028-29.
Between 16 December 2025 and 10 March 2026, we consulted on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework. That consultation, which can be found on gov.uk here, included proposals relating to the provision of play space. The government has recently published a draft update to national design guidance, which emphasises that development proposals should maximise the potential for play in the layout, form and appearance of development. In terms of safety, owners and operators of playgrounds are required to comply with existing legal requirements as applicable.
Government also owns the Green Flag Award scheme, which helps to increase access to quality green spaces and parks; sets the standard for those spaces to meet the needs of the communities they serve and has helped to transform thousands of spaces across the country. This includes many parks across Newcastle-under-Lyme, such as Bathpool Park, Brampton Park and Lyme Valley Park.
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 steps he is taking to help reduce the number of unemployed young people in Staffordshire.
Answered by Andrew Western - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
For many years our young people have not had the opportunity and support they deserve. Under the last government, between 2021 and 2024, the number of young people not in education, employment or training increased by 250,000.
The Government has recently announced a further £1 billion investment in young people, taking the total investment to £2.5 billion over the next three years though the Youth Guarantee and additional investment in the Growth and Skills Levy. This investment will support almost one million young people and create up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn.
This includes the delivery of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England, expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 areas across Great Britain and introduction of a new Youth Guarantee Gateway in Jobcentres. The Gateway will provide 16-24-year-olds on Universal Credit a dedicated session and follow-up support to help them move into work, training or education.
This investment will also create around 300,000 more opportunities to gain workplace experience and training, including up to 150,000 work experience placements and up to 145,000 employer designed training opportunities, such as Sector based Work Academy Programmes, which offer participants a guaranteed job interview at the end.
In addition, the Government is taking action to support employers to recruit and train young people, helping to unlock up to 200,000 more employment opportunities. This includes a new £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant for employers who hire 18–24-year-olds who have been on Universal Credit for over six months, a new £2,000 apprenticeship incentive for small and medium sized employers hiring 16–24-year-old, and the Jobs Guarantee scheme, providing long-term unemployed 18–24-year-olds with a fully funded six month job.
The Government will also prioritise prevention, building on measures announced in the Skills White Paper. The Government will improve support in schools, monitor attendance, increase access to work experience and work with local authorities to pilot auto-enrolling young people in further education, if needed.
Together these measures demonstrate the Government’s commitment to backing young people, supporting employers, and working with partners across Great Britain to create clear pathways into employment and education for young people.
In Staffordshire, our DWP Schools Advisers have supported over 3,600 young people across in the 2024/25 academic year. This includes 220 students in Newcastle-under-Lyme at Orme Academy, St Peter's Academy, and Abbey Hill Special School. Young people have access to training in Digital Marketing, Cyber Security, Web Design, and Emergency First Aid for Mental Health through The Training Initiative.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent steps he has taken to improve bilateral defence cooperation between the UK and Ireland.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
On 13 March 2026 the Secretary of State for Defence, and the Irish Minister for Defence, announced the signing of the refreshed UK-Ireland Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The updated MOU focuses on maritime cooperation, cyber defence, air domain information sharing, and increased joint procurement. This modernised MOU will improve bilateral defence cooperation between the UK and Ireland, providing a stronger, more agile foundation for cooperation, while respecting the distinct defence and security policies of both countries.