Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Institute for Public Policy Research's 'local youth opportunity index' report on his fiscal policies.
Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
The government welcomes the IPPR's focus on the barriers preventing young people from accessing opportunities across different parts of the country.
The Government acknowledges that significant challenges for young people entering the world of work have built up over the past two decades. This Government has announced £2.5 billion of investment in the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy over the next three years – supporting almost one million young people and helping to deliver up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn.
This is also a key issue being considered by the Rt Hon. Alan Milburn's Review into Young People and Work. The government looks forward to the Review's publication and will consider its recommendations carefully.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England is taking to help tackle poverty in a) Newcastle-under-Lyme and b) Staffordshire.
Answered by Marsha De Cordova
I refer the Hon member for Newcastle under Lyme to the answer given on the 28 May 2025, UIN 53336.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what recent steps the Church of England has taken to support community cohesion in its parishes.
Answered by Marsha De Cordova
The Church of England has a long and proud tradition of working across faiths and communities to promote understanding, strengthen relationships and support community cohesion. Most dioceses have dedicated interfaith advisers who work with clergy and congregations to encourage engagement with people of different faiths and backgrounds, supported by the Church’s national Presence and Engagement programme.
Through its parish network, the Church maintains a presence in communities across the country, helping to build the trust and long-term relationships that are essential to bringing people together. Churches regularly work alongside other faith organisations, local authorities, schools, community groups and the police to foster mutual understanding, tackle local challenges and support peaceful, resilient communities.
The Church also supports the work of organisations such as the Church Urban Fund and Near Neighbours, which play a vital role in promoting interfaith understanding, encouraging social action and strengthening community ties. Together, these partnerships help ensure that churches continue to contribute positively to community cohesion, social justice and good relations across our diverse society.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question
To ask the hon. Member for Battersea, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England has taken to support people on low-incomes in rural communities since 1 January 2026.
Answered by Marsha De Cordova
There are more than 10,000 Church of England churches in rural areas and, through the National Society for Education, the Church is the single largest provider of rural and village education in the country. Churches and church schools often play a particularly important role at the heart of rural communities.
St James’s Church in Audley, as an example, provides a ‘Tots’ group for the local community. It offers an opportunity for parents and caregivers to meet and for children to engage in play and crafts. These opportunities can be formative for the children and enable adults to share experiences and provide mutual support.
According to the most recent Statistics for Mission, Church of England churches were involved in 31,300 social action projects, including lunch clubs, coffee mornings, parent and toddler groups and food banks. These projects offer vital support to people living in rural communities, where a lack of access to employment opportunities, poor transport links, and hidden homelessness can be particularly acute.
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 recent representations he has made to the Zambian Government on a) human rights and b) the rule of law.
Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Our High Commission in Lusaka engages frequently with the Government of Zambia on the rule of law and freedom of political expression. Our assessment of Zambia's political and governance environment is informed by regular engagement with a wide range of stakeholders and helps to shape the UK's approach to its partnership with Zambia.
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, whether he has made an assessment of the strength of the rule of law in the Republic of Zambia.
Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Our High Commission in Lusaka engages frequently with the Government of Zambia on the rule of law and freedom of political expression. Our assessment of Zambia's political and governance environment is informed by regular engagement with a wide range of stakeholders and helps to shape the UK's approach to its partnership with Zambia.
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, whether he has made an assessment of levels of freedom of political expression in the Republic of Zambia.
Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Our High Commission in Lusaka engages frequently with the Government of Zambia on the rule of law and freedom of political expression. Our assessment of Zambia's political and governance environment is informed by regular engagement with a wide range of stakeholders and helps to shape the UK's approach to its partnership with Zambia.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of trends in the number of students who have been asked to leave university due to unpaid fees.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Tuition fee loans ensure that higher education (HE) is effectively free at the point of entry for eligible students, removing the need for upfront payment of tuition fees.
Approved (fee cap) HE providers in England are subject to maximum fee limits set in regulations.
Eligible students studying undergraduate courses at these providers in England can apply for tuition fee loans to cover the full regulated tuition fees charged.
Tuition fee loans are paid directly to providers by the Student Loans Company. This removes the need for eligible students to pay regulated tuition fees upfront.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he plans to take to support economic growth in Newcastle-under-Lyme.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with HM Treasury)
The Government's ambition is to support good growth across all parts of the United Kingdom. As set out in the Prime Minister's recent Machinery of Government Statement, No10 North will be responsible for driving good growth through devolution and working in close partnership with local leaders, businesses, and communities to strengthen place-based growth.
Staffordshire will receive £93m in transport capital funding between 2026/27 and 2029/30, enabling it to deliver more ambitious local transport improvements through a simplified, consolidated funding settlement.
Newcastle-under-Lyme will benefit from wider interventions to boost growth in the West Midlands, including the £25.3bn to progress the delivery of HS2 Phase One, improved connections to the South East, and funding to progress delivery of the Midlands Rail Hub to deepen connections with Wales and the South West. Conversations with local transport authorities are already taking place on the North – South New Rail Lines study, which is expected to bring further benefits to the region. The Government’s ambition is that every area in England has a strategic authority in place by 2027, or a plan for one, so that more power and resources are controlled locally to unlock more economic investment. This includes Newcastle-under-Lyme.
At Budget, the Government will publish a fiscal devolution roadmap which will set out a path to replacing grants from central government with a share of local income tax for every mayor beginning in 2028, such that where a region grows its tax base, it benefits from the increased receipts. This will sit alongside greater retention of the revenue from business rates for local councils and strategic authorities. The long-term certainty of funding via taxation will provide more flexibility and enable greater investment to fund interventions that will deliver a return.
Asked by: Adam Jogee (Labour - Newcastle-under-Lyme)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she will take to ensure that her Department is adequately prepared for Second Reading of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on 11 September.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Ahead of Second Reading, the Department carried out standard preparations, including publishing an impact assessment and other bill products. That work has now ceased.