Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the likelihood of it setting a Budget before Christmas 2026.

Answered by Sarah Owen - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)

The Secretary of State has met regularly with the NI Executive to discuss the budget and find agreement. The Government has offered a significant and final funding package of over £1.5bn across three years to the Northern Ireland Executive. This funding is on top of the record £19.3bn per year on average provided to the Executive over the Spending Review.

This is funding that will help the Executive manage their pressures, stabilise their finances and move to a more sustainable footing.

The Secretary of State has urged the Executive to accept this offer and agree a multi-year budget, to provide public services with the clarity and certainty they need.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps he is taking to help deliver economic growth through advanced manufacturing in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.

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)

BIST is the core engine for reindustrialisation, resilience, growth and good jobs in every postcode. A place-led Industrial Strategy remains our primary framework for supporting manufacturers, attracting investment and helping businesses start, scale and stay in the UK.

Building a skilled workforce is key to the sector’s growth potential. In Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire, we have invested in two Advanced Manufacturing Technical Excellence Colleges to provide specialist training and opportunities.

More broadly, the DRIVE35 Supplier Readiness and Transformation Fund, delivered with the West Midlands Combined Authority, supports businesses to scale, diversify, and build critical capacity for EV supply chains.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what fiscal steps he plans to take to support the brick industry in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.

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 Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) is currently developing the Ceramics Industry Support Scheme which intends to deliver £120 million to the ceramics sector, including the brick manufacturing sector, to support its long-term competitiveness.

BIST officials have been engaging with the ceramics industry, including with businesses in Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire, to ensure the scheme is accessible to a wide section of the ceramics industry.

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help improve access to affordable food for people in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.

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

Within Staffordshire, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council and Stoke-on-Trent Council have been selected to receive a grant of £222,000 under the Good Food Neighbourhoods programme (GFN). The GFN programme is a £10m fund to support those communities in greatest need improve access to healthy and affordable food. Alongside government funding, the programme will work with businesses, charities and philanthropy to build on existing community projects, reach more people and bring additional funding into local areas.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for its policies of concerns raised by Christian, Hindu and Muslim organisations in South Africa that proposals under the CRL Rights Commission’s Section 22 process could result in increased state regulation of religious communities; and whether he has discussed with his South African counterpart the importance of ensuring that any regulatory framework is consistent with freedom of religion or belief.

Answered by Uma Kumaran - Assistant Whip

The UK is committed to championing freedom of religion or belief for all. South Africa's Constitution provides protection for freedom of religion. The CRL Rights Commission's Section 22 process remains subject to domestic consultation. Officials at the British High Commission in Pretoria will continue to follow developments, including the concerns raised by faith organisations.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps she is taking to mitigate the impact of rising heating fuel costs on people living in rural communities in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b)Staffordshire.

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

This Government is determined to ensure that consumers in rural communities who are reliant on heating oil are treated fairly and better protected, including during times of international volatility.

The CMA found that recent increases in heating oil prices were largely driven by higher wholesale costs rather than a lack of competition or excessive profits.

The Government published its formal response to the CMA heating oil report on 13 October, confirming it will take forward proposals to introduce stronger regulations for the first time, and agreeing with the CMA that we will not be replicating the gas and electricity price cap. Instead, we will focus on a programme of reform to strengthening consumer protections.

A Written Ministerial Statement can be found here: Written statements - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament

The full response can be found here: Government response to the CMA heating oil market study - GOV.UK

The Government does recognise the impact that heating oil price increases have had on households, which is why we took action to introduce over £50m of support to help with costs. Households can access immediate support from their local authority through the Crisis and Resilience Fund.

For those considering alternatives to oil heating, the Government is supporting the installation of low-carbon heating through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme. A time-limited higher grant of £9,000 is available to the end of March 2027 for eligible off-gas-grid properties replacing oil or LPG heating systems, helping households and small businesses most exposed to volatile fossil fuel prices to switch to low-carbon heating.

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 heritage public houses in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.

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

Heritage pubs are protected through the planning and listed building consent regimes.

The new Community Right to Buy will give communities the first opportunity to purchase Assets of Community Value that are important to them. While many heritage pubs are already listed as Assets of Community Value, the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act expanded the definition so that assets which historically furthered the community's interest are in scope of being listed.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the security threat posed to British nationals in the West Bank by settlers on illegal settlements.

Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We are deeply concerned by settler violence and terrorism in the West Bank and keep the security situation under constant review. Our Travel Advice is regularly updated to reflect our latest assessment of the risks to British nationals including in relation to settlement-related activity. We regularly call on the Government of Israel to prevent and hold perpetrators of settler violence accountable.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to help improve the health and well being of men in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.

Answered by James Frith - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

I refer the Hon Member to the Men’s Health Strategy published last November and available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mens-health-strategy-for-england

The implementation of which is continuing in his region and in all areas of the country.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, further to the answer to of 15 September 2026 to Question 30238, whether His Majesty's Government raised the arrest of the Zambian Opposition Leader following the results Zambian General Election of August 2026, with a) their counterparts in Lusaka or b) the Zambian High Commission in the United Kingdom.

Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Further to my Written Answers of 12 October, our High Commission in Lusaka engages frequently with the Zambian government, emphasising the importance of transparency and following due process, including in relation to the recent detentions of opposition figures.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the a) Minister for Communities and b) Minister for the Economy in the Northern Ireland Executive about the adequacy of support for the brewing industry in Northern Ireland.

Answered by Sarah Owen - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)

Since his appointment, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has met with all the Northern Ireland Executive Ministers, including the Minister for Communities and the Minister for the Economy. Policies related to support for the brewing industry in Northern Ireland are devolved to the Northern Ireland Executive.

The brewing industry is a key sector in the UK economy, providing jobs and investment across the country, and the Prime Minister recently announced a 20 per cent discount to business rates for pubs, social clubs and live music venues in England. Any associated Barnett consequentials for the NI Executive will be confirmed at the next fiscal event.

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with cabinet colleagues on increasing the number of jobs for young people in the defence industry in Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency.

Answered by Luke Pollard - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence does not hold employment data at constituency level. However, in Financial Year 2025-26 the MOD spent £1.82 billion directly with business and industry in the West Midlands, up from £1.76 billion in FY2024-25 when adjusted for inflation, supporting 7,900 jobs.

The MOD is working alongside other Government Departments to ensure the defence sector has the skilled workforce it requires across the UK, including creating opportunities for young people to pursue fulfilling and rewarding careers.

As part of the Defence Industrial Strategy, we committed £182 million to a Defence Industry Skills package targeting individuals at every stage of the defence career pipeline.

Last month, the Defence Secretary and the Rt Hon Alan Milburn signed a pledge with 13 industry leaders to expand routes into apprenticeships, increase work experience opportunities and strengthen careers engagement for young people, including those not in education, employment or training.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he has taken to support young people not in education, employment, or training in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and b) Staffordshire since 20 July 2026.

Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

With around one million young people not in education, employment and training, this Government will not leave an entire generation of young people behind. The Government is investing an additional £2.5 billion by 2029 through the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy, supporting almost one million young people and creating up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn. This includes the expansion of Youth Hubs to more than 360 locations across Great Britain, the introduction of the Youth Guarantee Gateway in Jobcentres, and increased opportunities for workplace experience, training and employment support.

Youth Hubs are a core component of the Youth Guarantee, providing access to employment, training and apprenticeship support for all young people aged 16 to 24, including those not receiving benefits. The expanded network will deliver holistic support, including employer engagement, skills provision, housing and mental health support.

As part of the Youth Hubs expansion, Newcastle-under-Lyme, East Staffordshire and South Staffordshire are scheduled to receive Youth Hubs in Year 2 (2027/28) of delivery, while Staffordshire Moorlands is scheduled for Year 3 (2028/29).

The Government is also supporting employers to recruit young people through the £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant, available to employers hiring eligible 18 to 24-year-olds who have been claiming Universal Credit and looking for work for six months or more, and through the Jobs Guarantee scheme, which will provide eligible young people with a fully subsidised six-month paid job.

We also recognise the crisis of participation that Alan Milburn has so clearly laid out in his interim report. We will use this interim report to continue to build our reforms and look forward to final recommendations in the Autumn.

Question to the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, what steps he is taking to support the creation of manufacturing jobs for young people in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.

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)

As set out in our 10-year Modern Industrial Strategy and accompanying Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan, government is committed to boosting manufacturing jobs and increasing prosperity across the UK. The DRIVE35 Supplier Readiness and Transformation Fund, delivered with the West Midlands Combined Authority, aims to create or safeguard nearly 800 manufacturing jobs in the region by 2030.

We are also developing a highly skilled, inclusive industrial workforce of all ages to tackle these jobs, including investing in Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group’s Advanced Manufacturing Technical Excellence College. It will provide specialist training aligned with local employers, helping young people progress into skilled engineering and advanced manufacturing careers.

Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he is taking to support the Northern Ireland Executive to increase economic growth.

Answered by Sarah Owen - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Northern Ireland Office)

The UK Government is supporting growth in Northern Ireland through targeted interventions, including the £617 million investment into the City and Growth Deals which are driving innovation capabilities, the £150 million Enhanced Investment Zone and continued funding for Intertrade UK.

While our immediate priority is helping the Executive agree a multi-year Budget, we will work in partnership with the NI Executive to encourage longer-term economic growth.

Annual Battle of Britain Parade in Newcastle-under-Lyme